Windows 11 bug steals 8.63GB of storage space that you can’t get back

Following the latest major update to Windows 11, your PC will show 8.63GB of files that you cannot delete.

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What you need to know

Microsoft rolled out theWindows 11 2024 Updaterecently, bringing new features and performance improvements to PCs. Unfortunately, the update also brings a bug that effectively steals 8.63GB of storage on your system. Following the update, PCs will show 8.63GB of files in the “Windows Update Cleanup” section of Temporary files. While Windows presents an option to delete the files, electing to do so fails to clear a PC’s storage.

After updating to a new version of Windows 11, it’s normal to see a sizeable group of files, but Windows gives you the option to delete those files. That does not appear to be the case after the Windows 11 2024 Update.

Some debate if the 8.63GB of files stuck on systems is due to a bug or not. Windows has allowed you to delete these types of files for years, so it seems unlikely that would change. Even if there was a change to Windows 11 that resulted in those files having to stay in place, it would be an issue to show them in Storage Sense. Having Storage Sense show 8.63GB of files that can be deleted only to not be able to delete those files is a poor user experience.

The storage issue has been flagged up several times across the web, including byEleven Forum membersand people on theMy Digital Life forum.Windows Latestcovered the phenomenon, and we have been able to replicate the issue on several PCs as well.

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What’s new in Windows 11 2024 Update?

Hopefully Microsoft fixes the storage bug seen in the Windows 11 2024 Update, because the update delivers several improvements. In addition to a lengthy list of new features and changes, Microsoft made significant changes to the underlying platform of Windows when making Windows 11 version 24H2. As a result, there’s a noticeable performance improvement when running the latest version of the operating system.

While the Windows 11 2024 Update is meant for PCs with official support for the update, evenunsupported systems have seen a performance bumpafter upgrading.

Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest changes brought by the Windows 11 2024 Update, aslisted by our Senior Editor Zac Bowden:

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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.