Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To find what is using space, open Settings > System > Storage and review the categories and Cleanup recommendations. To locate forgotten personal files, use File Explorer to sort folders such as Downloads, Videos, Music, and Pictures by size. Delete only files you recognize and no longer need; move keepers elsewhere, then check available space again.
See what is using space before deleting anything
- Open Settings > System > Storage. Review the usage breakdown, including categories such as Installed apps, Temporary files, and System & reserved.
- Select Cleanup recommendations to see suggested cleanup categories and the space Windows estimates each could free. Suggestions can include temporary files, previous Windows installation files, large or unused files, and infrequently used apps.
- Check the free-space indicator in File Explorer > This PC. After each cleanup step, check again so you know whether you have recovered enough room.
Storage settings show where space is allocated; they do not mean every item in a category is safe to remove. Review each suggestion and make the choice yourself. See Microsoft’s overview of Storage settings and guide to freeing drive space.
Find forgotten personal files with File Explorer
Sort common folders by size
- Open File Explorer and visit folders where large personal files often accumulate: Downloads, Videos, Music, and Pictures.
- Choose View > Details, then sort by the Size column. If you do not see that column, right-click the column headings and enable Size where available.
- Review the largest items one by one. Keep files you still need, and delete only those you recognize and no longer want.
If you want to keep a large video, photo collection, or other file but reclaim space on the PC, move it to another location, such as an external USB drive or SD card. Deleting a file normally sends it to the Recycle Bin; empty the bin only when you are ready to remove those files and reclaim their space.
Do not use size sorting as a reason to delete unfamiliar items from Windows or application folders. Use Windows cleanup tools for system and temporary-file categories instead.
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Review Cleanup recommendations
Open Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations. Review the available sections, which may include Temporary files, Large or unused files, Files synced to the cloud, and Unused apps. Select only items you intend to remove, then choose the Clean up action for that section. Windows displays an estimate of the space to be saved.
A category label is not a substitute for checking what is selected. In particular, inspect the files in a personal-file category before cleaning it, and do not remove an app or file simply because Windows identifies it as infrequently used or large.
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Choose the right cleanup method
| Method | Useful for | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Storage overview and Cleanup recommendations | Seeing storage categories and reviewing suggested cleanup items | You choose what to remove; Windows provides an estimated space saving. |
| File Explorer size sorting | Finding large personal files to delete or move | Inspect each file before acting. External storage can preserve files while freeing local space. |
| Storage Sense | Recurring or automatic cleanup of configured categories | It works on the system drive, usually C:. Downloads and cloud content are not managed by default. |
| Disk Cleanup | Manually reviewing temporary and system-file categories | Read category descriptions. Removing previous Windows installation files removes the rollback option. |
Set up Storage Sense with care
Storage Sense works on the system drive, usually C:, and can remove temporary files and Recycle Bin contents. Its default behavior does not manage Downloads or cloud content unless you configure those settings. Before enabling automatic cleanup of Downloads or the Recycle Bin, check the retention options and choose a period that gives you enough time to recover files you may still need.
For cloud content, Storage Sense can make eligible files online-only rather than permanently deleting them. They can be downloaded again when the PC is online and has enough free disk space. Files marked Always keep on this device are exempt. Storage Sense settings apply to the signed-in user, and the user must be signed in and online for the feature to run. See Microsoft’s Storage Sense instructions for the available settings.
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Use Disk Cleanup for manual category review
- Search the Start menu for Disk Cleanup and open it.
- Select the drive to clean, then read the descriptions for the listed file categories.
- If you need to inspect additional system-file categories, select Clean up system files and review the list again.
- Select only categories you understand and want to remove, then confirm the cleanup.
Disk Cleanup is an option when Storage Sense is unavailable or when you prefer to select categories manually. Treat any previous-Windows-installation category as a separate decision: removing it prevents returning to the prior Windows version.
Decide whether to remove Windows.old
After a Windows upgrade, the previous installation can preserve the option to return to the earlier version. If Previous Windows installation(s) appears as a cleanup option, removing it deletes Windows.old and the rollback option cannot be restored. Microsoft says the previous version is listed as removable during the first 10 days after an upgrade and is automatically deleted after 10 days. If you may need to go back, do not remove it during that window. See Microsoft’s instructions for deleting a previous Windows version.
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
If Windows still reports low disk space
Check available space in File Explorer > This PC after each action. Continue only with cleanup categories and personal files you understand; there is no guaranteed amount of space that a cleanup will recover. Low storage can interfere with Windows updates. If the immediate issue is an update, consult Microsoft’s low-disk-space troubleshooting guidance, which also describes external storage options.
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