On Windows 10, you have several options to free up space on your device. Although nowadays, laptops and desktops include drives with multiple terabytes of storage, we always find a way to fill them up with documents, pictures, videos, apps, and games, causing slowdown, problems saving files, and many other issues.
If your computer is running low on space, Windows 10 comes with tools. For example, Storage Sense, OneDrive Files On-Demand, Compact OS, NTFS compression, and other features to delete unnecessary files, apps, and games, which can help reclaim space, improve performance, and resolve problems during updates.
This guide will walk you through the best ways to free up storage space on Windows 10 to store more files and install feature updates without issues.
1. Free up space clearing Recycle Bin on Windows 10
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Windows 10 doesn't erase files from the drive when you delete them. Instead, they are relocated to the Recycle Bin and marked for deletion. However, since the Recycle Bin can grow large over time, emptying its contents is the first thing you can do to free up space on your computer.
To empty the Recycle Bin to regain storage space on Windows 10, use these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for Recycle Bin and click the top result to open the app.
- Quick tip: If the app does not appear in the result, you can open File Explorer (Windows key + E), type Recycle Bin, and press Enter in the address bar.
- Click the Recycle Bin Tools tab.
- Click the Empty Recycle Bin button.
- Click the Yes button.
Once you complete the steps, the system will free up around 10% of the drive capacity (assuming the bin is full).
Change Recycle Bin settings
Windows 10 reserves 10% of the available space for deleted files. Once the threshold is reached, the system will automatically delete files from the oldest to the newest. You can always adjust how much space the system should use for the Recycle Bin.
To reduce the space usage for the Recycle Bin, use these steps:
- Use the Windows + D keyboard shortcut to view the desktop.
- Right-click the Recycle Bin icon and select the Properties option.
- If you have multiple partitions, select the Recycle Bin location you want to configure. For example, Local Disk (C:) is the drive where Windows 10 is installed.
- Under the "Settings for selected location" section, select the Custom size option.
- In the "Maximum size (MB)" field, specify the maximum hard drive space in megabytes that Recycle Bin can use on the particular partition.
- (Optional) Check the Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted option if you want to delete the files from the drive skipping the Recycle Bin to minimize storage usage.
- Click the Apply button.
- Click the OK Button.
After you complete the steps, the Recycle Bin will be able to keep more or fewer files from a particular location, depending on your configuration.
If your Windows (PC) computer has been running slowly, has not been updating, or is displaying the error message, “Your computer is low on memory,” then your computer’s hard drive is probably cluttered. Not to worry: There are simple steps for checking your computer’s storage and clearing space on your hard drive.
In this guide, you will learn:
- How to check disk space usage on your Windows computer
- 4 manual ways to free up disk space on Windows
- How to clear disk space with built-in Windows tools
How to check disk space usage on your Windows computer
Checking your storage space is a simple process. Follow these steps:
1. To the left of your Taskbar, click on the “Start” button (the Windows icon).
Click the Start button at the far left of the taskbar. Note: All source images from a personal Windows account.
2. At the far left of the expanded menu, click the “Settings” icon that looks like a gear.
Click the “Settings” icon on the left side of the expanded menu.
3. A Settings window will open. From there, select “System.”
Select “System” from the Settings window.
4. In the left navigation pane, click “Storage.”
Click the “Storage” tab to navigate to storage settings.
5. Under “Windows(C:),” you will see the total disk space in use. The display breaks down what the main sources of disk use are (such as applications, temporary files in your Recycle Bin, or large folders).
In the Systems Setting window, click on Storage in the left toolbar to view how much disk space is available on your computer’s C drive. (Source)
6. To view storage usage from other file types not displayed, click on “Show more categories” at the bottom.
4 manual ways to free up disk space on Windows
Try freeing up disk space manually with these four methods.
Empty your Recycle Bin
Your Recycle Bin stores files you’ve deleted. Your Recycle Bin’s contents will affect your computer’s available storage until you’ve emptied it (therefore permanently deleting these files),
1. Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your Desktop.
2. From the drop-down menu, choose “Empty Recycle Bin.”
Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon and select Empty Recycle Bin from the dropdown menu.
Uninstall unnecessary programs
Regardless of whether you use them, apps/programs can use significant disk space. Consider uninstalling apps/programs you don’t use.
1. Click the “Start button” (Windows icon) at the left of the Taskbar.
Click the Start button at the far left of the taskbar.
2. Click and hold (or right-click) the app or program you want to uninstall.
3. Select “Uninstall” from the dropdown menu.
Select “Uninstall” from the drop down menu.
Clear your downloaded files
Any files you have downloaded also affect your disk space. Once you no longer need them, consider clearing your Downloads folder.
1. From the Taskbar, click the file folder icon. This opens a new File Explorer window.
Click the file icon to open “File Explorer.”
2. Under “My PC” in the left navigation pane, click “Downloads.”
Click the “Downloads” tab underneath “My PC” on the left navigation pane.
3. Delete selective files (or press “Ctrl+A to select all, then press “Delete” to completely clear the folder).
Save large files to another location
To save even more space, transfer large files to another storage device such as a hard drive, external server, or a cloud-based storage like iCloud, SharePoint, or Google Drive.
How to clear disk space with built-in Windows tools
Windows also comes with pre-installed storage management tools: Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense.
Quick steps to free up space with Disk Cleanup
1. From the Taskbar, click the magnifying glass icon and type “disk cleanup.”
Select the magnifying glass and type “disk cleanup” in the search bar.
2. Select the app from the list of results. A window called “Disk Cleanup for (C:)” will pop up.
3. Select the check box next to the type of files you want to delete. Be sure to clear the pre-selected boxes if you don’t want to delete those items. Click the “OK” button to confirm deletion.
Check the boxes next to the type of file you wish to delete. Press the “Ok” button to confirm deletion.
4. To clean up more space, select the “Clean up system files” button. Once Disk Cleanup calculates how much space can be freed up, click the “OK” button to confirm deletion.
Select the “Clean up system files” button, then select the “OK” button to confirm deletion.
Quick steps to free up space with Storage Sense
Storage Sense automatically frees up drive space by deleting items you don’t need, such as temporary files and Recycle Bin contents.
1. Click the “Start” button.
2. Select “Settings,” “System,” then “Storage.”
3. Click “Configure Storage Sense or run it now.”
Click “Configure Storage Sense or run it now.”
4. In the next window, turn on the “Storage Sense” switch. Use the drop-down menu to select the frequency you’d like Storage Sense to run.
Turn on the Storage Sense switch and use the drop-down menu to select the frequency you’d like Storage Sense to run.
5. Under “Free up space now,” check the “Delete previous versions of Windows” box (if available) and click the “Clean Now” button.
Under “Free up space now,” select check the “Delete previous versions of Windows” box (if available) and click the “Clean now” button.
How to boost Windows Performance
Available disk space is key to your computer’s performance. In addition to the techniques outlined in this how-to, cloud-based storage is a great way to ensure your hard drive has plenty of free memory. An added bonus: some cloud-based storage options come equipped with tools, such as document sharing, that can increase efficiency and enhance collaboration across your company. To learn more, check out Software Advice’s 5 Software Systems You Need for Effective Remote Work.