A new PC shows 40 GB used before you install anything
Windows, the recovery partition, preinstalled software and the reserve. What each costs and which of it you can remove.
Set up a new PC, open Settings, and a substantial share of the drive is used before you have copied a single file. Nothing is wrong, and on a 256 GB machine it is worth understanding precisely.
What the space is
| Component | Roughly | Can you remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| Windows itself | 20 to 30 GB | No |
| Reserved storage | About 7 GB | Yes, and updates may then fail |
| Recovery partition | 500 MB to 1 GB | No, and you would not want to |
| OEM recovery image | 10 to 20 GB on some brands | Sometimes, via the maker's tool |
| Preinstalled software | 2 to 10 GB | Yes, most of it |
| Hibernation file | 40 to 100 percent of RAM | Yes |
| Page file | Sized to use | Leave it |
The OEM recovery image is the big one
Several manufacturers ship a factory image on a separate partition so the machine can be restored without media. It can be 20 GB. Some makers provide a tool that writes it to a USB drive and then removes the partition, which is the supported way to reclaim it, and it means keeping that USB drive safe forever.
Preinstalled software
Trials, toolbars, duplicate media players and a security suite that expires in 30 days. Settings, Apps, sorted by size, removes them cleanly, and doing it on day one is far easier than a year later, which is the same leftovers problem as anything else.
What not to remove
The recovery partition itself, which is how Windows repairs and resets itself, and reserved storage, which exists so updates have room. Both are small next to the OEM image and both are genuinely load bearing.
A realistic baseline
Expect 40 to 60 GB used on a freshly set up PC before your own files, more on a machine with a manufacturer's recovery image. On a 256 GB drive that is a quarter of it, which is the arithmetic behind living with a small SSD.
Common questions
Why is my new PC's drive already full?
Windows itself is 20 to 30 GB, plus reserved storage, a recovery partition, preinstalled software and the hibernation file. A baseline of 40 to 60 GB before your own files is normal.
Can I delete the recovery partition?
Not the Windows one, which is how the machine repairs and resets itself. A separate OEM factory image partition can often be removed with the manufacturer's tool after writing it to a USB drive.
How do I remove preinstalled software?
Settings, Apps, sorted by size. Removing it on day one is far easier than later, when its folders and background services have had time to spread.
How much space does Windows 11 need?
Around 20 to 30 GB installed, plus roughly 7 GB of reserved storage for updates, plus the hibernation and page files which are sized against your hardware.