intuit folder has a bunch of old "QuickBooks YYYY" and "QuickBooks YYYY.old" folders using a lot of space.

You can decide which files are no longer needed and delete them, @LTP_USA.

You can safely delete old data files, except for .qbw files, as they contain important company and account information. Please refer to this article for more details on file types: File types and extensions used by QuickBooks Desktop. 
 

It's also essential to proceed with care when managing storage used by outdated QuickBooks folders. Always back up your current data before deleting files to avoid losing important information.
 

Consider keeping these files if you have verified any important data within them. However, if you have confirmed that they are no longer needed, you can delete them, especially if they are multiple years old. For example:
 

• QuickBooks 2018.old
• QuickBooks 2021.old
• QuickBooks 2023.old
   

You might also find this article helpful if you accidentally misspelled or used the wrong name when you created the company file. The steps in this article are for Windows computers only: Rename your QuickBooks Desktop company file.
 

Let us know in the comments below if you have any other concerns about managing your QuickBooks Desktop files. We're here to assist you. 

JeraldR, thanks for the quick response.  

These folders don't contain my company data files.  They appear to be folders left over from previous installations ("possibly" those years where I had to have Customer Support get involved and they did a backup folder before doing whatever steps that they did).

My data files are stored elsewhere and I purge those routinely (rather than the auto keep of the last 5 backups).

Please see my "new" screenshot which shows the typical content of one of the folder (e.g., the "Quickbooks 2021.old" folder contents as an example).

I am wondering which should be kept and which could possibly be deleted. 

The "QuickBooks" titled folder has file today's date (I opened QB today to test what files where were affected) for the "QBINSTANCEFINDER17.INI" file and the "qbsdklog.txt" file.  The rest of the files in that folder remain with older "Date Modified" dates.

**ALSO**...

The "QuickBooks2024" titled folder has file today's date (again, I opened QB today to test what files where were affected) for the "qbw.ini" file, the "wpr.ini", and the "qbbackup.sys" file.  The rest of the files in that folder remain with older "Date Modified" dates.  "QBPRINT.QBP" has a 04/28/2025 "Date Modified" date and that may be the last day that I printed something from within QB.  Also, the "Components" folder has changes to "Date Modified" for today to its "Messages", "TI", "QBUpdate" folders and files under each of those folders.  "WBUpdateCache" and "DataProtect" last had their "Data Modified" folder changed on 04/28/2025.

This "implies" to me that I MUST keep the folders "QuickBooks" and "QuickBooks2024" and, "perhaps", the other folders "QuickBooksYYYY" folders in the first screenshot can be deleted (after backing up, of course).

Further insight from you and others would be helpful.  Thanks again.

Thank you for sharing the screenshot and providing further details, LTP_USA.

Based on your description, it seems like the folders titled "QuickBooks2024" and "QuickBooks" are actively used by your current QuickBooks installation, given the recent file modifications on the date you accessed QuickBooks. It would be better to retain these folders to ensure the smooth operation of your QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024.

If the other "QuickBooks YYYY" and "QuickBooks YYYY.old" folders don't contain any active or necessary files and are merely leftovers from previous installations, you can consider deleting them.

Before proceeding, please ensure that none of these folders contain important files, such as .qbw (company data files) or .qbb (backup files), that may be useful for historical records or audit purposes. 
 

To ensure it's safe to remove those folders, follow these additional steps:

1. Thoroughly review the contents of each folder.
2. Confirm whether any applications or scheduled tasks reference files within these folders.
3. Check for any file types that may still be relevant or needed for current or future use, including templates, customized reports, or exportable files you might want to keep.

Once you have verified the folders, consider moving them to an external drive or a different location temporarily before permanently deleting them. This provides a backup option for quick restoration if needed.

After backing up and confirming that the folders are not required, you can delete them to free up space on your C:\ drive. It's a good practice to regularly clean up leftover installation folders and files to keep your system organized and efficient.

You may visit these articles that may be useful for you in managing your company file in QuickBooks Desktop: 

• Create a new company file from an existing one.
• Rename your QuickBooks Desktop company file.

Please leave your comment below for any additional questions or QuickBooks concerns. We're always available to help.