How to Disable Reserved Storage in Windows 10

Reserved storage in Windows 10 sets aside a portion of your system drive for updates and temporary files, which can consume several gigabytes on smaller SSDs. Disabling it frees up that space for your own use, though it may slightly increase the risk of update failures if the drive fills up. You can turn it off using a registry tweak or a PowerShell command, both covered below. You’ll need administrator access to your PC.

What You’ll Need

• A Windows 10 PC with administrator privileges
• Access to either the Registry Editor or PowerShell (both come with Windows)
• Enough free space on the system drive to complete the change

Step-by-Step

There are two reliable methods. Choose the one you’re comfortable with.

Method 1: Using the Registry Editor

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type regedit and press Enter. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.
3. Navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ReserveManager

4. In the right pane, look for a DWORD value named ShippedWithReserves. If it doesn’t exist, right-click an empty area, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it ShippedWithReserves.
5. Double-click ShippedWithReserves and set its value data to 0. Click OK.
6. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Method 2: Using PowerShell

1. Right-click the Start button and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.
3. Copy and paste the following command, then press Enter:

   Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ReserveManager" -Name "ShippedWithReserves" -Value 0

4. Wait for the command to complete. It should return no output if successful.
5. Restart your PC to apply the change.

After restarting, reserved storage is disabled. The space that was previously set aside will be gradually reclaimed by Windows as it clears temporary files, which can take a few days. You can verify the status by checking the storage settings (Settings > System > Storage) and looking for the “System & reserved” section.

Common Mistakes

• Typing the registry path incorrectly – Ensure you use the exact path with the correct capitalization and backslashes. A typo can lead to the wrong key or an error.
• Not setting the value to 0 – Some guides suggest deleting the key, but that can cause issues. Setting it to 0 is the intended method.
• Forgetting to restart – The change only takes effect after a full restart. Simply closing the editor or PowerShell won’t apply it.
• Using a 64-bit value on 32-bit Windows – The DWORD type is the same on both architectures; don’t change it to QWORD.
• Not running PowerShell as administrator – The command will fail with an access denied error if you don’t have admin rights.

Tips

• Before making changes, consider creating a system restore point (Control Panel > System > System Protection > Create) so you can revert if something goes wrong.
• If you have a large drive (500 GB or more), reserved storage is usually not a concern. On smaller drives (128 GB or less), disabling it can free up meaningful space.
• After disabling reserved storage, keep an eye on your free space. If you regularly run low on space, Windows may not be able to install updates properly. In that case, you can re-enable it by setting the value back to 1.
• If you’re using a third-party disk cleanup tool, it may not recognize the reserved storage area. Using the built-in Storage Sense is safer.

Troubleshooting

The change doesn’t seem to take effect. After restarting, the reserved storage may still appear in the storage settings. This is normal – Windows reclaims the space gradually. Wait a few days or run Disk Cleanup to speed it up.

PowerShell gives an error like “Cannot find path”. This usually means the ReserveManager key doesn’t exist on your system. This can happen if your Windows version doesn’t use reserved storage (e.g., older builds). In that case, you can create the key manually: right-click the CurrentVersion key, select New > Key, name it ReserveManager, then create the DWORD as described.

Registry Editor says “Unable to save the value”. This indicates you don’t have write permissions. Make sure you’re logged in as an administrator and that the Registry Editor is running elevated (right-click > Run as administrator).

After disabling reserved storage, Windows Update fails with error 0x80070070. This error means insufficient disk space. If this happens, re-enable reserved storage by setting ShippedWithReserves back to 1, or free up more space on your system drive.

You can’t find the ReserveManager key at all. Some Windows 10 installations don’t have reserved storage enabled by default, especially if you upgraded from an older version. In that case, there’s nothing to disable – the key simply doesn’t exist, and you can ignore this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disabling reserved storage affect system performance?

No, it doesn’t affect day-to-day performance. It only removes the dedicated space for updates. If your drive fills up, updates may fail, but that’s a storage capacity issue, not a performance one.

Can I re-enable reserved storage later?

Yes, simply set ShippedWithReserves back to 1 and restart. Windows will recreate the reserved space automatically.

How much space does reserved storage typically use?

It varies, but on a typical Windows 10 installation, it can use around 7 GB. The exact amount depends on your system and installed features.

Will this delete any of my files?

No, disabling reserved storage only stops Windows from holding space for future updates. It does not delete any personal files or installed programs.

Is this method supported by Microsoft?

Microsoft doesn’t officially recommend disabling reserved storage, but the registry key is documented and the method is widely used. It’s safe if you follow the steps correctly.

Do I need to disable reserved storage if I have a large SSD?

Not really. If you have plenty of free space (say, more than 50 GB), the reserved storage is unlikely to cause issues. It’s most beneficial on small drives where every gigabyte counts.

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