Delete Windows.old - how it works

Windows stores the old operating system in the Windows.old folder when you upgrade to Windows 10. This practical tip shows you how to delete this folder, for example to free up more storage space.

How to delete the Windows.old folder

To delete your Windows.old folder, just follow the steps below:

1. Warning: If you delete your Windows.old folder, you can no longer downgrade to your old version of Windows.
2. Open the settings with [Windows] + [I].
3. Then click on "System".
4. Here select "Storage" and then "This PC (C :)" on the right side.
5. You can now delete the Windows.old folder under "Temporary files".
6. To do this, click on "Delete previous version".
7. If you miss this point, see the next paragraph.

Windows.old is automatically deleted after a certain time

If you don't see the "Delete previous version" item, the Windows.old folder has probably already been deleted automatically:

• The Windows.old folder is automatically deleted after 28 days.