What is $SysReset Folder and Can I Delete it?

If File Explorer is set to display hidden files, you may have noticed a hidden $SysReset folder on the C:\ drive. What does this folder contain, and is it safe to delete?

Windows creates the $SysReset folder when you perform a System Refresh or Reset on your Windows 10 computer. This folder contains information ranging from log files to migration XML documents, all of which provide useful information to a forensic investigator.

This $SysReset folder also contains an additional folder called Logs which contains a .etl file. It also creates a .etl file of a different name (sysreset_exe_BootUX.etl) inside C:\Recovery\Logs which can help a user to find and collect the report and error.

Using this report you can try troubleshooting steps to identify why the Reset operation may have failed.



Here is the contents of the SysReset folder.

Folder PATH listing
C:\$SYSRESET
├───CloudImage
├───Logs
│       PushButtonReset.etl
│       SessionID.xml
│       setupact.log
│       setuperr.log
│       Timestamp.xml
│       
├───MDM
├───OldOS
└───Scratch

If you don’t intend to utilize the logged information in the $SysReset folder, you may safely delete the folder.


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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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