It’s possible to use certain programmes to completely de-feature Windows 10. Bloatware can be eliminated by using certain tools. Some organisations cut back on services that may appear pointless at first, but end up being useful in certain conditions.
The size of your Windows 10 installation is important, so let’s examine several ways to reduce it.
Can You Tell Me How Much Disk Space Windows 10 Requires?
Windows 10 launched with a lower footprint than Windows 8. This situation is no longer relevant, but more on that shortly.
Microsoft was able to reduce the operating system footprint by streamlining the code, migrating users, and introducing new features during the development gap between the two operating systems. The burden was on working with constrained mobile devices despite the arrival of Windows 10 with a fair scattering of new capabilities.
Just How Massive is Microsoft’s Latest Operating System, Windows 10?
Disappointing information was included in the Windows 10 May 2019 update. Microsoft utilised the update to boost the minimum required memory for installing Windows 10 to 32GB from the previous 16GB for 32-bit and 20GB for 64-bit.
Because of a change in how Windows 10 updates are handled, the file size has ballooned dramatically. In the past, it was necessary to wait until there was sufficient storage space on the host device before downloading and installing an update. However, 7GB of disc space is permanently reserved by the Windows 10 May 1903 update to guarantee the successful installation of future upgrades.
Users of standard computer desktops and laptops shouldn’t have any trouble meeting the size requirement. However, those with mobile devices and limited storage space will, especially since it can be quite difficult to add more space to many mobile devices.
What exactly does this mean for people running Windows 10 on low-capacity devices?
You will be unable to upgrade from Windows 10 version 1809 for the rest of its supported life. As of May 12, 2020, Microsoft no longer provided updates or fixes for Windows 10 version 1809. Those still on 1809 have the option of using the long-term maintenance branch, which will provide bug fixes and security upgrades until January 2024 and then security fixes solely until January 2029.
The Microsoft Answers forum, TenForums, and Reddit are just some of the locations where frustrated Windows 10 customers have posted in hopes of receiving assistance. The most popular piece of advise given to people who are stuck on Windows 1809 is to upgrade to the most recent version of Windows 10.
How Does Windows 10 Reduce Storage Usage?
Microsoft bragged that Windows 10 “leverages an effective compression mechanism to compress system files” when it was released. “about 1.5 GB of storage for 32-bit and 2.6 GB of storage for 64-bit Windows” is what the operating system compression yielded.
You can use Microsoft’s operating system with your current set of devices. Windows 10 does not compress a normal file list but rather calculates the likelihood of a file being recalled based on the amount of RAM available. Similarly, Windows 10 will compress more files to begin with if your system has a fast CPU, providing even greater initial space savings.
Operating System (OS) and WIMBOOT That Are Compact
Updates to WIMBOOT contribute to Windows 10’s compression for smaller devices (Windows Image Boot). With WIMBOOT, “specially prepared Windows 8.1 devices can have all the goodness of an efficient compression method without compromising responsiveness,” as Microsoft put it at the time. Unfortunately, only a select few Windows 8.1 machines were WIMBOOT ready.
The release of Windows 10 changed that. There is no separation between WIMBOOT and Windows 10; the mechanism for compression is built in. The previous moniker has been dropped in favour of CompactOS.
The removal of the recovery partition, which typically occupies roughly 4GB of space, is the greatest possible saving that CompactOS can make. However, a custom recovery partition is typically bloated with unnecessary software and eats up much more space than the operating system itself.
Minimizing Windows 10 Setup Size
Let’s have a look at a couple other simple approaches to decreasing Windows 10’s footprint during setup.
1: Purge Windows 10 of Unneeded Programs
The bloatware included with Windows 10 is about average (or excessive, depending on your perspective). Microsoft 3D Builder, Candy Crush Saga, Groove Music, Money, Weather, Music, Sports, and many more are just some of the pre-installed apps that come with Windows 10. Obviously, most Windows 10 users will have their own preferred version of these programmes. However, Microsoft provides them in sets.
2: Decrease or eliminate the Hiberfil.sys process.
Hibernation is enabled by default in Windows 10, which is installed on your computer. If you have a lot of space to store things, this isn’t necessarily a negative thing. The hibernation storage file, hiberfil.sys, is where your system’s vital statistics are kept safe and sound. The operating system can quickly resume from hibernation thanks to the file containing the necessary parameters.
You can tell how much RAM your computer has by looking at the size of the hiberfil.sys file. It can also take up to 75% of that space. In the case of a computer with 8 GB of RAM, the hiberfil.sys file could consume as much as 6 GB of that space (hard drive storage, not your RAM). The hiberfil.sys file will expand to fill available RAM.
Are you looking to disable it?
- In the Start menu’s search bar, type command prompt, then right-click the first result and select Run as Administrator.
- Just type “powercfg /hibernate off” now. The hibernate mode has been disabled.
- In order to activate it again, type powercfg /hibernate on at the command prompt. I’ll say it again: that’s all there is.
