• Change the name Previous version of windows in the boot menu. How to keep one Windows operating system

    There are two ways to get rid of Windows 10 after upgrading to it from previous version operating system: rollback and complete removal systems. The first method involves returning to a previously installed OS, and the second, discussed below, will help erase all references to the system from hard drive without installing another version of Windows.

    Removing Windows 10 system

    Removing a system from a hard drive can be done in three ways:

    You can save documents and other items not stored on the main partition of your hard drive using any method. You just need to determine in advance which section carries operating system, and which one contains all the other files.

    Because the drive names required to work with them on the command line may be different from what you see on home page conductor, you need to know the correct names in advance:

    Removing Windows 10 by running commands

    1. Using the official Microsoft tool To switch to Windows 10, create a bootable flash drive. We will not install the system using it, but will use it to go to the command line.
      Create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10
    2. Insert the created media into your computer, reboot the machine and go to the BIOS settings.
    3. In the BIOS, change the boot order so that the name of the installation media you created comes first. This is necessary so that when you turn on the computer again, it will start booting not from the hard drive, but from the flash drive, entering the OS installation program.
      Move the bootable flash drive to the first place (1st Boot Device)
    4. Save your entries to BIOS changes and get out of it.
      Save the changes and exit the BIOS
    5. When Windows 10 installer boots, use the combination Shift keys+ F10 to load the command line.
      Press the key combination Shift+F10 to go to the command line
    6. Since you know the number of the partition to be deleted in advance, use the sel part 2 command to select it. If you don't know which partition you need to delete, then go back to the instructions above and find out the name of the partition on which Windows 10 is currently installed.
      Execute the command sel part 2
    7. Run del par override to erase the partition you selected in the previous step. Done, the system is removed, now you have a hard drive filled only with files located on additional sections.
      Execute the command del par override

    Uninstalling Windows 10 via BIOS

    This method is similar to the previous one, since the first three steps are repeated.

    1. Create a Windows 10 installation flash drive using Microsoft's official OS installation tool.
    2. Insert the flash drive into the computer, reboot and go to BIOS.
    3. Change the boot order of your computer, putting the created installation media first, save your changes and wait until the computer starts the system installation program.
      Move to BIOS installation flash drive first on the list
    4. In the first step of installing Windows 10, select the language and other options that suit you.
      Select the required language settings
    5. In the second step, confirm that you want to start the installation. We will not install the system, but use this program to clean up the disk.
      Click the “Install” button
    6. Enter license key skip it, it is useless to activate the system now.
      Skip the step of entering the key
    7. Select any OS version.
      Select any version of the operating system
    8. Skip license agreement, accepting it.
      We accept the license terms
    9. Select manual installation type to be able to work with hard drive.
      Choosing manual installation
    10. A window will open with a list of hard drive partitions, click on the “Disk Settings” button to see additional buttons.
      Click the “Disk Setup” button
    11. Select the partition with the system installed and use the "Format" button to erase all data located on the selected partition.
      Select the partition and click the “Format” button

    Done, the system is completely removed, and the partitions with backup copies, third party files and other elements remained untouched. If you want to clean your hard drive completely, then format it right there. After finishing working with disks, you can close the program and start using the cleaned disk to your advantage.

    Through a third party program

    To edit disk partitions, a third-party program, EaseUS, will be used, which you must download and install from the developer’s official website. There is no Russian language in it, but all actions will be described in detail below. Please note that after deleting the main partition using this program, the computer will enter reboot mode to make all changes, but will not be able to exit it because the system will deleted. Instead, it will display an appropriate error confirming that the disk is empty.


    Removing a previous installed system

    By default, when migrating from an old operating system to a new one, the Windows.old folder is created, which contains all necessary files to restore the previous installed OS. It is needed so that, if desired, the user can easily return to old version systems using standard Windows features and without having to reinstall the system. The folder is automatically erased after 30 days from the date of switching to the new OS, but you can delete it earlier by following these steps:

    1. Using the Win+R key combination on your keyboard, launch the Run window.
      Press the Win+R combination to open the Run window
    2. Use the cleanmgr command to go to the disk cleanup program.
      Run the cleanmgr command
    3. Click on the “Clear” button system files». Please note that for this action you must be logged into the system under an administrator account. Click on the “Clean up system files” button
    4. Check the box next to "Previous Windows installations". Don't forget to uncheck all other checkboxes so you don't accidentally delete extra files.

      Deleting restore points

      Restore points are created by the system in automatic mode and manually. They are needed so that it is always possible to roll back the computer to a certain state when all functions and processes were working fully. Over time, there may be too many points, and they take up some of the disk memory, so they should be deleted:


      What to do if an error appears during deletion

      If, when you try to delete a system or a folder located on it, an error with code 0x80004005 appears, then the reasons for this may be the following:

      • virus;
      • failure of system files or registry data.

      File recovery


      Repairing the registry

      By default, the system stores files of the initial version of the registry, intended specifically for recovery in case of malfunctions. They are located along the path Primary_disk:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack.


      What to do if nothing helps

      If none of the above methods help, roll back the system through restore points or return to initial settings. Please note that some personal data will be lost, so please back it up in advance.

      There are several ways to remove a system from a disk, using bootable media or a third-party program. Getting rid of Windows will lead to the fact that you will get a hard drive that is clean of systems, but with the presence of user files on it, unless you erased them separately. You can also delete restore points and the folder with the previous version of Windows. Uninstallation problems can be resolved by checking for viruses, restoring system files and the registry.

    More recently, when he first appeared new version OS and system updates, many became interested in the question of how to remove windows old in Windows 10 and today we will talk about all the ways to delete an archive folder.

    Windows.Old – storage of components and files of the “previous” one installed system. This folder is created when installing the system on the same partition where the operating system was previously installed or when updating to a new build. Also, this is a backup copy of the data necessary to return to a previous version of Windows (in case of an update) or restore personal files when reinstalling the system on the same partition.

    Unfortunately, it is not possible to restore applications if reinstalled ( using standard methods). Basically, personal data will be stored here (Users folders, respectively Downloads, Documents, Photos, desktop, etc.), application settings (*Outlook pst files, saved games, application configurations), application data (databases) .

    The folder is stored from 10 to 28 days, depending on the actions performed.

    • 10 days – update of the “tens” to the new build (1511->1607, 1607->1703). This period is necessary for a painless return to the previous version of the system.

    As part of the cleanup, these applications may delete or clear the Windows.Old folder, making it difficult or impossible to return to a previous version of the operating system.

    • 28 days – this period is provided after an update (7 -> 8; 8.1 -> 10, etc.), as well as in case of reinstallation to the same partition (where the OS was previously installed or there was system folder with files).

    If all files have been transferred or the OS update is successful, and this folder it just gets in the way and takes up free space on the disk, then to remove it, use the following recommendations:

    • Uninstalling via the Options window
    • Removing via Disk Cleanup
    • Uninstall via Command Line

    Uninstalling via the Options window

    To clear your disk of an unwanted folder through the Options menu, follow these steps:

    Removing via Disk Cleanup

    Also, disk cleanup can help you; to do this, follow these steps:


    Uninstall via command line

    If the above methods did not help, then we will delete it through the command line window:
    Call window Command line by entering cmd in the search or Command line , run the application as Administrator and enter the following commands one by one:

    • takeown /F C:\Windows.old\* /R /A
      A lengthy redefinition of rights to the contents of the folder will take place. You will be asked to confirm your actions by pressing the Y key.
    • cacls C:\Windows.old\*.* /T /grant Administrators:F
      You will be asked to confirm your actions by pressing the Y key.
    • rmdir /S /Q C:\Windows.old\
      Removing the Windows.Old folder


    Windows.Old can store both personal data from past Windows installations and can store a “backup” copy of the operating system so that it can be returned to a working state in case of an update error or unforeseen situations, such as turning off the lights. If you are sure that you will no longer need this folder, then feel free to delete it, according to the instructions that were described in this article.

    It's time to release hard drive from the “seven” that has become unnecessary? There is nothing complicated about this, but many users are hesitant to delete it in one fell swoop - simply by formatting the partition, for fear of erasing important data or disrupting the performance of the second OS. And they are right: if you immediately format system partition, all its contents will be irretrievably lost. And it may contain user files, and loaders of other operating systems, if there are several of them on the computer.

    Let's talk about how to remove Windows 7 safely.

    Removing the only Windows 7 operating system

    How to remove Windows 7 from a PC if there are no other operating systems on it? Before you begin deleting, transfer the data that is important to you from the system partition to another medium. As a new media, you can use other sections of the same disk, DVD, flash drive, cloud storage and so on.

    User data is saved in the user's folder by default. account. It is located in the C:Usres section (Drive C, “Users” folder).

    Once there, simply copy the directory of your account and paste it onto any drive of suitable capacity.

    Now the system partition can be freed. While Windows 7 is loaded, you will not be able to delete its directories and files - you will first have to start the computer from another media - Live CD or installation disk any operating system.

    So, having booted from a Windows XP Live CD, we can go to disk management, find the partition with “seven” and format it (formatting, like other operations with the partition, is launched from the context menu). After this, the partition will be completely cleared of data while maintaining the NTFS structure - it will, as before, be visible in Explorer.

    If you select the “Delete Partition” option in the menu, the system partition will turn into unallocated space, which will also have to be formatted first in order to be used.

    You can also achieve deletion of data from the Windows 7 partition by formatting it from the installation disk. The remaining (non-system) partitions will not be affected.

    Removing the old system (Windows.old folders)

    Now let's consider the case when the new operating system was installed on a partition with the old one without prior formatting. In progress Windows installations the installation program renames the old one to the non-free partition Windows directory in Windows.old. The Windows.old folder remains on the PC only as a backup copy of data and is not used in any way, so you can safely delete it.

    How to remove Windows 7 from previous installation? The safest way to do this is through Disk Cleanup.

    • Going to the “Computer” folder, open the properties of the partition where both systems are installed – the old and the new. Click the “Disk Cleanup” button on the “General” tab.

    • Click “Clean up system files.”

    • Check the box next to “Previous Windows installations” and click OK.

    Confirm that you agree to delete files and wait until the cleaning is completed. After this, Windows.old – the old Windows 7 directory from the previous installation – will disappear.

    How to remove “seven” from a multi-system configuration

    How to remove Windows 7 if you have multiple operating systems installed on your PC? This is done in two steps:

    1. format the section with “seven” according to the instructions given at the beginning of the article;
    2. remove it from the operating systems boot menu.

    After formatting frees up the partition, Windows 7 will still be present in the boot list.

    To remove it from there, boot the remaining OS on your computer (for example, Windows XP or 8) and log into it with administrator rights. Through the search, run the system configuration utility msconfig.exe.

    Restart your computer for the settings to take effect. “Seven” will no longer appear on the boot configuration screen.

    The partition freed after formatting can be attached to one of the remaining ones, used to install another operating system or to store data.

    For many PC users, often after updating or Windows reinstallation the "Windows.old" directory appears if, for example, you upgrade Windows 8 to Windows 10. This folder stores all files of the previous OS, as well as all user and program files. All this information takes up a lot of space on your hard drive. Depending on the amount of user data of the previous OS, in some cases this directory can reach tens of gigabytes. Therefore, we will try to understand this issue in detail.

    The system saves the previous version for further opportunity to return to her(perform the so-called Downgrade). As a rule, this opportunity is temporary, and if you do not use it, the folder will be deleted automatically.

    Figure 8 removal process

    Let's look at an example of deleting the "Windows.old" directory after upgrading Windows 7 to Windows 8. To do this let's go to our local drives by pressing Win + E. Choose local disk With installed Windows and go to its properties, as shown in the figure.

    In the disk properties window, click the button.

    The Disk Cleanup analysis window should appear.

    After this, the “Disk Cleanup (C:)” window will appear, where you should press the Clean system files.

    If you click this button, the system will estimate the volume of files being deleted, and we can move on to the next window. Here you need to check one box, as shown in the figure.

    In our case, the files of the previous OS are 7.92 GB. Once the appropriate item is selected, you can safely press the OK button. Disk Cleanup will start, which will delete all files from the previous OS.

    The process of deleting a folder in the top ten

    Deleting a directory in 10 is very similar to the process of erasing a folder in 8. We also go to the explorer. Select the local drive “C:/” and go to its properties.

    We also click on the button.

    After clicking on the button, we will see the same window as on the figure eight, only a slightly different design.

    Press the same key Clean system files and move on to the next window.

    Select the same checkbox and click OK.

    As you can see, the process is similar to the first one with the eighth version of Windows. In this example we have 8.36 GB freed, which is a good result.

    You should also remember that when you delete the “Windows.old” directory, user data and files are erased installed programs. The structure of subfolders with files from the previous OS is shown below.

    These files can be multimedia data, Word documents or Excel. Therefore, before deleting this folder, you should save the important data contained in it.

    Removing the Windows.old folder using CCleaner

    Most the best option is a system cleaning program CCleaner. This program can be downloaded for free from the official website www.piriform.com/ccleaner. Installing the program is quite simple and even a novice PC user can handle it. After starting the program, you should select the item “Cleaning” in the “Cleaning” tab. Old installation Windows" as shown below.

    Now click the Analyze button. This is necessary for CCleaner to analyze the files that need to be cleaned and display them full list into the program window. In the figure below, the line containing files from the “Windows.old” directory is highlighted.

    After clicking the Cleanup button, the program will completely delete the files of the old OS.

    Manual removal

    Now we will describe the manual deletion process, that is, if you deleted a directory using the Delete key. After deleting a folder using the Delete key, you can see the following message.

    This message means that we do not have permission to delete this directory. To correctly set the appropriate rights, go to the folder properties on the tab " Safety».

    Now click on the Advanced button. You have to get in the window additional security this folder.

    As you can see from the picture, the owner of our folder is “ SYSTEM" Therefore, you need to select the owner of the user with whom you logged into the system and click the Apply button. After applying the rights, you can delete “Windows.old” using Explorer with the Delete key.

    Removal using TakeOwnershipPro

    You can delete the “Windows.old” directory using a simple utility TakeOwnershipPro, which you can download from http://www.top-password.com/download.html. After installing the utility it will appear as a separate item in the Explorer context menu A. To delete a directory, go to context menu for the folder to be deleted and select the item “ TakeOwnershipPro».

    After clicking, a program window will launch where it will scan and assign rights to files and directories in order to subsequently remove them.

    The scan may take two minutes or longer, depending on the size of the folder being deleted. After waiting for the scan to complete, click the Take Ownership button. After which the folder will be permanently deleted in about two minutes.

    Conclusion

    After reading this material, you should no longer be wondering why I can’t delete the “Windows.old” folder. By doing this, you will free up gigabytes. free space on your hard drive. I would also like to remind you that by deleting this directory, you delete all user data from the previous OS. Therefore, if necessary, you need to do backups this data.

    Video on the topic

    In a situation where the computer starts to work slowly, the only correct solution among the recommendations for setting up the computer yourself, you will find reinstalling the operating system, but this is not always done correctly, so then there is a need to remove old windows after installing the new one. Usually the OS is installed on a clean partition, but if it so happens that you installed a new operating system Windows system there (at the same place) logical drive), where the old one, it will automatically remove the files of the old operating system into a folder called “Windows.old”. After everything necessary files were saved, the folder with the old OS can be deleted. Moreover, there is never too much space on your hard drive. There are two ways to do this.

    Removal using Windows

    Cleaning the boot menu

    After you have installed a new operating system on the same partition, you may have a problem in the form of a menu that prompts you to choose which OS to select when booting. This problem is quite easy to solve.

    1. Click "Start";
    2. In the search bar, type msconfig;
    3. Select this program in the search results;
    4. In the next window, go to the “Download” tab;
    5. Select the old operating system;
    6. Click the “Delete” button, after which the program will inform you about the need to reboot;
    7. Restart your computer.

    After all listed actions the operating system will boot into normal mode and the menu with the choice of operating system will no longer appear.

    There is nothing complicated about how to remove old Windows installations; the main thing is to decide on the method of execution. Now you can start setting up sound on your computer, setting up drivers, networking, and other things with peace of mind. Remember: in order to avoid the procedure of uninstalling previous versions of operating systems, it is recommended to Windows installation to a pre-formatted partition. Thus, you will save your new operating system from garbage in the form of programs and files of the previous version of Windows.

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