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 upgraded your older Windows system to Windows 10, or upgraded 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 with troubleshooting why the upgrade may not have been successful.
Should I Delete the $Windows.~BT Folder?
If you’re struggling for space on your hard drive, then that’s a very good reason to delete the directory and all its contents.
However, keep in mind that deleting this folder means you won’t be able to downgrade from Windows 10, or to a previous build of Windows 10.
If this doesn’t matter to you, then you can proceed.
How to Check If You Have a $Windows.~BT Folder
Before you can delete the folder to clear space, you’ll need to make sure that it’s present on your system. You can do this by making hidden files and folders visible.
Select the Start menu, search for Folder Options and select File Explorer Options. In the File Folder Options window, select the View tab. In Advanced settings, under Files and Folders, find the Hidden files and folders section and select Show hidden files, folders, and drives. Select OK to save the changes. Navigate to the drive where your Windows operating system is installed. If your system has a restore backup you’ll see the $Windows. ~BT folder here.
How to Delete the $Windows.~BT Folder
Deleting this folder isn’t as simple as selecting it and pressing the Delete key. You’ll need to use the Disk Cleanup Tool that’s included in Windows.
Select the Start menu, type Disk Cleanup, and select the Disk Cleanup app. When it first launches, it will scan your system to find all areas where you can delete folders and files to clean up space. Once the Disk Cleanup utility opens, select Clean up system files and the Disk Cleanup utility window will disappear. You’ll need to wait up to several minutes for it to scan all system files and reappear. Once it reappears, you’ll see extra options in the list. These can vary from system to system, but select any of the following options that you see in the list: Previous Windows InstallationsWindows Update CleanupWindows upgrade log filesTemporary Windows installation filesTemporary files The options you see in the Disk Cleanup utility depend on the version of Windows you’re using as well as which Windows 10 build you have installed. Select OK to continue with deleting the $Windows. ~BT Folder and all Windows installation and update setup and log files.
Handling Remaining Files in the $Windows.~BT Folder
If you see that this folder is still in the root directory, it may be because a few log files or setup files remained. These can be cleaned up manually.
Previous Windows InstallationsWindows Update CleanupWindows upgrade log filesTemporary Windows installation filesTemporary files
You can right-click the folder and select Delete to remove the folder and remaining files.
If you don’t have permissions, run the following command in Command Prompt as administrator, but replace “C:” with the drive letter where you have Windows installed.
