Why uninstalling a Windows 11 app might not free up any storage

This happens because MSIX-format apps use a staging and registration system, meaning uninstalling an app often just deregisters it rather than removing the underlying package files from your disk. Users expecting to reclaim storage after removing apps may be surprised to find the payload files remain behind. If you planned to free up space on Windows 11 by uninstalling a few apps, you should know that it doesn't always work, especially if you installed those apps via the Microsoft Store. When you download and install apps from the Microsoft Store, they come in a special format called MSIX. Microsoft created this format as a clean way to install apps, keep those apps update, and avoid registry bloat and leftover files when they're eventually uninstalled. However, Microsoft does some funky magic behind the scenes when installing and uninstalling MSIX packages--sometimes, uninstalling an app doesn't actually "uninstall" it in the traditional sense.