If you recently upgraded to the latest version of Windows, as Microsoft released the Moment 2 update of Windows 11, your PC might be consuming more space than before. This is because there is a file named Windows. An old folder that has been wasting your valuable space on your computer.
However, deleting Windows.old folder is safe. Before proceeding, we would like to let you know that whenever you upgrade your Windows to the latest version, it gets automatically created on your computer. It contains installed programs and files, settings, and data for users, and these were the files that were important to run on your old Windows system.
The reason for it being created was to protect your computer from system update failure, and it also helps your computer roll back to the previous system. So it makes it easier to undo changes in case of failure. Deleting this file leaves no chance to roll back to the previous system.
Is it Safe to Delete Windows.old on Windows 11?
Yes, it’s safe to delete Windows.old files on your Windows 11. But some users find it difficult to delete this file. So let’s look at it and know more about it.
Can I Delete Windows.old? Yes, you can delete it, and it’s safe. You just won’t be eligible to roll back to the previous system due to issues on the new system. There will be no effect on your security, and nothing will compromise security. However, it automatically gets deleted after 28 days, so you don’t have to worry about anything. It just gives users an option to roll back until 28 days.
Delete Windows.old
- Open File Explorer (Shortcut key: Windows + E).
- Afterward, head over to the C Drive, where your windows are installed.
- There you will find the Windows.old file at the bottom of the File Explorer page.
- Select the file, click Shift + Delete, and hit enter to confirm your action.
- That’s it!
Delete Windows.old with Storage Sense Settings From Windows 11’s storage settings page.
- Open Windows Settings (Shortcut Key: Windows + I).
- Go to the system, and from there, head over to storage.
- From there, enable Storage Sense, and under Storage management, you can choose to Clean up Recommendations.
- From there, you can Delete the Previous version of Windows or Previous Windows Installation(s).
- Check the checkbox for it and then click on Clean up.
- That’s it!
Delete Windows.old from Temporary File Settings.
- Open Windows Settings and head over to the system.
- From there, go to storage, and then under Storage Sense, you will find Temporary files.
- Click on it, and then you will find Previous Windows Installation.
- Check the checkbox for it and then click on Remove files.
- That’s it!
Delete Windows. old using Disk Cleanup.
- Open Windows File Explorer and right-click on your C Drive where your windows are installed.
- From there, right-click on it to open Properties.
- After that, you have an option for Disk Cleanup. Click on it.
- This will open Disk Cleanup for Windows, and there is a list of Files to Delete.
- Check the checkbox for Previous Windows Installation(s) and then click on OK.
- It will start removing. Once it finishes, click OK, and your Windows.old file will be removed.
- That’s it!
After deleting those files, you can free up much storage on your computer with simple steps. It’s also going to help you with a boost in performance. If you later want to roll back to the previous version of Windows, then you need to do a clean installation with the choice of your Windows.
