How to Delete Windows.old Folder in Windows 11 (2022)

Do you want to delete Windows.old folder from your computer but don’t know how? If yes, then you have come to the right place.

Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft. All the users are migrating from Windows 10 and other old versions to all new Windows 11. As you all know, Microsoft has already ended support for Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8. However, users of Windows 8.1 have till January 10, 2023 and Windows 10 users will get support until October 14, 2025.

But as every new version brings some exciting new features, people jump the queue to get their hands on the latest OS. Meanwhile, a big problem with upgrading to Windows 11 is, it creates a Windows.old folder in C drive. It is not a small file, it takes too much space.

It becomes quite hard for PCs with a low hard disk to work properly when that much space is being wasted for nothing. That Windows.old folder has all the settings and files from the older version of the OS that you don’t need anymore. So it is a total waste of memory to keep those files if you are not going to use them ever.

Apart from this, Windows 11 also keep creating this folder after any major update so that if anything goes wrong you can reset your PC. But after some time when everything is fine, you should delete Windows.old folder to create more space.

One major problem is, it’s not easy to delete that folder. The simple delete command will not work on this folder because it is a part of your Windows. So this guide will help you to delete Windows.old folder and make some extra space. One more thing, this windows.old folder is set to delete automatically after 30 days. So if you want to delete it immediately, then keep reading.

Best Way to Delete Windows.Old Folder

There are two ways to delete this folder from your computer. We are going to discuss both methods here. So sit tight and follow the instruction.

Delete Windows.old folder using Disk Cleanup

• Type Disk Cleanup in the search box and then open it when it appears in the result.

• Now select the C drive from pop-up windows that appear on the screen and click OK.

• Then select Clean up system files and click Ok to continue.

• Now choose the previous windows installation option and click OK.

• A dialogue box will appear on the screen to ask for confirmation then click OK.

• It will start deleting the folder, wait for it and you can have some extra space.

Delete windows.old folder using cmd

• Type cmd in the search box and run it as administrator.

• Input “rd /s /q %systemdrive%\windows.old” and hit Enter.

After doing this, your windows.old folder will get deleted. Now you will have some extra space that can help your PC run smoothly or you can store some files.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)