System files in Windows folder take up to 300 GB and not able to reduce it

[qishu2002]

That's what DU figures out, but it is just a very small portion of all disk usage for Windows folder.
By the way, windows disk cleanup doesn't work, it only find very very small files in kb range.

(base) PS C:\Apps\DU> du -nobanner -c -l 1 C:\Windows | ConvertFrom-Csv | select Path,@{Name="DirectorySize";expression={$_.DirectorySize / 1GB }} | Where-Object { $_.DirectorySize -gt 1 } | Sort-Object { $_.DirectorySize } -descending

Path DirectorySize
---- -------------
c:\windows 16.5982748987153
c:\windows\System32 6.4668475612998
c:\windows\Installer 2.13524127006531
c:\windows\WinSxS 2.02410347945988
c:\windows\assembly 1.37638363521546
c:\windows\servicing 1.24389411974698
c:\windows\SysWOW64 1.01788134872913

 

[qishu2002]

 

[Clintlgm]

Disk clean up and then System clean up will let you delete the old windows files and update files

 

[davehc]

As Clint says. But, what does the capacity show if you try the more simple approach - Right click the Windows folder and check the properties.

 

[qishu2002]

Sorry, I used the windows disk cleanup and system clean up.
The hidden system files are NOT shown up in the cleanup files.

The Windows explorer tell me the true story; while other disk space tools tell me different story.
I think it is the limitation imposed by Windows.

Finally, I resolved it by running the Powershell scripts with Admin right and it told me it was
Windows\winevt\logs

The folder took 275 GB. I deleted all of them, free up 275 GB.

Windows should expose it in windows disk cleanup and system clean up utilities.
if I could find it there, I would not spend a few days to clean up the hidden system files.

Why can windows explorer see them while other disk tools can NOT ?

 

[davehc]

Interesting. I don't have that folder. Is it a third party created one..or?
I suppose you did select to delete system files with the clean disk utility.

fwiw. Clean disk is on its way out. It has been replaced by the "Storage" option in the settings. I don't think it would have made a lot of difference though