Cleaning Up Old Version Files After Updating Eclipse-Based IDEs

In Eclipse-based IDEs, when you perform an update, files from previous versions are often retained on your system.

Over time, these leftover files can consume unnecessary disk space.

To remove them safely, follow these steps:

1) Delete old installations

Go to Help → About → Installation Details → Installation History, and remove any outdated installations.

2) Find your installation profile

The profile name is usually stored in the file:

<installation_path>/configuration/config.ini

Look for the property:

eclipse.p2.profile

💡 You can also find this information under the Configuration tab in the Installation Details dialog.

3) Run the garbage collector

Use the retrieved profile name in the following command to clean up old files:

eclipse -application org.eclipse.equinox.p2.garbagecollector.application -profile <profile>

Example on Windows:

.\dbeaver.exe -application org.eclipse.equinox.p2.garbagecollector.application -profile DefaultProfile
.\eclipse.exe -application org.eclipse.equinox.p2.garbagecollector.application -profile epp.package.php

Example on macOS:

> pwd
/Applications/Eclipse.app/Contents
> ./MacOS/eclipse -application org.eclipse.equinox.p2.garbagecollector.application -profile epp.package.php

Running this command triggers the Eclipse P2 Garbage Collector, which removes unused bundles and plug-ins from previous versions — helping keep your IDE installation clean and efficient.