How to Free Up The Disk Space in Windows 10

Are you worried about disk space and want to remove unnecessary files and data? Every gigabyte is valuable if you are using an SSD or mechanical hard drive. Here I am going to describe how to free up the disk space in Windows 10.

I will explore step by step guide on how to delete unwanted and temporary files left by browsers, clear the cache of web browsers and also delete older versions of Windows. Therefore, all steps will be taken through the system’s own tools. This means you can remove unwanted files at zero risks.

Here are the four tips to free up space in Windows 10:

1. Uninstall unwanted programs and games

Before installing programs or games, they have a specific size, but there is no guarantee of how much size these files will take after installing these programs and files. Most games take up more space after installing on a computer like Grand Theft Auto V, it can take up more than 70 GB.

To check storage information, go to “Storage Settings” (type storage settings in the Start menu). You can see the division of files, apps, music, and more, depending on how much space they cover.

Carefully check the storage graph and start filtering out the programs you want to remove. Now open “Add / Remove Programs” via the “Start Menu” and remove all unnecessary files, programs, games, and software that you will no longer use.

2. Windows Disk Cleanup

As the first tool is the basic version to remove unnecessary files from the computer. Disc Cleanup is another way to free up disk space. To access, press Start menu > Windows Administration Tools > Disk Cleanup.

You will see the following options:

• Downloaded program files
• Temporary Internet Files
• Windows Error Report Files
• Thumbnails
• Temporary files
• Windows Update Cleanup

Now select the one you want to remove from the list and click “Clean Up System Files” as shown in the picture below. The operation usually takes a few minutes.

3. Use Windows 10 Storage Sensor

Only a few users know this useful Storage Sensor feature which is available in Windows 10. Storage Sensor automatically recognizes files you no longer need (such as those placed in the trash, temporary files, and others) and cleans up, freeing up space on your hard drive or SSD. Among the file types are:

• Windows update log files
• Error reporting files created by the system
• Windows Defender Antivirus (logs)
• Windows Update Cleanup
• Thumbnails
• Temporary files
• System Restore Points
• Delivery Optimization Files
• DirectX caches

This allows you to select multiple items that you want to delete. The storage sensor can be adjusted daily, weekly, monthly, at your behest, or even when Windows needs it to eliminate “garbage.”

Beware of the “Delete Files in My Downloads Folder” option. This allows you to set several days to delete anything in the system. Since a lot of people use it for storage, it wouldn’t be a good idea.

The Storage Sensor also has the ability to recognize old Windows installations and wipe them off your hard drive (useful for those who came from Windows 7 or 8, for example).

To access, open the Start Menu and type “Storage”. When you click, you will be taken directly to the settings screen.

4. Enable NTFS compression

If you need more space, you can switch back to NTFS compression. It acts as a “WinRAR” program, as it reduces the size of folders and files and compresses them. On most machines, this can affect the speed of the system because you will do this whenever you access the selected folders. But it is also a great tool for photo files, videos, and text that are not often available.

You may like How to disable Cortana features in Windows 10.

To enable NTFS compression, follow these steps:

• Open Windows Explorer
• Right-click on the zipped folder
• Select “Properties”
• Click the “Advanced” button.
• Select the ” compress content to save disk space” option and confirm by clicking “OK”

Know any more tips to save space on Windows? Share with us and leave your method in our comments.

In addition to the things described here, you can look at other, more radical steps. Example disables sleep mode. This prevents Windows from saving part of your disk in order to “freeze” the image of the operating system later, but also prevents the app from being used by many.

If you feel like trying, open the command as administrator and paste it into the following command line: “powercfg /hibernate off”. To go back, just enter the command “powercfg / hibernate on”.

Hope you got 4 tips to free up space in Windows 10.