Windows 10: Windows permissions for Windows.old directory

EDIT: So Disk Cleanup is a far better alternative if you are stuck with Windows.old for whatever reason. There are going to be a few straggling files, but only in the MB instead of the GB, and it wont kill your OS. Still make sure you make a manual restore point before, and then make another one for good measure.

Edit: Don't use third party software to remove Windows.old because apparently it kills your computer, just make sure there is never a Windows.old in the first place by destroying all the old partitions before reinstalling Windows and never doing an upgrade or clean repair install- or go out and buy a new SSD/HDD when your 20GB Windows.old is consuming all your remaining free space. Thanks Microsoft.

I'm running out of room on my System SSD so I figured now would be a good a time as any to deleted Windows.old

Of course my account doesn't have permissions so I went and took ownership, added permissions, all the good stuff. Now about 80% of all the files and directories in the Windows.old directory were removed, the rest give me this error:

https://puu.sh/rXx9B/fd1450b3d6.png

Now just so we are clear, I am ESHKOL\Michael and there is no other account by that name. I also went ahead and tried removing all other superfluous permissions from the file.

This is what they look like now: https://puu.sh/rXyFM/701daf7fd7.png and https://puu.sh/rXyI9/20f6d76d02.png

I have tried restarting afterwards, as well as opening CMD as administrator and running Del /S/F/Q C:\Windows.old and all I got was access denied. I also tried deleting them via bash for Windows, even though I knew it wouldn't work. I would rather not have to boot into a linux install to delete these folders, if possible. Any ideas?

:)

 

remove windows.old

I have talked to the people in the Philippines, To the people in South America, I have even prayed to GOD and yet the damned Windows.old is still in my system. I bought Windows 10 and installed it over the free ware version. Stupid idea. Windows installation
put windows 7 into a directory called Windows.old and gave it SYSTEM permissions. Nothing I have as Administrator will affect this Windows.old directory. And if one more clown tells me to run disk cleanup I will puke. You need SYSTEM permissions to affect
the Windows.old directory at all. I have been trying to get this resolved for four months and I keep getting the same resolutions....don't you people read my letters on the subject? I need help. What is Blamers telephone number or Gates they MIGHT be able
to help.

Mike

help people!!

 

remove windows.old

 

Safe mode:
Safe Mode - Start Windows 10 in - Windows 10 Forums

 

I knew I forgot to say something in my original post. Doesn't work in safe mode either.

Edit: I should also add that I tried disabling my anti-virus in case that was the reason, even though it shouldn't be :|

 

One reason for not being able to delete Windows.old seems to be that a driver is still being loaded from it rather than from the new install. This thread suggests a way to find out which and to disable it so you can complete the delete.

Windows.old quick way to delete

 

I had issues with a Windows Old folder myself in the past. What worked for me was to use Disk Cleanup. I let it do its first scan and then I would click Clean up system files. The program would then do a second scan. Doing that added an option for deleting old Windows installations or something like that. I would just click everything once. Hopefully this works for you.

 

I used a Linux live flash drive, took less than 5 minutes. I also read CCleaner has a way to delete it.

 

The quick way to go straight to the full scan including system files is to 'Run as Administrator'. And the easiest way to find a 'Disk Clean Up' to right-click on is to type 'disk clean up' in the Cortana/Search box.

 

Well it doesn't matter anymore. I tried to use CCleaner to remove it and now Windows wont boot in anything but safe mode, and it will not finish a system recovery, and CCleaner also removed all recovery points (even though I did not select that option) older than the last one, so I don't have any other fall back. Going to do a clean install of Windows on this desktop, and once everything is settled down, I'm going to give microsoft a piece of my mind.

 

Apparently even when you format all partitions and then delete them in the Windows installer before doing a clean install of Windows it still makes a Windows.old? Well it did for me anyways, so I tried your solution and it worked. There is a driver file left behind still, not Intel Audio because I don't have that but something else, so I'll go see if I can maybe use that thread @Bree linked to see what it is and fix it, who knows. But thank you, at least it's only taking up 13MB now.