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I'm having trouble deleting Windows.old after applying the Windows 10 Version 1511 (Fall Update) (i.e., Service Pack 1 as its know internally). According to KB 930527, I should be able to use Disk Cleanup to do it, but it did not work. After cleanup, the folder was still present.

I tried to manually delete it after cleanup, but something is claimed to be using the files:

Screenshot Error Message

Next, I booted into Safe Mode, I took ownership of Windows.old, added a Full Control Allow ACE (Access Control Entry) for myself, and added a Deny ACE (Access Control Entry) for SYSTEM. I was not able to add a Deny ACE for TrustedInstaller, but I'd like to.

I then stopped inheriting from the parent folder, and applied the changes recursively to files and subfolders. Finally I rebooted. However, when I try to delete the directory, the error persists.

I have two question.

  1. Why is the system using files from the old installation?
  2. How, exactly, do I delete this unneeded junk from my hard drive?
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  • When you attempt to perform the clean, did you have any STMicroelecronics software running in the background?
    – Ramhound
    Commented Dec 1, 2015 at 15:55
  • You can call it a service pack, but to refer to it as service pack 1, just confuses everyone. Microsoft has only ever refereed to it as either Version 1511 (winver) or informally as the Fall Update. Outside of uninformed technical websites I have never once in the last 6 months seen this update refereed to as a service pack. Windows has not had an official service pack since Windows 7 SP1.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Dec 1, 2015 at 15:58
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    run disk cleanup from windows as admin to remove the old files
    – magicandre1981
    Commented Dec 1, 2015 at 18:54

2 Answers 2

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  1. How, exactly, do I delete this unneeded junk from my hard drive?

UPDATE: As my general IT knowledge evolved, I found out later that Windows has a built-in program called Disk Cleanup which lets you clean various unwanted system files, including old installations. Much more simple.

Original Post: What i did to delete this folder was create a bootable Ubuntu flash drive and delete it using ubuntu since it doesn't have the restrictions windows imposes on its folders.
Just be sure that you do not need anything particularly from that folder and you should have no problem deleting it. I have already done it and my windows is in perfect working conditions.

You might want to reinstall the driver you think is related to the picture you showed in the post after the deletion just to be sure.

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  • That's clever Amine. I hope it does not come to that. Linux's ntfs drive can be flaky at times, and I don't want to risk breaking the system.
    – jww
    Commented Dec 1, 2015 at 15:52
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Amine Kchouk's was probably the answer if I wanted to continue wasting my time with Windows 10.

In my case, I was not going to waste anymore time with it. Two days on constant configuration/re-configuration was a sink on my time. I took the machine back the store I purchased it from and got a refund.

All Windows 10 problems are now solved. I have not had a problem with Windows 10 since returning the machine.

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