Image: Matt Elliott/CNET

If you desire to install the latest bi-annual update to Windows 10 (the spring update or the autumn update), cheque your available hard disk space earlier, and then after, the update. Post-obit the update, you may detect that your amount of free deejay space has shrunk. That'south because Windows stores installation files from the previous version should you want to revert back to it. That's fine. But at some point you'll probable want to stick with the updated version. How exercise you then get rid of those older folders taking upwardly disk infinite? Let'southward cheque it out.

See: x tricks and tweaks for customizing Windows ten (costless PDF) (TechRepublic)

Afterwards you lot've installed the latest major Windows 10 update, open up File Explorer to the root of your C-bulldoze or whichever system bulldoze holds Windows. You should find two folders: Windows.old and Windows10Upgrade. The Windows.old folder stores all the files from your previous Windows installation should you e'er demand to go dorsum to it. The Windows10Upgrade binder is generated and used by the Windows Update Banana to perform the actual update (Figure A).

Effigy A

Windows10Upgrade is the easier binder to remove, so let's tackle that i beginning. Open Settings and get to the Apps category. At the Apps & Features screen, scroll down until you see the entry for Windows 10 Update Assistant. Click on information technology and so click the Uninstall push (Figure B). At the adjacent screen, ostend that you want to uninstall the Windows x Update Banana by selecting the Uninstall push button.

Figure B

Of form, you tin can as well uninstall the program via Control Panel. In Control Panel, click on the icon for Programs And Features. At the list of installed applications, double-click on the Windows ten Update Assistant to uninstall it. Later the programme has been removed, check your system bulldoze and you'll see that the Windows10Upgrade folder is gone.

Next, it's time to go rid of the Windows.onetime folder. Actually, Windows automatically removes this folder after x days, but if you don't desire to wait, y'all can remove it yourself. Become to Settings so select the Organization category. Click on the setting for Storage then click on the link to Configure Storage Sense Or Run It Now. At the next screen, cheque the box to Delete Previous Versions Of Windows. And then click on the Clean Now button (Figure C).

Figure C

Afterward the cleanup has consummate, a Done message appears telling you lot how much disk space was freed. Check the root of your organisation bulldoze. You may nonetheless run into the Windows.former folder though most of its contents will take been removed. To delete it completely, simply right-click on the folder and select Delete from the popup carte du jour. If that doesn't work or you receive an mistake, y'all'll have to remove it via a command prompt. At the search field, type cmd. Right-click on the matching result for cmd and select Run Equally Administrator. At the command prompt, blazon rmdir /s /q c:\Windows.old. Bank check your system bulldoze–the binder should now be gone (Figure D).

Figure D