How to Free Up Disk Space on Windows

ESTIMATED READING TIME: 3 minutes

Low disk space causes your computer to run slow and some software might not be able to work properly. This issue occurs when there is insufficient space on your hard drive.

1. Perform Disk Cleanup

Your computer may run slow because your hard drive has used up almost all its hard disk space. Run Disk Cleanup to free up space:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows and R keys at the same time to open the Run window.
2. In the Open field, type cleanmgr, then press ENTER. The Disk Cleanup window should appear.
3. Select the drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.
4. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box in the Description section, select Clean up system files.
5. Select the drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.
6. On the Disk Cleanup tab, check the boxes for the file types that you want to delete, and then click OK.

   

7. In the message that appears, click Delete files.

2. Uninstall programs that you no longer need

Removing programs that you no longer use will speed up the performance of your computer:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows and R keys at the same time to open the Run window.
2. In the Open field, type appwiz.cpl, then press ENTER. The Programs and Features window should appear.

   

3. Select the program that you are not using anymore, and then click Uninstall.

   

3. Remove unnecessary files

Delete files that you are not using to save disk space that is in your Recycle Bin.

1. Find the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.
2. Right-click (or press and hold), and then select Empty Recycle Bin.

   

If you are using Windows 10, you may enable the Storage Sense feature. This feature automatically gets rid of temporary files and content in your Recycle Bin.

3. Store files in the Cloud

Backing up files is also important, you may take advantage of using cloud storage programs.

If you are using Google Drive, One Drive or Dropbox, you may proceed to this tip. Otherwise, you may install other cloud storage software you prefer to use and create an account to store your files in the cloud.

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