Surface 2 storage issue

[dmorans24]

So I've had the Surface 2 since launch and I've liked it so far. The other day I was downloading a game and it stopped cause I had no storage space left. Today I did the math and I have like 3 GBs in games and the rest of the apps are very small. So how is the storage already full? It's close to 20 GBs. I really don't get it and I don't know where to check how this storage space is being used. Need help here guys please.

Oh and Merry Christmas! I'll probably have to wait a couple of days till someone responds but still I'm getting desperate here.

 

[HarisA1]

When you play games, as the game saves your progress and achievements it takes up more storage, this is probably what's happening. Also try using microsofts disk clean up

 

[etphoto]

So I've had the Surface 2 since launch and I've liked it so far. The other day I was downloading a game and it stopped cause I had no storage space left. Today I did the math and I have like 3 GBs in games and the rest of the apps are very small. So how is the storage already full? It's close to 20 GBs. I really don't get it and I don't know where to check how this storage space is being used. Need help here guys please.

Oh and Merry Christmas! I'll probably have to wait a couple of days till someone responds but still I'm getting desperate here.

One of the reasons I bit the bullet and went for the 64 gig device. Try disk cleanup.

Up early, drinking coffee waiting for the rest of the family to get up. Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[Paul Nicholas]

Hey mate if you have a spare penstick I recommend using it as the recovery drive. It'll free up 3.5gig from your surface. Just type recovery into the smart search. Oh and as above disk clean up freed over a gig in storage for me yesterday.

 

[codbod]

Not to hijack your thread, but I didn't want to create a new one. Anyone know the proper way to remove a microsd card? Do you just pull it straight out, or should you push in on it like a full size one in a computer?

 

[dmorans24]

Tried the disk cleanup that gave me like 1 GB. I still find it really hard to believe that I've used close to 20 GB when I only have 3 GB of Games, no Music, and no Videos. Something is very wrong here.

 

[dmorans24]

Just checked, with game saves and all those games round out to 6 GBs plus maybe another one in smaller apps. That's 7GB out of like 19. Where are the rest?

 

[onysi]

wow that's so funny. my 32gig ran out this week. web browser started running slow and images wouldn't load. I had to clear things up.

 

[gwinegarden]

Not to hijack your thread, but I didn't want to create a new one. Anyone know the proper way to remove a microsd card? Do you just pull it straight out, or should you push in on it like a full size one in a computer?

Push it in.

 

[gwinegarden]

Just checked, with game saves and all those games round out to 6 GBs plus maybe another one in smaller apps. That's 7GB out of like 19. Where are the rest?

You must have loaded something(s). I have a few games and a fair number of apps and still have 16Gb left.

 

[dmorans24]

Have cleared a bit with the disk cleanup. I got 2 GBs free of it says 25.

Windows file takes up 14 GBs. Users file 2 GBs. And Program Files plus hidden ones take up 1.

I guess when you add the apps and all, then the math kinda works. But still that Windows file at 14 GBs is just ridiculous. Something's wrong.

 

[chrsdrshm]

Anyone using SkyDrive? I noticed that was chewing up a lot of space, so I purchased a 32gb micro sd and changed the location of SkyDrive and downloads to that location... that helped a lot... so when I add and remove data from sky drive and download files, it goes directly to my sd card...

 

[GreatCanadian]

Merry Christmas to me!! Santa couldn't find the 32 GB. She had to get the 64. There are 3 iPads in my home. I'm loving this Surface 2! No functional issues yet.

 

[gwinegarden]

Have cleared a bit with the disk cleanup. I got 2 GBs free of it says 25.

Windows file takes up 14 GBs. Users file 2 GBs. And Program Files plus hidden ones take up 1.

I guess when you add the apps and all, then the math kinda works. But still that Windows file at 14 GBs is just ridiculous. Something's wrong.

Yup. My Windows file is 7 GB.

 

[HeyCori]

Office also takes up a lot of space. I'm at 11.6 gigs left, which isn't too bad because I don't install that many apps. However, if a day comes when I have a few 1-2GB games installed then I'm going to run into a serious problem. Though honestly, by the time that happens I'll have a Surface 3 lol. At some point I need to uninstall Asphalt 8. It's 2.8 games by itself, dwarfing any other app install I have.

 

[kwill]

Another thing I've noticed that chews up space is the Windows Phone app when you plug in your phone to sync. Dont ask me why especially when all the files are stored to SD. Check it out though. As for SkyDrive, yes, it shows the size to be enormous if you have lots of stuff there, but the size on disk (shown in properties for the folder) is actually pretty small since its just small bytes of info, not the actual files. But I'm in the same boat, not lots of big files, but getting close to drive limit.

 

[photobriangray]

Another thing I've noticed that chews up space is the Windows Phone app when you plug in your phone to sync. Dont ask me why especially when all the files are stored to SD. Check it out though. As for SkyDrive, yes, it shows the size to be enormous if you have lots of stuff there, but the size on disk (shown in properties for the folder) is actually pretty small since its just small bytes of info, not the actual files. But I'm in the same boat, not lots of big files, but getting close to drive limit.

Check your SkyDrive folder sync settings. Mine was syncing all folders eating up a ton of space. You can set to online only.

 

[kwill]

That's what I mean, SkyDrive is barely eating up any space. See screenshot. Notice the "Size on disk". That's how much actual space is being taken up, even though I have 32 GB worth of stuff actually in my SkyDrive. It's simple, apps, their data and the Windows Phone app are all that is needed to chew up space quickly. Ive accepted it.

I did check out the option of creating a restore image on USB, but can't see that you can delete the recovery partition. Is that just me?

Edit**Lets you delete the recovery partition after you copy it to the USB. Sweet!

 

[ggonzalez777]

That's what I mean, SkyDrive is barely eating up any space. See screenshot. Notice the "Size on disk". That's how much actual space is being taken up, even though I have 32 GB worth of stuff actually in my SkyDrive. It's simple, apps, their data and the Windows Phone app are all that is needed to chew up space quickly. Ive accepted it.

I did check out the option of creating a restore image on USB, but can't see that you can delete the recovery partition. Is that just me?

Edit**Lets you delete the recovery partition after you copy it to the USB. Sweet!

I did the usb recovery and then deleted the recovery partition this morning and BAM!, got 12GB back. Plus I did the disc cleanup and got another gig back. I'm not sure why my recovery was so big.

 

[Nitin Tyagi]

Hello All,



I have the same problem and I went a step further in investigation.



There is discrepancy in size when it comes to “C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Packages\windows_ie_ac_001\AC” and "c:

\windows"folder .



A)When I do a right click on “
“C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Packages\windows_ie_ac_001\AC”
and check the size it comes to 4.20 GB however when I go inside then select all and check there total size it come to 2.90 MB. Please notice the change from GB to MB.



B)When I do a right click on “c:\windows“ and check the size it comes to 9.70 GB however when I go inside then select all and check there total size it come to 6.65 GB.





So if these storage at these 2 locations are taken care of I will be getting around 7GB out of it. Unfortunately I do not know how to do it.