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How to delete windows.old straight from Settings in The Fall Creators Update

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Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update brings a series of useful new features to the table, and many of themdirectly target the Settings page. Speaking of which, the revamped Settings page now allows users todelete the windows.old folderstraight from Settings.

Prior to the Fall Creators Update, Windows users had to follow a series of steps todelete the windows.old folder. Thanks to the new feature, users can now access and delete this folder much easier and faster.

Delete previous versions of Windows from Storage Sense

Here’s how to delete windows.old from Settings in The Fall Creators Update:

  1. Go to Start > type ‘settings‘ > select the first result to open the Settings page

  2. Go to  System > Storage

  3. In the newly opened Storage Sense page, enable the option and click ‘Change how we free up space’

  4. Under the ‘Free up space now’ section, check the option ‘Delete previous versions of Windows’ to delete the windows.old folder > click Clean now

The Fall Creators Update enhances the Storage Sense features to free up space and the new windows.old clean up is a very useful addition. At the same time, the OS tweaked the design of Storage Sense a bit to make everything fit together neatly.

If you want to try out the new features, you can enroll in theWindows Insider Program. For the time being, the new features are only available for Insiders. The general public will be able to use them starting September when Microsoft officiallylaunches Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

Meanwhile, here’s how you can delete the windows.old folder on older Windows versions:

How to remove the Windows.old folder

As a quick reminder, theWindows.old folderappears when you upgrade your version of Windows or perform aclean installof Windows 10. The role of this folder is to keep your previous Windows installation files so that you can to restore it. Here’s how to remove the Windows.old folder:

  1. Type Disk Cleanup > select the drive where you installed the OS > select Clean up system files

  2. Wait for the utility to calculate how much space it can free up > on the new windows, click on the “More options” tab

  3. Go to System Restores and Shadow copies > hit Clean up

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More about the topics:Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Madalina Dinita

Networking & Security Specialist

Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer.

She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies – AI and DNA computing in particular.

Prior to joining the WindowsReport team, she worked in the corporate world for a number of years.

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Madalina Dinita

Networking & Security Specialist

Madalina is a Windows fan since forever, especially interested in AI, emerging technologies, privacy, and security.