Often, in order to keep some software tools or computer games we keep the previous version of the operating system. Meanwhile, we are actively using the new system, so to speak, we are making it habitable. There comes a time to give up outdated version, for several reasons…
How to remove the previous version of Windows?
Everything is much easier than it might seem! To begin with, we need to boot into a more recent operating system, I have Windows 7, and we will delete the outdated WindowsXP. Already from the active system, we will configure the computer to boot and clean up unnecessary files!
Cleaning Up Previous Windows Files
The main part is done, after the above steps, when you turn on the PC, the list of available operating systems will not be displayed. Now you can move the required files from one system to another - active.
To do this, use file manager(for example, TotalCommander) or the capabilities of " Windows Explorer". You may have office documents, photographs, or other personal data stored.
After the files are copied to the active Windows directory, you should delete the associated directories previous version(be careful when cleaning system files)!
Instead of an afterword, we remove the download records
Actually, you can stop, since the operating system cannot physically be loaded, but there are saved records of loading in active system and it would be nice to get rid of them too:
Which can take up several gigabytes of disk space. Moreover, in the boot menu, the previous windows version continue to “hang”, offering the user to boot from them. In addition, they clog the PC hard drive and slow down its work. So, how to remove the old Windows?
Through the Disk Cleanup menu
You can remove the old version of windows through the disk cleanup utility, which is available in all Microsoft operating systems, including windows 10
Go to Computer and click right click click on the icon of the section where the previous version was. Select "Properties", then "Disk Cleanup".
The system will start scanning this section for the presence of trash files; among them will be the item "Previous installations of Windows"
Make sure it is ticked.
Confirm deletion. Windows will ask you again if you want to continue the operation - click "OK". After a few minutes, the utility will inform you that all trash files have been deleted.
The Disk Cleanup utility can be called in another way: left-click the Start button and enter the word “Cleanup” in the search bar (works for Windows 10/Windows 8.1 as well). In the list that appears, select Disk Cleanup. Click the "Enter" button. The utility will prompt you to select the partition where the cleaning operation will be performed.
The previous version of windows can be detected and removed using other cleaner programs. You can use, for example, CCleaner, latest version which has been optimized to work with windows 10. You can install other utilities - Glary Utilities, IOBit advanced care etc. The main thing is that they support work with windows 10/8.1/7.
Removing the "windows.old" folder and adjusting the boot menu
It happens that neither the standard Windows cleaner utility nor a third-party one can find old files. This leads to the fact that the user himself has to look for the “windows.old” folder, delete it, and then disable the option to select an already non-existent version through the Windows boot configuration menu. But for this you need to set the rights of the system administrator
How to do it? Very simple: press the key combination Win + R, enter secpol.msc and click "Enter". In the left menu that appears, double-click on " Local Policies”, then – “Security settings”. After that, now in the right window, look for the item "Accounts: Status "Administrator". Double click on it and switch from "Disabled" to "Enabled" and save the changes.
After that, you need to reboot and run a new (not old!) version of the operating system. After the main stage Windows boot will prompt you to log in through two accounts, among which there will be an administrator. We go right through it. Everything, now you can play around with the system as a system administrator.
Now you need to go through the "Explorer" to the section where the "windows.old" folder is located and delete it. To do this, right-click the manipulator on the icon of this folder and select "Properties". Then you need to click on "Security" and then on "Advanced". Among the proposed tabs, select "Owner", click the "Change" button and select that account, from under which the deletion will be performed. Save the changes with the "Apply" button and click "OK".
A message will appear that we have become the owner of this directory. Click "OK". Now you can delete the “windows.old” folder (after moving it to the “Trash”, this directory must be removed from there as well).
Now you need to go to the boot configuration menu. Press the key combination Win + R, enter msconfig and click "Enter". Go to the "Download" tab and select previous versions of Windows. Click the "Delete" button
The computer will prompt you to restart. We agree and restart the system. That's it, the question "how to remove old windows" is resolved.
In a situation where the computer starts to work slowly, the only right way out among the recommendations for self-configuring the computer is to reinstall the operating system, but this is not always done correctly, so then it becomes necessary to remove the old windows after installing the new one. Usually the OS is installed on a clean partition, but if it so happened that you installed a new operating system Windows there (on the same logical drive), where the old one is, it will automatically remove the files of the old operating system into a folder called "Windows.old". After everything necessary files have been saved, the folder with the old OS can be deleted. Especially since hard drive space is never superfluous. This can be done in two ways.
Removal using Windows
Boot Menu Cleanup
After you installed a new operating system on the same partition, you may have a problem in the form of a menu that prompts you to choose which OS to choose when you boot. This problem is fairly easy to solve.
- Click "Start";
- Type msconfig in the search bar;
- Select this program in the search results;
- In the next window, go to the "Download" tab;
- Select the old operating system;
- Click the "Delete" button, after which the program will inform you about the need to restart;
- Restart your computer.
After all the above actions, the operating system will boot in normal mode and the menu with the choice of the operating system will no longer appear.
How to remove old Windows installation there is nothing complicated, the main thing is to decide on the method of implementation. Now you can start sound settings on your computer, and setting up drivers, networks and other things with peace of mind. Remember: in order to avoid the procedure for removing previous versions of operating systems, it is recommended to install Windows on a pre-formatted partition. Thus, you will save your new operating system from garbage in the form of programs and files from the previous version of Windows.
Quite a lot has been written about how to install Windows:
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other...
But little is written about how to remove Windows, and there is no such article on my site yet either. We will correct this oversight.
I will not understand why you needed to do this, but to the question " Can Windows be uninstalled?"I will answer in the affirmative.
I warn you in advance that if you just want to delete Windows folder and Program Files, and that's all, then it won't be right!
The correct removal of the Windows operating system is that you need to format the disk () with the system installed on it.
The fact is that if this is not done, then in the future such situations may arise that there will be OS conflicts. For example keys will conflict.
Therefore, before proceeding with the deletion, take care to save all important files and data to another partition of the local disk or to an external one.
This instruction can be divided, as it were, into two subcategories: when you have an operating system on one disk partition () and when there is another local disk with data and without an OS.
The removal process in this case is as follows.
If you are loading under boot disk(Live CD), then format the partition with standard means Windows (the link above is given) from under the loaded OS.
If you are booting from the installation disk, then there will be such a window with a choice of disk where to install Windows. This is where you need to choose Formatting:
Well, then either install or cancel - it's up to you.
How to remove the second (old, unnecessary) windows?
This applies to the case when you have more than one local drive, and one already has an OS installed. Here the actions are similar to the previous removal. Format the disk with "unnecessary" Windows installed using standard tools of the system itself or using additional programs. After that, there will be no old Windows, not all files. Formatting is...
In conclusion, I would like to add the following.
Yes, you can go lazy ways - delete Windows files and all folders, and you can also install a new OS over an existing one (this is also possible) or install it on the same disk, but then there will be a lot of problems. Therefore, think carefully - do you want fresh new system and start from scratch, or you leave the old, and then suffer from conflicts.
To do this, you can clean up your drive using specialized cleaning utilities to remove junk files, temporary Internet activity files, and the contents of the recycle bin. However, the previous version of Windows will still take up a significant portion of the storage.
Keep in mind that by following the instructions below, you are confirming your full transition to Windows 10, because going back with standard system tools will no longer work.
In most cases, these recommendations should be followed at least after a month Windows usage 10. During the first month, you will test system innovations: the new Start menu, new ways to organize multitasking, Microsoft Edge browser, tablet mode and the new Notification Center. If you do not see any prospects in the new OS, you will have the opportunity to return to the previous Windows system during the first month of use.
If you understand that this is “love at first sight”, let's get started.
Destroying everything clean
You can launch the classic Disk Cleanup application by typing a query into search string on the taskbar and selecting the shortcut that appears.
In the “Disk Cleanup” tab that opens, you can select all temporary files and start cleaning up your digital space.
To delete the files of the previous Windows system, click on the “Clean up system files” in the lower left corner. Then the program will ask you to select the drive you want to clean. Select the disk where the old system was installed, for example, the disk “ local disk(C)".
Windows will scan system locations and display a recalculated list of files to delete. In the new list you will see the item “Previous Windows installations”.
On the test machine, the size of the previous installation was 16.7 gigabytes of memory, on your system given value may differ. It remains to clean up.
How then to return to the old system?
After deleting files from a previous Windows installation, you will not be able to restore your system to a state prior to upgrading to Windows 10 using standard system tools. However, there are ways to revert to a previous version of Windows.
If your system shipped with bootable media such as a DVD that contains OS files, pre-installed software, and required drivers, you can use given media to restore the system.
If you created system recovery media just before upgrading to Windows 10, you can also use it to revert to a previous system. The system recovery media performs the same function as installation disk for the old Windows systems. You can create discs or USB devices recovery flash drives on Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, but you will definitely need to create them before upgrading to Windows 10.
If you've already upgraded to Windows 10 but haven't created system recovery media, you have two options.
The first option is to immediately restore to the previous Windows versions. You need to go to the “Settings” application, then select the “Update and Security” section and go to the “Recovery” tab. Remember to connect to a power source, and Windows 10 will painlessly help you return to Windows 7 or 8.1.
After a successful recovery, you can create your own recovery media and then re-upgrade to Windows 10. Having a system recovery media will always be your Plan B.
The second option is to contact the device manufacturer. If you purchased your laptop from Dell, HP Lenovo, or other well-known manufacturers, You can pay to send the recovery media. This method will cost money, but you won't have to restore the state and then re-update the system.
Warning
If you want to restore to a previous system using future recovery media, you also need to create backups personal files. Most likely, when using media, the system will be removed to install the factory image. This means that you will receive clean a copy of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, like when you first bought a PC.
Rolling back to a previous version within a month will keep all your personal files and even applications, but once again we remind you that you only have a month.