Windows 10 found 3.99TB of temp files on my laptop with a 1TB hard drive.

It's known bug.

Reminds me that I've sent my laptop to a lab to get it fixed some time ago. They did not fix the actual problem, but I was charged for installing an operating system on it. Besides being completely unauthorized to do so, it was kinda impressive given the fact that I have *removed the hard drive from the laptop* before sending it to the lab.

It is a bug with windows update and symbolic links. Windows update creates a link to a folder inside itself and disk cleanup follows that recursively, and adds the folders size again and again to the total count which then overflows.

Just run disk cleanup on it. It takes like 30 minutes to finish, and it occupies a lot of cpu when it does, but it eventually cleans it all up.

Had this too. My windows didn't boot anymore after the cleanup

@lusu that's strange. I ran the cleanup. It did take a while but it completed eventually. I didn't have any problems after.

@vinaysshenoy interesting information about the links. I did run the cleanup. So wish I could get the additional 2TB. I could always use some additional storage 😋

@tild3 That would be the first time people would actually be happy about Windows Update. 😂

Winblows

Counting is hard. 😁

*5minutes later*
WHERE IS IT WINDOWS?! WHERE IS IT?!?!😐

@TktStatusPICNIC I have shown that to a technician there. The laptop has been promptly fixed and sent to my office. I believe it was a simple confusion.

Same happened to me. I was hoping my surface pro would suddenly get an extra 4tb of space xD

@tild3 Not sure if its the case here, but windows can use other drives to store update files, so it diesnt fill its own drive or in case there isnt enough room.. Otherwise its becuase it loves you.

It's a feature, not a bug. Clearing 3.77 TB space from 1 TB disk