How to reclaim space after upgrading to Windows 10 2022 Update
When upgrading to a new version of Windows 10 (e.g. version 22H2) using an in-place upgrade, the setup creates a copy of the previous installation that can be rolled back in the event of a critical issue affecting the application of the new version prevents your computer.
But even after the upgrade completes without issue, the files are stored in the Windows.old folder and take up valuable disk space (about 20GB or more) that can be significant for devices with limited capacity.
If your computer is running low on disk space after installing the 2022 update, Windows 10 offers several ways to reclaim most of the lost disk space using the Settings app and Disk Cleanup.
This guide will walk you through the steps of deleting the previous installation files to free up disk space after installing Windows 10 version 22H2 with an in-place upgrade.
How to free up disk space after Windows 10 2022 Update with Storage Sense
To reclaim disk space after upgrading to Windows 10 2022 Update from an older version or in-place upgrade, follow these steps:
- Open settings.
- Click on system.
- Click on storage.
- In the Storage section, click the “Configure memory optimization or run now” Possibility.
- In the “Free up space now” section, enable the “Delete previous version of Windows” Possibility.
- press the Clean now Button.
Once you complete the steps, the system will delete the copy of the previous installation and reclaim many gigabytes of disk space.
How to free up disk space after Windows 10 2022 update using temporary files
To free up space on the Temporary Files Settings page, follow these steps:
- Open settings.
- Click on system.
- Click on storage.
- Under the (C:) section, click the Temporary data Possibility.
- Check the “Previous Windows installation(s)” Possibility.
- Quick tip: It’s now a good idea to select other temporary files to free up additional disk space. If you have important files in the “Downloads” folder, do not select this item.
- press the remove files Button.
After you complete the steps, the previous setup files will be deleted from the device.
How to free up disk space after Windows 10 2022 update with Disk Cleanup
- Open beginning.
- Search for Disk Cleanupand click on the top result to open the app.
- press the “Clean up system files” Button.
- Check the “Previous Windows installation(s)” Possibility.
- Quick tip: You can also select other temporary files (ex Delivery Optimization Files and Windows update log files) to reclaim even more disk space. Disable the option if you have important files in the Downloads folder.
- press the OK Button.
Once you complete the steps, the Windows.old folder containing a copy of the old setup will be removed, freeing up disk space after upgrading to version 22H2.
If you have a device with one of the latest versions of Windows 10 and download the new update through Windows Update, it is unlikely that the computer will run out of disk space since the update will only take up a tiny fraction of the available hard drive space. This only applies to devices that come from a new installation, e.g. E.g. when using the Media Creation Tool, the update assistant or an upgrade via Windows Update, but from a very old version.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to frequently asked questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, see the following resources: