SA OS Recovery, taking up too much storage

Question

Hi, I own a Dell Inspiron G3 15 3500 with a 256 GB SSD. Since the SSD storage is rather small, I'm usually trying to clear some space; doing so, I realized that there was a Dell folder in C:/Program Data that was taking up about 30GB (just the storage I couldn't account for). In researching I found out that it was the OS Recovery from Support Assist taking up so much space. So, I went into its settings and found out it was supposedly limited to 15GB, though it is taking up almost 30GB. Is there any way to force OS Recovery into taking the assigned storage space? I'd rather not disable it if possible, but it is a lot of storage space.

lmacri · Answer

Hi Zaghan:

See Dell employee NikhilKiroula's 02-July-2021 post in SteveTree's Reduce Disk Space Used by SARemediation requesting diagnostic logs. This is apparently a known issue and being investigated by Dell.

As discussed in that thread, SteveTree turned off System Repair in their Dell SupportAssist settings ([Options (gear icon) | Settings | System Repair | System Repair is Turned On | OFF), which automatically deleted the 23 GB of system repair points stored in C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\. When SteveTree turned System Repair back ON they chose the option to use the minimum 12 GB of disk space. At last report <here> on 26-Jun-2021 their C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\ folder had stopped growing at around 14 GB, but you might want to post in that thread and ask SteveTree if that folder has grown any larger in since then.

Note that you can also enable/disable System Repair at Control Panel | System and Security | SupportAssist OS Recovery | Settings | System Repair. See the images I posted in Guilherme Bezzon's Snapshot Backup.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v20H2 build 19042.1052 * Firefox v89.0.2 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2105.5 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.4.2.123-1.0.1358 * Dell SupportAssist v3.9.2.57 * Dell SupportAssist Remediation v5.4.1.14954 * Dell Update v4.2.1
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

DELL-Nikhil K · Answer

Hi @Zaghan  Is it possible for you to collect logs related to SA OS recovery and share it with me, please refer your private message I've sent you detailed steps.

DELL-Nikhil K · Answer

Hi Users,

Our respective component engineering team is working to optimize few file through which this issue is happening.

We all need you support and patience on this issue because this required architectural change for the component.

Once this issue get resolve from our side I'll share that news with all of you till then please stay healthy and be safe.

Tess_IT_04 · Answer

Was there ever a resolution for this issue? I've seen several laptops with the same problem.

Edit: Disabling and then re-enabling with 12 GB specified did not resolve the problem. Disk was full again in a few days.

ghali12345 · Answer

I know that topic was created 1year or 2years ago but i'm having the same problem . so at 12go selected (minimum) SARemediation literally use 26 or 28go , but i remember when i started to disable system repair in september , it was only taking between 12and 13.4go when i select minimum . Anyone know how to fix it ?

lmacri · Answer

@ghali12345&#xa0;wrote:I know that topic was created 1year or 2years ago but i'm having the same problem . so at 12go selected (minimum) SARemediation literally use 26 or 28go ...Hi ghali12345:This isn't an excuse if Dell is exceeding the maximum disk space allocated for C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair that is set by the user in the SupportAssist settings [Optiions (gear icon) | Settings | System Repair], but when I used Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery (a.k.a. SupportAssist Remediation / System Repair) it wasn't unusual for that folder to sometimes grow a bit beyond the 15 GB of alloted disk space I selected. Here's an old image I captured on 21-May-2021 showing that the \Snapshots subfolder was using about 15 GB of disk space while the \Backup subfolder used up another 9 GB of disk space, so perhaps Dell doesn't count the amount of disk space used outside of the C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\Snapshots subfolder folder as part of amount of the maximum allocated disk space the user selects for 'file backups'.Also note that 20- 25 GB is far less than the 100 GB to 250 GB of disk space this folder used to consume on some systems - see bfost's 02-Nov-2021 XPS 8940, Dell software writing 230GB of logs and guthrie's 04-Nov-2021 thread file size -SAR REmediation for two examples.I have Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery v5.5.5.16458 installed on my Inspiron but it's currently disabled (I turned off System Repair in SupportAssist and disabled the Dell SupportAssist Remediation service at Start | Windows Administrative Tools | Services) and I now use Macrium Reflect Free imaging software to create full disk images of my hard drive in case I every have to perform an emergency recovery, so I don't know what the 'typical' size of C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair is these days.... i remember when i started to disable system repair in september , it was only taking between 12and 13.4go when i select minimum . Anyone know how to fix it ?The only simple workaround I know is to disable System Repair in your SupportAssist settings to purge your current Dell snapshots / system repair points as suggested in my 06-Jul-2021 post <above>, re-boot, and then turn System Repair back on to see if this solves the problem.If that doesn't work then Dell employee DELL-Chris M's instructions at&#xa0;SA Uninstall/Reinstall describe how to manually delete the snapshots in the hidden and protected C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\Snapshots subfolder folder, but that requires that you uninstall all SupportAssist related programs (e.g., SupportAssist, SupportAssist Remediation, Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery Plugin for Dell Update, etc.) first before manually purging that \Snapshots subfolder.-------------64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.2604 * Firefox v110.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2301.6-1.1.200000.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v 4.5.24.248-1.0.1944 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7279 * SupportAssist v3.13.2.14 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.7.1 * Dell SupportAssist Remediation v5.5.5.16458 * Fusion Service v2.2.14.0 * Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.22.1Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

ghali12345 · Answer

Sorry for late response , well now the file is growing (now at 32gb) and i tried what you said me , but i reported this issue to the DELL Support in Tweeter , the agent said me he'll give me an update soon. if this issue is still repaired maybe i'll do like you and disable SARemediation. About what you said me , i also have the Snapshot Folder , but now system repair can only be disabled in control pannel (SupportAssist OS Recovery). Well Again i apologize for giving a late answer :/.

ghali12345 · Answer

Just wanna ask , is that a bug ? because this never happened to me since i known OS recovery existed .

lmacri · Answer

@ghali12345 wrote:Sorry for late response , well now the file is growing (now at 32gb) and i tried what you said me , but i reported this issue to the DELL Support in Tweeter , the agent said me he'll give me an update soon ... Just wanna ask , is that a bug ? because this never happened to me since i known OS recovery existed .Hi ghali12345:According to Dell employee @NikhilKiroula 's 05-Aug-2021 post in SteveTree's Reduce Disk Space Used by SARemediation this problem was supposed to be fixed when Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery v5.5.0.16041 (a.k.a Dell SupportAssist Remediation / System Repair) was released back in Oct 2021. However, if your hidden and protected folder at C:\ProgramData\Dell\SARemediation\SystemRepair\Snapshots has grown to 32 GB when you've selected 12 GB as the maximum disk space that should be used for your Dell system repair points then that suggests that the problem has either returned or wasn't fixed correctly in the first place.I can't tell you how Dell SupportAssist Remediation is currently behaving on my Inspiron 5584 because I finally gave up and wiped SupportAssist v3.13.2.14, Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery v5.5.5.16458 (a.k.a Dell SupportAssist Remediation / System Repair) and the Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery Plugin v5.5.4.16189 off my system - see the 22-Mar-2023 'solution' I posted in my thread Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery Plugin for Dell Update Rolled Back to v5.5.4.16189. As I noted in that post, I discovered yet another bug in SupportAssist v3.13.2.14 (see my 14-Mar-2023 post in LovejoyPeacemaker's 14-Mar-2023 SupportAssist, Taken Over File Associations) and finally decided to permanently uninstall all my SupportAssist-related software.I'm now using Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.x to check for available software and drivers, Macrium Reflect Free v8.x to create the occasional full disk image in case I ever need to perform an emergency recovery, and I can still run on-board ePSA (enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment) scans from my BIOS if I ever want to run a Dell hardware diagnostic. So far this setup is working well for me.-------------64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.2846 * Firefox v112.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2303.8-1.1.20200.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.26.259-1.0.1976 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7279 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.8.0 * My Dell v2.2.4.0 * Fusion Service v2.2.14.0 * Dell Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.22.1Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

ghali12345 · Answer

i think i'll do the same , disable SAR , and install an application to make restore point (or use the one that has Windows 10 already)

ghali12345 · Answer

since i installed 5.5.5.16458 i got that issue so i don't know what's happening , but maybe i'll wait for a fix

ghali12345 · Answer

maybe because the version that have which is 5.5.5.16458 (if i remember) got the bug again , so what i'll do is i'll reinstall an old version i think. (it seems o be a real bug because , if i select 12gb mode , it uses 32gb , if i select 15gb mode  again 32gb used , and the last mode whih 18gb , it also uses 32gb , so ithink this issue returned).

lmacri · Answer

@ghali12345 wrote:i think i'll do the same , disable SAR , and install an application to make restore point (or use the one that has Windows 10 already)Hi ghali12345:I have also enabled Windows System Restore that is normally disabled on Win 10 and Win 11 machines as instructed in the Windows Central article How to Use System Restore on Windows 10 (see for Win 11 instructions), even though I already use Macrium Reflect Free to save the occasional disk image on an external backup drive and create emergency recovery media (e.g., a bootable USB stick).The main difference between these two recovery methods is that a full disk image created with imaging software like Macrium Reflect or EaseUS Todo contains everything on your hard drive, including your operating system, applications, settings, and all of your personal files that you can use to restore your entire system back to a previous point in time. Having a recent full disk image and emergency recovery media is especially useful if your system is infected with malware that damages your personal files or if something happens that prevents your computer from booting up.A Windows system system restore point only affects system files and registry settings and is typically used if your system becomes unstable after installing a Windows update, driver or application, or after modifying the system settings incorrectly in the registry. If you can't fix the problem by uninstalling the problem update then you can use a system restore point to revert your Windows system files and registry to an earlier point without losing any of your personal files.The EaseUS article System Image Recovery vs. System Restore in Windows 11/10/8/7 has more information.-------------64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.2846 * Firefox v112.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2303.8-1.1.20200.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.27.262-1.0.1991 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7279 * Dell Update for Windows Universal v4.8.0 * My Dell v2.2.4.0 * Fusion Service v2.2.14.0 *Dell Inspiron 5583/5584 BIOS v1.22.1Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

ghali12345 · Answer

Ah ok

SupportAssist for PCs

SA OS Recovery, taking up too much storage

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