Microsoft has confirmed that the mysterious missing storage on Windows 11 24H2 devices is due to a "reporting error" in the operating system's cleanup tool.
Many Windows 11 24H2 users, this writer included, saw a chunk of disk space occupied by "Windows Update Cleanup" after running the Disk Cleanup tool. Efforts to reclaim the space proved fruitless.
The cause, according to Microsoft, is not necessarily due to a change in how the company has implemented updates in Windows 11 24H2. Instead, it appears to be a bug in reporting disk space.
Microsoft added the problem to the list of known issues with the Windows 11 24H2 release on October 14, 2024, with the following explanation: "This is a reporting error. When 'Windows Update Cleanup' is selected and Disk Cleanup is run for the first time, some or all files in that category (for example, 15 GB) are cleaned up correctly and the related disk space is freed as expected.
"However, after this initial run, the tool may inaccurately report an amount of space still available for cleanup (for example, 88 GB) in the 'Windows Update Cleanup' category. This inaccurate amount of disk space is reported even though the space was already freed in the initial run."
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According to Microsoft, the tool inaccurately reports how much disk space could be freed. Microsoft said it is "working on a resolution and will provide more information when it is available."
How this "reporting error" came to be in the production build is unclear, particularly since complaints about it have been rumbling for a while now in Microsoft's Feedback Hub. Microsoft eventually responded to our query, but only to say it would "look into this and circle back," with a link to the Release Health Dashboard.
The issue is irritating for users who prefer their system to be squeaky clean. Still, it seems minor and certainly not worth risking a working installation in the hope of clearing a reporting error.
However, it adds to the Windows 11 24H2 issues acknowledged by Microsoft, which include problems with Intel Smart Sound Technology drivers and some fingerprint sensors.
While the rollout of Windows 11 24H2 has been going relatively smoothly so far, introducing a bug in the Disk Cleanup tool might make users wonder what else could be about to crawl out of the woodwork. ®