HomeWinBuzzer TipsHow to Enable or Disable Windows 10 Reserved Storage

How to Enable or Disable Windows 10 Reserved Storage

We show you how to modify your Windows 10 reserved storage so you can get an accurate picture of your hard drive space or prevent errors.

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Starting with build 18298, introduced a slightly controversial feature called reserved . Rather than trust the user to maintain enough space for Windows updates and other system tasks, it decided to automatically dedicate and close off space.

What is reserved storage and how does it work?

Windows 10 needs some space to be able to function correctly. Though it can do a lot with a small amount, being close to your storage limit is likely to impede performance and result in failed updates which could contain vital fixes or security mitigations. Reserved storage is a relatively new feature introduced to Windows to combat that scenario.

When reserves storage is enabled, Microsoft essentially lies to the user about the free space that's available on the PC. Temporary and update files are stored in a hidden reserved storage section of the hard drive and don't affect the available space you see in File Explorer.

As a result, those who want to free up space in Windows 10 or are looking for a more accurate picture may be wondering how to disable system reserved storage on Windows 10. Those who keep running into the “This computer does not have enough space for temporary files”, or “Your disk is almost full” errors may want to enable it. We're going to show you how to do both today, as well as how to check your reserved storage size so you can make that decision.

How to Check Windows 10 Reserved Storage Size via Settings

Microsoft handily provides an overview of your reserved storage disk use through its storage settings menu.

  1. Open system settings


    Press “Windows + I” to open the settings menu, then click “System”.

    Windows 10 - Settings

  2. Click “Storage”, then “Show more categories”


    If your reserve Windows 10 information is not showing, you can continue to the next steps to check via command line.

    Windows 10 - Settings - System - Storage

  3. Click “System & reserved”


    Microsoft will show you how much space is reserved for your Windows 10 and reserved storage, but now how much is just used for reserved until you click the heading.

    Windows 10 - Settings - Storage - System & reserved

  4. Check system reserved storage space in Windows 10


    Windows 10 - Settings - Storage - System & reserved - Details

How to Check Reserved Storage Size in Windows 10 via Command Prompt

For a quicker, yet less user-friendly route, you can check how much space system reserved storage is using via command prompt.

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt


    Press the “Windows” key and type “cmd”, then select “Run as administrator” in the side menu.

    Windows 10 - Start - CMD as admin

  2. Check your reversed storage size


    In command prompt, type the following and press “Enter”:

    fsutil storagereserve query C:

    Windows 10 should give you three outputs, which will show all of the reserved storage on your C: drive.

    Windows 10 - CMD admin - fsutil storagereserve query

How to Check and Enable / Disable Windows 10 Reserved Storage via CMD

Alternatively, you can check, enable or disable reserved storage size via DISM in command prompt.

  1. Open Command Prompt as an Administrator


    Press “Start” and type “cmd”, then right-click “Command Prompt” and select “Run as administrator”.

    Windows 10 - Open CMD

  2. Check is reserved storage is turned on


    First, make sure reserved storage is enabled by typing the following command and pressing “Enter”:

    DISM /Online /Get-ReservedStorageState

    Windows 10 - CMD admin - DISM Get-ReservedStorageState

  3. Enable or Disable Reserved Storage in Windows 10


    To enable reserved storage, type:

    DISM /Online /Set-ReservedStorageState /State:Enabled

    Or, to disable it, enter:

    DISM /Online /Set-ReservedStorageState /State:Disabled

    Windows 10 - CMD admin - DISM Set-ReservedStorageState

How to Check Windows 10 Reserved Storage State via PowerShell

If you prefer PowerShell over Command Prompt, you can also check the system reserved storage status there:

  1. Open PowerShell as admin


    Press “Windows + X” to open the Start flyout menu and click “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”.

    Windows 10 - Open PowerShell as Admin

  2. Check your system reserved storage status


    In PowerShell, enter the following command:

    Get-WindowsReservedStorageState

    It will return “ReservedStorageState : Enabled” if it's enabled for your device.

    Windows 10 - Powershell admin - Get-WindowsReservedStorageState

Enable or Disable Windows 10 Reserved Storage via Registry Hack

If you don't want to run any commands, you can enable or disable Windows 10 reserved storage via a registry file, which you can download here.

  1. Download and Extract the files


    Once they're extracted, you'll see two .reg files, “Disable_Windows 10_Reserved_Storage.reg” and “Enable_Windows 10 Reserved_Storage.reg”. Click the one that's relevant to you.

    Windows 10 - Windows 10 Reserved Storage Registry Hack

  2. Click “Yes” on the UAC prompt


    Windows 10 - Windows 10 Reserved Storage Registry Hack - UAC check

  3. Click “Yes” to the security prompt


    Windows 10 - Windows 10 Reserved Storage Registry Hack - Registry Editor check

Check your status with PowerShell or CMD again to make sure the changes stuck. If you found this tutorial helpful, you may also want to check out our guide on using compactOS to free up space and cleaning up the WinSxS folder.

Ryan Maskell
Ryan Maskellhttps://ryanmaskell.co.uk
Ryan has had a passion for gaming and technology since early childhood. Fusing the skills from his Creative Writing and Publishing degree with profound technical knowledge, he enjoys covering news about Microsoft. As an avid writer, he is also working on his debut novel.
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