Something is eating my storage


As far as I know System Restore is disabled by default in new Windows 10 and 11 installations. I always enable it just in case I need it, but I make sure I allocate a reasonable small amount of space. So I can go back to a restore point but also I have my valuable disk space free and available. If you have 2-3 restore points at any time, you should be OK. Usually we hardly go further back, unless we cannot fix the issue with going back at the last 2-3 points. This means we must be alert and fix any issue as soon as it appears, don't leave it until there is no a restore point we can return to fix it. Check for issues after each Windows Update, new drivers updates or new software installation.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (9168)Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz4GBMobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (9168)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    802.11g wireless 54 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, no SSE4.2, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.9168)Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generat...2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB...
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.9168)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB (GV-N3050WF2OCV2-6GD)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD Blue SA510 2.5 1000GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Deepcool Gamma Archer CPU cooler, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Mouse
    Microsoft Compact Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    802.11ac 5GHz wireless 260Mpbs
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
I never use System restore, I use daily image backups instead.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (RP channel)AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 8-core64GB Corsair Titanium 6000/CL30MSI Suprim 5080 SOC
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (RP channel)
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
MSI
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 8-core
Motherboard
MEG X870E Godlike
Memory
64GB Corsair Titanium 6000/CL30
Graphics Card(s)
MSI Suprim 5080 SOC
Sound Card
Soundblaster AE-9
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q
Screen Resolution
3840x2160
Hard Drives
Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB (gen 5 x4, system drive/games)
Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
Samsung 980 Pro 2TB
Samsung 870 Evo 4TB
Samsung 870 Evo 2TB
Samsung T9 4TB
PSU
Seasonic PX-2200
Case
Bequiet! Dark Base Pro 901
Cooling
Noctua NH-D15S Chromax black
Keyboard
Logitech G915 X (wired)
Mouse
Logitech G903 with PowerPlay charger
Internet Speed
900Mb/sec
Browser
Microsoft Edge
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Mine is set to 1% and maxes out at 9.4GB ( 1TB System Drive ) current usage is around 6GB

I use scheduled automatic system backups so I do not technically need to use restore points but they can help to save time in recovery occasionally, (although I can't remember the last time I actually used it )
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release Preview] [...AMD RYZEN 9 7950X OEM64GB [2x32GB Corsair Vengeance 560 AMD DDR5]3XS* ASUS DUAL RTX 4060 OC 8G
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release Preview] [Win11 PRO HighEnd MUP-00005 DD]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS to my design
    CPU
    AMD RYZEN 9 7950X OEM
    Motherboard
    *3XS*ASUS TUF B650 PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    64GB [2x32GB Corsair Vengeance 560 AMD DDR5]
    Graphics Card(s)
    3XS* ASUS DUAL RTX 4060 OC 8G
    Sound Card
    On motherboard Feeding SPDiF 5.1 system [plus local sound to each monitor]
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV
    Screen Resolution
    2 x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3XS Samsung 980Pro 2TB M.2 PCIe4 4 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 8TB, 10TB NAS
    PSU
    3XS Corsair RM850x 850w Fully Modular
    Case
    FDesign Define 7 XL BK TGL Case - Black
    Cooling
    3XS iCUE H150i ELITE Liquid Cool, Quiet Case fans
    Keyboard
    Wireless Logitec MX Keys + K830 [Depending on where I'm Sat]
    Mouse
    Wireless Logitec - MX Master 3S +
    Internet Speed
    950 MB Down 55 MB Up
    Browser
    Latest Chrome
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security [Latest]
    Other Info
    Also run...
    Dell XPS 17 Laptop
    HP Laptop 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64 HP 15.2"
    Nexus 7 Android tablet [x2]
    Samsung 10.2" tablet
    Blackview 10.2 Tablet
    Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
    Samsung S9 Plus Smartphone
    Wacom Pro Medium Pen Pad
    Wacom Pro Small Pen Pad
    Wacom ExpressKey Remote
    Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
    Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest release]i7 10750H32 GBStock Intel + GTX 1650 Ti
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest release]
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17 9700
    CPU
    i7 10750H
    Motherboard
    Stock
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Stock Intel + GTX 1650 Ti
    Sound Card
    Stock 4 speaker
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Stock 17" + 32" 4K 3840 x 2160 HDR-10
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400 HDR touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    2TB M2 NVMe
    PSU
    Stock
    Case
    Stock Aluminium / Carbon Fibre
    Cooling
    Stock + 2 fan cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Stock Illuminated + Logi - MX Keys
    Mouse
    Stock Trackpad +Logi Mx Master 3 or MX Ergo Trackball
    Internet Speed
    950 MB Down 55 MB Up
    Browser
    Latest Chrome
    Antivirus
    BitDefender Total Security 2021
    Other Info
    Also use an Adjustable Support for Laptop and Adjustable stand for monitor
Actually, I don't think mine was enabled either. Just checked; it was disabled. Yet it was largely "taken." So I enabled it and checked restore points. There were none. So, I created one. I can't explain those facts (disabled, no restore points, yet tying up 53 gb).
I do monthly image b/u's, generally just before doing a Windows update. I've restored from B/U's, maybe 4 times in 15 years. I used System Restore once or twice when I messed up some setting badly and couldn't find it again.

Mel
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

W11i5-11320H8 gbIntel® Iris® Xe Graphics
OS
W11
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell Inspiron 15 5510
CPU
i5-11320H
Memory
8 gb
Graphics Card(s)
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Screen Resolution
1920X1080
Hard Drives
256 gb SSD
Browser
Edge/Chrome
Antivirus
Defender
System Volume Information is also used for shadow copies, like previous file versions, windows backup and so on.
Code:
vssadmin list shadows
vssadmin list shadowstorage
 

Attachments

  • capture_05082022_151951.jpg
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My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Home2FH2CanAMD Ryzen 5 8600G (07/24)2x32GB Kingston FURY DDR5 5600 MHz CL36 @5200...ASROCK Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8G @48FPS ...
OS
Home2FH2Can
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 8600G (07/24)
Motherboard
ASROCK B650M-HDV/M.2 (07/24) BIOS 4.43 AGESA ComboAM5 1.3.0.1b Patch A (07/26)
Memory
2x32GB Kingston FURY DDR5 5600 MHz CL36 @5200 CL40 (07/24)
Graphics Card(s)
ASROCK Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8G @48FPS (08/24)
Sound Card
Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus (05/24)
Monitor(s) Displays
24" Philips 24M1N3200ZS/00 (05/24)
Screen Resolution
1920×1080@165Hz via DP1.4
Hard Drives
Kingston KC3000 NVMe 2TB (05/24)
ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 512GB (07/19)
PSU
Seasonic Core GM 550 Gold (04/24)
Case
Fractal Design Define 7 Mini with 3x Noctua NF-P14s/12@555rpm (04/24)
Cooling
Noctua NH-U12S with Noctua NF-P12 (04/24)
Keyboard
HP Pavilion Wired Keyboard 300 (07/24) + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
Mouse
Logitech M330 Silent Plus (07/26)
Internet Speed
500/100 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
Browser
Edge, Brave for YouTube, LibreWolf for FB
Antivirus
NextDNS blocking 1/3 Traffic
Other Info
Phone: Motorola Moto G86 (02/26)
Backup: Hasleo Backup Suite (PreOS)
Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
Chair: Huzaro Force 4.4 Grey Mesh (05/24)
Notifier: Xiaomi Mi Band 9 Milanese (10/24)
FlexCore USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (M) to LAN (F) (08/25)
Tairiku:

Mine says 11 gb max.
But the Sys. Vol. Info file is 544 MB (down from 60 GB)

Mel
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

W11i5-11320H8 gbIntel® Iris® Xe Graphics
OS
W11
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell Inspiron 15 5510
CPU
i5-11320H
Memory
8 gb
Graphics Card(s)
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Screen Resolution
1920X1080
Hard Drives
256 gb SSD
Browser
Edge/Chrome
Antivirus
Defender
As far as I know System Restore is disabled by default in new Windows 10 and 11 installations. I always enable it just in case I need it, but I make sure I allocate a reasonable small amount of space. So I can go back to a restore point but also I have my valuable disk space free and available. If you have 2-3 restore points at any time, you should be OK. Usually we hardly go further back, unless we cannot fix the issue with going back at the last 2-3 points. This means we must be alert and fix any issue as soon as it appears, don't leave it until there is no a restore point we can return to fix it. Check for issues after each Windows Update, new drivers updates or new software installation.

Huh?

I've clean installed no less than 5 times since I built this machine in June 2020 - SR was never disabled upon installation, and I've never had to enable it, ever, and this was both Windows 10 installations (through March 2021) and WIndows 11 installations (Beta 2, Final release and twice more since final release).

Tairiku:

Mine says 11 gb max.
But the Sys. Vol. Info file is 544 MB (down from 60 GB)

Mel

Yeah, everyone's will probably vary slightly in some of the specific values. Nothing wot worry about.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 23H2 Current buildAMD Ryzen 9 3950X4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHzEVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12...
    OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 RGB + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge , Arc
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • At a glance

    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 250...16 GBIntel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
I also haven't used System Restore for years, thanks God, but as I say it is better to have enabled a feature you rarely need, than not to have it when needed it.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (9168)Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz4GBMobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (9168)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    802.11g wireless 54 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, no SSE4.2, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.9168)Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generat...2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB...
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.9168)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB (GV-N3050WF2OCV2-6GD)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD Blue SA510 2.5 1000GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Deepcool Gamma Archer CPU cooler, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Mouse
    Microsoft Compact Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    802.11ac 5GHz wireless 260Mpbs
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4

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