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How does the Disk Cleanup utility determine whether there is an old Windows installation present? I notice that just creating a Windows.old directory with a file inside doesn't cause it to detect the directory as an old installation.

Are there key files within the directory that it checks for, is it a combination of the directory name with some flags, or is it something else entirely?

Additionally, if a valid old installation of Windows was renamed from Windows.old to something else, would it still be detected?

VortixDev
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    I must admit, you have me curious: why do you ask? – Run5k Jul 21 '18 at 23:28
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    @Run5k Purely interest! – VortixDev Jul 21 '18 at 23:32
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    I expect it is looking for a combination of things. I doubt you will find any official documentation regarding this. As with any OS, there is a great deal about Windows that is not documented. – LMiller7 Jul 22 '18 at 03:53
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    While [this](https://superuser.com/questions/1252091/if-i-refreshed-win10-would-it-shift-all-my-apps-to-a-windows-old-folder/1252118#1252118) answer does not directly answer your question. It is indeed related. Disk Cleanup knows a previous installation exists, likely thanks to that process, and an educated guess that a flag exists in the registry. – Ramhound Jul 22 '18 at 04:59

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