Huge discrepancy in Windows 11 (22504) folder size.


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I'm not bothered by it at all. It's just something I never noticed before.
I know there are a lot of hidden files, shadow copies etc., but that much?

Win-11-Folder-Size.png
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
Is your drive compressed?
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2Intel i9 14900KF64GB Corsair Vengeance RGBMSI 4090 Suprim X
    OS
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i9 14900KF
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z790 ProArt Creator WiFi
    Memory
    64GB Corsair Vengeance RGB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI 4090 Suprim X
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 x Asus 24". 1 x Asus 32"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 & 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Multiple
    PSU
    Corsair 1200HX
    Case
    Corsair 7000D RGB
    Cooling
    Corsair H150I Capellix XT
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB PRO
    Mouse
    Corsair M55 RGB Pro
    Internet Speed
    1000Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Default
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2Intel i7 6800K32GB DDR4 (Corsair)ASUS GTX 1080ti
    Operating System
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7 6800K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z99 Deluxe
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 (Corsair)
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1080ti
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1x Viewsonic 24" 1x LG 19"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 & 1600 x 900
    Hard Drives
    3 x SATA SSD
    PSU
    650W Gigabyte Bronze
    Case
    Coolermaster HAF-X
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-15 Chroma black
    Keyboard
    Generic RGB
    Mouse
    Microsoft Basic
    Internet Speed
    1000Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Default
No, it's not. Standard fresh install from MS ISO (22483), then it updated to current.
 
Last edited:

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
Really strange, run Chkdsk on the drive, reboot and let it check the drive.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2Intel i9 14900KF64GB Corsair Vengeance RGBMSI 4090 Suprim X
    OS
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i9 14900KF
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z790 ProArt Creator WiFi
    Memory
    64GB Corsair Vengeance RGB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI 4090 Suprim X
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 x Asus 24". 1 x Asus 32"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 & 2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Multiple
    PSU
    Corsair 1200HX
    Case
    Corsair 7000D RGB
    Cooling
    Corsair H150I Capellix XT
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB PRO
    Mouse
    Corsair M55 RGB Pro
    Internet Speed
    1000Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Default
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2Intel i7 6800K32GB DDR4 (Corsair)ASUS GTX 1080ti
    Operating System
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7 6800K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z99 Deluxe
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 (Corsair)
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1080ti
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1x Viewsonic 24" 1x LG 19"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 & 1600 x 900
    Hard Drives
    3 x SATA SSD
    PSU
    650W Gigabyte Bronze
    Case
    Coolermaster HAF-X
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-15 Chroma black
    Keyboard
    Generic RGB
    Mouse
    Microsoft Basic
    Internet Speed
    1000Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Default
I wonder if you have any sparse files. That could account for the discrepancy.

As an example, when you create a VM, you can create the file in such a manner that it starts small and can grow as needed.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-14650HX32 GBNo GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    OS
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic
    CPU
    Intel i7-14650HX
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Varies as machine will often be moved to locations with different monitors
    Screen Resolution
    Varies
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    120W Power Brick
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-1255U16 GBIntel Iris Xe Graphics
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Chkdsk reports no errors.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
I wonder if you have any sparse files. That could account for the discrepancy.

As an example, when you create a VM, you can create the file in such a manner that it starts small and can grow as needed.
My VMs are on a separate drive. I always allocat the full disk size (for performance reasons).
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
XYPlorer File Manager reports the same sizes as Windows File Explorer.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
Found a good example. Try this:

Open a command prompt and change directories to some location where you can create a temporary file.

Run these commands:

FSUtil File CreateNew temp 0x100000
FSUtil Sparse SetFlag temp
FSUtil Sparse SetRange temp 0 0x100000

This will create a 1 MB file as a sparse file. Right-click the file (temp) and choose properties. Notice that the size is 1 MB but size on disk is zero.

When done, delete the file.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-14650HX32 GBNo GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    OS
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic
    CPU
    Intel i7-14650HX
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Varies as machine will often be moved to locations with different monitors
    Screen Resolution
    Varies
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    120W Power Brick
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-1255U16 GBIntel Iris Xe Graphics
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
My VMs are on a separate drive. I always allocat the full disk size (for performance reasons).
A VM was simply an example. There are other things that create sparse files. You can use FSUTIL in a simple batch file to recurse all files on your drive to find any sparse files.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-14650HX32 GBNo GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    OS
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic
    CPU
    Intel i7-14650HX
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Varies as machine will often be moved to locations with different monitors
    Screen Resolution
    Varies
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    120W Power Brick
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-1255U16 GBIntel Iris Xe Graphics
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Well, fsutil experiment turned out like you said. So, I probably have a huge amount of "sparse" files in my Windows folder.
A VM was simply an example. There are other things that create sparse files. You can use FSUTIL in a simple batch file to recurse all files on your drive to find any sparse files.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
I wonder if something like WizTree or Sequoia will shed some light on this, or if its worth the trouble. Like I said, It doesn't bother me that much since there is still a huge amount of free space on the Windows partition, and Windows itself works like a charm. Although, now I'm starting to be a little intrigued by this.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
I upgraded from win 10 to win 11 yesterday and did a DiskClean

Windows folder 17GB
 

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My Computer My Computer

At a glance

windows 11 ,Ubuntu Cinnamon - for tinkering onlyIntel i51140016 GB0
OS
windows 11 ,Ubuntu Cinnamon - for tinkering only
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
No Name - Assembled by a Compute shop in a Strip Mall.
CPU
Intel i511400
Motherboard
ASUS PRIME B560-PLUS motherboard
Memory
16 GB
Graphics Card(s)
0
Sound Card
0
Monitor(s) Displays
25 in BenQ
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
9 SSDs 4 Nvme, 2 in M.2 slot and 2 in PCIE with adapter + 5 Sata. DVD drive
PSU
600w
Case
Antec- VSK4000E-U3 Mid Tower
Internet Speed
Bell pure fibre optic. 3 GB package. 6E Wireless adapter 750/500
Browser
Firefox, Microsoft Edge
Antivirus
Defender
I have run disk cleanup a couple of times. Same result.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
It is because of the use of hard links in Windows. Properties counts the size of each hardlink reference so can count the real space to a linked file or folder multiple times.
This is particularly evident in the WinSxS folder in Windows. Same in Windows 10:
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel Core i9 14900K 5800/4500 P/E96GB (2x48) G.skill Ripjaws 6800Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Photoshop/Audio/Game/tinker
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 14900K 5800/4500 P/E
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero
    Memory
    96GB (2x48) G.skill Ripjaws 6800
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    Sound Card
    B&W 606 S3 speakers; Audiolabs 7000a integrated amp; RSL 10S Mk2 sub
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CG2730 ColorEdge, ViewSonic VP2768
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 x 2
    Hard Drives
    nvme: WDC SN850X 4TB, SN850 1TB, SK-Hynix 2 TB P41
    Spinners: Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station, 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro 2x 2TB WDC Black
    PSU
    850W Seasonic Vertex PX-850
    Case
    FD North XL Mesh, Black Walnut
    Cooling
    EK Nucleus black 360 AIO w/Phanteks T30 fans; 2 Noctua NF-A14 Chromax ; T30 for memory
    Keyboard
    Keychron Q3 Max TKL w/GMK Redsuns Red Samuri keycaps
    Mouse
    Logitech G305 wireless gaming
    Internet Speed
    575 Mb/s down | 25 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender, Macrium Reflect X
    Other Info
    Phangkey Amaterasu V2 Desk Mat
  • At a glance

    Apple M1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    💻 Apple 13" Macbook Pro 2020 (m1)
    CPU
    Apple M1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Browser
    Firefox
This is what my Win 10 VM shows:

Win-10-Folder-Size.png

Here, you would think the "Size on disk" figure would be larger than the "Size" figure, no?
But at least the figures seem to be on the normal side.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)

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