How to reclaim hard drive space after upgrading to the Windows 10 October 2022 Update

On Windows 10, the October 2022 Update (version 1809) installation process makes a copy of the current setup in the event that your device needs to undo the changes as a issue of issues during the upgrade.

Although information technology's a useful mechanism to protect your information from unexpected problems, the backup files (residing inside the Windows.quondam folder) can use a relatively large amount of space. If you delete these files, yous tin reclaim effectually 20GB of space, which can be a substantial corporeality if yous have a device with limited storage.

If you lot're confident that Windows x version 1809 is running smoothly, or you're running out of available space, you can use the Settings app or the Disk Cleanup tool (for now) to go the infinite back.

In this Windows 10 guide, nosotros walk yous through three methods to get rid of the previous installation files to free space on your estimator'southward difficult drive.

How to gratis up space post-upgrade using Storage sense
How to free up space mail-upgrade using Temporary files
How to complimentary up space post-upgrade using Deejay Cleanup

Of import: The previous installation files are required to rollback to an earlier version. If you remove the backup files, and later, y'all need to go dorsum to a previous version, the simply way to rollback is performing a clean installation of the older version of Windows 10.

How to free upwardly space post-upgrade using Storage sense

Once you upgrade to the Windows x October 2022 Update, y'all can use Storage sense to delete the previous installation files using these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click on Storage.
Under "Storage sense," click the Change how we free upward space automatically link.
Under "Free up space now," check the Delete previous versions of Windows option.
Click the Clean now button.

After completing these steps, the previous installation of Windows will be deleted from your device, along with other temporary files yous may have selected, freeing up space for more important files.

How to gratuitous space postal service-upgrade using Temporary files

Storage sense also includes additional disk cleanup options that permit you to remove the fill-in files to rollback to the previous version, likewise as other temporary files.

To reclaim hard drive space on Windows x, use these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click on Storage.
Under "Storage sense," click the Free up infinite now link.
Under "Remove temporary files," check the Previous Windows installation(southward) option.

Quick Tip: While on this page, you can also select other temporary files y'all want to remove to reclaim even more storage.
Click the Remove files button.

Once you complete these steps, the Windows.old folder, along with other temporary files you may take selected, volition be permanently deleted from your device.

How to free upward space post-upgrade using Deejay Cleanup

Although Microsoft is retiring the legacy Deejay Cleanup feature, information technology'south nevertheless possible to use this tool to delete the previous installation files after an upgrade using these steps:

Open up Start.
Search for Disk Cleanup, click the top result to open the feel.
Click the Clean upwards system files push.
Bank check the Previous Windows installation(s) option.

Quick Tip: While in Disk Cleanup, you tin can also select other junk files (such as Windows upgrade log files, Diagnostic data viewer database files, Commitment Optimization Files, Recycle Bin, etc.) that you want to delete to free upwardly even more space.
Click the OK button.

After completing the steps, similar to using the Storage sense settings, the previous installation files will be deleted from your computer giving you lot several extra gigabytes of storage.

More Windows ten resources

For more than helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions virtually Windows 10, visit the following resources:

Windows 10 on Windows Cardinal – All you need to know
Windows 10 aid, tips, and tricks
Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

History catches up

The problem for a consumer HoloLens was always the lack of Windows Phone

What is the hereafter for Microsoft (and Windows) mixed reality? The latest report from Business concern Insider sheds some low-cal, but this all comes back to one major problem for Microsoft: No mobile Windows OS. Only what about a future headset that is cloud-based? Some thoughts on what could happen for Microsoft mixed reality.