Windows.old will auto remove after certain days upgraded to W11 24H2

Question

Can anyone please confirm whether the Windows.old folder is automatically removed after a certain number of days following an upgrade to Windows 11 24H2? It is occupying a significant amount of space.

I have found some sources stating that it gets deleted, but I couldn't find any official statement from Microsoft on this.

Answer 1

Hello,

Yes it is supposed to be deleted, here is the support article that articulates that. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/delete-your-previous-version-of-windows-f8b26680-e083-c710-b757-7567d69dbb74

Darrell

Answer 2

It should be deleted automatically after 10-days period, but if it isn't, you can manually delete it.

Answer 3

Yes, it should be deleted after 10 days period, although you can delete it manually. The methods are:

1. Go to your settings app, open storage tab, click on temporary files and wait until previous installations of Windows shows, check it (and recommend to clean other temporary at the same time) and clean it up
2. Or search for cleanmgr, run it as administrator and do the same steps as above

Answer 4

Hello,

This folder is created during the upgrade process to store previous versions of Windows and user files, allowing users to recover data if necessary.

The Windows.old folder is typically retained for 10 to 30 days after the upgrade. This timeframe provides users with sufficient time to ensure they do not need any files from the previous installation.

After this period, the folder is automatically deleted to free up disk space.

Best Regards,

Hania Lian

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