Starting with the May 2019 update, Windows 10 reserves approximately 7 GB of device storage space for optional updates and files . In this way the system will be able to install the next updates automatically, without those disk space problems that in the past could have been impeding. This Windows 10 reserved storage space, although technically a free space, is reported as being occupied by the system and is not available for saving personal files.
Before, if there was not enough free disk space on the PC, Windows could not have installed the updates correctly and the only solution was to free up space before continuing. Instead, with the " reserved space " feature, Microsoft makes Windows 10 reserve at least 7 gigabytes of disk space to ensure that updates are downloaded, regardless of the amount of space available. When not used by update files, the reserved space will be used for apps, temporary files and system cache, improving the daily functionality of the PC.
At this point the question arises: you can disable the Windows 10 reserved space to recover the 7 GB that it normally occupies "> Free up space on Windows 10 automatically with the Memory Sensor function
To check, go to Settings> System> Storage, then press on " Show other categories " and press on System files and reserved space . Here, if it is enabled, you will find a Reserved Space entry which occupies about 7 GB.
From the Start menu, write Optional functions to enter the settings menu which lists the tools installed in Windows 10 that can be removed and which can always be reinstalled from the same screen by pressing on Add a feature .
To disable Spazio Riservato in Windows 10 it is necessary, however, to be administrator of the computer and change a registry key (if it has never been done to date, I recommend leaving it alone).
Then go to the Start menu, type regedit on the keyboard and start the Registry Editor . Here, use the text box at the top and paste the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ ReserveManager
On the right side of the window, you will find a key with the name ShippedWithReservese with value 1. Double click on it to change the value from 1 to 0. Restarting the computer, Windows 10 will deactivate the reserved space and will not show it among the categories of system files in the storage settings.
On PCs that have installed Windows 10 1903 after an update, the reserved space will be automatically enabled on the next update if the ShippedWithReservese key has value 1. If you set this key to 0, it will not be activated even with the next update.
If you proceed to deactivate the reserved space by changing the registry key, to re-enable it you must restore value 1 to the ShippedWithReservese key. If the key does not exist, you can right-click on the white space and create a DWord32 key with the name ShippedWithReservese and value 1 or 0.
Before, if there was not enough free disk space on the PC, Windows could not have installed the updates correctly and the only solution was to free up space before continuing. Instead, with the " reserved space " feature, Microsoft makes Windows 10 reserve at least 7 gigabytes of disk space to ensure that updates are downloaded, regardless of the amount of space available. When not used by update files, the reserved space will be used for apps, temporary files and system cache, improving the daily functionality of the PC.
At this point the question arises: you can disable the Windows 10 reserved space to recover the 7 GB that it normally occupies "> Free up space on Windows 10 automatically with the Memory Sensor function
Check if your PC has a reserved space
Reserved space is activated by default after a clean new installation of Windows 10 version 1903. If version 1903 is installed by updating from a previous version of Windows 10, the Reserved space is not enabled and will not be enabled until the next update ( for example on my PC I don't have it, we will see at the end of the guide how to activate the reserved space).To check, go to Settings> System> Storage, then press on " Show other categories " and press on System files and reserved space . Here, if it is enabled, you will find a Reserved Space entry which occupies about 7 GB.
Manage the reserved space and decrease it if more than 7 GB
If you notice that the reserved space of Windows 10 occupies more than 7 GB, it means that there are many optional features enabled or other languages installed. You can reduce this excess of reserved space by turning off optional Windows 10 features and uninstalling the languages you don't need.From the Start menu, write Optional functions to enter the settings menu which lists the tools installed in Windows 10 that can be removed and which can always be reinstalled from the same screen by pressing on Add a feature .
Disable the reserved space
This type of disk management that Windows 10 does may suggest that the system is using 7 GB of extra storage space, while instead it is only a way in which temporary files and update files are categorized which would still be kept in a other location on the system unit. On a PC with an almost full SSD or with little storage capacity, you can still disable this reserved space to recover at least a part of the space that is occupied by Windows 10. Since most of the Windows 10 PCs in use in the world does not yet have this function (because it remains disabled in Windows 10 1903 if the update from the previous version has been made).To disable Spazio Riservato in Windows 10 it is necessary, however, to be administrator of the computer and change a registry key (if it has never been done to date, I recommend leaving it alone).
Then go to the Start menu, type regedit on the keyboard and start the Registry Editor . Here, use the text box at the top and paste the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ ReserveManager
On the right side of the window, you will find a key with the name ShippedWithReservese with value 1. Double click on it to change the value from 1 to 0. Restarting the computer, Windows 10 will deactivate the reserved space and will not show it among the categories of system files in the storage settings.
On PCs that have installed Windows 10 1903 after an update, the reserved space will be automatically enabled on the next update if the ShippedWithReservese key has value 1. If you set this key to 0, it will not be activated even with the next update.
If you proceed to deactivate the reserved space by changing the registry key, to re-enable it you must restore value 1 to the ShippedWithReservese key. If the key does not exist, you can right-click on the white space and create a DWord32 key with the name ShippedWithReservese and value 1 or 0.
