$Windows.~WS Folder: What It Is and How to Delete It to Free Up Space

Quick Answer

The $Windows.~WS folder is a hidden Windows upgrade folder created during Windows installation, upgrade, or feature updates. It stores temporary setup files required for the upgrade process. In most cases, you can safely delete it after Windows updates are completed, preferably using Disk Cleanup to avoid removing important installation files.

What is $Windows.~WS

What is $Windows.~WS? It is a temporary directory created by Windows Updates to update your system. That’s to say, the $Windows.~WS folder often appears after you upgrade the system to a higher version like Windows 10/11.

In addition, the Windows WS folder usually comes with other folders like $Windows~BT, $SysReset, and  $GetCurrent. These folders are hidden in the C or system drive and you can check for them by clicking on View > Hidden items in File Explorer.

The C:$Windows.~WS folder usually takes only a few MBs or KBs of disk space if you haven’t a large Windows updates installed. However, many users find that the folder occupies up to 6GBs of space. So, they want to delete the folder to free up disk space. Is it safe to delete the $Windows.WS folder? Let’s keep reading.

BIOS Auto Recovery | What Is It & How to Run Dell BIOS Recovery

What is BIOS auto recovery? How to use the Dell BIOS recovery tool to repair corrupted BIOS? If you are trying to figure them out, this post is what you need.

Read More

Is It Safe to Delete the $Windows.WS Folder

Can you delete the C:$Windows.~WS folder? Of course, the answer is “Yes”. As mentioned above, the $Windows.WS Windows 10/11 folder is a temporary folder that can be deleted safely. If this folder eats up your disk space, you can delete it.

But since this folder contains some Windows updates, deleting the folder means that you may not be able to restore your system to the previous version. So, if you don’t want to downgrade Windows, you can delete the folder.

How to Delete the $Windows.~WS Folder

You can delete the $Windows.~WS folder in File Explorer. If this method fails due to insufficient permissions, use the following 4 methods to delete it.

#1. Use Disk Cleanup (Recommended)

Disk Cleanup is the safest and simplest way to remove the $Windows.~WS folder and other leftover Windows upgrade files. It allows Windows to identify and remove unnecessary system files without requiring you to manually change folder permissions.

Follow these steps:

1. Press Windows + S, type Disk Cleanup, and open it.
2. Select the system drive, usually C:, and click OK.
3. Click Clean up system files.
4. Select C: again if prompted.
5. Check Temporary Windows installation files and other unnecessary Windows upgrade files.
6. Click OK > Delete Files.
7. Wait for Disk Cleanup to finish.

# 2. Use Command Prompt Admin

You can delete the Windows WS folder with the Command Prompt admin, which can change the folder’s permissions and delete it smoothly. For that:

Step 1. Type cmd in the search box, and then right-click the Command Prompt app and select Run as administrator. Then click on Yes to confirm it.

Step 2. In the elevated Command Prompt window, type the following commands and hit Enter after each one. Also, you can run the commands in PowerShell to delete the folder.

• takeown /F C:$Windows.~WS* /R /A
• icacls C:$Windows.~WS*.* /T /grant administrators:F
• rmdir /S /Q C:$Windows.~WS

# 3. Use a Batch File

If you can’t remove the $Windows.WS Windows 10/11 folder with CMD or encounter an error, you can make a batch file with Notepad to delete the folder.

Step 1. Open Notepad and copy the following text in the window.

@echo off

@echo "This will delete the folder C:$Windows.~WS and C:$Windows.~BT after an update to reclaim space. Windows 10 only."

@echo --------------------------------

@echo If you get message "The system cannot find the file specified" it means the folder is already deleted.

@echo --------------------------------

PAUSE

RD /S /Q "C:$Windows.~WS"

RD /S /Q "C:$Windows.~BT"

@echo --------------------------------

@echo All done

@echo --------------------------------

PAUSE NULL

Step 2. Click on Ctrl + S key to save the file, change the Save as type to All Files and name it as .bat, and click on Save.

Step 3. Double-click the Windows WS.bat file to run it and it will delete the $Windows.WS folder automatically.

# 4. Use MiniTool Partition Wizard

In addition to the above methods, you can use a professional file deleter like MiniTool Partition Wizard. It can help you check what files and folders are occupying your hard disk with the Space Analyzer feature. Moreover, you can directly search for the file name and delete it permanently in the MiniTool software.

MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

You can also use this software to extend the C partition. By doing so, you don’t have to delete the WS Windows folder but you C drive can still get more space.

$Windows.~WS FAQ

Bottom Line

The $Windows.~WS folder is a legitimate Windows upgrade folder that stores temporary installation files. If your Windows upgrade is complete and your PC is running normally, you can usually delete it safely to free up disk space. For the safety, do not delete system files while an upgrade is still in progress.