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Need to free up some disk space on your Windows PC? Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 provide a dedicated menu to make the process easier. From this menu, you can see how much space is being used on your device and by what type of content. The Storage settings in Windows also let you quickly clear space and enable Storage Sense to automatically remove temporary files and recycle bin items. The process works similarly in Win 10 and 11, though some menus and settings differ.
View Storage Settings
In Windows 10 or 11, go to Settings > System > Storage to view the total space you have available, what space has been used across different content and categories, and how much free space remains on your drive. Click the Show more categories link to see the storage used by additional types of content.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Configure Storage Sense in Windows 10
Storage Sense is a feature built into Windows that is intended to be the easiest way to free up disk space. It can help free up space automatically by removing files you no longer need. Windows 10 users will find the Storage Sense option at the top of the Storage settings screen. Turn on the switch next to Storage Sense and then click the Configure Storage sense or run it now link right below it.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Click the drop-down box under Run Storage Sense and choose among Every day, Every week, Every month, or During low free disk space. If in doubt, set Storage Sense to run only when there’s a limited amount of free space available on the disk. You should also check the box next to Delete temporary files that my app aren’t using so Windows will routinely clear out any temporary files it no longer needs.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Click the drop-down box under Delete files in my recycle bin if they haven’t been opened for more than and choose between 1 day, 14, days, 30 days, or 60 days to have Windows routinely empty the recycle bin. If you don’t want recycle bin files to be removed, select Never. Do the same from the drop-down menu for Delete files in my downloads folder if they haven’t been opened for more than. You can also click the Clean now button to have Windows free up disk space right now.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Configure Storage Sense in Windows 11
In Windows 11, the Storage Sense feature has been moved to the Storage Management section of the Storage settings page. You’ll find it below the graphs showing your current storage space. Turn on the switch next to Storage Sense, then click the entry to configure it.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Check the box next to Keep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning up temporary system and app files to have the OS remove these files on its own. Turn on the switch under Automatic User content cleanup to set cleanup schedules. Click the drop-down menu under Run Storage Sense and select Every day, Every week, Every month, or During low free disk space.
Click the drop-down under Delete files in my recycle bin if they haven’t been opened for more than and select Never, 1 day, 14, days, 30 days, or 60 days to have Windows empty the recycle bin. Do the same for Delete files in my downloads folder if they haven’t been opened for more than.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Depending on your version of Windows 11 and the cloud storage services you use, you may see options for iCloud Photos and OneDrive. If you do, open the drop-down box for each service to choose if and when content from them will be removed from your PC. You can pick a specific number of days before the files are removed or choose Never to leave all files local. Note that files removed from your PC will still reside online and be available for download when you need them.
If you wish to clean the drive immediately, click the Run Storage Sense now button. Allow at least a few minutes for the drive to be cleaned. After the process is finished, you’ll be told how much disk space was freed.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Review OneDrive Files
If you prefer not to automate the process, Windows still gives you enough information to make decisions on your own. Since Windows separates your data into different categories, you can easily see which file types are chewing up your drive's storage and manually free up space. For example, if you use OneDrive to store and sync files on your PC, click the OneDrive graph, then View OneDrive to display your OneDrive files. You can then determine what you need to delete.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Uninstall Apps
You can manually uninstall programs you no longer want on your computer. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features and sort the list by name, size, or install date. Click the entry for an app you wish to delete. In Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Install apps and sort the list by name, date installed, or size. Click the three-dot icon and then select the Uninstall command to remove it.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Manage Photos
If you store photos and other images in the Pictures folder on your PC, click the Pictures graph on the Storage settings page. Select View Pictures to open the default Pictures location where you can look for images to delete.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Remove Temporary Files
Another category you should check is Temporary files. Windows has a habit of hoarding temporary installation files, temporary internet files, and other items that you typically don't need. To view these, click Temporary Files at the Storage settings screen.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Windows suggests different types of files you can remove, including recycle bin files, Windows Update Cleanup files, upgrade log files, device driver packages, temporary internet files, and temporary files. Windows automatically adds a checkmark to any content types it believes you can safely remove without hindering your system.
Some content types are unchecked by default. The Recycle Bin option may be unchecked so you can restore deleted files you still need, while your Downloads folder is also unchecked based on the assumption you might still use files stored there. Review the checked and unchecked categories to make any changes, and then click Remove files to wipe all the checked content.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Check External Storage
Windows lets you check the available space on any USB-connected storage device. Once connected in Windows 10, click View storage on other drives. Windows shows you both your main drive and the external drive. Select the external drive to view data usage by category and remove any files you don't need. In Windows 11, click Advanced storage settings, then select Storage used on other drives. Click your external drive to review it and remove any files.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Change File Destination
If your PC houses more than one disk drive, you can change where new content is saved. In Windows 10, click the link for Change where new content is saved. In Windows 11, select Advanced storage settings > Change where new content is saved.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)From here, change the location where files are saved for apps, documents, music, photos and videos, movies and TV shows, and offline maps. Just click the appropriate drop-down menu for an item, change the entry to a different drive, and click Apply. You can choose another fixed drive or an external drive. A second fixed drive is the smoothest option, since it's always available. If you choose a removable drive, it'll need to be connected when you want to access any files stored on it.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Cleanup Recommendations (Windows 11 Only)
Windows 11 also offers advice to help you free up disk space. Click Cleanup recommendations under the Storage Management section of the Storage settings page. You can select each of the categories to see recommendations for cleaning up temporary files, large or unused files, files synced to the cloud, and unused apps. Check any of the items on the list that you want removed, click the Clean up button for that category to remove those files.
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