Windows 10: Deleting Recovery Image folder

Hi,

I was searching my drive to clear space. I came accross the Recovery Image folder, and I wanted to clear it, but wasn't sure if it was safe to do so. I'm not too bothered if I don't have an image to fall back to. It's just that I'm on a 250GB SSD and I need to clear some space.

The Recovery Image did originally, only hold 10GB, and now after I checked, it holds 20GB. It's not really gonna get used so I'd like instructions on the best way to delete it.

Edit: Would it also be possible to remove the Windows.old folder. It holds around 32GB, mostly Windows drivers etc which aren't used.

Thanks *Smile

:)

 

We can't tell if your PC has enough space to continue installing Windows 10

I had a custom Windows 8.1 recovery image in a folder called WinRec. Once I deleted that folder the upgrade ran without a hitch.

 

We couldn't update the system reserved partition

Use the Paragon Recovery Media Builder to create bootable flash stick to boot into to delete the Recovery folder using it's File Recovery Wizard. This is because there is no way to get past EFI security from Windows or it's own boot disk to delete the folder
which is clogging the partition so Windows 10 cannot update it.

Plug in flash stick, run Paragon, click on Recovery Media Builder (X64) then on next screen don't choose either option for the WAIK or network connection, on the following screen it should detect the flash stick to create your media.

Once it's finished, reboot the PC into the flash stick by tapping the Dell F12 boot menu key as you power up the PC. Look for a EFI or UEFI version of the stick.



If it only has the plain stick listed with no UEFI or EFI version of that stick, go ahead a choose that to boot. Then choose File Recovery Wizard, once it opens browse into the EFI System Partition based on its position and content, expand the + sign next
to the folders to look inside. Once you locate the parent Recovery folder, highlight it and use the red X next to the Sources Window to delete the file.

This is what I saw when I browsed into mine, determining the partition by it being the second one and containing the EFI folder. It didn't have a Recovery folder so I used System Volume as an example of how you'd highlight and then delete it, although
you wouldn't want to delete that folder:

 

Does that Folder have a file named install.esd? If so that is the file I use to create the .iso file for installing on other computers or reinstalling. You could delete that file but not the others. It will be a large file, 2.5GB and/or more. That's the build for the previous update.

I have deleted the Windows.old Folder but only after getting documents, pictures and music out of it. Might want to get any Folder about drivers.

 

The easiest way to remove Windows.old is to run CCleaner. But you have to check the box in the picture.

 

You don't need CCleaner. Just right click on C:\Windows\System32\cleanmgr.exe to run as administrator and make the same selection as shown above.

 

Be satisfied that your installation is running to your satisfaction, before deleting the Windows.old folder. It is used, in the optional choices, to return your computer to its previous state.
As for the other folder, "Recovery Image", right or wrong, I move the *.esd file (temporarily) to a safe place, in case I should wish to make an ISO, and then delete the whole folder.

 

Ok thanks guys. The have deleted the Previous Windows installation at least two times using the Disk-Cleanup Utility, and whenever a large build is released, it seems to creep back in there. I guess I'll have to be persistent and keep deleting them.