The Windows Operating System protects your data by backing it up. However, with time, this data keeps growing, and the amount of space it takes keeps increasing. In this case, if you want to delete backup files in Windows 10, you can follow the methods given in this article.
Ways to Delete Backup Files in Windows 10
In order to protect your data from risks, it is essential that you do not let the backup disk go complete. This is because you should always have space for new backup files. Therefore, to delete backup files in Windows 10, we suggest the below mentioned three methods:
Method 1: Use Device Manager and Command Prompt to Delete Backup Files in Windows 10:
To delete backup files using the Device Manager and Command Prompt, follow these steps:
1. In the Search menu, type Command Prompt and select Run as administrator option.
2. In the Command Prompt, type any of the following commands. Along with the command, type the period of the version you want to delete—lastly, press Enter.
More than one month: FhManagew.exe-cleanup 30
More than three months: FhManagew.exe-cleanup 90
More than six months: FhManagew.exe-cleanup 180
More than 1 year (default option): FhManagew.exe-cleanup 365
Method 2: Use the built-in tool to Delete Backup Files in Windows 10:
To use the built-in tool to delete the backup files in Windows 10, follow these steps:
1. Click Settings from the Start Menu and select Update & security.
2. Now, click the Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) link on the Backup Page.
3. Next, in the Backup section, you need to click the Manage space option.
4. Finally, after the Manage Windows Backup disk space window appears, you need to choose to Free up disk space on the backup disk from the two options.
Method 3: Use Disk Cleanup
To use disk cleanup to delete the backup files in Windows 10, follow these steps:
1. Go to Device Manager and click the File icon.
2. Now, tap the options.
3. Next, click on the delete files under Disk Cleanup section.
5. Finally, click on yes.
Frequently Asked Question
Q1. How do I manage the disk space used by this Windows 10 backup?
Answer: To manage the disk space in Windows 10, follow these steps:
1. Click on Change settings under the System image section in the Manage Windows Backup disk space
2. Then, in the next screen, select Keep only the latest system image. Further, minimize the space used by backup, which will allow Windows to delete old backups automatically and save only one system image.
3. Lastly, click OK to save the changes you’ve made.
Q2. What do I do when my backup drive is full?
Answer: If your backup drive is full, you can delete all your older backup files. To delete them, you can take help from the methods we have discussed above for deleting backup files in Windows 10.
Q3. How big should my backup drive be?
Answer: Ideally, your backup drive must be two times as large as your internal hard drive.
Q4. How can I tell if my backup drive is working?
Answer: To check if your backup drive is working, the best way is to verify if the already backed up data is in good shape. You can do so by restoring all of it.
Q5. Are backup drive and an external hard drive different?
Answer: Yes, there is a difference between a backup drive and an external hard drive. The backup drives store a copy of your files in case a total system failure occurs. Thus, it somewhat works as an archive library for all your data. On the other hand, the external hard drive stores your original data, which can be relocated manually or automatically.
Conclusion
We hope this article can help you understand how to delete backup files in Windows 10. However, if you are still not able to solve the problem, then you can connect with us via the chat box at the bottom right or through the comment section below. We’ll try to help you solve the issues with Windows.