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

Anonymous
2010-07-07T11:34:42+00:00

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?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2010-07-08T00:23:08+00:00

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.

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

53 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2015-03-01T23:29:14+00:00

    Did all that, tried a number of times and while RD is running at the end of each file it say access denied. Ran Takeown again and it say Success but again RD say access denied, oh well.. tried but may have to give up ..

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2013-08-19T03:40:22+00:00

    I have the same problem. After the atrib command, I get an empty line and it won't let me type. My disk is almost completely made up of windows.old program data so does this mean I just need to wait for it to finnish or is something wrong?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2013-05-04T03:15:18+00:00

    Thanks Tomas.. it's works for me.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-12T17:36:54+00:00

    Hi,

    If you CD windows.old to run the ATTRIB command then you need to CD\ to return to

    the parent folder of windows.old before you try to remove it. 

    I did change the command structure, syntax, and instructions to help some who have

    ownership and ADMIN Account issues, Such as I only had the TAKEOWN command

    in Step 5. Now it is in Step 4 and 5.

    This is the command syntax for Attrib :

    attrib [{+|-}r] [{+|-}a] [{+|-}s] [{+|-}h] [{+|-}i] [<Drive>:][<Path>][<FileName>] [/s [/d] [/l]]

    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754186(v=ws.10).aspx

    You are correct the TAKEOWN command may need to be run in some cases.

    takeown [/s <Computer> [/u [<Domain>]<User name> [/p [<Password>]]]] /f <File name> [/a] [/r [/d {Y|N}]]

    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753024(v=WS.10).aspx

    So that has been added to Step 4 as well as still suggested in Step 5.

    Thanks for the info,

    Rob - SpiritX

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments