Windows 10 Just spent an hour getting rid of the Windows Old file.

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

This was a real battle but after an hour of struggle I finally did it.

I needed to get rid of it because I only allotted 100 Gb for my Windows 10 drives and the Windows.old folder was using 17 of it, leaving only a small amount of free space.

I usually just log into Ubuntu and remove locked folders but it won't let my access that C:\ drive with Windows 10 on it. I've never run into that before.

I'm not going to explain it all now but if anyone else is trying to do this without success say so here and I'll tell you how I did it.

Now I'll defrag the drive and make a new System Image File without it.

Mike

 

[davehc]

Bit stubborn eh. I have read many reports of the same problem. no idea why, but the Disk Clean-up works for me.- you have to select the option to clean the system files.

 

[Trouble]

I've always used Kemical's method which he explained to me quite a while back and he explained again here
http://windowsforum.com/threads/tidying-up-after-upgrading-to-new-build.199170/#post-620857
Seems to work without a problem

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I started out trying to use Disk Cleanup, but it didn't show Windows.old as one of the things that it could remove?

After trying Ubuntu and logging in, in Administrator mode, (both of which wouldn't do it) I finally found a tutorial about changing the security settings for the folder.

It was fairly involved with a number of steps, but I finally got rid of it.
I've just spent some time removing everything else I could from the drive (my software is all installed elsewhere) and now I have a little breathing space.

When I do the real install I'll leave a bit more room.

Mike

 

[davehc]

OK. Bit late now, but Windows.old is classed as a system file, which is what would have shown in the cleaner. Another way, should you have the problem again, is the latest Ccleaner.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

I didn't know that CCleaner would remove files like this, I run it every day.

I don't remember if I saw System files as an option, but the tutorial I was looking at indicated that it would show as Windows.old, but that was for Windows 7.

Live and learn.

Mike

I just looked and I do see that CCleaner has "Old Windows Installations" as an unchecked option.
Next time I'll know.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

I came back to say that I ran CCleaner with the remove old Windows Installations checked and even though I had gotten rid of the Windows.old file, there was a substantial amount of stuff removed, that came from other locations.

 

[davehc]

Always something new for us old b**'*rs to learn Mike. Another little morsel. Right click the disk cleaner and run it as Administrator. Then, for curiosity, scroll down and see a lot of extra stuff it will remove. Don't go ahead with the cleanup though, until you are 100% sure that is what you want to do

 

[ussnorway]

I usually just log into Ubuntu and remove locked folders but it won't let my access that C:\ drive with Windows 10 on it. I've never run into that before.

fyi the so-called super admin account built into XP pro 64bit will also see, un-lock and remove this (and other) locked system files on a windows 10, 12r2 or hyper-v install... the server back door roll is what it was built to do and one of the main problems Microsoft had with it hanging around as a tool in the hands of muppets.

p.s. I didn't know CCleaner could do that... nice!

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I did log in as Super Administrator but it still blocked me from deleting the folder.
I was surprised that this didn't work as it usually has in the past.

I also noticed that when I logged in as administrator I didn't have the Windows 10 interface, it looked like Windows 7, it also booted directly into Administrator mode without asking for my password, or giving me a choice of which user to log in as.

In order to get back to the login screen I had to logout and back in after booting the computer.

But it's good to know that CCleaner will do this, it saves a lot of hassles.

Mike

Ps. I just went to undo the Administrator command in the command window.

Before I did that I opened a doc I have with the commands in it, and copied the "net user administrator /active:no" to the clipboard, when I opened the command window and left clicked in it the window, the command appeared without my having to right click or use paste, weird I've never seen that before.

When I set the command to yes I had to type it in, it didn't give me the option to paste it?

 

[davehc]

´There are several improvements in the new Command Prompt, Mike.
Have look here:

Link Removed

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Thanks for the information.
I'll give some of these options a try.