How to free up disk space on Windows 11 (safely)

Before you start

These steps match the current Windows 11 Settings app. Microsoft occasionally renames or moves pages, so if a menu looks different, search Settings for “Storage”. As a rule of thumb, try to keep 10–15% of your drive free, because Windows needs room for updates and temporary files.

Cleanup will not touch your documents unless you tick them yourself. The risky choices are flagged below.

Step 1: See what is using the space

Open Settings, choose System, then Storage. Windows shows a bar for your C: drive broken down into Apps and features, Temporary files, Documents, Pictures and more. Click Show more categories to see everything. Start with the biggest block, because that is where the largest saving is.

Step 2: Remove temporary files

On the Storage page click Temporary files, tick what you want to remove, then click Remove files. What the main options do:

• Windows Update Cleanup: old copies of system files left behind by updates. Safe to remove.
• Delivery Optimization Files: cached update downloads. Safe.
• Thumbnails and DirectX Shader Cache: Windows rebuilds them, so the first load may be slightly slower.
• Recycle Bin: permanently deletes what is inside, so check it first.
• Downloads: empties your Downloads folder. It is not ticked by default, so leave it unticked unless you have already sorted the folder.
• Previous Windows installation(s): the Windows.old folder, often many gigabytes. Removing it means you can no longer roll back to the previous version, so delete it only when you are happy with the current one.

Step 3: Use Cleanup recommendations

Back on Settings > System > Storage, open Cleanup recommendations. Windows groups what it thinks you can remove: temporary files, large or unused files, files already synced to the cloud, and unused apps. Expand each group and tick items one by one instead of choosing everything. Large or unused files lists items by size, which makes forgotten video downloads easy to spot.

Step 4: Uninstall apps you do not use

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, sort by size, and remove the big ones you no longer need, such as old games or video editors. Uninstalling an app does not delete your own files, but some games keep save data separately, so check before you remove one.

Step 5: Turn on Storage Sense

Go to Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense and switch on automatic cleanup. Choose how often it runs and how long files stay in the Recycle Bin and Downloads before they are cleared. Be careful with the Downloads option, because it can delete files you still need. To run it immediately, choose Run Storage Sense now.

Step 6: Move big files off the drive

Move videos, backups and old photos to an external drive or cloud storage. If you use OneDrive, right-click a folder and choose Free up space to keep files online only. They download again when you open them.

Optional: the older Disk Cleanup tool

Search for Disk Cleanup in the Start menu, pick your drive, then choose Clean up system files for extras such as old update files. It overlaps with Temporary files in Settings, so you only need it if the Settings route did not free enough.

If the space does not come back

• Empty the Recycle Bin and restart the PC. Some update files are only removed after a reboot.
• If you see a Low Disk Space warning right after a cleanup, Microsoft says the Temp folder can fill with Microsoft Store app files. Restart, then run Temporary files again.
• Check the Storage page again to see which category is still large. If it is System and reserved, look at Windows.old and hibernation.
• Hibernation: if you never use it, open Terminal as administrator and run powercfg /hibernate off to remove the hiberfil.sys file, which is sized relative to your RAM. This also turns off Fast Startup, so skip it if you rely on that.

What not to delete

Do not delete files by hand from the Windows folder, Program Files, WinSxS or System Volume Information, and do not remove hiberfil.sys or pagefile.sys manually. Avoid registry cleaners and “PC booster” apps, which add risk and rarely free meaningful space. If you are not sure what a folder is, leave it alone.

Menu paths checked on November 9, 2026 against Microsoft Support and cross-checked with Windows Central and Pureinfotech guides.