Start with Settings > System > Storage. Windows can show whether your space is being consumed by applications, temporary files, large personal files, cloud content, or system and reserved storage. That diagnosis matters because Copilot+ AI components are Windows-managed models and runtimes, not ordinary downloads that Microsoft documents as user-movable folders. Clean expendable data with Windows’ tools first; move personal files only when necessary, and do not delete protected Windows directories in an attempt to remove an AI model.
What “Windows AI models” means for storage
On a supported Copilot+ PC, Windows includes local artificial-intelligence models and the runtimes that let Windows features use them. Microsoft services these components through Windows AI updates. Phi Silica, for example, is included with Windows on supported Copilot+ devices. Microsoft’s current component documentation covers Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, and 26H2 on applicable editions, with availability depending on the hardware and servicing configuration.
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That distinction changes the cleanup strategy. The reviewed Microsoft instructions do not provide a general, supported procedure to uninstall or relocate these built-in components. They also do not publish a universal disk-footprint figure for each model. A folder that looks model-related may be protected or required by Windows servicing. Removing it manually can damage updates or features without giving you a supported way to restore the component.
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If the model came from a separately installed application rather than Windows itself, it is a different case. Identify the exact application, then use that application’s storage setting or uninstaller and follow its documentation. Do not apply an app’s removal instructions to Windows system folders.
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First, identify which drive and category are full
Use Windows Storage settings
- Open Settings.
- Select System, then Storage.
- Note the free space and the category estimates for the system drive. Categories can include installed apps, temporary files, documents, pictures, videos, cloud content, and system or reserved storage.
Estimates are calculated for your individual PC and can change while Windows updates, apps, or cloud files are being processed. Do not assume that a category’s number is the size of an AI model, and do not promise a particular amount of reclaimed space before reviewing the contents.
Cross-check in File Explorer
Open File Explorer > This PC. Each drive displays a capacity bar and its remaining free space. This confirms whether the pressure is on the usual system drive (normally C:) or on another internal or external drive. Freeing space on a secondary drive will not fix a full system drive unless you also change an appropriate save location or move files that Windows is currently storing there.
Keep a note of the available space before cleaning. After each major action, return to Storage or This PC and check the change. That makes it easier to identify which action helped and avoids deleting more than necessary.
Use Cleanup recommendations before deleting files manually
- Go to Settings > System > Storage.
- Open Cleanup recommendations.
- Expand each category and inspect the items and estimated savings.
- Select only content you no longer need, then choose Clean up.
Depending on the PC, Windows may offer temporary files, large or unused files, files already synced to the cloud, and unused apps. Review the individual entries rather than accepting every suggestion. A large file can be a project, an installer you still need, or a family photo archive; Windows cannot know its personal importance.
Be cautious with previous Windows installations
Some systems may offer a previous Windows installation as removable content. Deleting it can release space, but it removes the normal rollback path to the earlier installation. Treat that choice as irreversible for practical purposes: keep it only if you may need to return to the previous Windows version, and remove it only after you are confident the current installation works as expected.
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What Cleanup recommendations cannot tell you
The estimates do not establish the size of built-in Copilot+ models. Microsoft has not published a single model-footprint number that applies to every supported PC. If “system” or “reserved” storage is large, leave Windows-managed content alone and continue with personal files, temporary files, and apps that you can identify.
Configure Storage Sense without losing wanted data
Turn it on or adjust its schedule
- Open Settings > System > Storage.
- Select Storage Sense.
- Choose whether it should run on a schedule or when disk space is low, then review each cleanup rule before enabling it.
Storage Sense can remove temporary files and clear items in the Recycle Bin according to the rules you select. It operates on the system drive, usually C:. If another drive is full, Storage Sense is not a general-purpose cleaner for that volume.
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Downloads are not automatically treated as disposable. Configure a Downloads rule explicitly if you want Storage Sense to remove files after a period of inactivity, and check the time period before saving the setting. Cloud content also requires an explicit rule. Files marked Always keep on this device are exempt from cloud offloading.
When Storage Sense makes an inactive OneDrive item online-only, it removes the full local copy but leaves a smaller placeholder. The cloud file is not permanently deleted, and the full file is downloaded again when you open it while connected. That can reduce local usage, but it is not a way to move Windows’ built-in AI components.
Understand the Recycle Bin step
Deleting a file in File Explorer normally moves it to the Recycle Bin, so its space is not reclaimed until the bin is emptied. If you are certain the files are no longer needed, empty the Recycle Bin after your review. If you may need to recover them, leave the bin intact until you have verified your backups and the reclaimed-space result you need.
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Do not manually delete Windows AI component folders
Windows AI components are serviced as part of Windows, including through Windows AI updates. The supported information reviewed for Copilot+ PCs does not describe a universal uninstall command, Settings toggle, or relocation path for those components. Consequently, deleting a directory because its name suggests “model,” “AI,” or “runtime” is not a supported cleanup method.
- Do not take ownership of protected Windows folders to force deletion.
- Do not remove files from component stores, servicing directories, or other system locations merely because Storage shows system usage.
- Do not disable Windows Update to prevent a component from returning; that can leave security and feature updates incomplete.
- If a cleanup utility asks to remove an unfamiliar Windows component, cancel and verify the item with Microsoft documentation first.
Windows may restore, replace, or fail to service a manually deleted component. The result can be a broken feature, update errors, or a system that still needs the same storage later. The safe target is identifiable data you control, not the implementation files Windows controls.
Find large personal files that are safe to move
Review the usual high-volume folders
Use File Explorer to inspect Downloads, Videos, Pictures, desktop folders, and project directories. Sort by Size and check the file’s date and owner. Look for duplicate installers, old recordings, virtual-machine images, archived projects, and export files that you can recreate or have already backed up.
Move wanted but infrequently used files
- Connect an external drive with enough free capacity and a file system Windows can write to.
- Create a clearly named destination folder on that drive.
- Copy a selected group of files rather than deleting the originals immediately.
- Open several of the copies from the external drive and compare file counts and sizes.
- After verifying the copy and any backup, delete the originals from the system drive.
- Empty the Recycle Bin if you need the space immediately.
This is ordinary personal-file offloading. It does not relocate Windows AI models, and the external drive must remain connected whenever you need files stored there. If the files are important, maintain another backup; an external drive is not automatically a backup simply because it is separate from the PC.
Change default save locations for future content
Windows provides settings to change default save locations for supported new content. Use those controls when you want future videos, documents, or other personal files to land on a roomier drive. Existing files remain where they are until you move them, and changing a save location does not change where Windows stores its built-in AI components.
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Use OneDrive Files On-Demand when cloud files are the cause
Files On-Demand keeps a small placeholder for a cloud file instead of its full contents on the local drive. Selecting a file downloads the full copy when needed; selecting an option that frees local space makes it online-only. This is useful when cloud-synced folders account for much of the Storage total.
- Keep frequently used files local if you regularly work without an internet connection.
- Use online-only status for older material that remains safely stored in the cloud.
- Remember that Always keep on this device prevents automatic offloading.
- Do not confuse an online-only personal file with a Windows AI component. Files On-Demand has no supported control for moving built-in models.
Before choosing online-only status, confirm that the files are fully synchronized and that you know which account owns them. A placeholder saves local space but does not make the data available during a network outage.
Check Recall only if you have enabled it
Recall is a separate Windows feature with its own storage behavior. If you opt in, it stores encrypted snapshots and related contextual data locally. Microsoft states that Recall requires at least 50 GB of free space to enable. When free space falls below 25 GB, automatic snapshot saving pauses.
These thresholds are Recall requirements, not a universal minimum or footprint for every Windows AI model. If Recall is using substantial space, review its settings and stored snapshots through the feature’s own controls rather than searching for and deleting its files manually. If you do not use Recall, its thresholds do not explain every “system” or “reserved” value in Storage.
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| Action | What it affects | Does it delete data? | Reversible? | Needs a network or external drive? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleanup recommendations | Temporary files, selected large or unused files, cloud-synced items, and unused apps shown by Windows | It can delete selected local data | Depends on the item; previous Windows installation removal removes the normal rollback path | Cloud items may need synchronization; an external drive is optional |
| Storage Sense | Temporary files, Recycle Bin contents, and configured Downloads or cloud rules on the system drive | It can delete local data; cloud files can become online-only | Online-only status can be reversed by downloading; deleted items require recovery or backup | Cloud rules need connectivity to download files later; no external drive is required |
| Move personal files | Files you choose in folders such as Videos, Pictures, and Downloads | Deleting the verified originals frees space | Recoverable from the destination or backup if the copy was verified | Requires an external drive for offline offloading |
| Files On-Demand | Cloud-synced personal files | It removes the full local copy while retaining a cloud placeholder | Download the full file again when needed | Internet access is needed to fetch the full file |
| Manual deletion of Windows AI folders | Windows-managed models or runtimes | It may delete required system files | There is no general supported recovery or move workflow | Neither a network connection nor an external drive makes it supported |
When Storage still looks full after cleanup
Recheck the same drive
Return to Settings > System > Storage and File Explorer > This PC. If the system drive did not gain space, check whether deleted files are still in the Recycle Bin, whether a cloud rule only changed files to placeholders, or whether you cleaned a different drive.
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Allow Windows’ estimates to refresh
Storage categories are estimates and can change as Windows finishes indexing, synchronizing, or servicing. Reopen Storage after the operation and compare the available-space figure, not just a category’s estimate. A small or zero change means the selected content was not the main source of pressure.
Separate app models from Windows components
If a third-party or separately installed AI application is responsible, record its name and installation location. Consult that application’s own documentation for cache, model-management, uninstall, or relocation controls. Do not infer its procedure from Windows AI components, because the servicing and recovery mechanisms are different.
Use the free-space warning as a trigger for prevention
Enable an appropriate Storage Sense schedule, review Downloads periodically, and set supported default save locations to a drive with more capacity. Keep enough working space for Windows updates and the applications you use. The exact amount required varies by device, installed software, and update state; there is no single free-space figure that guarantees every Windows 11 PC will behave identically.
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A safe order of operations
- Confirm the full drive and record its available space.
- Open Cleanup recommendations and inspect each proposed item.
- Configure Storage Sense rules, especially Downloads and cloud content, only when their consequences are acceptable.
- Review the Recycle Bin and empty it only after checking its contents.
- Use Files On-Demand for eligible cloud files that do not need to stay local.
- Move verified personal files to an external drive when you need more room.
- Check Recall’s local snapshots only if you enabled Recall and its storage thresholds are relevant.
- Leave Windows-managed AI component folders intact. For a model installed by a separate app, follow that app’s instructions instead.
This sequence attacks temporary data and identifiable personal content before touching anything Windows requires for servicing. It also distinguishes a reversible cloud-space measure from deletion and keeps external storage in its proper role: a destination for personal files, not a relocation mechanism for built-in Windows AI.
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