At 8 years I recycled filesystem directories. I didn't know you can create new folders, so when I needed one I grabbed a random one from C:\Windows, moved it to my desktop and deleted its contents.

Makes total sense, it used to be called "Recycle Bin" after all!

I wonder if Microsoft did focus group testing and found understandably computer illiterate people were concerned about "trashing" files meant they were somehow permanently using up HDD space

Worked ok til it was a system dir and the system wouldn’t boot anymore? :)

No better way to learn System32 folder was essential is Windows than by destroying your family computer by removing it.

I deleted the files from there to free up disk space

I don't need autoexec.bat or config.sys! it's got some garbage in there that I don't understand, so it must not be important.