Win 11 c drive is 77GB. Normal? or time to clean install?


krism

krism

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Member
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Location
MA, US
OS
win 11Pro 25H2 26200.8246
I used to spend all my time on linux so didn't care, now, for a while, I am back to only win 11. Linux partition is erased.
Seems excessive! Been a while since I did a clean install - maybe time?
I have all my 44GB of source stuff on a separate partition so that is not included in C. Games are on different partitions.
Yes I have done a CP/Win Tools/Disk cleanup but doing it now just to be sure. (I got back 0.6GB.)
Thanks!
Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 25H2
Installed on ‎Sun ‎8/‎24/‎2025
OS build 26200.8246
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.26100.297.0
Click to expand...
-- Asus ROG STRIX Z790-E Gaming wifi-6E, I9-13900k, UEFI/GPT, 32GB, Sam 980 Pro 1T M.2, Win11 24H2, GeForce RTX™ 3060 Ti VISION OC 8G (rev. 2.0) parts: Lian Li 207 case, Corsair RM750E PSU, Arctic liquid freezer iii Pro 360 aio. lasers: HP M254dw color, HP 4001dw. Epson scanner. Terabyte.
Click to expand...
 
Windows Build/Version
win 11 25H2

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My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    win 11Pro 25H2 26200.8246
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY: LianLi 207 case, ASUS mobo, Arctic aio cooling
    CPU
    I9-13900k
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-E Gaming wifi-6E, latest AMI BIOS 3107
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32GB Kit DDR5 6000.
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX™ 3060 Ti VISION OC 8G (rev. 2.0)
    Sound Card
    on mobo
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S3221QS (curved 32")
    Screen Resolution
    4K but I usually display at 1K
    Hard Drives
    Sam 980 Pro 1T M.2, 990Pro, WD 570, others(all NVMe)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750e fully modular
    Case
    Lian Li 207
    Cooling
    CPU:Arctic liq frz iii Pro 360 on top, CASE: 2 front fans IN, 2 bottom fans in.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB Core
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps Comcast; I226-V NIC
    Browser
    Firefox(current)
    Antivirus
    on win BitDefender AV Free
    Other Info
    Terabyte Unlimited Image
    WuMgr, StartAllBack, , Revo Uninstaller Pro Portable.

    Davinci Resolve or Wondershare Filmora Basic to process my vlogs. DJI Pocket 2
  • Operating System
    win 10, Mint
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo P15s
    CPU
    i7-10510U 1.8-4.9GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel SoC
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Quadro P520 2GB DDR5 supports 4K external via HDMI or USB-C
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3287 HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6"
    Screen Resolution
    1K
    Hard Drives
    NVMe various
77 used; 39 available; not time to panic yet.

How much of the 77 is taken up by System Restore?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Fishmill Special
    CPU
    Intel 265K
    Motherboard
    MSI Pro Z890-A
    Memory
    G Skill DDR5 2 x 16 kit 6000/36
    Graphics Card(s)
    none
    Sound Card
    none
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 2316H
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 900
    Hard Drives
    WD SN770 NVME 500 GB boot; Intel 660p NVME 2 TB and WD Green 3 TB storage
    PSU
    Be Quiet 13M 750 ATX 3.1
    Case
    Lancool PC-K65
    Cooling
    Noctua U12S
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 Wired
    Mouse
    Dell MS-116
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes
Fishmill said:
77 used; 39 available; not time to panic yet.

How much of the 77 is taken up by System Restore?
Click to expand...
Where would I find "system restore"? I have win backup shut off. I use Terabyte to image my partitions and drives and that backup goes to yet another drive and partition. I have 3 1T NVMe's.
 

Attachments

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My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    win 11Pro 25H2 26200.8246
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY: LianLi 207 case, ASUS mobo, Arctic aio cooling
    CPU
    I9-13900k
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-E Gaming wifi-6E, latest AMI BIOS 3107
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32GB Kit DDR5 6000.
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX™ 3060 Ti VISION OC 8G (rev. 2.0)
    Sound Card
    on mobo
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S3221QS (curved 32")
    Screen Resolution
    4K but I usually display at 1K
    Hard Drives
    Sam 980 Pro 1T M.2, 990Pro, WD 570, others(all NVMe)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750e fully modular
    Case
    Lian Li 207
    Cooling
    CPU:Arctic liq frz iii Pro 360 on top, CASE: 2 front fans IN, 2 bottom fans in.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB Core
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps Comcast; I226-V NIC
    Browser
    Firefox(current)
    Antivirus
    on win BitDefender AV Free
    Other Info
    Terabyte Unlimited Image
    WuMgr, StartAllBack, , Revo Uninstaller Pro Portable.

    Davinci Resolve or Wondershare Filmora Basic to process my vlogs. DJI Pocket 2
  • Operating System
    win 10, Mint
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo P15s
    CPU
    i7-10510U 1.8-4.9GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel SoC
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Quadro P520 2GB DDR5 supports 4K external via HDMI or USB-C
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3287 HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6"
    Screen Resolution
    1K
    Hard Drives
    NVMe various
Been a while since I did a clean install - maybe time
Click to expand...
- I've not done one or needed to on my 2 Win 10 laptops in 8 years or so.. and they have a LOT of progs installed.

That 77GB, assuming it's the used space onyour Windows partition includes:
- installed programs
- personal data in the default library folders - and that often includes folders related to installed progs
- Store apps
- Browser-related data
Etc.

So you need to see where your space has gone.

Wiztree (free) is a very good way to see everything, viewed in 2 different ways:
1.webp

The cushion map at the bottom immediately shows where most space has gone at at glace- the largest square or rectangle. Simply hover over it to see details.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo t480s
    CPU
    i7-8650U
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 620
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    C SN810 SDCPNRY-512G-1006
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
Type "system restore" into the search box; that should lead you there.

No telling how much space it is using. Could be 10 or 20 gb, but you can control the maximum.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Fishmill Special
    CPU
    Intel 265K
    Motherboard
    MSI Pro Z890-A
    Memory
    G Skill DDR5 2 x 16 kit 6000/36
    Graphics Card(s)
    none
    Sound Card
    none
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 2316H
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 900
    Hard Drives
    WD SN770 NVME 500 GB boot; Intel 660p NVME 2 TB and WD Green 3 TB storage
    PSU
    Be Quiet 13M 750 ATX 3.1
    Case
    Lancool PC-K65
    Cooling
    Noctua U12S
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 Wired
    Mouse
    Dell MS-116
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes
I do not store personal files or the .exe etc files (used to install all my stuff) on the C partition - that is all on the E partition.
I use tree size free but here it is in your form:

edit - I just uninstalled Blackmagic/Davinci Resolve and that brought me down to 70.9GB. Still strikes me an awful lot. Yes, I know that some folks never do clean installs but I do not live in that world. :)

attached pics now represent that...

@Fishmill - zero.
 

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Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    win 11Pro 25H2 26200.8246
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY: LianLi 207 case, ASUS mobo, Arctic aio cooling
    CPU
    I9-13900k
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-E Gaming wifi-6E, latest AMI BIOS 3107
    Memory
    G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32GB Kit DDR5 6000.
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX™ 3060 Ti VISION OC 8G (rev. 2.0)
    Sound Card
    on mobo
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S3221QS (curved 32")
    Screen Resolution
    4K but I usually display at 1K
    Hard Drives
    Sam 980 Pro 1T M.2, 990Pro, WD 570, others(all NVMe)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750e fully modular
    Case
    Lian Li 207
    Cooling
    CPU:Arctic liq frz iii Pro 360 on top, CASE: 2 front fans IN, 2 bottom fans in.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB Core
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps Comcast; I226-V NIC
    Browser
    Firefox(current)
    Antivirus
    on win BitDefender AV Free
    Other Info
    Terabyte Unlimited Image
    WuMgr, StartAllBack, , Revo Uninstaller Pro Portable.

    Davinci Resolve or Wondershare Filmora Basic to process my vlogs. DJI Pocket 2
  • Operating System
    win 10, Mint
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo P15s
    CPU
    i7-10510U 1.8-4.9GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel SoC
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Quadro P520 2GB DDR5 supports 4K external via HDMI or USB-C
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3287 HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6"
    Screen Resolution
    1K
    Hard Drives
    NVMe various
Thank you very much for your polite, kind and gracious reply.

What do YOU think is odd about what you've posted?

It could have been helpful also to post the cushion map as I carefully did for you.

Space is not simply taken up by folders under C: as you saw from my cushion map. Wiztree shows the 'hidden' areas on the disk too.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo t480s
    CPU
    i7-8650U
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 620
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    C SN810 SDCPNRY-512G-1006
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
FWIW, 125GB for a system drive is on the low side if you install many applications.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    Seagate 4TB Ironwolf, rotating HDD archive files
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
Just checked my C drive and it too is 77 Gb. I notice in the Windows directory that WinSxS is 13.9 GB and Installer 13.7 GB. Are these numbers normal? This is my destop PC. On my Dell laptop the Installer is only 3.1 GB.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home 24H2 RP
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-build
    CPU
    Intel I3-10100
    Motherboard
    MSI H410M-PRO
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GT 1030
    Sound Card
    Motherboard default
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 970 NVMe SSD 256 Gb
    Samsung QVO 870 SATA SSD 2 Tb
    PSU
    ATX 450W
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    930 Mb down / 120 Mb up
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Microsoft Office 2021 Plus
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-build
    CPU
    Intel i3-8100
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z370 D3
    Memory
    16 Gb
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia GT 720
    Sound Card
    Motherboard default
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 960 NVMe SSD 256 Gb
    Seagate 2 Tb HDD
    PSU
    ATX 450W
    Keyboard
    Microsoft
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    930 Mb down / 120 Mb up
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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