In Windows 11, hard disk space is used for various tasks and functions related to the operating system. Here is an overview of how hard disk space is used in Windows 11:
1. The Windows 11 operating system files:
2. Application and program data under Windows 11:
3. Windows 11 user data:
4. Temporary files and caches:
5. Windows 11 and the virtual memory (paging file):
6. System restore points of Windows 11:
7. Hybrid hibernation (hiberfil.sys):
8. Reserved memory of Windows 11:
9. File history and backups:
10. Windows 11 and the system and application loads:
11. Memory management in Windows 11:
1.) The Windows 11 operating system files:
- Windows files:
Most of the hard drive space is used by the Windows operating system itself. This includes system files that are necessary for the computer to operate.
- Updates:
Windows 11 regularly downloads and stores updates, which also take up space on the hard drive.
2.) Application and program data under Windows 11:
- Installed programs:
All applications installed on the computer use hard disk space. This includes the programs that come with Windows and any third-party applications.
- Program data:
Many programs store additional data, such as user preferences, temporary files, and caches, which also take up space.
3.) Windows 11 user data:
- Documents, pictures, music, videos:
Personal files saved by users, such as documents, photos, videos and music, also take up hard drive space.
- Downloads:
Files downloaded from the Internet are saved in the Downloads folder and take up storage space.
►► Find and open My Documents folder in Windows 10, 11 by all users?
4.) Temporary files and caches:
- Temporary files:
Windows and installed programs create temporary files that are often automatically deleted but temporarily take up storage space.
►► Empty the Windows 10/11 temporary folder?
- System caches:
Windows stores frequently used data in caches to speed up access to these files. These caches also take up hard drive space.
►► Clear icon cache or reset on Windows 11, 10, etc!
5.) Windows 11 and the virtual memory (paging file):
- Pagefile (pagefile.sys):
When the physical memory (RAM) is full, Windows uses part of the hard disk as virtual memory. The pagefile can take up several gigabytes of storage space.
►► Does the hard disk also have something like virtual memory in Windows?
6.) Windows 11 system restore points:
- Restore points:
Windows 11 automatically creates restore points to be able to roll back the system to an earlier state in case of a problem. These restore points can take up a lot of storage space.
►► How to create a system restore point in Windows 10/11?
7.) Hybrid Hibernation (hiberfil.sys):
- Hibernation file:
When hibernation is enabled, Windows saves the current state of the memory in the hiberfil.sys file on the hard disk so that the same state can be restored the next time the computer is started. This file is often as large as the computer's memory.
►► Hybrid hibernation settings in Windows 10/11 (turn off, deactivate)?
8.) Windows 11 Reserved Storage:
- Windows Reserved Storage:
Windows 11 reserves a certain portion of hard disk space for system and update files to ensure there is always enough space for important tasks.
►► Where is the System Reserved Storage in Windows 11 and 10?
9.) File history and backups:
- File History:
Windows offers the ability to save previous versions of files, which takes up additional storage space.
►► Use File History in Windows 11!
- System backups:
Regular system backups or images of the system can also take up a lot of space on the hard drive.
10.) Windows 11 and the system and application loads:
- Log files:
Windows and various applications create log files that are used to document activities and errors. These files can grow over time and take up disk space.
11.) Memory management in Windows 11:
Windows 11 has built-in tools, such as Storage Optimizer
and Disk Cleanup , that can help manage storage space efficiently by deleting unnecessary files and freeing up memory. In addition, the Settings app
provides an overview of storage distribution and helps identify large files and little-used applications that can be deleted.
►► Delete unnecessary files in Windows 10 with the help of Disk Cleanup!
