Computer users often complain that their computers are running slow, or they can’t download a movie because their hard drive is full. But what does it mean when your computer has a high disk space usage?
When you have a high disk space usage on your computer, it means that you don’t have enough free space to store new files. This happens for two reasons: either you are using too much disk space or your hard drive is getting full.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to Free up Drive Space in Windows 10 using the 5 best methods, so you can store more data and update your software without problems.
Table of Contents
Method 1 – Delete Temporary Files and Clean Up Windows 10 System Files
Disk Cleanup Tool is a utility that is available for all versions of Windows. It is used to free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files from your hard drive.
Disk Cleanup Tool can be found in the administrative Tools section of the Control Panel. There are two ways to run it: “Clean up system files” and “Clean up system files (More Options).”
The first option will delete temporary Internet files, Windows update temporary files and another unnecessary system cache. The second option will delete all the previous items plus empty the Recycle Bin, remove shortcuts to items that are no longer on your computer, and remove any unnecessary registry entries.
There are a few things that you can do to clean up your Windows system files. These include deleting temporary files and deleting old Windows System Files.
Temporary files can be deleted manually by going through the folders on your computer and deleting them one by one. This is a time-consuming process and will take up a lot of your time. There are automated software programs like Disk Cleanup, that can help you delete temporary files automatically without having to go through each folder on your computer. This is an easier way of cleaning up Windows system files as it does not require manual work from the user and will save you time in the long run.
Windows 10 Temporary Files – Disk Cleanup steps:
- Begin by clicking on the Start button.
- Open the Disk Cleanup application by searching for it and selecting the first result.
- Select the (C:) drive from the “Drives” drop-down menu (if applicable).
- Then press the OK.
- Select the option that says “Clean up system files.”
- To access the (C:) drive, go to the “Drives” drop-down menu.
- Then press the OK key.
- Make a list of everything you wish to get rid of.
- Windows Update Cleanup.
- Downloaded Program Files.
- Microsoft Defender Antivirus
- Temporary Internet Files.
- Windows error reports and feedback diagnostics.
- DirectX Shader Cache.
- Delivery Optimization Files.
- Device driver packages.
- Language Resource Files.
- Previous Windows installation(s).
- Recycle Bin.
- Temporary files.
- Thumbnails.
- Click the OK button.
- Click the Delete Files button.
After following the procedures, unneeded files will be eliminated, freeing up hard disc space.
Delete System Restore and Shadow Copies in Windows 10 – Disc Cleanup Steps:
Select “Clean up system files” and then the sort of system files you wish to remove to free up much more space. Disk Cleanup will compute the amount of storage that can be cleaned up in a few seconds.
Follow these methods to get rid of previous system restore points:
- Start your computer by pressing the Start button.
- Open the Disk Cleanup app by searching for it and selecting the first result.
- You may find the (C:) drive in the “Drives” drop-down menu (if applicable).
- Then press the OK.
- Clean-up system files may be accessed by clicking the corresponding button.
- Go to the More Options tab.
- Click the “Clean up button” in the “System Restore and Shadow Copies” section.
Delete System Restore and Shadow Copies using Disk Cleanup
- Click the Delete button
You’ll have extra room to save vital data after you’ve finished these steps.
Method 2 – Free up space with Storage Sense on Windows 10
Storage Sense may help you clear up disc space by removing objects you don’t need, such as temporary files and things in your Recycle Bin.
If it is activated by default, Storage Sense would then step in and delete unnecessary temporary files when the disc space on your device begins to run low. If you do not make use of Storage Sense, items stored in your OneDrive and Download files folder will not be deleted after a certain period of time.
To Turn on Storage Sense on Windows 10 Follow the given steps:
.1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Storage
2. Select “Configure Storage Sense or run it now”
3. Configure “Run Storage Sense” according to your preferences, such as how frequently files should be cleaned up and when to execute it.
- Every day.
- Every week.
- Every month.
- During low free disk space (recommended).
Once you finish the instructions, Storage Sense will automatically execute to free up space and enhance storage performance.
Now, you can select temporary file deletion options:
1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Storage
2. Click on “Temporary Files”
Under Temporary files, click on the checkbox of the files you wish to remove and click on removed files, it will start purging the selected files.
After you finish, the chosen files will be permanently erased, freeing up room for other vital files.
Method 3 – Free up space via running security software on Windows 10
Malware may use disc space by corrupting data files. Use “Visur & Threat protection” to detect and wipe suspected malware from your PC if any.
1. Go to Start > Settings > update & Security > Windows Security
2. Click on “Virus & Threat Protection”
3. Click “Quick Scan”
This way, the system will be quickly scanned and will reveal any malware on your PC and allow you to remove it.
Method 4 – Free up space via Turning on OneDrive files on-demand on Windows 10
Turning on OneDrive Files On-Demand saves a smaller placeholder file on your hard drive than the full-size file saved in the cloud in your OneDrive account. You’ll be able to access your OneDrive files from your PC without taking up hard disc space by downloading full-size copies of them all.
Turn on Files On-Demand: Files On-Demand in OneDrive should be activated by default on Windows 10, but if it isn’t, follow these instructions:
- Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area on the Windows taskbar.
(You may need to click the arrow next to Show hidden icons ^. The button to show hidden icons. You can see the OneDrive icon next to the notification area. If the icon isn’t in the notification area, it could mean that OneDrive isn’t running. Start, type “OneDrive” in the search box, and then choose “OneDrive” from the list of results.)
- Hover mouse over the Help & Settings option.
- Click the Settings option.
- Under the “Files On-Demand” section, check the “Save space and download files as you use them“.
- Press the OK button
Once you’ve done all the steps, you can relocate files to the OneDrive folder and start making them only available online. This will free up space on your computer (see steps below).
Set a folder as offline-accessible or online-only:
To make local documents accessible only online through OneDrive, follow these steps:
- Using the File Explorer, go to the desired location.
- To access OneDrive – Personal, use the left-hand pane to choose the OneDrive folder.
- Select the files and folders that are using up the most storage space. “
- Right-click on the selection and choose to Free up space from the context menu that appears.
After you have finished all of the procedures, you will be able to use File Explorer to access all of your stuff; but, you will be unable to open any of it until you are connected to the internet. You may free up even more space by transferring documents to the OneDrive folder & following the procedures outlined above to make them accessible on demand. This is in addition to the fact that you can only access files that have been synchronized when you have an active internet connection.
you can unlock productivity apps to 1 TB of OneDrive, and advanced security by purchasing Microsoft 365.
Method 5 – Free up space via transferring files to an external drive on Windows 10
A USB drive or an SD card may be used to store images, music, films, and other data that you wish to save but don’t use very frequently.
Steps to Transfer local documents to an external drive:
- Using the File Explorer, go to the desired location.
- Go to the folder that takes up the most space on your computer.
- To relocate an item, choose it from the list.
- The “Home” tab’s “Move to” button may be accessed by clicking on it.
- Choose a place by clicking on the drop-down arrow next to it.
- Remove all files from your computer and place them on external storage.
- Use the available option to create a new folder to store files in the new place, and you’ll be all set.
- Select “Move” from the menu.
Depending on how many files and folders you have, it may be necessary to repeat the procedures to transfer more data files to a new place.
Conclusion:
As you can see, there are multiple ways to Free up Drive Space in Windows 10. Whichever method you choose, be sure to use it correctly with the process and know how to get the best Free up Drive Space. Do you have any tips to Free up Drive Space in Windows 10? Share them in the comments below!
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