How to find old Windows. Advanced installation mechanism. From system settings

Greetings, dear readers.

There are several ways to clean your computer from the old operating system. So, for example, a new one can be installed on another hard drive, and the old one can simply be deleted manually. Or, during installation, simply specify the same partition, and later also try to deal with the previous OS manually. All this usually leads to early failure of the new version.

But how to remove Windows xp correctly? By by and large the most effective method is HDD formatting. If you decide to take this step, it means you most likely want to install more new version Microsoft OS is the seventh. Therefore, I will tell you how to do this from under the installation process of this particular operating system.

It is necessary to say right away that we need a plastic disk or flash drive with the Win 7 distribution. Next, we follow the simple step-by-step instructions:

It’s worth noting right away that along with Windows, other files that were on this partition will also disappear, including the desktop and “My Documents”. As a result, you will receive completely blank disk.

Uninstalling Windows 7( )

If you don't take it Vista version, the next successful OS after XP can safely be called the seventh. Usually it is installed on the computer, and for some reason users want to say goodbye to it. In most cases it is proposed to put more new modification– 8 or 8.1. So I’ll tell you how to remove old version from under the installation menu of the new operating system.

In addition, you can completely delete the disk on your computer and then create it again - the essence will not change, and the system will automatically split it into sectors and tracks.

Uninstalling Windows 8( )

After Microsoft released the tenth version of the operating system to the market, which is suitable not only for laptops and computers, but also for mobile devices, many began to switch to it. Others were skeptical about the new product. But after several serious Win updates 10 was able to conquer most of the users. And at the same time, there was no need to purchase new equipment - all software is perfectly suitable for devices that previously had earlier versions installed.

If you decide to uninstall Windows 8, it’s worth noting right away that in general the process is exactly the same as in previous versions. The only difference is that when you select a partition to install, there is no button “ Formatting" For it to appear, you must click "". And then select the section and format it. Here you don’t even need to watch the video - everything is clear.

It is important to remember that it is advisable to first find out where exactly the previous version of the system is located, so as not to accidentally say goodbye to personal information. By the way, if you are wondering how to remove Windows 10, do the same.

Using a third party program( )

Another very popular method used by professionals is to connect a separate utility. There are a lot of such programs, but the highest quality and most effective can be safely called Acronis Disk Director. The program has a wide range of functionality, including the ability to work with hard drive partitions without loading operating system. However, I have already talked about the operation of this program. You can find all necessary information by going to .

In addition to the above, you can also use ERD Commander. So, the application suggests creating boot disk. There's nothing complicated about it. Just use the tips that will appear as you work.

Then insert the prepared disk or flash drive and restart the computer. Again, go to the BIOS and indicate booting from the location we need. We save and exit. Next, at startup, a menu will appear where we need to select “”. A new window will open. Requests will appear in it one after another. Users just have to press the button " Further" This must be done before the menu appears " Disk Cleanup" Here we select the desired area and confirm the actions.

It is important to note that without a disk or a separate flash drive you will not be able to do anything, since the OS is located on the HDD - it simply cannot remove itself. This is why you need to use separately prepared portable devices.

Well, as you can see in general Windows removal different versions on the computer comes down to the same simple principles. Therefore, do everything necessary actions everyone can.

I hope you found the answers you needed to your questions and learned new information. Subscribe and you can solve any computer-related problems.

A nice addition to the new Windows 10 operating system is the fact. This saves all user files, settings and programs. Unfortunately, you have to pay a lot for this high price in the form of deprivation of a certain part hard space disk. Yes, there is a certain Windows.old folder that stores the old version. So the 10th generation can quite easily return to the user everything that he had before installation.

Nevertheless, old folder huge in size, as it is necessary a large number of data for correct rollback. Many users want to delete such a folder. Well, in fact, Windows 10 looks so great, and all the bugs will most likely be fixed in the near future. Thus, the question arises, how can anyone remove this unnecessary folder old to allow the system to breathe freely and not store an impressive pile of old junk? There is a certain simple sequence of actions in this regard.

Getting rid of the old

The old folder on the computer is created if the user automatically upgraded from Windows 7 or 8 to the 10 series. Also, it can occur if clean install without formatting the hard drive. It often eats up several gigabytes, which are very valuable at the current prices of hard drives.

It should be remembered that if you erase the old folder on your computer, you will no longer be able to painlessly return from Windows 10 to your old system.

So such a decision should be approached extremely carefully. So, if all doubts are swept aside, then:

• Press Win + R on the keyboard, which launches a special Run window.
• Enter the command in the window that appears: cleanmrg and click OK.

• So it starts standard cleaning disk.

• In the window that appears, click on the Clear button system files.

In this simple way you can delete the folder called Windows.old. But Windows 10 is an insidious system, it is full unpleasant surprises. Therefore, in some cases, you may simply not delete the old folder for reasons unknown to the user. In this case there are countermeasures.

If it didn't work out right away

We open the wonderful command line interface, which always helps out in difficult times. Naturally, this must be done under administrator rights. Next, enter the command: RD /S /Q C:\windows.old. Of course, this folder should be located on drive C. Press Enter and wait for the result.

There is another way to delete the old folder. To do this you should:

• Launch Task Scheduler, which can be opened via search.
• In the list of tasks that opens, you need to find SetupCleanupTask.
• Click on this task right-click and select Run from the drop-down menu.

At the end of the process, the old folder should disappear forever.

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At reinstalling Windows Without formatting the hard drive, a folder marked .old remains on it. It stores information about the previous installation of the operating system. As a rule, you should delete this folder if there is a lack of free disk space. There are several methods:

1. Removal by formatting.
2. Manual removal.
3. Removal using Disk Cleanup.

On a note! When upgrading the system toWindows 10 folder is deleted automatically after ten days. When installingXP is produced completely hard formatting disk, so the old version is not saved.

The method is fail-safe and irreversible. During installation you should remove everything sections of hard disk and re-partition it. Please note that you should not select the “Quick Format” option, since it does not check bad sectors (bad sectors, bad sectors) hard drive. However, when full formatting Take care to save the information; it will not be possible to restore it after installation.

Manual removal

Step 1. Enter the directory of the disk with the installed system.

Step 2. Select the Windows.old folder and use the “Shift+Del” combination. When prompted, confirm the deletion.

On a note! Do not delete a folder to the trash using context menu or by pressing "Del." The hard drive will not be cleaned - the data in the recycle bin still takes up space.

Uninstall via command line

Actually this method is also a manual removal, but uninstallation is carried out at a low level, which guarantees best result, due to the accompanying scanning of hard drive sectors.

Step 1. To call command line In the Start menu, in the “Search programs and files” line, you need to enter cmd command, call the context menu and run the handler as administrator.

Step 2. To delete a directory, enter the command “rmdir /s c:\windows.old”.

On a note! Instead of a commandrmdir can be usedrd. Note the syntax - the command is case insensitive, i.e. "RMDIR" and "rmdir" are both equivalent and equally possible. At the same time, pay attention to the registration of the directory - if the folder intended for deletion is named “ ", and you indicate "windows.old", then nothing will be deleted.

Step 3. Confirm deleting the Windows.old folder by pressing the “n” key and “enter”.

On a note! Key "/s" allows you to delete a directory, including all subfolders and hidden files. If you add the key "/q", then confirmation of the request is not required, however, in order to avoid deleting the wrong folder, it is better to leave the request.

Removal via Disk Cleanup

Step 1. To call the utility, in the “Find programs and files” line, you need to enter the line “Disk Cleanup” and run the program as an administrator.

In the “Search programs and files” line, enter the line “Disk Cleanup” and run the program as administrator

Step 2.

Step 3.

Step 4. At the end of the analysis, a window will be displayed listing possible items for deleting partitions. Start the system file cleaning analysis process by clicking on the appropriate button.

Step 5. Select the device you want to wipe and click OK.

Select the device on which to perform cleaning and click “OK”

Step 6. Wait for the analysis process to complete. The assessment is made by sections of the hard drive.

Step 7 Select " Previous installations Windows" and click "OK".

Step 8 Wait for the cleaning process to complete.

Video - How to remove old Windows after installing a new one

Conclusion

We have described four removal methods old system. All the above methods are standard for operating systems Windows family, and do not require installation of additional software. After cleaning your system, be sure to use the disk defragmentation procedure - this will allow you to use the remaining disk space as efficiently as possible. The evaluation of each method is given in the summary table.

Today there will be a post on how to demolish old Windows And cleanly install the new operating system. I'll tell you how to completely remove Windows. For some reason, many people don't understand this.

What does it mean to demolish Windows?

Removing Windows means formatting the disk with installed Windows and install it on a blank disk. If we talk in simple words, demolishing Windows means correctly removing the old Windows.

Windows installers are divided into 2 types.

The first ones write it to disk. Launch the disk from under the old Windows and begin the installation. This WRONG SOLUTION installation of any Windows.

For the right Windows installations Xp, 7, 8, 10 - you will need to start the disk or bootable USB flash drive AFTER rebooting the computer and BEFORE loading the old Windows.
First, you need to restart your computer and go into bios. In some cases, you need to provide support USB adapter V BIOS settings(if the keyboard and mouse do not respond to pressure and the Windows installation disk does not start)

After this, you need to set either disk loading or flash drive loading (depending on what you are doing the demolition of Windows and a clean installation of Windows)

If the key is not pressed, then you should set usb support(this is written above)

So the disk started loading. We wait and press Further. We need a moment when we can delete partition C:

Windows is demolished after deleting the C: partition (most likely Windows is installed there)

Now, select the unallocated area and install Windows there.

This way you will remove ALL operating systems from your computer and install just one. This method is suitable for any Windows Xp/7/8/10. Now you know how to properly remove Windows and install a new Windows Xp/7/8/10, as I advise you to do in every manual!

P.S: This method is suitable for installing any builds of Windows. I love it Windows assembly It is recommended to install according to this manual. Do not run the disk under Windows, load it correctly!
All the best

"(BSOD) and freezes, at times, can change its operation beyond recognition or stop functioning altogether. Therefore, it is not surprising that the number of requests from Internet users “how to remove old Windows” is constantly increasing.

Windows OS can last for years for those who limit themselves to working in office applications, viewing multimedia files, and the programs used are not even updated. It's a different matter for those who like to experiment with new programs. Just for them question about deletion old Windows most relevant.

When a new Windows OS is installed on top of an old operating system or in another partition parallel to it, it becomes very important that old version not a trace remained. The previous Windows system is called Windows.old, and does not interfere with the main system.

But there are two problems here:

1. The impressive volume of the old system while occupying the right space;
2. The presence in the boot menu of an inscription about the old Windows.

Or maybe you are simply planning to change the operating system, for example, to Linux. All this pushes you to get rid of the old Windows OS As soon as possible.

According to statistics, old Windows XP is uninstalled much more often than Windows 7. It is also worth knowing that deleting the Windows.old folder is an irreversible process. For different versions OS Windows windows and the sequence of actions may vary slightly, but, in general, the principle is the same.

For removing previous system Windows from your PC, there are 3 main ways. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Method No. 1

Widely used for Windows 7, but not suitable for Windows XP. You need to insert the disk with the installation distribution into the disk drive, and then begin the installation. A message will appear indicating that an old system has been detected that is stored in the Windows.old folder.

The process will not affect important data, because old system folders and the files will simply be moved. If something happens, you can easily restore them. If desired, the Windows.old directory can be completely deleted.

Method number 2

Not accessible to everyone due to its specificity. Try booting from another hard drive. There should be no problems with deleting the old version of Windows, since it is visible in Explorer and you can delete any of its directories. However, the presence of two stationary hard drives on one computer is extremely rare.

Method number 3

A universal option based on downloading a smaller version of Windows, called Windows PE. You can boot from a CD or, more popularly, from a flash drive.

But the functionality of the system is extremely limited, so it’s quite difficult to get video. However, work with file system possible in full. After LiveCD downloads It is recommended to erase old Windows. HDD may not be displayed in the PE system.

So just change to BIOS mode operation of the disk subsystem on IDE with AHCI. If the erasing process is unsuccessful, then you just need to change the access rights using the commands “Folder Options” - “Security”, and then “Advanced”.

Delete old Windows activator 7 is easiest to remove through its installer. Don’t forget to disable software protection using the “Control Panel” services, then “Administrative Tools” and finally “Services”.

In general, to delete the Windows.old folder, you need to open the Disk Cleanup program using the Start button. In the search field you need to enter “Disk Cleanup”, then in the list of results select the item of the same name “Disk Cleanup”.

Then the Windows OS drive is selected, after which the “OK” button is pressed. Go to the “Disk Cleanup” tab and click the “Clean up system files” button. Be sure to select the “Previous Windows installations” checkbox for all files to be deleted, and then click “OK”. A message box will then appear where you simply click on “Delete Files”.

Also for complete removal second or older version of Windows from your computer’s hard drive, a simple but very effective program, which is called NanWick Windows Uninstaller.

Suitable for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and 8. Effectively removes unnecessary files, Related previous versions OS and folders on all subpartitions of the disk and in the boot menu. After making copies of the necessary data, proceed to install the program through the installer.