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How To Free up Drive Space in Windows?
Windows 10 provides easy ways to free up space on your computer. Even though modern devices have large storage, files and apps can fill it up and slow things down. Windows 10 offers tools like Storage Sense, OneDrive Files On-Demand, Compact OS, and NTFS Compression to remove unnecessary stuff, making your computer run better and leaving more space for important things like documents, photos, and apps.
In this article, We discuss effective 10 Ways To Free up Drive Space in Windows. So Let’s see step by step process.
Method 1: Empty the Recycle Bin
To delete your recycling bin, you will need to go to your desktop and find the Recycle Bin icon. Right-click on it and click Empty Recycle Bin.
A prompt will appear that will ask for your permission to delete the items from your recycling bin. Click Yes to perform the operation.
Method 2: Perform Disk Cleanup
Windows offers a utility called Disk Cleanup, which helps you free up some drive space by removing various different files. They include temporary files, delivery optimization files, downloaded program files, and many more.
To clear your drive, type Disk Cleanup in the search bar and click on the application that appears on the screen. After opening it, it will scan for files that are safe to remove from your PC. Upon completion, a list of different types of files will appear. If you are unsure about deleting a specific category of files, you can take a look at them by clicking View Files. Decide which files you want to delete and tick the corresponding checkboxes that appear on the list. Click OK to move forward.
Click Delete Files on the below prompt to perform the operation.
Method 3: Remove Temporary Files
There is another way to delete your temporary files. To do that, you need to go to Settings > System > Storage. Then, you need to click Temporary files.
Upon clicking, a window will appear that will show you a list of temporary files that you can delete. Tick the checkboxes that contain files that can be deleted, just like in the previous method. Then, click on Remove Files to delete them.
Method 4: Uninstall unused applications
Another way to get more drive space is to uninstall apps. Most of us have applications on our machines that are unnecessary and unused. If you remove them, you are guaranteed to get a good amount of free space on your drive. To do that, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
There will be a list of applications that are currently installed on your machine. Go through them. If you find an app that you think is removable, click on the app and then click Uninstall to perform the operation.
Method 5: Use cloud storage
Cloud storage service is one of the must-have services in today’s world. It helps you store many files in the cloud and maintain a considerable amount of free space on your hard drive. There are many cloud storage services out there on the internet. Some popular ones include Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive. Now, identify the files that are important to you, but there is no requirement to keep them on your machine. Sign up for a cloud service and move those files to your cloud storage. This will free up your drive by a good margin.
Methods 6: Find Duplicates and Junk files
In Windows 10, you can discover duplicate files using the “Duplicate files” built-in tool. Just search for it in the Start menu, open the app, select the folders for scanning, and click “Start Search.” The tool identifies duplicates, and you can delete unwanted copies to free up storage space.
For junk files, use the “Disk Cleanup” tool by searching for it, selecting your drive, and cleaning system files, including temporary and Recycle Bin items. This process removes the identified junk files, optimizing your storage space.
Methods 7: Manage Downloaded Files
To manage downloaded files and free up drive space in Windows, follow these steps:
- Locate your Downloads folder.
- Review and delete files you no longer need.
- Use the “Disk Cleanup” tool to remove temporary and system files.
Methods 8: Transfer file to External Drive
To transfer files to an external drive and free up space on your Windows computer:
- Connect your external drive.
- Open File Explorer and locate the files or folders you want to transfer.
- Copy or drag them to the external drive’s folder.
- Safely eject the drive when done. Your files are now on the external drive, freeing up space on your PC.
Methods 9: Manage System Restore
To Free up Drive Space in Windows, reduce the space used for System Restore:
- Open the System Properties dialog by searching for “Create a restore point.”
- Select your system drive and click “Configure.”
- Adjust the Max Usage slider to decrease the space allocated for System Restore.
- Click “Apply” to save changes. This will free up drive space.
Methods 10: Use NTFS compression
To free up drive space in Windows using NTFS compression:
- Right-click the file or folder you want to compress.
- Select “Properties.”
- In the “General” tab, click “Advanced.”
- Check “Compress contents to save disk space” box .
- Click “OK” and “Apply.”