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Surface laptop1 After fresh installation of windows 11 , it become slow and took 143 GB without any software install

M An 0 Reputation points
2026-05-31T08:53:06.6866667+00:00

My Windows 11 was corrupted even i tried to Reset (there was a problem to resetting your PC .) and repair but did not work . So i have to install fresh windows11 by Pen-drive but after installation it occupied 143 GB without any software installation and it become very slow .

My laptop have 256GB storage but it show only 236GB space , is it normal ?

Surface | Surface Laptop | Performance and maintenance

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  1. Lychee-Ng 20,950 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-01T13:21:41.5066667+00:00

    Hi M An,

    I understand how worrying it is to see your storage clouded with Temporary files, 143 GB used and slow performance, especially right after a reinstall. That's definitely not normal, and possibly points to residues of failures during the process. To make space for your system, consider trying the solutions below:

    1 - Use Disk Cleanup 

    • Press Windows key > type Disk Cleanup and open
    • Select C:\ drive > click Clean up system files
    • Check all the places you want to clear, e.g.
      • Previous Windows installation
      • Windows update
      • Temporary files
    • Click OK > wait for it to finish > check Storage again.

    2 - Use PC Manager (if available for you)

    • Download from Microsoft PC Manager > install and run
    • Open Storage section > follow the app’s suggestions
    • On the Home panel > PC boost > click Boost
    • See if your system is lighter and faster.

    If after cleanup it’s still showing very large usage, let me know what remains. Screenshots are appreciated, but remember to hide any personal information!

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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  2. M An 0 Reputation points
    2026-05-31T09:33:37.6533333+00:00

    User's image

    can you suggest how can i delete these file from above picture

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  3. AI answer

    2026-05-31T08:53:21.4366667+00:00

    On a 256 GB Surface Laptop, seeing about 236 GB total usable space is normal. Part of the advertised capacity is used for system partitions, recovery, and formatting overhead, so the usable capacity is always lower than the nominal drive size.

    If Windows 11 is using around 143 GB on a fresh install and performance is slow, check how storage is being used and then free space or reset if needed:

    1. View detailed storage usage
      1. Open Settings > System > Storage.
      2. Review the breakdown (for example: System & reserved, Temporary files, Installed apps, etc.).
      3. If System & reserved is unusually large, that is where most of the 143 GB is being used.
    2. Use Storage Sense and Cleanup recommendations
      1. In Settings > System > Storage, turn on Storage Sense to automatically remove temporary files and items in the Recycle Bin.
      2. Select Cleanup recommendations and review:
        • Temporary files
        • Large or unused files
        • Files synced to the cloud
        • Unused apps
      3. Select items to remove and choose Clean up for each section.
    3. Check for low‑space impact on performance
      • If the system drive is close to full, Windows can slow down. After cleanup, ensure there is a reasonable amount of free space.
      • If updates are failing due to low space, use the guidance in the Windows update storage articles or consider reinstalling Windows again if corruption persists.
    4. Consider reset/reinstall if corruption returns
      • If performance issues continue and storage usage still looks abnormal after cleanup, using Reset this PC (with Remove everything or Keep my files) or reinstalling Windows with installation media can restore the system to a clean state. Before doing this, back up important files and ensure any BitLocker recovery key is available.

    For future prevention, saving new personal files to another drive or using cloud storage (such as OneDrive Files On-Demand) can help avoid filling the system drive.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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