Forum Discussion
Why doesn't Disk Cleanup show "Previous Windows installation(s)" on Windows 10?
Why does Disk Cleanup on my Windows 10 PC never show the “Previous Windows installation(s)” option, even though I recently upgraded or installed a major update and I know that folder is taking up space? I’ve run Disk Cleanup as administrator and clicked “Clean up system files,” but the entry still doesn’t appear.
Is this because the folder was already removed automatically, because the cleanup list is corrupted, or because Windows 10 now handles it somewhere else? And is there a safe way to reclaim that space without deleting something important?
2 Replies
That option only appears when Windows detects an old installation it can clean up. A large update doesn’t necessarily create one—monthly cumulative updates and some feature updates don’t leave a full Windows.old folder.
Since you’ve already tried Clean up system files, check these next:
- Open your Windows drive, usually C:, and look for C:\Windows.old. If it isn’t there, the upgrade may not have created it, or Windows may already have removed it. The rollback files are normally cleaned up after the rollback period, usually 10 days.
- If it exists, go to Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files, let the scan finish, and look for Previous Windows installation(s) there. Review the selections carefully—Downloads contains your own files.
- Before removing an old installation, check Windows.old\Users for anything you still need. Removing it also removes the files needed to go back to the previous Windows version.
If neither cleanup interface lists it, don’t assume the list is corrupted or force-delete it by taking ownership. Check whether the folder actually contains substantial data. If your missing space is elsewhere, Settings > System > Storage can help identify the category; Windows Update Cleanup is separate from previous-installation cleanup.
Don’t manually delete WinSxS or other Windows system folders to recover the space.
Hi BrantZhao ,
The most likely reason is that the folder is already gone, or never existed. Disk Cleanup only lists previous Windows installation when a Windows.old folder is actually there. Windows 10 deletes it automatically about 10 days after a feature update. Regular monthly updates never create it, only major upgrades do.
Here’s how to check:
- Look for C:\Windows.old in File Explorer. If it isn’t there, there’s nothing to clean, and the space is being used by something else.
- Go to Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files. Windows 10 lists “Previous version of Windows” there too, and it also shows other cleanup items.
- Folders like $WINDOWS.~BT can remain after an upgrade. Disk Cleanup may list them as “Windows upgrade log files” or “Temporary Windows installation files.”
- Find what’s really using the space. Settings > System > Storage shows a breakdown by category, which usually explains it faster than guessing.
For a safe cleanup, tick “Windows Update Cleanup” in Disk Cleanup (Clean up system files) and also run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup from an admin prompt. Don’t delete anything from WinSxS by hand, as that can break updates.
