- C:\
FolderRisk: Caution
C:\ C:\
The root of the system volume (C:\, %SystemDrive%): Windows, Program Files, Users, plus hidden items such as ProgramData, pagefile.sys or Recovery.
What it’s for
C:\ is the root of the volume Windows is installed on. The %SystemDrive% variable points to it, and many default paths hang off it: %SystemDrive%\Users for profiles, %SystemDrive%\Program Files for applications, %windir% for Windows.
What it contains
- Visible folders:
Windows,Program Files,Program Files (x86)on a 64-bit system,Users. - Hidden items:
ProgramData,$Recycle.Bin,System Volume Information,Recovery,hiberfil.sys,pagefile.sys,swapfile.sys. - Depending on the machine’s history:
PerfLogs,Windows.old,$WINDOWS.~BT,$Windows.~WS,inetpub(IIS role). - On this site, the “cache” tag marks an item hidden by default in File Explorer.
Risks and best practices
- System folders in the root must not be moved or renamed: Windows and the maintenance tools look for them at their exact location.
- To see hidden items, tick “Hidden items” in File Explorer or add
-ForcetoGet-ChildItem. - Keep application data on a separate volume. A full system volume blocks updates and can keep Windows from starting, so watch free space.
Useful commands
# Root contents, including hidden itemsGet-ChildItem -Force C:\ | Select-Object Mode, Name
# Free space on the volumeGet-Volume -DriveLetter CFolder contents
Folders 19
- $GetCurrentC:\$GetCurrent: hidden working folder created by a Windows upgrade or feature update. Its…
- $Recycle.BinThe volume's Recycle Bin. One subfolder is created per user SID; access to other users'…
- $SysResetHidden working folder created by "Reset this PC": logs and temporary files from the…
- $WINDOWS.~BTHidden temporary folder created during a Windows upgrade: setup files, Panther logs and…
- $Windows.~WSHidden working folder created at the root of the volume during a Windows upgrade, next to…
- $WinREAgentHidden working folder created during a Windows update or upgrade, tied to updating the…
- Config.MsiHidden temporary Windows Installer folder: rollback files created during an MSI…
- Documents and SettingsCompatibility junction to C:\Users inherited from Windows XP. Do not delete it: older…
- EFIThe \EFI folder of the EFI System Partition (ESP, no drive letter): it holds the UEFI…
- inetpubIIS root folder (sites, logs). The April 2025 updates also create it without IIS, and…
- PerfLogsDefault output folder of Performance Monitor and logman (.blg, .etl, .csv traces); often…
- Program FilesDefault install folder for 64-bit desktop applications. Localized as "Programmes" in the…
- Program Files (x86)Program Files (x86): 32-bit applications installed on 64-bit Windows, kept apart from…
- ProgramDataApplication data shared by all users of the machine (configuration, caches, logs); hidden…
- RecoveryC:\Recovery: Windows Recovery Environment files (WinRE, winre.wim) when there is no…
- System Volume InformationProtected system folder on each volume: restore points, Volume Shadow Copy data and other…
- UsersUser profiles (documents, desktop, AppData, NTUSER.DAT). Localized as "Utilisateurs" in…
- WindowsOperating system folder (%windir% and %SystemRoot% variables): system files, drivers…
- Windows.oldPrevious Windows installation kept after an upgrade so you can roll back; removed…
Files 5
- bootmgrWindows Boot Manager for BIOS systems: a critical file, essential to startup, located at…
- DumpStack.log.tmpHidden binary file at the root of C:, tied to the memory dump stack; locked by Windows…
- hiberfil.sysHibernation file holding the memory image written on hibernate. It is removed when…
- pagefile.syspagefile.sys: the paging file (virtual memory). Windows moves RAM pages into it and uses…
- swapfile.sysswapfile.sys: swap file reserved for Store apps, separate from pagefile.sys. Hidden at…