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Safely remove Windows installations from secondary drives, helping you reclaim valuable storage space after system migrations.

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🗂️ WindowsNuke Windows Remover tool for secondary Drive

Python License Windows GUI

WindowsNuke safely remove Windows installations from secondary drives, helping you reclaim valuable storage space after system migrations.

Application logo

🎯 Purpose

When upgrading to a larger SSD and keeping your old drive as secondary storage, the old Windows installation becomes redundant and wastes significant disk space. This tool provides a safe, controlled way to:

  • 🔍 Scan secondary drives for Windows installations
  • 📊 Analyze space usage of Windows-related files and folders
  • 🗑️ Remove system files while preserving user data (with careful handling)
  • 💾 Reclaim gigabytes of storage space

⚠️ Important Safety Notice

🚨 CRITICAL WARNING: This tool performs irreversible file deletion operations. Always backup important data before use. The safest method for drive cleanup is manual backup followed by drive formatting.

✨ Features

🖥️ Modern GUI Interface

  • Dark Theme: Easy on the eyes with CustomTkinter styling
  • Real-time Feedback: Live status updates during operations
  • Detailed Results: Comprehensive scan results with size calculations
  • Safety Prompts: Multiple confirmation dialogs before deletion

🔧 Advanced Functionality

  • Administrator Privilege Check: Ensures proper permissions for system file access
  • Multi-Drive Support: Automatically detects non-system drives
  • Intelligent Scanning: Identifies Windows installations via System32 detection
  • Size Calculation: Accurate space usage analysis with GB conversion
  • Permission Handling: Advanced file permission management using Windows tools

🛡️ Safety Features

  • System Drive Protection: Automatically excludes the current Windows drive
  • Confirmation Dialogs: Multiple verification steps before deletion
  • Error Handling: Graceful handling of permission and access errors
  • Progress Tracking: Real-time deletion progress with detailed logging

📊 Screenshot

Application screenshoot

🚀 Installation

Prerequisites

# Required Python packages
pip install customtkinter psutil

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows 10/11
  • Python: 3.7 or higher
  • Privileges: Administrator rights required
  • Memory: Minimal (< 50MB RAM usage)

Quick Setup

  1. Clone the repository:

    git clone https://github.com/LMLK-seal/WindowsNuke.git
    cd WindowsNuke
  2. Install dependencies:

    pip install customtkinter psutil
  3. Run as Administrator:

    # Right-click Command Prompt -> "Run as administrator"
    python WindowsNuke.py

📖 Usage Guide

Step-by-Step Process

  1. 🔐 Launch with Admin Rights

    • Right-click WindowsNuke.py → "Run as administrator"
    • Or run Command Prompt as admin and execute the script
  2. 💿 Select Target Drive

    • Choose your secondary drive from the dropdown menu
    • System drive (C:) is automatically excluded for safety
  3. 🔍 Scan for Windows Installation

    • Click "Scan for Windows Installation"
    • Wait for the comprehensive analysis to complete
    • Review the detailed results showing files and space usage
  4. 🗑️ Execute Deletion (Optional)

    • Review the scan results carefully
    • Click "DELETE Found Files & Folders" if satisfied
    • Confirm through multiple safety prompts
    • Monitor the real-time deletion progress

📁 What Gets Deleted

The tool targets these Windows-specific components:

Folders Description Typical Size
Windows Core system files 15-25 GB
Program Files Installed applications 5-50 GB
Program Files (x86) 32-bit applications 2-20 GB
ProgramData Application data 1-10 GB
$Recycle.Bin Deleted files cache 0.1-5 GB
Users ⚠️ User profiles and data Variable
System Files Description
pagefile.sys Virtual memory file
swapfile.sys Modern swap file
hiberfil.sys Hibernation data

🔧 Technical Implementation

Architecture Overview

WindowsRemoverApp (CustomTkinter)
├── Drive Detection (psutil)
├── Permission Management (Windows API)
├── Threading (GUI responsiveness)
├── File Operations (shutil, os)
└── System Integration (subprocess)

Key Technologies

  • 🎨 GUI Framework: CustomTkinter for modern interface
  • 💽 System Access: psutil for drive enumeration
  • 🔐 Permissions: Windows takeown/icacls commands
  • ⚡ Threading: Non-blocking UI operations
  • 📊 File Operations: Python standard library

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please follow these guidelines:

Code Standards

  • Style: Follow PEP 8 guidelines
  • Documentation: Comment complex operations
  • Safety: Prioritize data safety in all modifications
  • Testing: Test on non-production drives only

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

⚠️ Disclaimer

Use at your own risk. This software is provided "as-is" without warranty. The authors are not responsible for data loss or system damage. Always backup important data before use.

🙋‍♂️ Support

🎖️ Acknowledgments

  • CustomTkinter team for the modern GUI framework
  • Python community for excellent libraries
  • Windows system administrators for inspiration

⭐ Star this repository if it helped you reclaim storage space! ⭐

Made with ❤️ By LMLK-seal.

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Safely remove Windows installations from secondary drives, helping you reclaim valuable storage space after system migrations.

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