How to disable ‘Reserved Storage’ on Windows 10

If the Reserved Storage feature available with Windows 10 version 1903 isn't for you, use these steps to disable it.

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@Pureinfotech
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Reserved Storage disabled on Windows 10
Reserved Storage disabled on Windows 10

On Windows 10, Reserved Storage is a feature designed to allocate part of your device available storage for updates and avoid problems as a result of not enough space.

Reserved Storage usually will reserve around 7GB of storage for updates, temporary files, system cache, and apps. When a new update is available, Windows 10 will delete the files on the reserved storage automatically allowing updates to install successfully.

The new feature will come enabled by default on devices that come pre-installed with the May 2019 Update, or after performing a clean installation of the operating system, and if this feature isn’t for you because your device has limited space or you don’t like the feature, there’s a workaround to disable it modifying the Registry.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to disable Reserved Storage on Windows 10 version 1903.

How to disable ‘Reserved Storage’ on Windows 10

To disable the Reserved Storage feature to reclaim disk space, use these steps:

Warning: It’s very important to note that modifying the Windows Registry can cause serious problems if not used properly. It’s assumed you know what you’re doing and that you have created a full backup of your system before proceeding.

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for regedit, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Browse the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ReserveManager

  4. Double-click the ShippedWithReserves key, and change its value from 1 to 0.

    Disable Reserved Storage on Windows 10
    Disable Reserved Storage on Windows 10

  5. Click the OK button.

After completing the steps, reboot your computer to apply the changes, but the feature won’t be disable until the next upgrade.

How to check ‘Reserved Storage’ is disabled on Windows 10

If you want to see if Reserved Storage has been disabled after installing a new version of Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click on Storage.

  4. Click the Show more categories link.

    Storage settings with Show more categories
    Storage settings with Show more categories

  5. Click the System & reserved item.

  6. The “Reserved Storage” section should not be available to indicate that the feature is disabled.

    Reserved Storage on Windows 10
    Reserved Storage on Windows 10

If you’re still seeing the Reserved Storage section, it’s probably that you didn’t apply the settings correctly or you haven’t upgraded to a newer version after modifying the Registry.

You can revert the changes to enable the feature using these steps.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].