How to Delete Windows.old and $Windows.~BT folders in Windows 10

PeterAstle · 30 Jul 2015

Hi,
I tried all the options but Windows.old wont go away.
It still contains a few folders which refuse to be deleted: Windows>System32>drivers and DriverStore both of which contain folders and/or files. Total size down to 1.10 MB from 24 GB.
Don't know if I need to be concerned or not!

Peter

Brink · 30 Jul 2015

Hello Peter, and welcome to Ten Forums.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it since it's that small now.

If you're determined, you could see if the free program Unlocker may be able to delete the folder. :)

minkfield · 30 Jul 2015

Maybe this is a dumb question but why can't you simply "right click" the windows.old folder and delete it?

Supra · 30 Jul 2015

minkfield said:

Maybe this is a dumb question but why can't you simply "right click" the windows.old folder and delete it?

It will say 'You require permission from SYSTEM to make changes to this folder.'

Asarox · 01 Aug 2015

PeterAstle said:

Hi,
I tried all the options but Windows.old wont go away.
It still contains a few folders which refuse to be deleted: Windows>System32>drivers and DriverStore both of which contain folders and/or files. Total size down to 1.10 MB from 24 GB.
Don't know if I need to be concerned or not!

Peter

Hello,

Idem for me but I would say, maybe it's kind of normal. Files are :

Code:

C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32\drivers>dir /B
SurfaceAccessoryDevice.sys
SurfaceCapacitiveHomeButton.sys
SurfaceDisplayCalibration.sys
SurfacePenDriver.sys
TrueColor.sys

Code:

C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32\drivers\UMDF>dir /B
SurfaceCoverTelemetry.dll
SurfaceTypeCoverV3FwUpdate.dll

Code:

C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository>dir /B
surfaceaccessorydevice.inf_amd64_e89baec14a54ce3f
surfacecapacitivehomebutton.inf_amd64_26b38c30587744f4
surfacecovertelemetry.inf_amd64_512f78d03641e81f
surfacedisplaycalibration.inf_amd64_4f517f69e02d33b1
surfacependriver.inf_amd64_30f02b16beecd08a
surfacetypecoverv3fwupdate.inf_amd64_772e45afb16888a1
truecolor.inf_amd64_6c44c35093e5f051

I guess they are files / drivers linked to Surface Device maybe not really yet updated in Win 10 version.
I think we don't have to remove them.

Regards,

lvgandhi · 01 Aug 2015

I got like this in admn cmd prompt

C:\WINDOWS\system32>rd /S /Q %SystemDrive%\Windows.old
C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32\drivers\IntcDAud.sys - Access is denied.
C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32\DRIVER~1\FILERE~1\INTCDA~1.INF\IntcDAud.sys - Access is denied.
C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32\DRIVER~1 - Access is denied.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

What to do?

Brink · 01 Aug 2015

Hello Ivgandhi,

How does it work in Disk Cleanup instead?

lvgandhi · 01 Aug 2015

Brink said:

Hello Ivgandhi,

How does it work in Disk Cleanup instead?

I have already tried in disk cleanup. But for these files ie single file in two places, all others were cleaned in disk clean up.
These two files exist in C:|Windows\system32\Drivers also. But size is 1 kb less. First when I tried to delete with right click, I got message folder or file is being used by another program. Hence I tried disk clean up and now your suggestion. All failed.

Brink · 01 Aug 2015

In that case, you could see if the free program Unlocker may be able to delete it.

lvgandhi · 01 Aug 2015

Brink said:

In that case, you could see if the free program Unlocker may be able to delete it.

It says no locking handle found. Choose action you want to do. I selected delete.
Then it says it could not be deleted. Do you want the action to be done at next reboot.
I clicked yes. Still it can not delete in next reboot also.

How to Delete Windows.old and $Windows.~BT folders in Windows 10

Windows Old still remains though greatly depeleted

Surface Pro 3 : Maybe normal