I could not delete two files from the Windows.old folder even after trying all the possible ways, including two unlocking applets and other programs like CCleaner. I always got the notice that the folder or the file was corrupted and unreadable. I made a checkdisk and then could delete it by just pressing the delete button and it was cone like any personal file after asking for permission.
Easiest thing to do is to create a bootable live linux drive on dvd or cd eg puppy linux, and use its file manager to delete the files.
Last edited by cereberus; 10 Feb 2016 at 10:06.
I had the same problem removing windows.old, 2 driver files which are "in use". (IntcDAud.sys in 2 maps)
Renaming and rebooting didn't work.
But if you disable the "Intel(R) Display Audio" driver, you can delete them, remove the complete windows.old map and then enable the driver.
Be sure to also empty the Recycle Bin before enabling of the driver, otherwise it will start using the file in the Recycle Bin.
Thank you for the three replies. As I said, the files were corrupted, so that after a chkdsk I could delete them because they were already owned by my profile. Anyway, it is always good to receive new ideas.
Cheers
After waiting the 30-day period to see if these files and folders would be cleaned up by WIN 10, I now see the files andfolders are still there.
So I followed the process in this tutorial.
Clean up came back and said the files are gone. But to my surprise not all of them. About 500 MB of files remained. The folders are still in place as well.
What I want to do is delete a folder and files marked "windows.old (1)", is not being removed by the clean up process. The files in this folder relate to the previous build of win 10 and the folder was created when I undertook the upgrade originally on this particular machine.
Well their is a very easy way to remove that folder using a program that one of our members created. Its Called Win10PESE here is the link. Just burn this app to a USB stick, keep it as this is a VERY good tool to have.
Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk
Once you burn this app, then boot to it, just use the built in file explorer, go to your C drive, then right click and delete. :)
Well, I cleaned up everything that was there except for the 500 MB of files that remained.
What I did notice though is for some reason, Edge stopped working on this particular PC for the first time in more than 30 days, at more or less the same time as I ran the steps in this tutorial. Could it be that somehow Edge was still using those old files? Is there a point in me posting what files have remained in the folder [windows.old/windows]?
best
Geoff
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