Windows old folder: what is it, a blessing or a curse?

Reinstalling the OS for the first time, a novice user does not usually format the system drive of the PC. After the successful installation of the distribution, after a while, the owner of a new Windows suddenly discovers on his computer an incomprehensible folder - Windows old. What is it and how to delete this file? Why is it needed and why so much takes up space on the HDD? In general, there are many questions. Well, let's shed light on such a "mysterious" Windows phenomenon. Moreover, the topic promises to be incredibly interesting and no less useful.

Everything old can become new!

Paradoxically, however, this statement in the context of the presented article is true. The difficulty of many, expressed in the interrogative phrase: "Windows old - what is this?", In fact is nothing more than a file container of user data of a preinstalled system, which in turn can be "reincarnated" with a certain degree of success. Yes, you have correctly understood - it is to restore.

Apply to destination

Before you devote an inquisitive reader to the step-by-step process of digital "revival", something needs to be clarified. Transferring user data to a new OS is a somewhat unpredictable operation. It may well be that a copy is not quite correctly installed on a clean Windows. However, it's up to you ...

Transferring data from Windows old

That this will be easy, no one says, but this action is not exactly archetypal. Prepare the installation distribution with the OS. Restart the computer and put it into the BIOS - boot from the DVD / CD drive. Think again, "Is the game worth the candle", perhaps all in vain, and time, as you know, you will not return. However, a workable system, in which you will "introduce" known data, will also have to be re-installed ...

Step # 1: Free space

Before you begin the direct process of "digital cloning", make sure that there is enough free space on the system disk.

• Through the context menu, look at how much Windows occupies.

What this does is: knowing the original size of the old data, you can determine whether the new system is able to fit the "container" into the free area of the system partition.

Step # 2: Recovery Environment

Once you have selected the "System Recovery Options" option, activate the "command line" option.

Step # 3: Replacing System Folders

In the opened service window, you should consecutively register only eight teams. Specific information about the operators can be found from the official source of Microsoft. The following is an algorithm for executing commands.

• Specify the system disk.
• We form a new catalog.
• We move folders and files.
• And we copy the data with auto-replace.

Observe the correctness of writing commands, after each of them do not forget to press "enter".

• We move the data into the user directory "User".
• Attributes of the files are subject to the process of change.
• We move the data into "ProgramData".
• Uninstall the "Documents and Settings" directory.

Step # 4: Transfer to the root directory of Windows old

Windows 7 (the new system) will most likely refuse to install files and folders with old user data in its directory. Therefore, you need to specify a command to move "move". From the folder Windows old the data in the directory is copied:

• Windows.
• Program! Files.
• ProgramData.
• Users.
• Documents and Settings.

Step # 5: Restoring the Boot Sector

Type the following command:

• D: \ boot \ bootsect / nt60 c:

Then press "Enter" and in the new line write "exit", which ultimately is the end of the recovery process of the old data.

Comfortable OS Windows 8

Windows old for the eighth version of the operating system can be restored either manually, or by using the provided automatic mode for transferring the user's saved data. However, remember that if you do not use the "old" data within 28 days, the folder will be replaced by the new OS with the corresponding file container.

Free disk space

Many of the users are faced with a problematic situation: the folder old Windows can not be deleted in the traditional way. If you, the dear reader, are one of them, then a pleasant surprise awaits you. Since the method described below makes it easy to return lost disk space in just a few steps.

• Open the Start menu.
• Then activate the "All Programs" option.
• From the drop-down list, select "Standard", where you should go to the "Service" section.
• Now activate the "Disk Cleanup" item.
• In the check-box of the opened window, you should install the system disk (C :). Then click the "OK" button.
• After a short analysis, the OS will offer a list of files to delete, from which the item "Previous Windows Installations" should be noted.
• Then click "OK" and confirm your actions by activating the corresponding button.

As a result, the Windows old folder will be successfully deleted from your computer.

Finally

Before you demolish your old user data, it makes sense to analyze the contents of a known folder. Perhaps the documents and files saved in this way contain valuable information for you, which may be required in the future. Only if you are sure that the contents of the folder old is not of interest to you, you can proceed with the direct deletion process. By the way, there is another effective method, resorting to which, you can successfully overwrite previous user data. In particular: in the search menu of the Start menu enter "cmd", then in the window that opens, write: Rd / s / q% systemdrive% \ Windows.old. After pressing "Enter" the folder will be destroyed, and on your hard disk there will be much space. That's all, take care of important information.