Question Windows Folder Taking ~60gb of Space

[Reven]

Hi there,

A friend of mine recently upgraded to Windows 10. The thing is, it's taking a massive amount of space, 57ish GB on a 100GB hard drive.

This seems massively high. How can I can save up space?

I've already done the basics:

1) Check tools and deleted your standard recommended files (temp. files, system back ups etc.) but that only bought a few gigs
2) Checked installed programs, nothing egregious there. The program files folders (normal and x86) are only ~10gb each
3) I did a computer search for "windows.old" to see if it kept the old backups, but got no hits

The issue seems at the OS level. The c:/windows folder itself has over 57gb.

Anything I can do to save space?

 

[Iron Woode]

He can run the built in disk cleaner and then click clean up system files.

The tool is found under properties of a drive.

 

[PingSpike]

See how big the c:/windows/Winsxs folder is, that's usually the black hole that consumes space in my experience.

 

[Reven]

@Iron Woode I explained myself poorly, but that's exactly what we did. I ticked "system files" as well, but that only saved 2-3 gigs.

@PingSpike will do. Won't delete anything for now.

 

[extide]

If you are just looking at the size via right click -> properties -- then it's not an accurate representation of the size on disk. The WinSxS directory contains most of the actual packages that windows uses, it is essentially a repository -- nothing actually runs from that directory though. Everything is hard-linked to its actual location -- which is also going to be inside of the Windows directory. That means you are counting the size of most of those files twice even though they actually only exist on disk once.

If you go into Disk Cleanup and then click 'Clean Up System Files' you can have it remove excess stuff in there -- but there usually isn't that much these days. Older versions of windows would keep more junk around.

Definitely do not go deleting stuff out of the WinSxS directory unless you want to cause major headaches down the road.

 

[Arkaign]

WinDirStat - Windows Directory Statistics

Get this, and it will help you dial in exactly where all this data is at, and from there you can decide what to do about it.

Ultimately, it's not terribly difficult these days to make a backup of the things you want, and to fresh install should you find significant issues that are too much trouble to fix.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Hi there,

A friend of mine recently upgraded to Windows 10. The thing is, it's taking a massive amount of space, 57ish GB on a 100GB hard drive.

This seems massively high. How can I can save up space?

I've already done the basics:

1) Check tools and deleted your standard recommended files (temp. files, system back ups etc.) but that only bought a few gigs
2) Checked installed programs, nothing egregious there. The program files folders (normal and x86) are only ~10gb each
3) I did a computer search for "windows.old" to see if it kept the old backups, but got no hits

The issue seems at the OS level. The c:/windows folder itself has over 57gb.

Anything I can do to save space?

First thing I'd try would be to right click on the c drive, hit disk cleanup, then use the elevated system cleanup (uac button that shows up). I'd delete everything except probably downloads, that will likely free up a bunch of space.

Beyond that, download treesize free, run as admin, and see where else your space is leaking from.

 

[PingSpike]

If you are just looking at the size via right click -> properties -- then it's not an accurate representation of the size on disk. The WinSxS directory contains most of the actual packages that windows uses, it is essentially a repository -- nothing actually runs from that directory though. Everything is hard-linked to its actual location -- which is also going to be inside of the Windows directory. That means you are counting the size of most of those files twice even though they actually only exist on disk once.

This is true. I know because if I install windows in a virtual machine on a qcow2 disk the virtual disk file is much smaller than the used space in Windows itself. Unfortunately, its also irrelevant for anyone not running a virtual machine because windows itself cannot correctly determine hardlinks aren't actually using the extra space. This means that while the lost space isn't technically used it effectively is. You can't use that space for files and neither can Windows or its processes. Its only advantage is it probably reduces writes to a SSD.

Worse, as updates are installed and software is added and removed this pile of hardlinks grows like cancer. Windows 10 has done nothing to fix this, save that the feature updates basically do a reinstall and upgrade which resets the timer and somewhat papers over the problem.

Anyway, sometimes the system cleanup utility can get some space back from this. Although in my experience the amount it returns is very small and it often results in a insanely long reboot afterwards as Windows rebuilds SXS mess.

I agree trying to take a scalpel to this mess yourself is not possible or advisable. Once this happens you can buy some time perhaps with the system cleanup, system files option. If that isn't good enough you have to reinstall Windows. Or you can buy a larger disk and just live with a big chunk being wasted. Tell youself its overprovisioning if it makes you feel better!