Windows has a habit of quietly accumulating gigabytes of junk — temporary files, old Windows Update caches, the previous Windows installation that nobody told you was still there, and a Downloads folder that never gets cleaned. Here’s how to get it back under control.
Start with Storage Sense
Windows 11 and Windows 10 both include a built-in tool called Storage Sense. Go to Settings → System → Storage to see a breakdown of what’s using your drive, and then click Storage Sense to configure automatic cleanup.
Storage Sense can automatically delete temporary files, empty the Recycle Bin after a set number of days, and clear the Downloads folder of files you haven’t opened in a while. It’s worth turning on — but check the settings before enabling it so it doesn’t delete Downloads files you want to keep.
Run Disk Cleanup (Including System Files)
The classic Disk Cleanup tool is still present and still one of the most effective ways to recover space quickly:
- Search for “Disk Cleanup” in the Start menu and open it
- Select your C: drive and click OK
- Once it loads, click Clean up system files (this requires admin rights and finds more)
- Select everything you’re comfortable deleting — pay attention to Windows Update Cleanup and Previous Windows Installation(s)
The “Previous Windows Installation” entry alone can be 10–20GB if you’ve upgraded Windows versions. Once you’re happy the new version is working fine, it’s safe to delete.
Uninstall Apps You Don’t Use
Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps and sort by size. Windows machines often come with manufacturer bloatware (especially on laptops), and it’s easy to accumulate apps you installed once and never opened again. Sort by size, identify anything unused, and uninstall it.
Also check Optional features in the same section — Windows installs various optional components you may never need, and some of them are surprisingly large.
Clear the Temp Folder
Press Win + R, type %temp%, and press Enter. This opens the current user’s temp folder. Select all (Ctrl+A) and delete — Windows will skip any files currently in use. This is safe to do and can recover a surprising amount of space from apps that don’t clean up after themselves.
Also run temp (without the % symbols) in the same Run dialog to clear the system-level temp folder.
Check the WinSxS Folder
The C:WindowsWinSxS folder can look enormous — sometimes 10–15GB — but don’t delete files from it directly. Instead, run this in an elevated Command Prompt to let Windows safely clean it up:
Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBaseThis removes superseded Windows Update components and can reclaim several gigabytes safely.
Deal with Hibernation
If you use Sleep rather than Hibernate, the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys) can be taking up several gigabytes — typically equal to your RAM size. If you don’t use hibernate, you can disable it and reclaim that space. In an elevated Command Prompt:
powercfg /h offThis disables hibernation and removes hiberfil.sys. Sleep mode still works fine without it.
Sort Out OneDrive
If you use OneDrive, make sure Files On-Demand is enabled — this keeps your files in the cloud and only downloads them locally when you open them. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray → Settings → check Save space and download files as you use them.
You can also right-click individual folders in Explorer and choose Free up space to push them back to cloud-only.
Clean Up Your Downloads Folder
Open C:Users[YourName]Downloads and sort by size. Old installers, zip files, PDFs, and video files download and never get revisited. Anything you’ve already installed or opened and no longer need can go.
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