Windows 10: Removing old files

I have clone a drive to an SSD Drive, how can I remove the Windows files from the old drive without formatting it.

:)

 

Windows 10 - Backup - Not Removing Old Files

My company runs about 20 workstations on Windows 10, each is running version 1607. We activated the Backup feature configured in Settings (from the start button not the Control Panel). We set "Back up my files" to run every 3 hours and set "Keep my backups"
to 1 month.

We expected Windows 10 Backup to remove file history older than one month but at least leave one recent copy of each backed up file regardless if it was older than one month. We are backing up to a NAS device.

Backup has been successfully operating for more than one month but is not removing backup file history older than one month. Is there a problem with the "Keep my backup" option?

 

Removing old drive's Windows and Program Files Folders

have you looked at Disk management and see about reformatting that area?

 

If you don't want to format the old drive (why not?) then you can just delete files as normal. You may want to enable seeing system and hidden files to make sure you can get everything. Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives - Show in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

However you are almost certain to run into permissions issues so unless you want to spend ages trying to figure out how to delete old files (you'll need to take ownership and grant authority as described in the tutorial below) you would almost certainly find it easier to format the drive.

Owner of Files and Folders - Change in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

It is certainly possible to delete things manually but it will take you a lot longer than just formatting the drive if there is nothing you want on it.

You may also (depending what your plans for the old drive are) want to consider writing zeros over the deleted files as this would prevent someone recovering your deleted data if you plan on selling/chucking the old drive. CCleaner can do this.

 

You do realise that simply deleting files is not sure, you can get any number of free software to bring deleted files back if theyve not been overwritten.

 

It's not only Windows and programs left over in old drive, there are also some partitions that are not needed any more that are just taking precious space for nothing.
Proper way would be to back up files needed and to re partition whole drive to what suits you best.