There are two Windows folders in the C drive; what should I do?

The Windows folder contains the Windows operating system and is an important folder in a Windows computer. By default, Windows is installed on the C drive. Therefore, C is the default directory for Windows folders. Every Windows computer has a Windows folder. However, some users reported that two Windows folders were found in the C drive. In this article, we will explain what you can do if you encounter such a situation.

Two Windows folders in the C drive

It is rare to have two Windows folders in the C drive. However, if you encounter such a situation, you can use the following suggestions:

Run an anti-malware scan

Try to find the correct Windows folder

Perform Factory Reset

Perform a clean installation of Windows

Below, we have explained all these fixes in detail.

1]Run an anti-malware scan

It is not possible to create two folders with the same name in the same directory or location on a Windows computer. However, it is indeed quite rare that there are two folders with the same name in the C directory you mentioned. One of the possible reasons could be that the system is infected by a virus or malware, another could be an orphaned Windows folder that appeared during an earlier installation. It is recommended that you run a good anti-virus or malware scan immediately to make sure your system is safe.

Using free antivirus software is an effective protection measure. However, if you purchase a paid version of antivirus software, you will be provided with additional protection, as these software can effectively protect your system from viruses and other security threats. Purchasing paid antivirus software can enhance the security of your system and ensure that your personal information and data are fully protected. In today's digital environment, it is very important to invest in a reliable antivirus software that can

2] Try to find the correct Windows folder

If the anti-malware or anti-virus software on your system does not detect any threats, the next key is to accurately locate the Windows folder. Depending on the situation, finding the correct Windows folder may present some challenges. However, you can try the following methods to resolve this issue.

First, take a closer look at the name of the other Windows folder. Is it a Windows folder or a Windows.old folder? When you install a newer version of Windows on a computer that has an older version of Windows, the Windows.old folder is automatically created. If the other folder is Windows.old, you can delete it. You can use the Disk Cleanup utility to delete the Window.old folder.

If the other folder is also a Windows folder, please open it and check if there are any files. If there are no files in it, you can safely delete it. But if you find that there is data inside, you will need to take further steps to confirm which folder is the correct Windows folder.

The Msconfig application also displays the location of the Windows folder (where the Windows operating system is installed) under the Boot tab. However, if there are two Windows folders in the C drive, this information is not enough to find the correct Windows folder. This application is helpful if the Windows folders are located in different directories.

You can use the System Information app to find the correct Windows folder. Open the System Information application and expand the Software Environment branch. Now, select the system driver. You will see all the drivers installed on your system on the right. Drivers that are currently running show Yes in the Started column. First, try using the currently running driver. This will save time.

Make a note of the location of the launched driver and open the two Windows folders in different tabs in File Explorer. Go to the location in these two Windows folders and find the driver. Try this feature in multiple drivers. Unless the Other Windows folder is a clone of the original Windows folder, the copied or fake Windows folder should not contain all the drivers shown in the msconfig application. This process takes time, but you will be able to find the correct Windows folder.

If you find the correct Windows folder, you can delete the duplicate folders. However, it will work better if you move the fake Windows folder from C drive to another location. By doing this, you can restore it to the C drive if anything goes wrong. After moving the Windows folder to another location, see if your system encounters any issues. Monitor your system for a few days. If your system is running fine, you can delete the fake Windows folder.

3]Perform a factory reset

The Windows folder is vital to the proper functioning of the Windows operating system. Therefore, if you have two Windows folders on the C drive in your system, it will be difficult to identify the original folder.

If the above method of finding the correct Windows folder fails and your antivirus or anti-malware software shows that your system is clean, you can reset your system to factory default settings. When performing a factory reset, you will see the following two options:

• Keep my files
• Remove everything

First, select the Keep My Files option. If this doesn't work, back up your data and then reset your PC by selecting the second option. This will delete everything on the C drive.

If after performing a factory reset, the C drive still shows two Windows folders, please check their modification dates. Keep recently updated folders.

4]Perform a clean installation of Windows

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, the last option is to perform a clean installation of Windows. You need a bootable USB flash drive with a Windows ISO file to perform a clean installation of Windows. You can use third-party tools such as Rufus to create a bootable USB flash drive.

Windows ISO files can be downloaded from Microsoft’s official website. Alternatively, you can also use a media creation tool to download the ISO file of Windows 11/10. This operation will erase the data on the C drive. We also recommend that you back up data on other hard drive partitions before performing a clean installation of Windows.

I hope this helps.

How to view all open windows?

You can view all open windows on your Windows PC by pressing the Win Tab key combination. Using this keyboard shortcut will display all open windows on the screen. You can now select any window using the arrow keys on your keyboard or your mouse.

How to open two Windows Explorer files at the same time?

If you want to open files stored in Windows Explorer at the same time, please open both files first. The two files will open in two separate windows. Now, click the restore button in each window to make them resizable. Afterwards, you can use your mouse to resize them and open them side by side. Windows 11 has a built-in feature called Snap Assistant. If you are a Windows 11 user, you can also use Snap Assistant to open two files side by side. Now you can even use tabs in Explorer.

Read next: Multiple Recovery Partitions in Windows 11.

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