Remove Multiple Windows Installations

• Remove Installation Files
• Remove Multiple Installations Of Windows 10

If you are in doubt on how to resolve the problem, proceed to the instructions on how to remove multiple Windows 10 installs on a single computer (they will also work in a scenario where multiple Win 8/8.1 copies are clogging one’s machine). First and foremost, back up your important data in case something goes wrong. Else, if you have installed windows 10 on another hard disk partition using dual boot method, follow the guide below to remove or uninstall Windows 10 from dual boot. This is the trick where you need to delete the Windows 10 boot loader file and set the another OS (Windows 7 or 8/8.1) boot loader file as default.

Aug 25, 2018  In this guide, we’ll talk about an annoying issues that one of our readers has reported. Other users have also been complaining about the same problem on the Microsoft Community forums. They want to know how to remove multiple Windows 10.

Locate the partition you would like to remove or format (the one where your extra copy of Windows is stored). Right-click the partition and select Delete Volume or Format, depending on whether you need this volume for further use or not. Click OK to proceed if the default values are as you wish them to be. You will receive a warning notification. Dec 07, 2014  I just built my computer a few days ago. I installed a 32 bit version of windows on my HDD and realized i needed a 64 bit. So I bought a 64 GB SSD and installed the 64 bit Windows 7 on there. When I boot up it asks me which windows I want to boot from. So I went into my HDD and formatted the whole thing, hoping that it would solve the problem. Oct 23, 2009  This will show you how to delete a non-default operating system in Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 from the list in Windows Boot Manager or Startup Options (Windows 8) that allows you to select a OS to run at startup. You must be logged in as an.

When you update your PC from an existing Windows installation, the old files remain on your hard drive. They are saved there instead of being overwritten because something might go wrong during the update installation, or because you might want to roll your PC back to a previous installation if you aren't happy with the new stuff.

If, however, the update to Windows 10 goes smoothly, and you're sure you don't want to return to a previous version of Windows, you can delete those old installation files to free up space on your hard drive. This is especially important for anyone using a device with a smaller solid-state drive (SSD).

Although removing old Windows installation files won't harm your PC, it's always a good idea to back everything up in case something goes wrong. Once you're sure you're completely satisfied with the Creators Update, this guide can help free up space on your hard drive.

How to delete old Windows installation files

Removing old Windows installation files can't be done by simply selecting them and moving them to the Recycle Bin. You have to use Disk Cleanup, but luckily the process is simple and won't take long.

Remove Installation Files

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Click Search.

3. Type Disk Cleanup.

4. Right-click Disk Cleanup.
5. Click Run as administrator.

6. Click the dropdown arrow below Drives.

7. Click the drive that holds your Windows installation. If you only have one drive in your PC, this selection window will not appear; your C: drive will automatically be selected.

8. Click OK.

9. Click the checkbox next to Previous Windows installation(s) so that a checkmark appears.

10. Click the checkbox next to any other options to select or deselect whether or not they're also removed. You might also want to choose to remove the following options:

    • Temporary Windows installation files.
    • Windows upgrade log files.
11. Click OK.

12. Click Delete Files.

Once the old installation files are removed, you won't be able to roll back to a previous version of Windows. Unless you have a secondary backup that you can restore from, you'll have to do a clean install of Windows to return to a previous state. So make sure you're really ready before you remove the old files.

More resources

Don't forget to create a backup of your data whenever you can. To help, we created a guide featuring a bunch of different ways to accomplish this. If you'd like more information on the latest Windows 10 update, the Creators Update, be sure to check out our Senior Editor Zac Bowden's definitive review.

Remove Multiple Installations Of Windows 10