Windows updates are generally divided into two types; monthly updates that contain security updates and patch small bugs and major feature updates that roll out twice a year. The feature updates are massive in size compared to the monthly updates, and installing them likewise takes more time than the monthly updates that are delivered.
The Windows10Upgrade folder is created when a major Windows 10 update, i.e., a feature update, is installed on your system. These updates are large in size, and they require quite a bit of free space on your disk to install. Like many other updates, a feature update can go wrong, and in order to prevent problems, files are saved to this folder to help with the update.
The Windows10Upgrade folder is important up until you’ve updated your Windows 10 system. Once the update is complete, you don’t need to keep the folder around. The Windows.old folder is what you need if you want to be able to roll back an update. The Windows10Upgrade folder has nothing to do with it. If you’re worried you might need it later, you can always back it up externally, but this folder does not need to live in your Windows drive and take up space.
Remove Windows10Upgrade folder
There are two ways to remove the Windows10Upgrade folder.
1. Delete Windows10Upgrade folder
You will need admin rights to send the folder to the recycle bin.
- Sign in to your Windows 10 system with an admin account.
- Access the Windows drive (normally the C drive).
- Look for the Windows10Upgrade folder and select it.
- Click Delete to send it to the Recycle bin, or Shift+Delete to delete it without sending it to the Recycle Bin.
- If prompted to grant Admin rights, click the Continue button on the prompt and wait for the folder to be removed.
2. Uninstall Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant
The Windows10Upgrade folder is created by a tool called the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant, which is installed when you update your system. Removing this tool will remove the folder that it created.
- Open Control Panel.
- Go to Programs>Uninstall a program.
- Look for and select Windows 10 Update Assistant.
- Click the Uninstall button at the top.
- A new window will open. Click Uninstall to confirm you want to remove the upgrade assistant tool.
- Once the tool has been uninstalled, the Windows10Upgrade folder will be gone.
Conclusion
The Windows10Upgrade folder is usually small in size. It’s barely more than a few MBs, but if you’re low on storage space on the C drive, you will want to save every bit of space that you can. A Windows 10 update normally leaves quite a few residual files once it’s finished, so running a disk clean-up after an update has been installed is a good idea to make sure space isn’t being wasted.
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There are a few features in Windows 10 that seem vestigial and one often wonders if it is not better done away with. I usually thread cautiously as I believe that this robust OS as much as it can be tweaked could also be made unusable by wrong settings and customization.
The windows 10 upgrade folder is often one of such features that are debated about. It is located on the C:\ or the system drive and is used by Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant. When you update Windows 10 using this too, the Windows 10 image ESD file is downloaded to this folder.
If the Windows upgrade process went through successfully and the system is working fine, one may be tempted to remove this folder.
I have seen this argument a lot on the internet, I have been asked personally severally too. Is it safe to delete the windows 10 upgrade folder? Does it have any downsides on the computer?
To form an opinion on this, one must understand the role the windows10upgrade plays.
The “C:\Windows10Upgrade” folder is generated whenever you install the Windows 10 Update Assistant to bring Windows 10 up to date.
The “C:\Windows10Upgrade” folder is generally around 19.9 MB large, and houses the program files for the Windows 10 Update Assistant app.
In the event you don’t need the Windows 10 Update Assistant app, then you can certainly just uninstall it to safely delete the “C:\Windows10Upgrade” folder.
Related Post How to Upgrade to Windows 10 for free
How to safely delete the C:\Windows10Upgrade folder
This process is quite basic. Just follow these few steps and you are done.
1. Open up Programs and Features in Windows 10 by searching ” Add or Remove Programs” in the Start menu, click on the ” Program and Features” option in the right pane side.
2. and select the Upgrade Assistant to remove this app. When you are prompted by the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant, select on Uninstall to remove it.
3. At the end of the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant uninstall, the “C:\Windows10Upgrade” folder will be removed.
Conclusion
This is definitely one of the features that are safe to remove from your computer. One must, however, note that making some changes especially in the hard drive can prove very costly.
I will recommend proper and thorough research before deleting or modifying any files or folders in the C drive of your computer.
In fact, as a final thought I will leave you with a list of folders you may want to avoid on your C drive:
- Program Files and Program Files (x86), Located at C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86).
- System32, Located at C:\Windows\System32
- Page File, Located at C:\pagefile.sys (Note that you won’t see this file unless you go to File Explorer Options > View and uncheck Hide protected operating system files. I don’t recommend doing this, though.
- System Volume Information, Located at C:\System Volume Information
- WinSxS, Located at C:\Windows\WinSxS.
In Windows 10 Installation folder (mostly c drive) there are various mysterious files and one out of them is Windows10Upgrade. One of our readers recently asked What is this file and is it safe to delete it? Keep this question in mind we decided to cover this blog post.
What is Windows10Upgrade folder?
Windows10Upgrade folder is not a part of the Windows 10 Operating system. It is created by the Windows 10 Update Assistant program when you install it on your computer to upgrade Windows 10 current version to the latest version available.
Those users who don’t know about Windows 10 Update Assistant, it is a program released by Microsoft that lets users download and install latest version (feature update) on Windows 10.
During the upgrade process, the program creates the Windows10Upgrade folder in the Windows 10 installation drive.
Windows10Upgrade folder Purpose?
While upgrading the current version of Windows 10 to the latest version available, the Windows 10 Update Assistant utilizes the Windows10Upgrade folder to temporarily keep the downloaded ESD files (the file that has a feature update). Once the upgrade process completes, the ESD files are automatically deleted from the system.
During the upgrade process (when the program is downloading the feature update), the Windows10Upgrade folder consumes around 5GB of hard drive space. Once the upgrade process completes, it takes only 20MB.
Is it safe to delete Windows10Upgrade folder?
Fortunately, it is completely safe to delete the Windows10Upgrade folder from your computer. You can delete the folder from File Explorer.
Although, we don’t recommend this method due to the following reasons:
- Windows 10 Update Assistant will not be working with Windows10Upgrade Folder
- Windows 10 Update Assistant setup file will still appear in the Apps and feature section in the Settings app. Also, you will not be able to uninstall it there.
In case, you have successfully completed the upgrade process using Windows 10 Update Assistant, then here’s how you can correctly delete the Windows10Upgrade folder.
Since the Windows10Upgrade folder is associated with Windows 10 Update Assistant. All you have to do is to uninstall the program from your computer.
Launch the Settings app in Windows 10 by pressing WIN + I keyboard combinations.
Next, Click on the Apps and then “Apps & feature.”
Here on the left side, you need to scroll down until you find Windows 10 Update Assistant. Click to reveal it.
Click on the Uninstall button to complete the uninstallation process.
Once you uninstall the Windows 10 Update Assistant, the Windows10Upgrade folder will be automatically deleted from the system.
If you find this blog post handy, you will also love to check out the blog post on how to Delete Windows.old folder from Windows 10.
Viney Dhiman, the mind behind GeekerMag, is a seasoned content writer with over 12 years of experience. Specializing in simplifying complex tech concepts, he covers Windows OS, Android, iOS, web apps, and product reviews. His work can be found on popular tech websites like Gizmodo and The Verge, and he has been interviewed by the Microsoft Edge team.
If you recently upgraded your Windows, you might have noticed a folder called Windows10Upgrade, and it can be safely removed. Here’s how.
Most likely, you recently used the Windows 10 Update Assistant, and that app can be uninstalled the traditional way — under Start > Control Panel > Apps > Apps & Features. Find the Windows 10 Update Assistant and select Uninstall.
You will be asked, «Are you sure to uninstall Windows 10 Update Assistant,» apparently written by someone with worse grammar than myself. There are no more prompts or notices, but the Windows 10 Update Assistant will disappear from Apps & Features.
Double-check your drive to be sure the Windows10Upgrade folder is gone.
If you used the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant, it also left a Windows.old folder behind with possibly over 20GB inside. Here’s How to Delete the Windows.old Folder from Windows 10.
Similar:
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What Are the $GetCurrent and $WINDOWS.~BT Folders and How to Delete Them
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Home » Windows 10 » How To Safely Delete Windows10Upgrade Folder In Windows 10
A PC user recently asked us what’s the Windows10Upgrade folder located at the root of the Windows 10 installation folder and is it safe to delete it.
Well, the Windows10Upgrade folder is not created when you install the Windows 10 operating system. Rather, it is created when you install and use the Windows 10 Update Assistant to upgrade Windows 10 to the latest version.
The Windows 10 Update Assistant tool lets you download and install feature updates on Windows 10. The tool, when used, creates the Windows10Upgrade folder at the root of the Windows 10 installed drive.
When you use the Windows 10 Update Assistant tool to upgrade Windows 10 to the latest version, the tool uses the Windows10Upgrade folder to temporarily store the downloaded ESD files (containing feature update files). The ESD files are automatically deleted once the upgrade is done.
When not in use, the Windows10Upgrade folder consumes under 20 MB of disk space. When being used (when feature updates are being downloaded), its size can go up to 5 GB.
Is it safe to delete the Windows10Upgrade folder?
Yes, it’s safe to remove the Windows10Upgrade folder as doing so won’t harm your Windows 10 installation.
While it is possible to delete the Windows10Upgrade folder from within the File Explorer, the Windows 10 Update Assistant won’t run without the folder. In fact, you might not be able to uninstall it correctly.
If you want to safely delete the Windows10Upgrade folder, you need to uninstall the Windows 10 Update Assistant program from your PC as doing so will remove the Windows10Upgrade folder as well.
Delete the Windows10Upgrade folder
Step 1: Open the Settings app. Navigate to Apps > Apps & features page.
Step 2: Scroll down the installed apps list to see Windows 10 Update Assistant entry. Click on it to reveal the Uninstall button. Click the Uninstall button. When you see a pop-up, click the Uninstall button again.
Uninstalling the Windows 10 Update Assistant program automatically deletes the Windows10Upgrade folder as well.
Alternatively, you can uninstall the Windows 10 Update Assistant via Control Panel as well. Type Appwiz.cpl in Start/taskbar search field and hit Enter key to open Programs and Features window which shows all installed programs, including Windows 10 Update Assistant. Right-click on Windows 10 Update Assistant entry and click Uninstall.
How to delete the Windows.old folder in Windows 10 guide might also interest you.