How to Delete the "Windows.old" Folder in Windows 8

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. It contains a copy of the previous Windows 8

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 logged in as 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

1. Open the Charrms bar, and click/tap on the Search charm. (see screenshot below)

2. Type cleanmgr in the Search Apps box in the right pane, then click/tap on cleanmgr.exe

(Disk Cleanup) in the left pane to open it. (see screenshot below)

3. If prompted, select the drive that you want to use Disk Cleanup on, 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.

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

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

6. Repeat step 3 above.

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

screenshot below)

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

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

OPTION TWO

Delete "Windows.old" Folder in a Elevated Command

Prompt

1. Open a Elevated command prompt.

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.

RD /S /Q %SystemDrive%\windows.old

3. Close the elevated command prompt.

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.

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.

2. Using either you Windows 8 installation USB or DVD or system repair disc, and boot to a

command prompt at boot.

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.

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

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

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

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

4. To Delete the "Windows.old" Folder

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.

RD /S /Q "D:\Windows.old"

B) Close the command prompt window.

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

screenshot below)

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

That's it,

Shawn