Today we will analyze: how to return a previous version of Windows if Windows 8/10 was installed, why you need the Windows.old folder, why it takes up a lot of space and how you can delete it.
The Windows.old folder is a special directory that contains all the data from the previous version of the operating system. This folder appears if the user has updated his OS to a new version (for example, Windows 8 was upgraded to Windows 10).
The main purpose of Windows.old is the ability to quickly roll back the current operating system to the previous version that was installed before the upgrade. This can be useful if the newer Windows does not suit the user in terms of system requirements, functions, design, or any other parameters.
It is worth noting that in addition to returning the operating system to a previous state, the user will be able to get back all installed apps, settings and files... This way, the computer can return to the state when the installation of the new version of Windows was started.
Because each computer uses a different set of software, the Windows.old folder may vary in size, depending on the number of files stored, installed programs, and other information.
Important! The Windows.old folder is a temporary directory that will be automatically deleted after thirty days after installing the system.
How to return a system to a previous version
If the user decided to return his old version of Windows after installing Windows 10, then this procedure can be quickly completed using the system interface:
Step 1. Press right click by button "Start" and in the menu that opens, select the item "Parameters".
Step 2. In the window that opens, select Update and Security.
Step 3. In the update menu, go to the column "Recovery", find item "Return to Windows" and press the button "To begin".
After that, an automatic installation of the previous version of Windows will be performed, the files of which were located in the Windows.old folder.
Recovering data from Windows.old folder
In addition to system rollback, the Windows.old folder can be used to manually restore files and data that were present on an older version of the OS. To do this, it is enough to follow the path "C: \ Windows.old." and open the folder in the explorer "C: \ Windows.old. \ Users \ Username" where the data from the old version will be located.
If you find that some important files are missing or they are not saved in the Windows.old folder - this may be the reason incorrect operation of file transfer during the installation of new Windows.
This problem can occur in rare cases, therefore the developers of the operating system always recommend back up important data that may be lost during the transfer process.
The problem of deleting data and files cannot be solved using the built-in system tools, and the user needs to use third-party programs to recover files. For these purposes, the company Recovery Software offers to use one of its utilities, which are designed to recover information after deletion, formatting, destruction when the logical structure of the drive changes or the action of malware.
In the arsenal Recovery Software, there are the following utilities that can quickly recover lost data:
- RS Partition Recovery is a specialized utility for complex recovery of lost information. The functionality of the program allows you to recover data after formatting, changing the file system and redistributing disk partitions. RS Partition Recovery suitable for all file types.
- RS Office Recovery - recovery software text files, office documents and files created in Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, Adobe etc. The utility's capabilities allow you to quickly find important documents using a selective search by file extensions, creation date and other characteristics.
- RS Photo Recovery - emergency recovery software images, photographs, pictures and other graphic files any types. The utility will become an indispensable assistant for photographers shooting in RAW or storing processed photos in psd. RS Photo Recovery can easily restore an accidentally deleted photo session from a memory card, regardless of its format.
Each of the utilities will help you recover deleted important data of the required type. The programs use sophisticated algorithms to scan the surface of the disk and conduct deep checks to find all possible information that can be recovered. Software Recovery Software has available system requirements, which allows use utilities on any laptop or office computer... In addition, the utilities have an intuitive interface and built-in helpers that will help you recover data in just a few clicks.
To restore files in the Windows.old directory, just scan the system disk with a deep or quick scan and go through the program interface to the folder where the data was stored.
You can recover deleted files using the corresponding button located in the upper left corner of the recovery program window.
How do I delete the Windows.old folder?
If you are convinced that all important data has been transferred to the new operating system, then the Windows.old folder is no longer needed and you can delete it without waiting for a month when automatic cleaning occurs.
It is worth noting that the folder size can be up to more than 20 gigabytes, which can make up a significant part of the system partition, so to delete a folder, we advise you to follow these steps:
Step 1. Go to the folder "My computer" or "This computer" and press right mouse button by the system partition (as a rule, this is "Drive C"). In the menu that opens, select the item "Properties".
Step 2. In the window that opens, select the item Disk Cleanup.
Step 3. In the next window, click on the button "Clean up system files".
Step 3. To clean up the Windows.old folder, go to the column "Delete the following data" check box "Previous Windows Installations" and confirm the action with the button "OK".
In addition to the Windows.old folder, a computer can store a large amount of unnecessary information that takes up disk space. How to deal with this can be found in the article "
If you switched to the new Windows 10, but for some reason did not like it, you can roll back to the previous operating system that was installed on the computer earlier. Also, Windows 10 can be rolled back to factory settings or to one of the restore points if the system generates an error that you cannot solve in another way.
Conditions for system rollback
There are two ways to roll back the system - reinstall it or restore it:
- the first method will require a license key from you, since the data that you previously had an activated system installed will be lost. When reinstalling, all information stored on the primary partition of the disk will be lost;
- the second method will suit you if 30 days have not passed since the transition to Windows 10, since during this period the Windows.old folder is saved, which stores all the data necessary to restore the previously installed operating system. After a month has passed since the day of switching to a new operating system, the folder is automatically deleted, and the license from the previous system is finally transferred to Windows. That is, if you had a licensed Windows 7, and you spent 30 days on Windows 10, then the tenth version will become licensed, and to install the seventh Windows you will need a new license key.
Rollback before the expiration of 30 days
There are several ways to restore the previous version of the installed system from the Windows.old folder. First, try the standard method and system restore, but if they don't work for you, then use the second option - through a third-party program.
By standard method
- Open your computer settings. Opening the computer settings
- Go to the "Update and Security" section.
Open the section "Update and Security" - Select the "Recovery" subsection.
Go to the subsection "Recovery" - This subsection should contain the item "Back to ...". The version you can revert to is the same version that was installed earlier. Click on the "Start" button and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Click the "Start" button to start a rollback to the previous OS
Through recovery
- At the “Login” step, when you need to select an account, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and select “Restart”.
Hold down the Shift key and go to reboot - The recovery menu will open, select "Diagnostics".
Go to the "Diagnostics" section - Proceed to select advanced options.
Moving on to additional parameters - Select the Return to Previous Build block.
We select the function "Return to the previous assembly" - Select the proposed option - rollback to the previous installed system.
Choosing where to roll back - Enter the password, if you have one.
Enter your password - Read the warning and confirm the action.
Confirming the start of the rollback - Wait until the end of the process, it can last from ten minutes to several hours, depending on the performance of the computer and how many files need to be restored.
We are waiting for the previous version of the OS to be installed
Using a third party program
It is worth going to this method if you have a Windows.old folder with files from the previous system, but the "Return to ..." section is not displayed in the computer settings. This happens sometimes, so you can follow these steps to use the files in the folder:
- The third-party program is an image of the official application from Microsoft - Rollback Utility. Download this image, weighing about 200 MB from the official Microsoft website, and then write it to any free USB flash drive. This can be done using the built-in functions of Windows 10: right-click on the image, select "Mount" and specify on which media you want to record the image.
We select the item "Mount" to start the mounting process -
Press the Delete key to enter the BIOS -
Go to the Boot menu -
Putting the carrier first - Save the changes made to the BIOS and exit it, the boot from the USB flash drive will start automatically.
We save the settings and exit the BIOS - When the program from the USB flash drive is loaded, go to the Automated Repair mode.
Selecting the Automated Repair mode - Two systems will appear in the window: active and old. Select the one you want to roll back to and click on the Roll Back button. Instructions will appear on the screen, follow them.
Select the system to which the rollback will be performed
After 30 days
If you no longer have the Windows.old folder, then rollback without reinstalling the system is impossible. Create installation media from the versions of Windows to which you want to rollback by mounting the system image to a USB flash drive. Boot from the created media and go through the installation process for the desired operating system.
Install the system by removing the previous version Please note that you will have to uninstall Windows 10, as you need to format the hard disk partition on which the installation will be performed, which means that the license key will need to be entered again. If you want to save the files that you managed to acquire during the use of the tenth Windows, then copy them to a third-party media, and after the installation is completed, transfer them back to your computer.
System Restore
System restore is not a rollback to the previous operating system, but to the last restore point. Points can be created manually, but by default they are created automatically. They are needed so that in the event of an unsolvable error in the system, you can roll back all the processes and settings of the computer until the moment when this error was not there. To use a point, follow these steps:
- Start the computer control panel.
Opening the control panel - Go to the "Recovery" section. Find it with the search bar.
Go to the "Recovery" section - Run the recovery program.
Press the button "Start System Restore" - If you have several points, then you can choose the one recommended by the system, or any other by going to manual point selection.
Choose the recommended or another restore point - Wait while the system performs the automatic recovery. After completing the process, you will receive a notification that the system has recovered successfully. Done, now all the settings and parameters of the computer correspond to the properties that it possessed at the time the restore point was created.
We go through the rollback process to the restore point
Video: Applying Restore Points
Through the command line
If your computer does not boot normally, you can put it into Safe Mode with Command Prompt and then run the rstrui.exe command at the command prompt. Executing this command will start the recovery process, and all other steps will be the same as the normal recovery described above.
Run the rstrui.exe command to start recovery Returning to the original settings
If the computer settings have been changed for the worse, then you have the opportunity to roll back all the parameters to their default values in a couple of steps:
- Go to the computer settings by holding the Win + I keys on your keyboard, or through the search menu.
Open the "Settings" application - Open the Update & Security section.
We select the block "Update and security" - Open the "Recovery" subsection.
We pass to the sub-item "Recovery" - Start the process of resetting your computer to its original state by clicking on the "Start" button.
Click on the "Start" button to start resetting to the default parameters - You can choose one of two options: uninstall applications along with settings, but keeping personal files, or delete everything on your computer, leaving a completely clean Windows with an empty hard drive.
Choosing how to reset the settings - After choosing the rollback method, confirm the actions by clicking the "Reset" button. The reset process is carried out in automatic mode, wait for it to end without interrupting the procedure.
Click on the "Reset" button to start the process
Additional way
If the method described above gives you an error or does not allow you to reset the settings for some other reason, then you can use a third-party program from Microsoft to achieve the goal:
Hanging system reset
If, due to a change in the computer settings, the system stopped starting, and because of this, there is no access to the computer settings, then you can recover without logging in, but for this you need a recovery disc or a bootable USB flash drive:
Recovery using the program
If the system stumbles upon an insurmountable error, then you can restore it to its original state using a bootable USB flash drive and the official application from Microsoft:
- Download and run the application from the official Microsoft website designed to install Windows 10 - Installation Media Creation Tool.
Download the Installation Media Creation Tool - After launching the application, select the version of the system installed on your computer.
Choosing the parameters of the system image - On the choice of action, check the option "Create an installation USB flash drive" and go through the creation process to the end.
We indicate that we want to create an installation USB flash drive - Turn off the computer without removing the USB flash drive from the port, start the power-on process and as soon as the first signs of power-up appear on the screen, press the Delete button on the keyboard to go to the BIOS settings. The key may differ, which will be in your case, depends on the model of the motherboard. But during system boot, lines will appear in which the key for starting the BIOS will be indicated.
We use the Delete key to go to BIOS - While in the BIOS, go to the Boot or Boot section in the Russian version.
Open the "Download" menu - Put the USB flash drive with the recorded image in the first place in the download queue. This must be done so that the computer, turning on, starts loading not from the hard disk, but from your flash drive. If you have a newer BIOS version - UEFI, then in the first place you need to put a USB flash drive, the name of which begins with UEFI: "Media name".
We transfer to the first place the flash drive - Save the changes made to the BIOS and exit. The download from the USB stick will start automatically.
Exit the BIOS and save the changes made - When the first window of the installer appears, do not start the process, instead click on the Repair you computer button.
- Select the "System Image Restore" option. Done, wait while the system recovers from the installation media you created.
We activate the "System Image Restore" function
What to do if these operations don't work
Rollback to the previous operating system may not work if your Windows.old folder is damaged or lost. If the folder is unusable, then you have only one way out - to reinstall the system.
Recovery may not work for the following reasons:
- the restore point is damaged, use a different, earlier point to successfully roll back the system;
- if you are trying to recover via a third-party media, then make sure that the correct version of the operating system is installed on it, as well as that it meets all the conditions: it has at least 4 GB of free space, formatted in FAT32 or NTFS format;
- if one of the recovery methods suggested above does not work, then try recovering via a bootable USB flash drive, returning the computer to its original state, or resetting the settings to default values.
What can you do if Windows 10 freezes during a rollback
If you are convinced that the system is frozen - the process does not move from its place for more than twenty minutes, then you must manually interrupt the process. Press and hold the Shutdown button on the computer for 5-10 seconds until it turns off. If this does not help, then unplug the device and wait until it turns off. This can lead to an error, so only use it as a last resort.
After the computer turns off, start turning it on and enter the recovery menu. Usually, the F2 key is used for this, but on your model motherboard the button may be different. Use the hint that appears on the screen during power-up to find the button you want. After entering the recovery menu, use the above instructions for reset and rollback.
If you failed to enter the recovery menu, or the process started through this menu also stuck, then create the installation media and restore the computer using the system image, this method is described in the "Recovery using the program" section. If this does not help, then reinstall the system, while formatting the disk on which you currently have frozen Windows installed.
How to get back after a rollback
If you rolled back to Windows 7 or 8, and then decided to return to the tenth version of the system again, then use the same method that you used before when you switched from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10. Update through the update center or the installation flash drive by creating it using the official program from Microsoft - Installation Media Creation Tool. You can update to the new Windows as much as you like, and then roll back to the old system, for example, using the Windows.old folder, and then update again to the tenth version of the system.
Upgrading to Windows 10 The transition between versions of Windows can be carried out either by means of an update, moving from an old system to a new one, or by means of a rollback, by moving from a new system to an old one. To restore the system to its full functionality, it is not necessary to switch from one version to another, it is enough to reset the settings or restore the parameters to their default values using built-in functions or bootable media.
In other words, in addition to quickly recovering the system in case of a failure, you can now recover individual files if they were accidentally deleted, damaged, or if you just need to quickly undo all changes made to the file.
While file recovery is a great Windows 7 feature, oddly enough, few people know about it and few people use it. In this article, I will go into more detail about this technology and explain how it works.
Briefly about previous versions
While I advertise previous versions of the files as a new feature, this is actually not the case. The roots of this technology go back to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, where it was implemented in the form. When you installed the Shadow Copies of Shared Folders client on a Windows XP computer connected to a Windows Server 2003 server, you could restore previous versions of files in Windows XP as well. The main innovation in Windows 7 is that this function is now fully available as part of a single operating system and does not require a connection to the server.
I also mentioned that older versions of the files are supported to some extent in Vista as well. More precisely, in Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate. This feature is not available in Home Basic, Home Premium and Starter versions. In Windows 7, it is present in all editions.
How it works
As you know, to create restore points, the operating system constantly monitors any significant changes, which include the installation of new applications, hardware, drivers, system updates or security patches through Windows Update. When such changes are detected, the system automatically creates a restore point, which is essentially a snapshot of the system state that includes important system files, including certain portions of the registry. At the same time, snapshots of all data files stored on the hard disk are taken.
However, making major changes to the operating system is not the only reason to create a restore point. By default, Windows 7 automatically creates a restore point once a day, and in addition, you can create such a snapshot at any time yourself.
In addition, when you create backups using the Backup and Restore tool, Windows 7 automatically tracks them and allows you to restore previous versions of files not only from restore points, but also from backups.
To use the function of restoring previous versions, right-click on the file and select the option “Restore Previous Versions” from the context menu.
Figure A. The option "Restore Previous Version" is available in the context menu of any file in Windows 7.
The file properties window will open with the "Previous Versions" tab (Fig. B). As you can see, in my example, the file is included in both the restore points and the backup, so to restore it to its previous version, I can choose any option, depending on which date I'm interested in.
Figure B. Using the Backup and Restore tool, you can restore older versions of files not only from recovery points, but also from backups.
As you can see, there are three buttons on the Previous Versions tab: Open, Copy, and Restore. To check if this is the version of the file you want, you can select it in the list and click "Open". This will open the file for viewing in the appropriate application - in my case, it's Word.
The Copy button invokes a standard copy dialog like the Copy To command and allows you to restore a file to a different folder. Note that the "Open" and "Copy" commands are available only for files saved in the recovery point, and do not work for backed up files. The "Restore" button allows you to restore the file to the exact state it was in when the restore point or backup was created.
Things to Consider
Keep in mind that older versions of a file from restore points will only be available if changes have been made to the file since the last restore point was created. If the file has not changed since then, a message will appear on the Previous Versions tab: There are no previous versions available (Figure C).
Figure C. If the file has not changed since the last restore point, you will see a message like this.
However, this does not mean that the previous version of the file was not saved to the restore point. If you just open and save the current file, the previous version will immediately appear on the Previous Versions tab.
If a file has not changed for several months, new versions will not be saved every time a restore point is created.
File recovery
Now that you have an idea of how the restore legacy feature works, let's see how to use it. Let's say I accidentally permanently deleted a Word document (Figure D), and then realized my mistake. Since the file is gone, there is nothing to right-click on. Instead, you must open the Previous Versions tab for the folder where the deleted file was stored (Figure E).
Figure D. I accidentally deleted a Word document.
Figure E. To recover a permanently deleted file, open the Previous Versions tab for the folder where it was stored.
To make sure that the correct file is saved in this folder, I click the "Open" button. The folder opens, and in it is the file you are looking for. Now I can open it in Word and see the content. After making sure that this is the file I want, I close Word, close the folder, and return to the Previous Versions tab. I click the "Restore" button. The dialog box shown in Fig. F. If I click the "Restore" button in it, the file will be restored to its original folder.
Figure F. Before restoring the file, the system prompts you to confirm the operation.
Although the warning in the dialog box is worded as if the restore replaces the entire contents of the folder, in fact, only the deleted file will be restored. There were several other files in my folder, for example, and they were left intact after the restore.
What do you think?
Did you know about the existence of the file restore functionality in Windows 7? If not, will you be using this feature now? And if you have already, what are your impressions? Share your opinion in the comments!
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Read about what data is stored in the Windows.old folder and how to recover it from there... How to delete the Windows.old folder to free up disk space. Upgraded Windows 7 or 8 to the new Windows 10? A Windows.old folder appears on your computer and is taking up a lot of space? You can delete it, but not in the same way as you delete regular folders.
The Windows.old folder is not new to Windows 10. But before Windows 10, this folder could be seen if you bought a new version of Windows and installed it by updating the previous version.
Content:
What is the Windows.old folder?
This folder appears when you upgrade one version of Windows to a newer one starting from Windows Vista. The Windows.old folder contains all files and data from the previous version of Windows that was installed prior to the upgrade. It can be used to revert (rollback) to a previous version of Windows in case the new version does not work. To recover data after reinstalling Windows.
If you need to find a particular file that was not copied correctly during Windows update, you can also "rummage" in the Windows.old folder and find it.
Essentially, the Windows.old folder contains an older version of Windows. From Windows system files to installed programs, from user account settings to simple files, it's all here. The new version of Windows keeps this information in case you want to revert to the old version of Windows or if you need to find a file.
But, don't hesitate too long. Windows will automatically delete the Windows.old folder to free up disk space after a month.
How do I revert to a previous version of Windows?
Getting back to Windows 7 or 8.1 from Windows 10 is very easy. After installing Windows 10, you can simply open the Settings app, select Update & Security, and click Recovery. In this section, we will see the item Return to Windows 7 or 8.1, depending on which version of Windows you were upgrading from.
After we click the "Start" button, Windows will restore the previous version of the operating system using the Windows.old folder as the source.
Before Windows 10, you could do that too. For example, here is an instruction from the official Microsoft website on how to restore Windows 7 to a previous version of Windows using the Windows.old folder. With Windows 10, things are much easier.
But again, as noted in the Windows settings, this feature is only available for a month after upgrading to Windows 10. Windows will automatically delete the Windows.old folder a month later in order to free up disk space. So you have a month to decide whether you want to continue using the new version of the system or not and evaluate whether all the files you need were copied correctly.
How to recover individual files from Windows.old folder
If you need to recover individual files from an old Windows installation, you can recover them from the Windows.old folder. To do this, you just need to open the Windows.old folder in the file explorer: C: \ Windows.old. Your personal files will be located in the C: \ Windows.old \ Users \ USERNAME folder.
But keep in mind that even on the official Microsoft website it is indicated that, if you wish, you can restore all files or (Attention!) Some of them from the Windows.old folder. To prevent data loss, Microsoft strongly recommends that you back up your files and settings to an external drive before restoring, resetting, updating, or reinstalling Windows.
That is, there is a risk of data loss when updating Windows and / or downgrading from Windows 10 to a previous version. Moreover, Microsoft does not provide for the recovery of data lost in this way using standard Windows tools.
In this case, the only option for data recovery can only be third-party software. If during the Windows update or recovery some data or files are missing, regardless of their type or extension, scan the C: drive using Hetman Partition Recovery from Hetman Software, and restore them to a convenient location or to a storage medium.
How to delete the Windows.old folder to free up disk space
The Windows.old folder can take up a lot of disk space. In the best case, it will be 12 GB. But its volume can reach 20 GB or even more. It all depends on the size of your previous version of Windows.
Try deleting the Windows.old folder in the same way as you would any other folder and you will receive an error message. You can work around the error message by changing the permissions of the Windows.old folder. But this is not the correct way to delete this folder.
You can use Windows Disk Cleanup or a third-party program to remove the Windows.old folder. In Windows 10, open the Start menu, search for Disk Cleanup, and launch the app. Also, this application can be opened by right-clicking in the "This computer" folder on the C drive, and choosing "Properties" from the pop-up menu, then clicking the "Disk Cleanup" button.
Press the button "Clear system files". "Previous versions of Windows" will also appear in the list of files to delete, and "Disk Cleanup" will show how much space these files take up. Select this option and click Clean Disk, the old version of Windows will be removed. This function can also be used to clean up the system drive and other unnecessary files.
By deleting the Windows.old folder, you risk nothing. If you are satisfied with the new version of Windows and do not want to return to the old version of the operating system, and you are also sure that all the files you need have been copied from the Windows.old folder, you can safely delete it.
Windows will still automatically delete the Windows.old folder one month after the update. All computers that have upgraded to Windows 10 will still be able to use the space occupied by the Windows.old folder, even if their users do not know about such a folder and are unaware of its existence, as well as the possibility of using the Disk Cleanup function.
