How to Clean Up Files in Windows Backup

Windows is packaged with a tool named "Disk Cleanup." This application can be used to delete unused files that take up space on your hard drive, including the old backups taken during a Windows update. Each time you update your Windows operating system, the application takes a backup snapshot. These snapshots are called "shadow copies," and they are placed in a hidden folder on your machine. They can take up hundreds of megabytes on your machine, so old copies should be deleted as part of computer maintenance.

Instructions

1. Click the Windows Start button and select "All Programs." From this menu, select "Accessories," then "System Tools." In the system tools menu, click the shortcut labeled "Disk Cleanup."

2. Select a drive to analyze. For most users, the backups are located on the "C" drive. If you have Windows installed on another drive, select it and press the "OK" button. It takes several minutes for Windows to collect the data on the drive.

3. Click the "Other Options" tab. In this screen, click the button labeled "Clean up" in the "System Restore and Shadow Copies" section. A confirmation window will be displayed.

4. Click the "OK" button to confirm that you want to delete old Windows backups. Depending on the size of your backup folder, it can take several minutes for this process to complete.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete old unused programs, temporary Internet files and cookies from the machine.

References

• Microsoft: Delete Files with Disk Cleanup