Published 2022-07-14 by TechNet New England
When your Windows 11 computer runs low on disk space, it slows down, updates fail, and applications start behaving unpredictably. Here is how to reclaim space safely. ## Check What Is Using Space 1. Go to **Settings > System > Storage**. 2. Windows shows a breakdown of what is consuming disk space: apps, temporary files, system files, and more. 3. Click each category to see details. ## Method 1: Disk Cleanup (Built-in) 1. Search for **Disk Cleanup** in the Start menu and open it. 2. Select your main drive (usually C:) and click **OK**. 3. Check the boxes next to items you want to remove: **Temporary files**: Safe to remove. **Recycle Bin**: Permanently deletes files you already sent to the Recycle Bin. **Thumbnails**: Safe to remove, Windows will recreate them as needed. **Downloaded Program Files**: Old ActiveX controls, safe to remove. 4. Click **Clean up system files** for additional options: **Windows Update Cleanup**: Removes old update files. Can free up several GB. **Previous Windows installations**: If you recently upgraded, this can free up 10 to 20 GB. Note: this removes the ability to roll back to the previous version. 5. Click **OK** and then **Delete Files**. ## Method 2: Storage Sense (Automatic) 1. Go to **Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense**. 2. Turn on **Storage Sense**. 3. Configure it to run automatically (daily, weekly, or monthly). 4. Set it to delete temporary files and empty the Recycle Bin after a specified number of days. Storage Sense runs in the background and keeps your disk clean without manual effort. ## Method 3: Uninstall Apps You Do Not Use 1. Go to **Settings > Apps > Installed apps**. 2. Sort by **Size** to see the largest applications. 3. Click the three dots next to any app you no longer need and select **Uninstall**. Common space hogs: old games, trial software, unused Microsoft Office versions, large applications you installed once and forgot about. ## Method 4: Move Files to an External Drive or Cloud If you have large files (photos, videos, old projects) taking up space, move them to: An external USB drive or portable SSD. OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox. A NAS (network-attached storage) if your organization has one. ## Method 5: Clear the Downloads Folder The Downloads folder accumulates files over time. Open **File Explorer > Downloads**, sort by date, and delete old installers, documents, and files you no longer need. ## Method 6: Clear Temporary Files Manually 1. Press **Win + R**, type `%temp%`, and press Enter. 2. Select all files (Ctrl + A) and delete them. Skip any files that are "in use." 3. Empty the Recycle Bin. ## What NOT to Delete **Do not delete folders inside C:\Windows.** These are system files. Deleting them can break Windows. **Do not delete C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86) contents manually.** Use the uninstall process instead. **Do not delete user profile folders for other users** unless you are certain the account is no longer needed. ## When to Call IT If your C: drive is nearly full and you cannot find anything to delete, your IT provider can help identify large hidden files, move data to network storage, or recommend a larger drive.