How to Free Up Disk Space on Windows 10
Today we are going to go over multiple ways that will help you free up disk space on your Windows PC. If you have tried to install a game or new application and you just don’t have room then this is going to be super helpful! Be sure to check out the WinDirStat application at the bottom of the list because it helped me the most!
Get an additional hard drive
No matter how large a hard drive or solid-state drive you have in your PC or laptop, there will come a time when you run out of space. If you’re bumping up against your PC’s physical storage limit, here are some quick tricks you can use to reclaim a couple of gigabytes’ worth of storage space. These options will take you only so far; if you need more free space after following these tips, you may need to add a second hard drive or replace your current drive with one with more storage capacity.
Uninstall Applications using add/remove programs
You probably have some apps and programs on your PC that you don’t use — either apps you’ve installed and forgotten about, or bloatware that came preinstalled on your computer from the manufacturer. To find out which apps are taking up space, open the Settings menu and go to Apps > Apps & features and choose Sort by size. To uninstall an app from this menu, click the app and then click Uninstall.
Run Disk Cleanup
Just one tip, you could also right-click your hard drive, you could click Disk Cleanup. Windows has a built-in disk cleanup utility, aptly named Disk Cleanup, which can help you clear up space by removing various files — including temporary internet files, system error memory dump files, and even previous Windows installations that may still be hanging around. Select the file types you want to delete — from Downloaded Program Files to Thumbnails — and hit OK. If you’re unclear about what files are included for each item listed, click the View Files button to check before proceeding.
Use WinDirStat to find and delete large hidden files
One discovery I’ve also found is WinDirStat. WinDirStat is a disk usage statistics viewer and cleanup tool for various versions of Microsoft Windows. You could opt to download this application here: https://windirstat.net/download.html. Go with the recommended installation.
Launch WinDirStat and select the drive you want to evaluate. Click “OK,” and give the program 5 to 10 minutes to scan your hard disk.
When the scan is complete, you’ll be presented with the summary screen. The top half lists files and folders sorted by file size. If you click on a folder or file, the corresponding color block will be highlighted below.
Alternatively, click the large blocks of color to find out which files are taking the most space.
Once you’ve identified the culprit, right-click the file and choose “Delete (to Recycle Bin)” for later disposal, or “Delete (no way to undelete)” for permanent, irreversible deletion.
Perform this scan in WinDirStat about once a month to clean up any files you no longer need access to. For day-to-day file deletion, follow our instructions for permanently deleting files, as emptying the Recycle Bin still leaves traces of the deleted files on your hard drive