Question Windows.old.000 folder cannot deleted

[Ygts]

I am using win 11 and i accidentially installed it three times and then updated the win 11.
There is a folder named windows.old.000 and i tried to clean it by system clean settings but it is still there. I tried to use storage management to delete previous windows installations but the folder still there and takes 17 gb.
How to delete?

 

[kerberos_20]

you will need to open folder properties, and under security take ownership of that folder and then add yourself full access permissions, then you can delete it

https://www.ntfs.com/ntfs-permissions-setting.htm

 

[Darkbreeze]

Or, you can just make sure that the Windows 11 license/digital entitlement is attached to YOU, via Microsoft account, and then do a clean install. If the product currently shows as licensed when you check the activation tab in the System settings, you should simply be able to jump straight to doing a clean install and then there won't BE any ".old" folders and it SHOULD automatically activate as soon as you are done installing and have internet access.

https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/clean-install-windows-11

Besides which, if you "upgraded" to Windows 11 and have done three installations on the same OS framework, I'd just about guarantee your OS and registry are highly fubared anyhow. I'd back up anything important and do a clean install. You'll likely gain a LOT more than just that "17GB".

 

[SkyNetRising]

There is a folder named windows.old.000 and i tried to clean it by system clean settings but it is still there. I tried to use storage management to delete previous windows installations but the folder still there and takes 17 gb.
How to delete?

Execute from elevated command prompt.
After this you should be able to delete the folder.
Note. Do not run this command on c:\windows folder or you'll have to reinstall.

takeown /f c:\windows.old.000 /r​

icacls c:\windows.old.000 /reset /t​

​

https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/elevated.htm

 

[Ygts]

Or, you can just make sure that the Windows 11 license/digital entitlement is attached to YOU, via Microsoft account, and then do a clean install. If the product currently shows as licensed when you check the activation tab in the System settings, you should simply be able to jump straight to doing a clean install and then there won't BE any ".old" folders and it SHOULD automatically activate as soon as you are done installing and have internet access.

https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/clean-install-windows-11

Besides which, if you "upgraded" to Windows 11 and have done three installations on the same OS framework, I'd just about guarantee your OS and registry are highly fubared anyhow. I'd back up anything important and do a clean install. You'll likely gain a LOT more than just that "17GB".

Do i have to format the disk before starting clean install? Or just sticking the win 11 usb will do the work?

 

[SkyNetRising]

Do i have to format the disk before starting clean install?

Full reinstall just because you can't delete some folder seems excessive.

 

[Ygts]

Full reinstall just because you can't delete some folder seems excessive.

Yes but i have tried to install three times and there is more than 80 gb of disk usage just because of this ? maybe i have to format the disk and try fresh install at one time.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Yes but i have tried to install three times and there is more than 80 gb of disk usage just because of this ?

Why did you install 3 times?

Anyway - i'd just delete those extra windows.old folders and be done with it.
Instructions in post #4.

 

[Ygts]

Why did you install 3 times?

Anyway - i'd just delete those extra windows.old folders and be done with it.
Instructions in post #4.

because i didnt know about i should have restart the boot by just with the windows after the installation done. It just restarted with the usb and installation screen and i did the installation three times until i realized i must change the boot option.
So i believe the fresh install shouldnt have more than 80 gb usage on the disk.

How much space does fresh win 11 install take up?

 

[Darkbreeze]

80GB? For a clean install? No damn way. Should be more like 20GB. In fact, my Windows 11 installation including all the crap I have installed, and granted I just did a clean install on this system not long ago so I don't have EVERYTHING back on here yet, but even at that with all the programs I have installed in addition to Windows itself only takes up 53.3GB. Prior to the clean install I think I was using around 65GB but I had a lot more installed on there at that time as well. Still well below your 80GB, especially if we're talking just Windows on a clean install.

If it takes up more 27-28GB, something is wrong, if you've done a clean install.

And no, you don't have to "format it first". You WILL want to back up anything important to somewhere else first, but then if you simply follow the instructions for the clean install it will allow you to choose the "Custom" method and delete all the existing partitions on the OS drive and then Windows will do any required creation of partitions or formatting automatically.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Clean is about 11gb not 80

 

[Darkbreeze]

Clean is about 11gb not 80

Everything I've seen, including my own installations on various machines, indicates it's more like 20-25GB depending on the specifics of the hardware and the options you choose during installation.

Including this bit from Easus, showing the direct result of a clean install.

https://www.easeus.com/resource/windows-11-size.html

 

[USAFRet]

Since this is a brand new install, and you've borked it up 3 times...

Do it once more, correctly.
Full wipe and reinstall.

It should not be taking "80GB".

 

[Darkbreeze]

Since this is a brand new install, and you've borked it up 3 times...

Do it once more, correctly.
Full wipe and reinstall.

It should not be taking "80GB".

Exactly right.