In addition to your personal files and folders, the Windows Bone itself takes up a lot of infinite on your computer. With a fleck of searching, you can observe hidden Windows caches that are safe to clear if you demand to reclaim space.

However, there are several other Windows default files and folders that yous should get out alone. Messing with these could result in an unstable arrangement, loss of data, or other negative consequences. Let's talk over some places that most users shouldn't mess with when they're looking through the Windows file system.

1. Program Files and Program Files (x86)

Located at C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86)

Whenever you install software, you usually open up an EXE file and run through an installation process (if non, you're using a portable app). During this time, the app creates an entry for itself in the Program Files folder, adds Registry values, and performs other tasks that information technology needs to work properly on your arrangement.

Thus, if you head into the Program Files folder, yous'll observe folders for almost programs you accept installed. Non every installed plan keeps its information here, merely many exercise.

Windows Program Files

With rare exceptions, you should never demand to bear on a program'due south information in these folders. They contain configuration information that the plan needs to function. If you start messing with these, you could spiral up an app and have to reinstall information technology.

Further, when you desire to uninstall software, the proper style to do information technology is through Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Deleting an app's binder from Program Files doesn't remove other references to information technology on your organisation, and thus is non a make clean uninstall.

If you're using a 32-chip version of Windows, you can only install 32-bit software and thus will only take one Program Files folder. On 64-bit Windows versions, yous'll see an boosted Program Files (x86) folder. Your calculator stores 32-bit software at that place, while 64-scrap uniform software goes in the standard Program Files folder.

The only reason you should accept to become into these folders is to manually edit config files or similar, possibly if a game isn't working right.

2. System32

Located at C:\Windows\System32

Nigh everything in the C:\Windows binder could autumn under this listing, simply the System32 folder deserves special attention. It holds hundreds of DLL files that are essential to your calculator running properly. In addition, information technology contains organisation programs.

Some examples include the service that handles sound on your PC, files that are essential to booting into Windows, resources that make fonts brandish correctly, and more. Too contained in this folder are executables for default Windows programs. For case, calc.exe launches the Calculator, while mspaint.exe launches Microsoft Paint.

While well-nigh people won't have a adept reason to ever visit System32, this folder has been the topic of a long-running internet joke. Some people like to mess with novice users and tell them that System32 is a virus, or that deleting it will make their computers run faster.

Apparently, since the binder is critical to Windows functioning, messing with information technology could mean having to reinstall Windows. Thankfully, yous can't but delete System32 with one click in near cases. Windows has several protections built in to terminate y'all from deleting critical folders. We've looked more closely at System32, if yous're interested.

3. Page File

Located at C:\pagefile.sys (Note that yous won't see this file unless you click the View tab in File Explorer, choose Options > View, and uncheck Hide protected operating system files. Nosotros don't recommend doing this, though.)

Random-admission retention, or RAM, within your computer is responsible for temporarily holding open programs. When you open an instance of Microsoft Give-and-take, for instance, it's placed in RAM for quick access. This is why having more RAM allows you to run several programs meantime (bank check out our guide to RAM for more groundwork info).

If your concrete RAM starts to fill, Windows uses what's called a page file or swap file. This is a dedicated portion of your storage bulldoze that acts similar RAM. If you have enough RAM on your computer, you should rarely ever see the page file accept effect.

However, relying on the page file oft will affect performance, as storage drives are much slower than RAM (specially if you lot have a slower hd instead of a modern solid-state drive).

If you run a scan to see what'south taking up infinite on your calculator, chances are that the folio file takes up several gigabytes. You might be tempted to disable it to save space, but that's not a good thought. Without a page file, when your RAM maxes out, programs might start crashing instead of swapping into that extra memory.

Windows lets you manage your virtual memory if you must, but nigh people should let the operating system manage this automatically. If you've got memory problems with your machine, you can free upwardly RAM on your PC, but the proper solution is to add more RAM to your system.

Windows Virtual Memory with Background

4. System Volume Information

Located at C:\System Volume Information (This is also hidden if Hibernate protected operating organization files is checked.)

Another large folder that doesn't have an obvious purpose, the System Volume Data folder actually contains several important Windows functions. In fact, when you try to access it, Windows will give y'all an Access Denied error.

This folder contains the System Restore points that your computer creates so yous tin jump dorsum in fourth dimension to reverse changes. To decrease this folder'southward size, you can type Restore Point into the Commencement Menu and click Create a Restore Point. In this window, click your C: drive and choose Configure.

You can slide the Max Usage bar to a certain amount to reduce the infinite that Arrangement Restore uses, but beware that this decreases your options if you lot need to do a restoration in the future.

Windows 10 system restore point

Bated from restore points, Arrangement Book Data too includes data that Windows uses to alphabetize your drives. Without this, searches that take an instant would irksome to a crawl. It also holds the Book Shadow Copy service that's required for file backups.

Like other of import folders, you should stay away from this 1. Don't try to gain access to it or make changes—Windows needs its contents for salubrious functioning and at that place'due south no reason for you to edit information technology.

5. WinSxS

Located at C:\Windows\WinSxS

WinSxS stands for Windows Next and was created in response to an issue that fabricated working with Windows 9x versions a pain. The colloquial term "DLL Hell" describes the problems that arise when dynamic link library (DLL) files conflict, indistinguishable, or intermission.

To fix this, Microsoft started using the WinSxS binder to collect multiple versions of every DLL and load them on demand when Windows runs a program. This increases compatibility, such as when a program needs access to an older DLL that's no longer part of Windows.

The longer y'all use Windows, the bigger this folder becomes. As y'all might guess, trying to option and cull files to delete out of this is a bad idea. You shouldn't ever visit this folder directly; instead, use the Disk Cleanup tool as part of a holistic Windows cleaning routine to articulate out unneeded files.

Windows 10 Storage Settings

vi. D3DSCache

Located at C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local

We conclude with a folder that isn't as critical for operating system tasks as the above, but is nevertheless worth mentioning equally many people wonder what it is. D3DSCache is a folder that contains cached information for Microsoft's Direct3D API.

This is part of DirectX, which is used for graphics display in games and other visually intensive software. Y'all shouldn't need to touch the files inside under normal circumstances, and they only take upwards a few megabytes. Yet, if yous're experiencing game crashes related to graphics files, immigration this cache may be a useful pace.

7. RUXIM

Located at C:\Program Files\RUXIM

RUXIM, or "Reusable UX Integration Managing director," is a folder that has a couple of executables inside. These, according to Microsoft'southward Windows 10 required Windows diagnostic events and fields page, are primarily information drove processes. The page describes various processes, stating that "The data nerveless with this event is used to assist keep Windows upwardly to appointment."

While this isn't a mission-disquisitional folder like some of the above, there'south still no reason to bear upon it. The files inside aid Windows Update run smoothly, which will hopefully help you avoid whatsoever hiccups with updates in the future.

Keep Your Hands Off These System Folders

Windows keeps many of its folders subconscious for a reason. The average user doesn't accept whatever reason to bear upon these resources directly, as Windows provides means to manage them that won't take a chance damage to your system.

When you meet a file in a hidden folder that y'all don't know about, it's best to Google it first so you don't end up dissentious your organisation. Don't forget to make regular backups too, and then you lot tin recover your data if something ever goes wrong.

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Almost The Author

Ben Stegner (1807 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Chief at MakeUseOf. He left his IT job to write full-time in 2016 and has never looked back. He'due south been roofing tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more as a professional person writer for over 8 years.

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