How to Delete Windows.old Folder in Windows 11

After you upgrade to Windows 11, your computer creates a folder named Windows.old on your main drive. This folder holds your old system files. It is there in case you want to go back to your previous version of Windows.

Why delete this folder?

The Windows.old folder takes up a lot of space. If you are happy with Windows 11 and do not plan to go back to your old version, you can safely remove it to get that space back.

What happens when done?

Once you delete the folder, you will have more free storage space. However, you will no longer be able to use the built-in Windows feature to “roll back” to your previous version of the operating system.

How to manually remove the folder

You can delete the folder directly through your file manager. Note that this requires administrator privileges.

1. Open File Explorer File Explorer.
2. Click on This PC on the left side of the window.
3. Open your Local Disk (C:) drive.
4. Find the folder named Windows.old.

Right-click the Windows.old folder and select Delete. Because this is a system folder, you will be prompted for administrator privileges. If you are logged in as an administrator or member of the administrator group, click Continue to finish.

How to use Disk Cleanup

You can also use a built-in tool to clean up these files. This is often safer and easier.

1. Click the Start button and search for Disk Cleanup.
2. Select the app from the list.

In the window that opens, click the Cleanup System Files button.

The tool will scan your drive. This might take a few minutes. Once it finishes, look for Previous Windows installation(s) in the list.

Check the box for Previous Windows installation(s) and any other files you want to remove. Click OK.

Confirm your choice by clicking Yes when the prompt appears.

You can also turn on Storage Sense to handle this automatically in the future. Learn more in this guide: How to use Storage Sense in Windows 11.

Summary

• The Windows.old folder stores files from your old version of Windows.
• You can delete it if you do not plan to revert to your previous version.
• Deleting it frees up a large amount of storage space.
• You can delete it manually or use the Disk Cleanup tool.
• Always make sure you have administrator privileges before deleting system folders.