How to Free Up Disk Space in Windows 10

Edited 1 day ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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In the computer world, disk space is a precious resource. Whether you use your computer for work, entertainment, or personal projects, keeping your system's storage organized and efficient ensures smooth operation. Windows 10 provides many built-in tools and techniques to help you free up disk space. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore these methods to help you reclaim storage space without deleting important files.

Understanding disk space in Windows 10

Disk space refers to the amount of storage that's on your computer's hard drive or solid-state drive. This storage contains your operating system, applications, and files, including documents, photos, and videos. Over time, this space can fill up, causing your computer's performance to decrease. By freeing up space regularly, you can improve your computer's speed and extend its life.

Checking current disk space usage

Before you begin, you should check how much space is currently being used. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings application.
2. Click on System.
3. Select Storage from the left sidebar.
4. You'll see details of your storage usage, showing how much space is used by apps, files, and system data.

Clear disk space with built-in tools

Windows 10 comes with a number of tools that you can use to clean up your disk space. Here we will discuss some of the most useful ones.

1. Disk Cleanup

The Disk Cleanup utility is a great tool for removing unnecessary files. These can include temporary internet files, offline webpages, and downloaded program files. To access Disk Cleanup:

1. Type disk cleanup in the search bar and select the app.
2. Select the drive you want to clean up and click OK.
3. The system will calculate how much space you can free up. Generally, it is safe to select all file types except the ones you want to keep.
4. Once you've selected the files to delete, click Clean up system files for a deeper clean.
5. Again, select the drive and click OK.
6. Select the additional file types you want to delete and then click OK and then click Delete Files.

2. Storage Sense

Another built-in utility is Storage Sense, which can automatically free up space by deleting unnecessary files. To enable Storage Sense:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Click System, and then click Storage.
3. Turn on the toggle switch next to Storage Sense.
4. Click Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
5. You can choose how often you want Storage Sense to run, and which files it should automatically delete.

3. Deleting temporary files

Temporary files are often created by the operating system and applications. These are short-lived files but can accumulate over time. To delete them:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System and then Storage.
3. Click Temporary Files.
4. Select the files you want to delete and click Delete Files.

Uninstalling unused applications

Apps can take up a lot of space, especially if they involve large amounts of data or resources. Uninstalling apps you no longer use can free up a lot of space:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Apps, then Apps & features.
3. Look through the list of installed applications and click on the ones you want to remove, then select Uninstall.

Move files to external storage

If you have files like old photos, videos, or documents that you don't need to access frequently, consider moving them to an external hard drive or cloud storage:

1. Connect your external storage device to the computer.
2. Copy the files from your computer to the external drive.
3. Make sure the files are transferred properly, then delete them from your computer.

Compress files to save space

Windows 10 allows you to compress files and folders, thereby reducing their size on disk. Follow these steps to compress a file or folder:

1. Right-click on the file or folder you want to compress.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click on the General tab.
4. Click the Advanced button.
5. Check the box next to Compress contents to save disk space.
6. Click OK and then Apply.

Managing system restore points

System restore points are snapshots of your system's state and settings at a specific time. Although they can be useful for recovering your system, they can also take up space. You can manage them like this:

1. Right-click on This PC and select Properties.
2. Go to System Protection on the left side.
3. Select the relevant drive and click on Configure.
4. Adjust the space allocated for restore points or delete all existing restore points.

Deleting duplicate files

Look for duplicate files, as they take up unnecessary storage space. Manually deleting them can be tedious, but there are third-party tools available that can help identify and remove them:

• Use the Duplicate File Finder tool to scan your drive and list the duplicate files.
• Review the files found by the tool, and choose which ones to delete.

Advanced space-freezing techniques

For users familiar with more in-depth techniques, consider the following methods:

1. Using the Command Prompt

To delete temporary files using Command Prompt, follow these steps:

del /q/f/s %TEMP%\*

This command deletes all the files in the temporary folder.

2. Virtual memory settings

Virtual memory can be adjusted to help manage disk space:

1. Open Control Panel, choose System and Security, and click System.
2. Select Advanced system settings and go to the Advanced tab.
3. Under Performance, click Settings.
4. Go to the Advanced tab and click Change under Virtual Memory.
5. Adjust the paging file size as needed, or allow Windows to manage it automatically.

Conclusion

Windows 10 includes active management of files and settings to maintain healthy disk space. By using the built-in tools and creating a habit of regular maintenance, you can ensure that your system stays fast, responsive, and free of clutter. Use this guide as a starting point for managing your storage, and explore additional options to suit your particular needs.

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