Windows.old Folder - Delete in Windows 8

How to Delete "Windows.old" Folder in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

If you performed a refresh of Windows 8, upgrade to Windows 8, or a custom install of Windows 8 without formatting the drive for a clean install and selected to install Windows 8 on the same partition of the previous Windows installation, then you may have a C:\Windows.old folder left over in your new installation. The Windows.old folder contains a copy of the previous Windows installation, and can be quite large in size.

If you already had a C:\Windows.old folder in the installation that you performed a refresh, upgrade install, or a custom install on, then it may be renamed to say C:\Windows.old.000 (older previous installation) in addition to the C:\Windows.old folder. The most recent previous installation will always be in the C:\Windows.old folder.

This tutorial will show you how to delete the Windows.old folder(s) generated during the installation to free up the hard drive space that the Windows.old folder(s) takes.

   Warning

Be sure to copy any files that you may want out of the Windows.old folder before you delete it. Once deleted, they are gone.

You must be an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

EXAMPLE: Windows.old Folder

OPTION ONE

Delete "Windows.old" Folder using Disk Cleanup

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1. Open Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr).​

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2. If prompted, select the Windows drive, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: You will not see this window unless you have more than one drive or partition on your computer with a drive letter.​

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3. Click/tap on the Clean up system files button. (see screenshot below)​

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4. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.​

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5. Repeat step 2 above.​

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6. Click/tap on the Previous Windows installation(s) box to check it, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

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7. Click/tap on Delete Files. (see screenshot below)​

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8. When Disk Cleanup finishes, the C:\Windows.old folder will be deleted.​

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OPTION TWO

Delete "Windows.old" Folder in an Elevated Command Prompt

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1. Open an elevated command prompt.​

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2. In the elevated command prompt, copy and paste the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: If you had another say windows.old.000 folder that you also wanted to delete, then you could repeat this command substituting that name instead of windows.old to also delete it.​

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RD /S /Q %SystemDrive%\windows.old​

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3. Close the elevated command prompt.​

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OPTION THREE

Delete "Windows.old" Folder in a Command Prompt at Boot

NOTE: This would be a good option to do if OPTION ONE or OPTION TWO was unable to delete your C:\Windows.old folder.

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1. Press the Windows + R keys, then type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter. Make note of the name and total size of your Windows 8 drive.​

NOTE: You will need to know this in step 3C.​

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2. Using either a Windows 8 installation USB or DVD or system repair disc, boot to a command prompt at boot.​

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3. To Verify the Windows 8 Drive Letter at Boot​

NOTE: The Windows 8 drive letter may not always be C: at boot like it is while Windows is started, so be sure to verify it's drive letter before doing the command in step 4 for it to work.​

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A) In the command prompt, type diskpart and press enter. (see screenshot below)​

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B) In the command prompt, type list volume and press enter.​

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C) From the listed volumes, look for and verify the drive letter of your Windows 8 drive.​

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D) In the command prompt, type exit and press enter.​

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4. To Delete the "Windows.old" Folder​

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A) In the command prompt, type the command below and press enter. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: Be sure to substitute D in the command below with the actual drive letter of your Windows 7 drive as displayed from step 3 above instead. If you had another say windows.old.000 folder that you also want to delete, then you could repeat this command substituting that name instead of Windows.old to also delete it.​

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RD /S /Q "D:\Windows.old"​

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B) Close the command prompt window.​

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5. Click/tap on the Continue button to restart the computer and continue to Windows 8. (see screenshot below)​

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6. Verify that the Windows.old folder has been deleted.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Boot to the "System Recovery Options" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Refresh Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Upgrade from Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, or XP to Windows 8 or 8.1
• How to Download and Run "Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant" or "Windows 8.1 Upgrade Assistant"
• How to Create or Download an ISO for Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[iamfilipino]

Thanks Man, I just wiped off a Whooping 94.7 GB from my Windows.old files! :thumb:

 

[astroturf5]

Made an account just to post this...I tried every "solution" to get rid of Windows.old on my Windows 10 desktop. I tried Disk Cleanup >20 times, I made new user accounts and "took ownership" of the folder, and even a boot-time command prompt using del and erase multiple times.
the only thing that worked was Option #3. So I guess what I'm trying to say is THANK YOU BRINK!!! If you're ever in Oklahoma, I will buy you a beer/drink for giving me back 5.6GB of usable disk space. You da real MVP.

 

[Brink]

I'm glad it could help astroturf5, and welcome to Eight Forums.

 

[consultantbis]

Hi, I did a refresh from windows 8.1 that was an update from windows updates starting at windows 8; now, I have windows 8 again, and the folders show windows and a windows.old. Will option one remove the correct files?

 

[Brink]

Hello consultantbis,

Yes, it'll remove your Windows.old folder.

 

[consultantbis]

Hi, can I use a windows 8 retail ISO to make a bootable usb for a repair install of my OEM version? And do you know of a good location for an 8 not 8.1 64bit ISO download?

 

[Brink]

A repair install can only be ran from inside Windows, and not at boot. If you like, you could just mount the ISO to run Setup for a repair install.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/26095-repair-install-windows-8-a.html

 

[consultantbis]

That only has the 8.1 and I am needing 8.

 

[Brink]

If you like, upgrading the PC to 8.1 should also sort the issue since it will repair it the same as a repair install.

 

[consultantbis]

Hi, yes, I would like to do that but my update agent won't take the newest version, so I can't get the updates for 8.1 to upgrade and I want to try to repair install with 8 and then upgrade 8.1. Do you know where I can get the 8 ISO?

 

[Brink]

That's ok. You could download the 8.1 ISO file, and directly upgrade using the ISO file if you like.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2234-upgrade-install-windows-8-windows-8-1-a.html#option4

 

[consultantbis]

And the upgrade install with a usb 8.1 will work as the repair install inside the OS and not at boot without losing my files?

 

[Brink]

Correct if needed after already upgrading to 8.1.

 

[consultantbis]

Hi, I have received the message that Windows could not configure one or more system components, twice now. It just reverts me back to 8 after trying to upgrade to 8.1 with the ISO on my desktop.

 

[Brink]

If you like, you could clean install Windows 8.1 instead.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-8-a.html

 

[consultantbis]

Hi, where would I find the error log for the failed upgrade? I found a panther folder but not the log for the failed components.

 

[Brink]

The locations at the Microsoft link below should be for them if available.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824819.aspx