Delete Windows old Folder
Something You Need to Know About Windows.old Folder
Before you start deleting Windows.old folder on your PC, here is something that we think you should know about this folder.
What Is Windows.old?
Windows.old folder is generated by the Windows operating system when you upgrade from one version of Windows to another. The Windows.old folder isn't something new with Windows 10, which starts with Windows Vista.
The Windows.old folder contains all the files and data from your previous Windows installation, including Windows system files, user accounts' settings, User Profile, and User Folder files, etc.
You can apply it to restore Windows to the previous version if you don't like the new version. You can also dig into the Windows.old folder to find a specific file that wasn't properly copied to your new Windows installation.
So you may wonder where is the Windows.old folder saved on the computer and how to delete it right? Usually, Windows.old folder.
Why Can't I Remove Windows.old Folder?
According to the Microsoft Windows forum and some tech forums, users complain that they can't remove Windows.old folder as Windows reports that the file not found or target is not a valid file or directory.
Why is that? Here are two main reasons that explain why you can't delete Windows.old folder directly from your C: drive:
1. The Windows.old folder has been removed by Windows OS
In order to save disk space, Windows Operating System is designed to delete the Windows.old folder automatically after you upgrade:
On Windows 10, Windows.old folder gets deleted automatically in 10 days after Windows upgrade.
On Windows 8.1/8, Windows.old gets deleted automatically in 28 days after Windows upgrade.
On Windows 7 and older OS, Windows.old will be removed automatically in 30 days after OS update.
2. Delete Windows.old needs administrator permission
Although Windows.old folder is accessible for you to check and view the saved files. But it requires administrator permission from the System to make changes to this folder. Therefore, if you don't have permission, you can't directly delete Windows.old from C: drive.
How to Delete Windows.old Folder - 3 Methods
Applies to: Resolve "Can't delete Windows.old folder" issue with three effective methods, no data loss.
Before You Start - Preparations
#1. Create Backup of Windows.old Folder
Before taking the steps below to delete the Windows.old folder, you can create a backup of the Windows.old in case that you may want to perform a system restore or restore a single file from the folder.
You can either copy Windows.old folder to an external hard drive or to back Windows.old folder with EaseUS free backup software in only three simple steps as listed below:
Launch EaseUS Todo Backup Free, then choose" File Backup".
Choose the important files/data or system and then select a backup destination.
Click "Proceed" to start the backup process.
#2. Gain Administrator Permission from System
The other important thing to make sure that you can delete Windows.old folder successfully is to check whether you are logging in to Windows OS as administrator.
If you have several user accounts on your computer, switch to login your computer with your administrator account:
Step 1. Click the Windows icon and click your username at the top.
Step 2. Select Administrator on the list, click to switch to it.