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How to Perform a WindowsApps Folder Cleanup When It’s Full
You can manually delete the WindowsApps Folder, but first, make sure it’s safe to do so.
3 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Windows 10is a very complex operating system with hundreds of apps and processes running in the background. Some of them came pre-installed, others have been installed by you or whoever uses the PC.
In many cases, Windows keeps itsfilesorganized in certain folders. As a result, there is a folder for almost anything, from Windows Updates to Windows Apps.
TheWindowsApps foldercan be found in C:\Program Files and it contains all the applications and their respectivedata.
But a lot of users are complaining that this folder has a lot of different versions of the same app that occupy a lot ofdisk space.
Here’s how one userdescribesthe issue:
I see a lots of versions of the same app in C:\Program Files\WindowsApps. These are apps that I don’t even have installed. Overall they are taking up about 10GB.
Deleting them throughDisk Cleanuphad no effect. Also, trying to get rid of them by uninstalling the apps in Windows Settings or in Powershell failed.
How can I get rid of WindowsApps files?
The process of deleting WindowsAppsfilesand folders is quite simple. First, you’ll have to make sure that theadministratoraccount is active or that you have the necessary permissions to delete thosefiles.
The solution recommended by another user is to simply delete them in File Explorer withadministratorrights.
The simplest way is to take ownership of the folder. If you don’t know how to do that, we’ve prepared astep-by-step guidethat will help you through the process.
After you have administrative privileges, highlight the folders that you want to delete and press the Del key on yourkeyboardto send them to the Recycle Bin or hold theShift + Delkeys to delete them permanently.
You can repeat the process for all the unnecessaryfilesand folders on your computer.
How to delete the WindowsApps folder
If you are looking to delete all the files in the WindowsApps folder, you can delete the entire folder.
For this, you need administrative rights to make theDeleteoption visible, and then all you have to do is click on it.
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Press the Windows + E keys at the same time to openFile Explorer.
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Navigate to the drive that contains the WindowsApps folder.
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Right click on the folder and selectPropertiesfrom the options.
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Access theSecuritytab and then click onAdvanced.
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Press theChangebutton.
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In the menu that opened, type down your admin account’s name or the email associated with it. Afterwards, click onCheck Namesand pressOK.
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Check theReplace owner on subcontainers and objectsbox, then clickApplyandOKto apply the changes.
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Go back to theSecuritytab, in theAdvancedsection, and click onChange permissions.
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Press onAdd,then click onSelect a principal.
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Type down your account name or its associated email adress once more, then validate the changes by clicking onOK.
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Go to theBasic permissionssection and check theFull controloption.
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ClickOKandApplyto save the changes, then close thePropertieswindow.
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Now you can right click the WindowsApps folder and theDeleteoption will be visible. Click on it.
Is it safe to delete the Windowsapps folder?
Continue with caution. Only delete the files and folders that you’re 100% sure are not used by you or any other user or aren’t necessary for other programs to work properly.
Only proceed with the steps above once you determined it is safe to delete the folder without any repercussions. But what if you can’t? Don’t worry, we got you covered.
Here’s what you need to do if youcannot delete files, folders, or iconsboth on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
After that, your PC should be clean and you should have a lot more disk space available.
If you have any more questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to check them out.
Vlad Turiceanu
Windows Editor
Passionate about technology,Windows, and everything that has a power button, he spent most of his time developing new skills and learning more about the tech world.
Coming from a solid background in PC building and software development, with a complete expertise in touch-based devices, he is constantly keeping an eye out for the latest and greatest!
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Vlad Turiceanu
Windows Editor
Coming from a solid background in PC building and software development, he’s a Windows 11 Privacy & Security expert.
