large 'recovery' folder

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large 'recovery' folder

Alana Perry 20

Can I delete it? It contains a file called 'ReAgentOld.xml', a folder called 'Customizations' with one giant 2.5gb file called 'usmt.ppkg' and a folder called 'OEM' with lots of small files and folders

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Answer 1

Marcin Policht 49,715 MVP Volunteer Moderator

In general, you could delete the Recovery folder on Windows 10 only if you are absolutely certain of what its contents are and you have created a full system backup.

Recovery\ReAgentOld.xml is an old recovery agent configuration file, typically created when the recovery environment (WinRE) is reconfigured or disabled temporarily. It’s generally safe to delete only this file, but only if you’re not planning to use recovery tools soon.

Recovery\Customizations\usmt.ppkg is a provisioning package created by the User State Migration Tool (USMT). It's used during system provisioning (e.g., setting up a new PC or reinstalling Windows) and can include user profiles, settings, apps. A 2.5GB size suggests it contains significant data. If you're not using provisioning packages, this could be old or unused, but again—be cautious.

Recovery\OEM are OEM-provided recovery tools or customization files. Often, they are used by the manufacturer to reinstall or reset Windows to factory state and provide branded recovery tools. Deleting this folder could remove your ability to reset your PC to factory defaults.

Before you delete any of them:

Create a full system image backup before deleting anything (use Windows Backup or third-party tools like Macrium Reflect).
If you're low on space and certain you won’t need factory reset, you can move the files to an external drive instead of deleting outright.
If this is a custom-built PC (not OEM), the OEM folder might be less critical—but still, double-check.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

Alana Perry 20 Reputation points

2025-06-15T05:45:22.33+00:00

usmt.ppkg is my main concern because it takes the most space. I did a google search and got mixed results. can you tell me more about it so I can be sure whether I can delete it
Marcin Policht 49,715 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-06-15T11:23:44.2+00:00

usmt.ppkg is a so-called provisioning package created using the User State Migration Tool (USMT). It's part of Windows provisioning, which is a way for IT departments or OEMs to migrate user data from one computer to another. It usually contains user profiles (i.e. personal data stored on the original computer being migrated from and the corresponding app settings. It is also found on OEM-installed machines (e.g., Dell, HP, Lenovo) or devices set up via Windows Autopilot. On those systems, it helps during the first-time setup (Out-of-Box Experience) and when resetting Windows to the preloaded configuration. However, it is not critical for regular use once the PC is fully set up.

You can delete usmt.ppkg if you're not using provisioning, Autopilot, or an OEM-specific recovery/reset process, you don’t plan to reset your PC back to its “factory” configuration using the built-in Reset this PC feature with OEM settings and you have created a full system backup, just in case.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Alana Perry 20 Reputation points

2025-06-16T03:57:06.14+00:00

So is it only used for migrating between devices and it's useless if I'm at the point of normally using my computer?

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large 'recovery' folder

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