How to Delete Backup Files in Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

Backing up your data is essential — it helps protect your files from loss, corruption, or hardware failure. But over time, backup files can take up a huge amount of storage space on your Windows 11 PC.

If your system drive (usually C: drive) is running low on space or you have multiple outdated backups, it’s time to clean things up.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to delete backup files in Windows 11 safely, step by step — including system image backups, File History, OneDrive backups, and restore points.

By the end, your computer will have more free space and improved performance.

Why You Should Delete Old Backup Files

While backups are important, keeping too many can slow your computer and eat up precious storage.

Reasons to delete old backup files:

• 🧱 Low disk space — Backup files can be several gigabytes each.

• 🔁 Redundant backups — You may have newer, more recent backups.

• ⚙️ Corrupted system images — Old backups might be outdated or damaged.

• 🧹 Improved performance — Clearing old backups helps your PC run more efficiently.

Deleting old or unnecessary backups does not affect your current system if done properly — you’ll just free up space safely.

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💾 2. Understanding Backup Types in Windows 11

Before deleting anything, it’s crucial to understand where backups are stored and which ones you can remove.

Each type requires a slightly different method to delete — we’ll cover all of them.

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🧮 3. How to Check Backup File Size on Windows 11

Before you start deleting, check how much space your backups are taking up.

Steps:

1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.

2. Navigate to the drive where backups are stored (usually C:\, D:\, or an external drive).

3. Right-click the backup folder → choose Properties.

4. Check the Size in the dialog box.

💡 If your backups exceed 10–20 GB, you may want to delete older ones.

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📁 4. How to Delete File History Backups

File History automatically saves copies of your files (Documents, Pictures, etc.). Over time, this can consume a lot of storage.

🪜 Steps to delete File History backups:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.

2. Go to System → Storage → Advanced storage settings → Backup options.

3. Click More options under File History.

4. Select Clean up versions.

5. Choose how old versions to delete (e.g., Older than 1 month, Older than 1 year).

6. Click Clean up.

Alternatively:

• Open Control Panel → File History → Advanced settings → Clean up versions.

• Select Older than X months/years and confirm deletion.

✅ Your system will now remove older versions of backed-up files, keeping only recent copies.

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🖥️ 5. How to Delete Backup Files Created by Windows Backup (Control Panel Method)

If you’ve ever used Backup and Restore (Windows 7) in Windows 11, it may still hold large backups.

Steps:

1. Open Control Panel → System and Security → Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

2. Click Manage space under the Backup section.

3. Choose View backups to see the list of saved backups.

4. Select older backups → click Delete.

5. Confirm deletion.

💡 Always keep your latest backup intact — delete only older or redundant ones.

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🧱 6. How to Delete System Image Backups

System Image Backups are full snapshots of your Windows installation — and they can easily take up 30–100 GB each.

Steps to delete them manually:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Go to the location where system images are saved (usually on an external or secondary drive).

   • Default path: Drive:\WindowsImageBackup\YourPCName\Backup YYYY-MM-DD.

3. Right-click the old image folder → choose Delete.

4. Empty the Recycle Bin to free space permanently.

Or use the Command Prompt:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

2. Type the following command:

   vssadmin delete shadows /for=C: /oldest


3. Press Enter.

This removes the oldest system image shadow copies, freeing up large chunks of space.

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♻️ 7. How to Delete Restore Points and Shadow Copies

Restore Points help you revert your system to a previous state — but they can pile up over time.

Steps:

1. Press Windows + S, search for System Protection, and open it.

2. Under the Protection Settings, select your system drive (C:) → click Configure.

3. Click Delete under “Delete all restore points for this drive.”

4. Click Continue, then OK.

✅ You’ve just cleared all existing restore points.
To manage them better:

• Reduce storage usage by adjusting the Max Usage slider.

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☁️ 8. How to Delete OneDrive Backup Files

If you use OneDrive to back up your Desktop, Documents, or Pictures folders, those files also occupy cloud and local storage.

Steps to delete backup files from OneDrive:

1. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the taskbar → click Settings.

2. Go to Sync and backup.

3. Click Manage backup.

4. Turn off backup for Desktop, Documents, or Pictures.

5. When prompted, click Stop backup.

6. Open OneDrive folder in File Explorer and manually delete unwanted files.

💡 Files deleted from OneDrive also move to the Recycle Bin in your cloud account — empty it at OneDrive.com for full cleanup.

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🔌 9. How to Delete Backup Files from External Drives

If your backups are stored on an external hard drive or USB drive, you can delete them manually.

Steps:

1. Connect the drive to your PC.

2. Open File Explorer (Windows + E).

3. Navigate to your backup folder (e.g., D:\WindowsImageBackup or D:\FileHistory).

4. Right-click → Delete.

5. Empty the Recycle Bin if applicable.

🧠 Tip: Always confirm that you have at least one valid backup before deleting old ones.

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🧰 10. How to Use Disk Cleanup Tool to Remove Backup Files

Windows 11’s built-in Disk Cleanup utility can remove leftover backup and system files automatically.

Steps:

1. Press Windows + S, type Disk Cleanup, and open it.

2. Choose your system drive (C:).

3. Click Clean up system files.

4. Scroll down and check:

   • System created Windows Error Reporting

   • Delivery Optimization Files

   • Windows Update Cleanup

   • Previous Windows installations (if available)

5. Click OK → Delete Files.

💡 This can free up tens of gigabytes if you’ve upgraded from Windows 10 to 11.

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💻 11. How to Delete Backups Using Command Prompt

Advanced users can manage backups directly via the command line.

Example commands:

• Delete all old restore points:

  vssadmin delete shadows /all


• Delete oldest restore point only:

  vssadmin delete shadows /for=C: /oldest


• List all shadow copies:

  vssadmin list shadows


⚠️ Be careful — these commands permanently delete system restore and backup data.

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🔄 12. How to Delete Old Backups Automatically

You can set Windows 11 to automatically delete older backups to save space.

Option 1: File History Settings

1. Open Control Panel → File History → Advanced settings.

2. Under Versions, set Keep saved versions to a specific time (e.g., 1 month).

3. Click Save changes.

Option 2: Task Scheduler + Command Prompt

You can schedule cleanup commands like:

Set it to run monthly using Task Scheduler → Create Task → Actions → Start a program.

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🧼 13. How to Free Up Space Without Deleting Backups

If you don’t want to delete backups yet, here are safe ways to free up space:

• Move backup files to an external drive.

• Use Storage Sense (Settings → System → Storage → Storage Sense → Run cleanup).

• Compress large folders using NTFS compression.

• Clear temporary files and Windows Update files.

• Uninstall unused apps.

This way, your PC runs efficiently without losing your data protection layer.

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🧠 14. Tips for Safe Backup Management

• ✅ Always verify your latest backup before deleting old ones.

• 🔐 Store one backup offline or on the cloud for emergencies.

• 📅 Use a regular schedule (e.g., monthly) to clean up.

• ⚡ Avoid deleting system image backups if you plan to restore your PC soon.

• ☁️ Use cloud storage like OneDrive or Google Drive for important files.

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🚫 15. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Always double-check which files you delete — backups can be lifesavers.

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❓ 16. FAQs About Deleting Backup Files in Windows 11

Q1: Is it safe to delete old backup files?

Yes — as long as you keep at least one recent backup. Deleting older ones helps free space safely.

Q2: Where are Windows 11 backup files stored?

Typically in:

• C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\FileHistory

• D:\WindowsImageBackup

• External drives used for backup.

Q3: Can I delete “WindowsImageBackup” folder directly?

Yes, but only if you’re sure you don’t need that image. Right-click → Delete → Empty Recycle Bin.

Q4: How much space can I free up by deleting backups?

Anywhere between 10 GB and 100+ GB, depending on backup size and frequency.

Q5: Will deleting restore points affect my files?

No — restore points only affect system settings, not your personal files.

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🏁 17. Conclusion

Deleting old or redundant backup files in Windows 11 is one of the easiest and safest ways to reclaim storage space.

We’ve covered every scenario — from File History and System Image Backups to Restore Points, OneDrive backups, and Disk Cleanup.

✅ Quick recap:

• Use Control Panel → File History → Clean up versions for file backups.

• Use Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to remove old system backups.

• Use System Protection to delete restore points.

• Use Disk Cleanup for leftover or previous installation files.

• For best results, keep one latest backup and delete the rest.

With these steps, you’ll not only free up valuable disk space but also keep your backup strategy organized and efficient.