Can't access or delete games from a previous Windows installation

I was able to delete all the files in the folders via command line, so it is no longer taking up a bunch of space. I still wasn't able to delete the folders themselves with RMDIR, it just says "access denied" and then command prompt hang up. Trying to open
the folder in explorer still crashes it, I even tried taking ownership again, making sure I check subfolders.

So the problem of wasting space is solved for now, but I worry what will happen if I later decide to install a Windows App to that drive.

Hi,

Error 0x80070005 is an 'access denied' error code. It means that games and apps can't be installed due to file access restrictions.

Did you use D:\ drive on a previous PC or previous install of Windows 10?

Games and Apps on Windows 10 Store install to a folder called 'WindowsApps', if this folder already exists on your drive, you won't be able to install games.

In this example, the external drive is D:\

Nearly all Windows Apps and games are installed to a protected and encrypted folder called WindowsApps.

If you've taken your D:\ drive from either another PC or you have installed Windows 10 again from scratch, your previous WindowsApps folder will no longer be accessible and Windows 10 will not be able to access or install Windows Store Apps and games to this drive. To use this drive for Windows Store games and apps, it will need to be deleted.



Please follow this guide to help you delete your current WindowsApps folder. Once done you will also need to the delete two additional folders called 'WpSystem' and 'WUDownloadCache'. These folders are not protected so should easily be removed.



Once your old folder is deleted you should be able to change the drive Apps are installed to in Windows 10 to the D: drive. Doing this will create a new WindowsApps folder on your drive.



Please let us know how you get on.

Windows Games from both from the PC Game Pass and the Windows Store install differently to any other PC download service such as Steam, GoG, Origin etc as they go into a protected folder.

Error code 0x80070005 is a Windows 'Access denied' error code.



All Windows 10 games and Apps from the Windows Store (including games from PC Game Pass) install to secure encrypted folder called 'WindowsApps'. On the C:\ drive the WindowsApps folder is located in C:\Program Files\WindowsApps. But to see this folder you'll need to unhide it.



For any other drive, the WindowsApps folder can be found in the root directory along with two other folders 'WpSystem' and WUDownloadCache. So for example, if your drive is F:\ it will be located in F:\WindowsApps. This folder is not hidden on other drives, but it is still encrypted and protected.



If you've have installed Windows 10 again from scratch, your previous WindowsApps folder will no longer be accessible and Windows 10 will not be able to install Windows Store Apps and games to this drive until your old WindowsApps folder is deleted. This is why Windows 10 generates the 0x80070005 error code.



Please follow this guide to help you delete your current WindowsApps folder. Once done you will also need to the delete the previously mentioned 'WpSystem' and 'WUDownloadCache' folders.

have you reinstalled windows lately, with it coming up stating delete other apps is that it has found apps on there from a previous installation, these apps are not usable as windows will not use the already created folders on that drive, it will then delete
the apps only not the drive itself then you can save to that drive.

this is a kind of drm, if you install games and apps from the windows store to a drive and then windows changes via re install then they become useless and need to be removed to use that drive as windows storage again.