In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, I don’t see the option to delete Previous Windows Installations. How do I manually delete the C:\Windows.Old folder. Also, what are the three command lines needed to delete the folder?

In step 5, when I type Y after Windows.old, are your sure Y/N, and hit ENTER, I get the following output: Windows.old\PROGRA~1\WI7DB9~1\MIC97D~1.0_X\VFS\PROGRA~1 - The directory is not empty. Windows.old\PROGRA~1\WI7DB9~1\MIC97D~1.0_X\VFS\SYSTEM~1 - The directory is not empty. What should I do?

Did this EXACTLY and it did not take Windows.old out. I am the ADMIN...the one and only user of this system...it says 'I am not logged in...' which I am. what gives?

Hey, rob!! I have done the step 5 but it continues to give me an error which reads: Access is denied.

My Windows.old file is gone (through automatic route i.e. one month after installing win 10), but unfortunately disk space is not freed. I checked earlier - total size of the windows.old folder was ~25GB, which was supposed to be freed from after the removal of the folder, but it did not happen, my C drive size is intact :-( did it just vanish into the thin air!!? Can you help?

How to delete C:\Windows.Old folder witout using disk cleanup

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi,

The option is shown as Previously Windows Installations.

How to Delete and Remove the Windows.old Folder on Vista or Windows 7

http://www.kodyaz.com/articles/delete-windows-old-removal.aspx

===============================================

If needed :

1. Open an Elevated Command Prompt

Start - type in Search box -> CMD find at top - Right Click on - RUN AS ADMIN

How to Open a Elevated Command Prompt in Windows 7

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

2. The Prompt probably looks like C:\Windows\System32>

Type this at the prompt and then hit ENTER

CD\

Now the prompt should look like C:>

3: Type this at the prompt and then hit ENTER

DIR Windows.old

Should look like C:>DIR Windows.old

It should return

Directory of C:\Windows.old

and show the contents of Windows.old

That is just to make sure the Windows.old folder is under C: (the C Drive) - if not STOP

4. Type this at the prompt and then hit ENTER

Attrib -r -a -s -h C:\Windows.old /S /D

Should look like C:>Attrib -r -a -s -h C:\Windows.old /S /D

(there are SPACES between Attrib and -r and -a and -s and -h and C:\Windows.old and /S

and /D). The C:\ is the drive Windows.old is located on.

It should return you to the prompt C:\ if it shows and ERROR then STOP - check the command

and if it was typed correctly you are not in the correct spot. You may need to run the TAKEOWN

command :

TAKEOWN /f Windows.old /a /r

and repeat Step 4 - were you using an Elevated Command Prompt? Are you logged to an

ADMIN account?

5. Type this at the prompt and then hit ENTER

RD /s Windows.old

Should look like C:>RD /s Windows.old

(there are SPACES between RD and /s and Windows.old )

Will return Windows.old, are your sure Y/N type Y

(If you get a message that you do not have Ownership Rights then issue this command

and hit ENTER

TAKEOWN /f Windows.old /a /r

and repeat Step 5 - were you using an Elevated Command Prompt? Are you logged to an

ADMIN account?

6: Type this at the prompt and then hit ENTER

DIR Windows.old

Should look like C:>DIR Windows.old - and hit ENTER

It should return

Directory of C:\

File Not Found

Which confirms it is gone.

7. Close the COMMAND window

Hope this helps.

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

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How to delete C:\Windows.Old folder witout using disk cleanup

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