Windows 10 Anniversary Update may have snatched a big portion of HDD space from less than techy users, but we're about to tell you how to get it back.
Regardless of how many new and awesome features the Windows 10 Anniversary Update may sport, you have a right to use every MB of your HDD after you upgrade your OS. A massive amount of storage space is lost in the installation, thanks to Windows' safety procedure of keeping legacy files that the system no longer needs.
For those who are less tech savvy, here's the deal: Windows creates a Windows.old folder that stores a copy of the previous OS version after you install a big update on your computer.
The copy can be found right in the Windows.old folder located in the primary partition of the HDD, and it works as a safeguard, just in case something goes south during the update. The idea is that the system can tap into the Windows.old files to easily roll back to an anterior working version of the operating system.
For users who went from Windows 8 or Windows 7 to the latest of Microsoft's desktop OSs, the computer stores the previous version of the OS in the same Windows.old folder. Microsoft says that users are able to roll back to their pre-Windows 10 variants within a month after the update, if they do not find value in the latest OS.
Safeguards have their role in the tech world, but when they come at a cost of 15 GB to 20 GB, some users might not see them as positive. If your installation went without a glitch and you are positive that a manual roll back to the pre-Anniversary Update is out of the question, then deleting the Windows.old folder is the sensible thing to do.
Here are the simple steps you need to take in order to get back a good slash of HDD storage.
Step 1: Open up your computer and click on the "This PC," to see the relevant info about the rig that you are on.
Step 2: When it opens, go to the primary HDD partition containing the Windows 10 installation and right-click on it.
Step 3: Tap the "Properties" option.
Step 4: Once inside "Properties," select "Disk Cleanup."
Step 5: Once inside "Disk Cleanup," click on "Clean up system files."
Step 6: Inside that section, verify that a check mark is next to "Previous Windows installation(s)," "Temporary Windows installation files" and "System error memory dump files." Place a check mark next to them, if it is not already in place. To wrap up the process, click "OK."
With the enumerated options checked, it is vital that the "Previous Windows installation(s)" option is also among them. This is because this is where the Windows.old folder is located, and its deletion will ensure that you free up a significant amount of space.
When paired with the other two options, the disk cleanup should result in opening up about 20 GB of extra space for you to use however you see fit.
You're welcome!
