What is the $Windows.~BT Folder and How to Delete It
In this guide, we explain what the $Windows.~BT folder is and how to delete it from your PC. Click to read more.
Author:Daniel BarrettMay 21, 202267899 Shares1331356 Views
The $WINDOWS.~BT and $WINDOWS.~WS folders are associated with the Windows 10 upgrade process. They may appear on Windows 7, 8, or 10, using gigabytes of disk space. In this guide, we explain what the $Windows.~BT folder is and how to delete it from your PC
These are hidden files, so you’ll have to show hidden files in Windows Explorer or File Explorer to see them.
If you’ve noticed your hard drive space is low and can’t figure out why, it could be the $Windows.~BT folder.
What Is the $Windows.~BT Folder?
The $Windows.~BT Folder is a hidden folder on the root drive where the Windows OS is installed.
When you upgrade your older Windows system to Windows 10 or upgrade Windows 10 to a new build, all folders and files related to your previous windows installation are saved in the $Windows.~BT Folder. It also contains important log files that can help troubleshoot why the upgrade may not have been successful.
You may be wondering why the $Windows~BT folder would be on Windows 7 or 8. During an upgrade attempt to Windows 10 during the free Windows 10 upgrade period, the installation process created the folder. If you decided to downgrade back to Windows 7 or 8, the folder remained.
Can You Delete It, and How?
Warning:If you choose to delete the $WINDOWS.~BT folder on Windows 10, you won’t be able to downgrade to the previous build of Windows 10 or the previous version of Windows your PC had installed. The option to roll your PC back at Settings > Update & Security > Recovery will vanish. However, Windows 10 automatically deletes these files after ten days anyway.
If you want to delete these files, though, you can. But you shouldn’t just delete them the usual way. Instead, you should use the Disk Cleanup tool included with whatever version of Windows you’re using.
To do so, access the Disk Cleanup tool and click “Clean Up System Files.” Check the following items in the list and remove them:
- Previous Windows installation(s): This deletes the $WINDOWS.~BT and Windows.old folders on Windows 10.
- Temporary Windows installation files: This deletes the $WINDOWS.~BT folder on Windows 7 and 8, and the $WINDOWS.~WS folder on Windows 10.
- Click “OK” to remove the files.
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