after factory reset my c drive is full

Question

I finally got windows downloaded on my hp laptop again but the local C drive is full and it can't open the file. I opened the C drive and there are no files or photos since I did a complete factory reset.

Answer 1

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

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See if you can download and install the free version of the TreeSize app. This app will help identify which folders are using up space.

https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free

Then right-click the application shortcut, select "Run as administrator", select the drive to be scanned, and wait for the scan to finish.

Share a screenshot of the TreeSize scan result. Use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

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Looking forward to your reply.

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Answer 2

After a factory reset, the C: drive can show as “full” even when there are no personal files visible if system files, previous Windows installations, or temporary files are taking the space.

Use these steps to check and free space safely in Windows 10:

1. Check actual free space
   1. Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
   2. Select This PC on the left.
   3. Look at Local Disk (C:) to see how much Used and Free space there is.
2. Run Disk Cleanup
   1. In the taskbar search box, type disk cleanup and select it.
   2. When prompted, select drive C: and click OK.
   3. In the list, select the types of files to delete (for example Temporary files, Thumbnails, etc.). Clear any boxes you do not want to delete.
   4. Click OK → Delete files.
   5. To remove more, click Clean up system files, choose C: again, then after it recalculates, select additional items (for example, Previous Windows installation(s) if listed). Deleting a previous Windows installation frees a lot of space but removes the option to go back to the prior version.
3. Use Storage Sense and cleanup recommendations
   1. Select Start > Settings > System > Storage.
   2. Turn on Storage Sense so Windows can automatically remove temporary and unnecessary files.
   3. Use the cleanup recommendations there to remove temporary files and large/unused files.
4. Move personal data off C: (if any appears later) If any personal files or new apps are added later and space is still low:
   1. Connect an external USB drive or SD card.
   2. Move videos, music, photos, and documents from C: to the external drive.
   3. In Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved, change locations so new personal files save to another drive.

If, after Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense, C: still shows almost no free space on a fresh reset, the internal drive may be very small or damaged. In that case, backing up any new data and performing another reset or a clean reinstall using a recovery drive may be needed.

To reinstall using a recovery drive if required:

1. Create a recovery USB on another Windows PC using Recovery Drive (search for Recovery Drive or run recoverydrive.exe, select Back up system files to the recovery drive, then create it on an empty USB).
2. Boot the HP laptop from that USB.
3. In Windows Recovery Environment, choose Recover from a drive, then follow the prompts to reinstall Windows. This will remove apps and files on that PC, so back up anything important first.

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References:

• Free up drive space in Windows
• Fix low disk space errors quickly in Windows
• Recovery Drive
• Recovery options in Windows
• Reset your PC