[petersun21]

Using the file explorer I see available space 10.1GB, used 14.8. Drill down further

program files: 1GB
users : 2GB
windows : 8GB

other folders are of small sizes in MBs.

where Did the rest go?

I should have 13GB remaining.

did a disk clean up
recycle bin is empty

Did a reset two weeks ago. Need to do another reset right after as advised by MS support. Surface could not do it because of limited disk space. Had to call support.

Any advice?

[inteller]

it keeps a copy of the last version of the apps you have installed. I dunno why, they just do.

[chuks22]

it keeps a copy of the last version of the apps you have installed. I dunno why, they just do.

were does it keep it?

[neova333]

After you refresh windows it creates a windows.old file that takes up a ton of space. Follow the directions here to delete it: Windows.old Folder - Delete in Windows 8

[docfreed]

It keeps it in c:\Windows\softwareDistribution\downloads - I routinely purge this directory -

were does it keep it?

[narv]

Another thing to note which is kind of odd, is that all of the built-in apps have been updated. However Microsoft doesn't remove the old versions of in the windows apps folder. So if you make a new account on your tablet, it will install the factory default versions of the apps and not the updated ones. The way they store stuff on the surface is a bit quirky, I must admit. Needs to be updated for sure.

[petersun21]

Another thing to note which is kind of odd, is that all of the built-in apps have been updated. However Microsoft doesn't remove the old versions of in the windows apps folder. So if you make a new account on your tablet, it will install the factory default versions of the apps and not the updated ones. The way they store stuff on the surface is a bit quirky, I must admit. Needs to be updated for sure.

Just refreshed my surface, remaining space is 14GB now. Is anyone from MS looking for these feedbacks?

[johninsj]

Just refreshed my surface, remaining space is 14GB now. Is anyone from MS looking for these feedbacks?

The forums microsoft officially reads are Surface - Microsoft Community

What exactly do you want to communicate about the disk usage?

[petersun21]

The forums microsoft officially reads are Surface - Microsoft Community

What exactly do you want to communicate about the disk usage?

How did refresh gain 4GB storage? Getting 16GB fresh off production line is bad already. Unexplained loss of storage space is bad enough to get some MS attention. Don't you think?

[petersun21]

added another user without doing anything else -- available space reduced by 1.7GB. I guess MS should have started with 64GB model.

[petersun21]

It keeps it in c:\Windows\softwareDistribution\downloads - I routinely purge this directory -

removed about 1.5GB space. MS -- bring your acts together.

[johninsj]

How did refresh gain 4GB storage? Getting 16GB fresh off production line is bad already. Unexplained loss of storage space is bad enough to get some MS attention. Don't you think?

nope, I sure its behaving exactly as designed, tested, and signed off on.

[petersun21]

nope, I sure its behaving exactly as designed, tested, and signed off on.

I have a touch keyboard. The keyboard is not usable coming out of sleep. Is that by design?
After calling Microsoft, I was advised to reset the surface. I did. The problem is not solved. I was asked to reset it again. Surface cannot reset, complaining not enough space. Is that by design? Or should I ask "Is it behaving as designed?"
If all bugs are by design, I have to say that the design is really bad. I hope that you are not a member of surface team. Otherwise, there is no hope.

[neova333]

I have a touch keyboard. The keyboard is not usable coming out of sleep. Is that by design?
After calling Microsoft, I was advised to reset the surface. I did. The problem is not solved. I was asked to reset it again. Surface cannot reset, complaining not enough space. Is that by design? Or should I ask "Is it behaving as designed?"
If all bugs are by design, I have to say that the design is really bad. I hope that you are not a member of surface team. Otherwise, there is no hope.

Did you follow the instructions to delete the windows.old directory after you refreshed?

[petersun21]

Did you follow the instructions to delete the windows.old directory after you refreshed?

I know that you asked that question with good intent. However, I am sad being asked that question. It should not be any part of the design that an average user should delete a system folder if that folder serves no practical purpose.

[petersun21]

Did you follow the instructions to delete the windows.old directory after you refreshed?

I did follow instructions from Microsoft support. The keyboard problem is solved after firmware update. I have to replace my keyboard for randomly muting issues. Experience with MS support is good.

[neova333]

I know that you asked that question with good intent. However, I am sad being asked that question. It should not be any part of the design that an average user should delete a system folder if that folder serves no practical purpose.

It's there to let you recover any files you may have forgotten to backup. Windows.old gets created whenever you refresh or upgrade the desktop version as well.

[msdugn]

It keeps it in c:\Windows\softwareDistribution\downloads - I routinely purge this directory -

Not a great idea. Windows Update cleans this up every 30 days on its own. Cleaning up this cache preemtively both loses your logs and update installation history (no forensics for troubleshooting or seeing what you've installed when) - as well as clears out updates that have downloaded but not yet installed requiring your machine to re-download them again.

[petersun21]

Great idea or not, it was twice recommended by Microsoft surface support team.

[ZombieBacchus]

It keeps it in c:\Windows\softwareDistribution\downloads - I routinely purge this directory -

I have 5.2 GB of data in that folder!! Can I really purge all that?

[mrpuny]

Not a great idea. Windows Update cleans this up every 30 days on its own. Cleaning up this cache preemtively both loses your logs and update installation history (no forensics for troubleshooting or seeing what you've installed when) - as well as clears out updates that have downloaded but not yet installed requiring your machine to re-download them again.

Unfortunately, this just shows that the Windows team hasn't come to terms with what it means to support mobile devices. Keeping ~5GB of files around for possible troubleshooting later on is fine on a desktop or traditional laptop with lots of storage, but for a device with only ~16GB of user-available storage to begin with, it's a questionable design decision at best.

I've experienced first hand being down to close to 1GB of space remaining on my surface after a few weeks use. That's with no media files on the main drive either; I've got those on a microsd after a bit of hacking to get libraries working with it. (Which is another issue Microsoft needs to straighten out.) After running disk cleanup (some big error reporting files in particular) and clearing out the softwaredistribution/download directory, I was back to nearly 10GB. That's crazy.

I've got no particular difficulty doing things like this, but the whole idea behind Windows 8/Windows RT is that it's supposed to be simpler and more "device-like" for this new era of computing. I don't think sucking up the users' disk space or making them manually clean up after the system is consistent with that goal. Not to mention that this just adds to the meme that Windows is "bloated". No normal person with a Windows table who finds their storage running low is going to say "gosh, I'm so glad MS is keeping all this stuff around for diagnostic purposes on the off chance something goes wrong." They're going to say "Windows is so bloated. Look how quickly a 32GB Surface fills up compared to a 16GB iPad (or Kindle Fire or Nexus tablet)."

Sean

[petersun21]

Unfortunately, this just shows that the Windows team hasn't come to terms with what it means to support mobile devices. Keeping ~5GB of files around for possible troubleshooting later on is fine on a desktop or traditional laptop with lots of storage, but for a device with only ~16GB of user-available storage to begin with, it's a questionable design decision at best.

I've experienced first hand being down to close to 1GB of space remaining on my surface after a few weeks use. That's with no media files on the main drive either; I've got those on a microsd after a bit of hacking to get libraries working with it. (Which is another issue Microsoft needs to straighten out.) After running disk cleanup (some big error reporting files in particular) and clearing out the softwaredistribution/download directory, I was back to nearly 10GB. That's crazy.

I've got no particular difficulty doing things like this, but the whole idea behind Windows 8/Windows RT is that it's supposed to be simpler and more "device-like" for this new era of computing. I don't think sucking up the users' disk space or making them manually clean up after the system is consistent with that goal. Not to mention that this just adds to the meme that Windows is "bloated". No normal person with a Windows table who finds their storage running low is going to say "gosh, I'm so glad MS is keeping all this stuff around for diagnostic purposes on the off chance something goes wrong." They're going to say "Windows is so bloated. Look how quickly a 32GB Surface fills up compared to a 16GB iPad (or Kindle Fire or Nexus tablet)."

Sean

Well stated.

[Julian Chin Chee Jong]

Did a refresh...and received about 6 gigs of space (wth?!). However, some of my non-xbox-live games data is gone and I have to replay all over again. This is messed up.