I was using Windows 10 for last three years, and I recently upgraded to Windows 11. While I was using Windows 10, the Windows.old folder existed in C drive. I wonder what is Windows old and whether it is created when you upgrade to Windows 11. Moreover, if it is created, where can we find it, and is it safe to delete Windows old folder in Windows 11? Should I delete Windows old to save some memory? Please explain. Thank you!
Windows 11 is the latest version of Windows. Microsoft has changed many features in Windows 11 and the look and feel of the operating system. Many things have been simplified, and some have become more complex in this new version of Windows. In this article, we will discuss the Windows.old folder and its purpose, as well as ways to find and delete it in Windows 11. In the end, we will also see how to reset the Windows 11 password using an amazing password reset tool. So, stay tuned to know more about Windows 11.
Part 1: What is Windows 11 Windows.old folder?
Whenever you upgrade your Windows system to the new version, a Windows.old folder is created in the drive where you installed the Windows, i.e., C drive in most cases. The Windows.old folder contains the system installation files and data of the previous Windows version installed on your PC. Windows 11 Windows.old folder contains:
- System installation files and folders
- Installed programs and applications
- Settings and data of all user accounts
- Files required to run the previous version of Windows
Now, you might wonder about the need for Windows.old folder when we have already upgraded to the new version. So, the answer is that there are two reasons behind the creation of this folder:
- If the system fails to upgrade to the latest version, the Windows could be reverted
- To downgrade to the previous version if you face any issues with the new version
During the installation of the new version, if the system fails due to any reason, it uses Windows.old folder to undo the changes made during the process of upgrading. Similarly, after the successful up-gradation of Windows, if the user finds any issue or dislikes the newer version, this Windows.old folder helps them roll back to the older version. In a nutshell, it is a way to revert from Windows 11 to Windows 10.
Part 2: How to Find Windows.old in Windows 11?
Open the File Explorer via Task Manager or the Start Menu:
Go to C or other drive where you installed the Windows 11. You will see Windows.old folder there.
Now that you have found Windows.old folder, you can easily revert to the previous version of Windows. Unfortunately, this folder occupies a lot of space on your system drive. It is useless if you are satisfied with the current version of Windows and do not plan to revert to the previous version, i.e., Windows 10.
Usually, when you install Windows 11 on your desktop or laptop, it occupies up to 27 GB of your disk space. After knowing this, you might want to free up this space by deleting this folder, but is it safe to delete Windows old Folder? Let’s find out!
Part 3: Can I Delete Windows.old in Windows 11?
Yes, you can delete the Windows.old Folder in Windows 11 provided that you have no intentions of going back to the previous version of Windows or running out of the space on your system drive. However, it is recommended to keep this folder if you have plenty of space as it is one of the recovery options Microsoft has added to rescue you from system failure or upgrade failure.
Sometimes, when you try to delete the Windows.old folder, it does not get deleted. According to Microsoft and other tech forums, this happens either because it has already been removed automatically by Windows OS or you need Administrator rights to delete it. In either case, you fail to delete Windows.old Folder in Windows 11.
Part 4: How to Delete the Windows.old in Windows 11?
Deleting the Windows.old Folder in Windows 11 helps you save several gigabytes of memory on your system disk. This folder is useless if you do not intend to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10. It would be best if you consider deleting it only when:
- It has been more than ten days since you installed the current version
- You perform Windows backup regularly so you can downgrade to an earlier version
Once you have decided to delete it, you can use any of the following ways to delete Windows.old in Windows 11:
Way 1: Delete Windows.old via Settings
You can use the options in Settings to delete Windows.old as follows:
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Open the Start menu and type “Windows Settings” or press Windows + I key simultaneously to launch the Settings app.
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Go to System Settings -> Storage
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Now toggle the Storage sense button and click on the Temporary files:
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Check the checkbox in front of the Previous Windows Installation(s) option and click the Remove Files button.
After doing the above steps, you will be asked to confirm the deletion of the Windows.old folder. Once the process completes, you will no longer find it anywhere on your computer.
Way 2: Delete the Windows.old Via Windows’ Built-in Disk Cleaner:
Disk Cleanup is a tool provided by Windows to automatically delete the temporary and unused files and clean up the disk space. You can use this tool by following the below-menioned steps:
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Open Settings app and type in Disk Cleanup in the Search Box:
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Click on the Cleanup System Files button at the bottom of the screen:
Tips:
The tool will take some time to scan your system. Once done, it will display all the files that could be deleted to clean up the space.
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Mark the Previous Windows Installation(s). Click OK.
You can select the other unnecessary files from the list too.
Click the Delete files button when the verification dialog box appears:
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You might see the second dialog box to ensure that you want to delete Windows.old folder. Click the Yes button to continue.
The Windows will remove Windows.old and all the other selected files from the PC. This might take some time, depending upon the size of the selected files.
Extra Tips: You may also want to know the ways of Deleting Windows 11 Password:
When we install the new operating system on our PC or upgrade to the newer version, we usually set a password at the time of installation to secure our data from unauthorized access. We try to keep our passwords as strong as possible not to be guessed easily. This way, we sometimes get into trouble as later we forget the password. There could be various reasons behind the forgotten or lost Windows 11 password, such as not opening the PC for a long time, buying a second-hand system having the password set already, resetting the password and forgetting it immediately, and so on.
So, to rescue you from such situations, here we are presenting the best way to recover or remove the login password from Windows 11 using a password reset tool, i.e., PassFab 4WinKey!
PassFab 4WinKey, an outstanding password reset tool, can resolve all your password-related problems in most Windows versions. All the PC brands support it. This tool guarantees a 100% recovery rate without any data loss. It could be used to reset passwords from the Admin or user accounts. After downloading, installing, and launching into any accessible PC, you can use this tool to reset your login password in three simple steps as follows:
Step 1: Create password reset disk:
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Plugin the USB/CD/DVD, choose your device, and click Next:
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You will be notified about your device being formatted during the process. Click Next. PassFab 4WinKey will burn the instructions on your device. /p>
After the process completes, you can use your CD/DVD/USB to reset the password on your locked device.
Step 2: Boot Windows with Bootable CD/DVD/USB:
Now, plug in the Password Reset Disk into the locked PC, restart it while pressing the Boot Key.
After entering the Boot Menu, set your device on priority, press F10 to save settings. And then let your PC restart.
Step 3: Remove Windows 11 Login Password:
When your PC restarts, the PassFab 4WinKey interface will appear. And Choose the Windows’ version. Click Next:
Choose a user account and Remove Account Password option on the following screen and click Next:
Your PC will restart again. This time, it will not ask you to enter the password when it reaches the login screen. You have successfully removed the login password on Windows 11 and can access all your files and data.
Final Notes:
Upgrading to an entirely new operating system is quite risky, especially when the OS is unstable. Although Windows 11 has been officially announced and is now stable, a few bugs still need to be resolved, and Microsoft is still improving it. Sometimes, while upgrading to a new version of an operating system, the system crashes.
Other times, you feel unsatisfied and face difficulty with the latest version of the operating system. So, to rescue you from such situations, Mircosoft creates Windows.old folder as a recovery option whenever you update the system. You can use this folder to roll back to the previous version of Window, as it contains the system installation files and other data. This folder is useless if you do not plan to downgrade to the older version, and deleting it might help you save a lot of disk space as this folder occupies several gigabytes of your system memory.
This article covers details about Windows.old folder, including whether is it safe to delete Windows old or not, where to find it, different ways to delete it, and consequences. By reading this passage, you will understand what is Windows old folder. We have also included a way to remove the login password from Windows 10 using the world-famous tool, i.e., PassFab 4WinKey.