Here are 5 documents, each outlining a different trick to free up disk space on
your PC. You can copy and paste the content of each section into a separate Word
document.
Document 1: Use the Disk Cleanup Utility
Objective: To remove unnecessary files from your computer using a built-in Windows
tool. This is one of the easiest and safest ways to clear out old files.
What it does: The Disk Cleanup tool scans your hard drive for files that you can
safely delete.[1][2] This includes temporary internet files, downloaded program
files, old Windows update files, and contents of your Recycle Bin.[2][3]
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Open Disk Cleanup:
Click on the Start Menu or the search bar on your taskbar.[1]
Type "Disk Cleanup" and select the Disk Cleanup app from the search results.[1][4]
Select the Drive:
A window will pop up asking you to select the drive you want to clean up.[1][5]
Typically, this will be your main drive (usually C:).
Click "OK."
Choose Files to Delete:
Disk Cleanup will calculate how much space you can free up.
A new window will appear with a list of file types you can delete, such as
"Downloaded Program Files," "Temporary Internet Files," and "Thumbnails."[5]
Check the boxes next to the file types you want to remove.[5][6] To see a
description of what each file type is, click on its name.[5]
Click "OK."
Confirm Deletion:
A confirmation box will appear asking if you are sure you want to permanently
delete these files.
Click "Delete Files" to proceed.[6]
(Optional) Clean Up System Files for a Deeper Clean:
For a more thorough cleaning, open Disk Cleanup again and click on the "Clean up
system files" button.[2][5]
This will scan for additional files, such as previous Windows installations
("Windows.old" folder) and Windows upgrade log files, which can take up a
significant amount of space.[2][7]
After the scan, select the system files you want to delete and click "OK."
Document 2: Automate Cleanup with Storage Sense
Objective: To automatically free up space on your PC by letting Windows manage
temporary files and other items you don't need.
What it does: Storage Sense is a feature in Windows that monitors your storage and
automatically deletes unnecessary files, such as items in your Recycle Bin and
Downloads folder after a set period, and temporary files.[7][8]
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Access Storage Settings:
Click the Start Menu and go to "Settings."
In the Settings window, click on "System."[9]
From the left-hand menu, select "Storage."[9][10]
Enable Storage Sense:
At the top of the Storage settings screen, you will see a toggle for Storage Sense.
If it is off, click the toggle to turn it on.[7][8]
Configure Storage Sense:
Click on the link that says "Configure Storage Sense or run it now."[9][10]
On the configuration page, you can customize how Storage Sense works:
Run Storage Sense: You can choose how often it runs (e.g., Every day, Every week,
Every month, or During low free disk space).[9][10]
Temporary Files: Check the box to "Delete temporary files that my apps aren't
using."[9][10]
Recycle Bin: Choose how long files should stay in the Recycle Bin before being
automatically deleted (e.g., 14 days, 30 days).[11]
Downloads Folder: You can also set it to automatically delete files in your
Downloads folder that haven't been opened for a certain period. Be cautious with
this setting if you store important files there.[11]
Run Storage Sense Manually:
If you want to free up space immediately, scroll to the bottom of the Storage Sense
configuration page.
Click the "Clean now" or "Run Storage Sense now" button to start the cleanup
process based on your current settings.[11]
Document 3: Uninstall Unused Programs and Apps
Objective: To free up a significant amount of disk space by removing software that
you no longer need.
What it does: Over time, you may accumulate applications that take up valuable
storage and can even slow down your system by running background processes.[12]
Uninstalling them removes their files from your hard drive.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Open the Apps & Features (or Installed apps) Menu:
Click the Start Menu and go to "Settings."
Select "Apps."[13]
This will open a list of all the applications installed on your computer.[13]
Identify Programs to Remove:
To find the programs taking up the most space, click on the "Sort by" filter and
choose "Size."[14] This will arrange the list from largest to smallest.
Scroll through the list and identify any programs that you no longer use or
recognize.
Uninstall the Program:
Click on the program you want to remove.
An "Uninstall" button will appear. Click it.[13][14]
A second confirmation "Uninstall" button may appear. Click it again.
Follow the Uninstaller Prompts:
An uninstallation wizard for that specific program will open.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the removal process.[15] Some
uninstallers may ask for feedback or offer to keep certain settings, which you can
usually decline.
(Alternative Method) Use the Control Panel:
You can also uninstall programs through the classic Control Panel.
In the taskbar search, type "Control Panel" and open it.[15]
Go to "Programs" and then "Programs and Features."[15]
This will show a list of your installed desktop applications. Right-click the
program you want to remove and select "Uninstall."[13][15]
Document 4: Find and Delete Large Files Manually
Objective: To locate and remove large personal files like videos, documents, and
old downloads that are taking up the most space.
What it does: Personal files, especially videos, music, and photos, can consume a
large portion of your disk space.[5] This method helps you find the biggest space
hogs so you can decide whether to delete them or move them to an external storage
device.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Open File Explorer:
You can open File Explorer by clicking its icon on the taskbar or by pressing the
Windows key + E on your keyboard.[16]
Navigate to "This PC":
In the left-hand pane of File Explorer, click on "This PC."[17]
Use the Search Function to Find Large Files:
In the search bar at the top-right of the File Explorer window, you can search for
files based on their size.[16][17]
Click in the search bar. A "Search" tab will appear at the top.
Click on "Size" and choose one of the predefined options like "Gigantic (> 128 MB)"
or "Huge (16 - 128 MB)."
Alternatively, you can type a search query directly. For example, to find files
larger than 1 gigabyte, type size:>1GB and press Enter.
Review and Delete Files:
Windows will search your entire PC for files that match your size criteria. This
may take a few minutes.
The results will be displayed in the File Explorer window. You can sort them by
size to see the largest ones at the top.
Carefully review each file to ensure you no longer need it.
To delete a file, right-click on it and select "Delete."
Empty the Recycle Bin:
Remember that deleted files go to the Recycle Bin and still occupy disk space.[14]
Find the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, right-click it, and select "Empty
Recycle Bin" to permanently delete the files and free up the space.[6][14]
Document 5: Clean Up Temporary Files
Objective: To manually delete temporary files created by Windows and your
applications, which can accumulate and waste space.
What it does: Temporary files are used by programs to store information for a short
period.[18] While they are supposed to be deleted automatically, they often get
left behind, cluttering your drive.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Open the Run Command:
Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the "Run" dialog box.[18][19]
Access the Main Temp Folder:
In the Run box, type %temp% and press Enter or click "OK."[18][19]
This will open your user account's main temporary files folder in File Explorer.
Delete the Temporary Files:
Inside this folder, you will see many files and folders.
Press Ctrl + A to select everything in the folder.[18][19]
Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
You may see a message that some files cannot be deleted because they are currently
in use by an application. This is normal. Check the box that says "Do this for all
current items" and click "Skip."[4]
Access the Windows Temp Folder:
Open the Run command again (Windows key + R).
This time, type temp and press Enter.[19]
If you get a permission prompt, click "Continue." This folder contains system-level
temporary files.
Delete System Temporary Files:
Again, press Ctrl + A to select all files and folders.
Press Delete.
Skip any files that are currently in use.
Empty the Recycle Bin:
After deleting these files, they are moved to the Recycle Bin.
Right-click the Recycle Bin on your desktop and select "Empty Recycle Bin" to
permanently remove them and reclaim the disk space.
Sources
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geeksforgeeks.org
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Learn more
tricks to free up PC disk space
how to use Disk Cleanup on Windows
how to use Storage Sense to free up space
how to find and remove large files on PC
how to uninstall programs on Windows to save space
how to clean up temporary files on PC
