Win11 Storage Governance

Win11 Storage Governance

Workflow

1. Clarify scope: template-only, audit-only, or execute-on-this-device. Default to template-only unless the user explicitly asks to inspect or change the local machine.
2. Load references/safety-model.md before recommending deletion, junctions, package-manager changes, or environment-variable changes.
3. Load references/runbook.md when producing a full plan, checklist, migration guide, or remediation sequence.
4. Load references/device-profile-template.md when the user wants a reusable template for another Windows 11 device.
5. Produce a staged plan: observe, classify, clean, migrate, automate, verify, rollback.

Privacy Rules

• Do not read %USERPROFILE%, AppData, registry hives, package-manager state, shell history, environment variables, or local project folders unless the user explicitly requests a local audit/execution.
• Do not copy personal paths, usernames, machine names, package lists, logs, or environment values into reusable templates.
• When examples need paths, use neutral placeholders such as <User>, <DownloadDrive>, <DevCacheRoot>, and <ModelDrive>.
• Treat this repository's example device layout as a model pattern, not as a user's private configuration.

Safety Gates

• Never recommend manually deleting or junctioning C:\Windows\Installer, C:\Windows\WinSxS, C:\Program Files\WindowsApps, the whole AppData, the whole user profile, or the whole ProgramData.
• Prefer official tools for Windows Update, WinSxS, Store/UWP apps, Visual Studio, drivers, and MSI repair.
• Use junctions only for clearly regenerable caches, with backup, testing, and rollback steps.
• For chat apps, browsers, password stores, databases, and device-bound app state, separate cache from user data before suggesting cleanup.
• For destructive commands, present a dry-run or staged quarantine approach unless the user explicitly asks to execute and the target is already classified.

Output Contract

For a cleanup or migration plan, include:

• Risk classification: safe clean, official-tool clean, migrate/configure, investigate, do-not-touch.
• Concrete paths using placeholders unless doing an explicit local audit.
• Commands only where they are safe and scoped; otherwise give GUI/offical-tool instructions.
• Verification steps and rollback steps.
• A recurrence plan that uses allowlists and age thresholds instead of broad deletion.

For local execution, include:

• What will be inspected before running commands.
• What will be changed, quarantined, or left untouched.
• A summary of actions taken and remaining risks.

References

• references/safety-model.md: deletion/migration red lines and risk categories.
• references/runbook.md: practical staged procedure for Windows 11 storage governance.
• references/device-profile-template.md: reusable profile template for adapting the plan to any Windows 11 device.