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Windows.old Restore: How to Retrieve Files from the Windows.old Folder

Here are three methods to retrieve the Windows.old folder: 1. Manually recover the Windows.old folder: - Open File Explorer. - Navigate to the root directory of your system drive (usually C:). - Look for the "Windows.old" folder and copy it to another location for safekeeping. 2. Automatically recover the Windows.old folder: - Press Windows key + X on your keyboard. - Click on 'Command Prompt (Admin)' or 'PowerShell (Admin)'. - Type the following command and press Enter: `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth` - After the process completes, try searching for the Windows.old folder again. 3. Restore files from the Windows.old folder using file recovery software: - Download and install a reliable file recovery tool, such as Recuva or Data Recovery Wizard. - Launch the software and select the location where the Windows.old folder was initially present (usually the system drive). - Start the scan, and once completed, browse through the recovered files. - Select the desired files, and click on 'Restore' to save them to a new location. Please note that the availability and effectiveness of these methods may depend on your specific situation and the condition of your system.

Can I Restore Files from the Windows.old Folder?

"After a sudden crash of my PC, I decided to reinstall Windows 10. All my files are now in the Windows.old folder and are still occupying disk space. My Steam games appear in the folder, but I can't launch them from Steam. I'm wondering if there's a way to restore files from the Windows.old folder."

Upon upgrading an older version of Windows to a newer one, a Windows.old folder is automatically generated on your computer. This folder encompasses all the operating system files and personal data files from your previous version. If you're not satisfied with the new Windows version, you can revert to the previous one using the Windows.old folder. Generally, we advise against deleting this folder, as it serves as a valuable resource for retrieving files in case of need.

If you lost the Windows.old files, we will show you how to manually or automatically retrieve files from Windows.old folder.

Note: If you accidentally deleted it, you can try to restore Windows.old folder with special recovery software.

Method 1: Manual Windows.old Restoration (Simple Steps)

Step 1. Open the Computer panel and navigate to the system partition.

Step 2. Double-tap or double-click the "Windows.old folder > Users folder > your username".

Open the folders that contain the files you wish to retrieve.

Step 3. Copy and paste the files you want from each folder into a folder on Windows 10.

Repeat step 2 for each user account on your computer.

Method 2: Automatic Windows.old Restoration

Even though you can manually retrieve files from the Windows. old folder by navigating to C:\Windows.old\Users\username and cutting and pasting the Documents, Pictures, etc., folders to your preferred location, the process can be somewhat intricate. Here's a simpler method: run the "Recover Personal Files" troubleshooter to automatically extract your files from the Windows. old folder and restore them to their original locations.

Method 3: Recover Deleted or Lost Data Without the Windows.old Folder

Occasionally, you might lose crucial files due to unintended deletion, disk formatting, virus attacks, software crashes, partition loss, raw errors, and so on, without the presence of the Windows.old folder. When such incidents occur, how would you go about retrieving your lost data? Actually, it's not as challenging as you might think, as long as you have access to a robust data recovery software tool.

Here, you can try Data Recovery Wizard. It is a popular recovery software that can handle all data loss scenarios to effectively recover lost files from the hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, memory card, digital camera, and numerous other storage devices. The Data Recovery Wizard process only involves 3 simple steps.

Step 1. Run the Data Recovery Wizard on your computer. Select the drive where you lost files and click "Scan". If the lost files were on an external storage device, first connect it to your computer.

Step 2. The software will promptly scan the deleted files and subsequently initiate an in-depth scan to locate additional lost files. Once the scanning is complete, you can utilize the "Filter" option to swiftly filter specific file types.

Step 3. Click the "Preview" button or double-click on a file for a full preview. Finally, select the desired files, click "Recover," and choose another safe location to save all the files at once.

If you encounter any issues, you can watch this video for additional assistance!

Additional Tip: Downgrade to the Previous Version

As mentioned above, you can downgrade from the new version to the older one with the Windows.old folder. Go to “Settings > Update & Security > Recovery”, you’ll see a “Get Started” button under “Go back to Windows 7/8.1/10.”

Click it, and Windows will restore your old Windows operating system from the Windows.old folder.

This image shows a button or option labeled "Downgrade to the Previous Version." It suggests that the user has the choice to revert to an earlier version of a software or application they are currently using.