If your PC is running low on free space, you may not be able to install important Windows updates, or your PC’s performance may be affected. Here are a few ways to free up some drive space so you can keep your PC up to date and running smoothly:
If you used Disk Cleanup to free up space on your device and then see a Low Disk Space error, it’s possible that your Temp folder is quickly filling up with application (.appx) files that are used by the Microsoft Store. For more, see Low Disk Space error due to a full Temp folder.
You can use storage sense to delete unnecessary or temporary files from your device. (Can't find storage sense on your device using the steps below? See the Free up space with Disk Cleanup section below instead.)
- Select the Start button, and then select Settings > System > Storage .
- Under Storage sense, select Free up space now.
- Windows will take a few moments to determine what files and apps are taking up the most space on your PC.
- Select all the items you want to delete, and then select Remove files.
Note
Recycle Bin and some other settings aren't selected by default. You may have to scroll down to select these items.
Select the Recycle Bin to free up space taken up by previously deleted files. Windows moves files you delete to the Recycle Bin in case you change your mind and need them again in the future. You might be able to free up a significant amount of free space by selecting Recycle Bin to permanently remove files you’ve previously deleted.
If you turn on storage sense, Windows will automatically free up space by getting rid of files you don't need, like temporary files and items in the Recycle Bin.
- Select the Start button, and then select Settings > System > Storage .
- Turn on Storage sense.
- To choose which files you want Storage sense to delete automatically, select Change how we free up space automatically, then select or deselect the check boxes for options under Temporary Files, Locally available cloud content, and Free up space now.
If your system doesn't have storage sense, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete temporary files and system files from your device.
- Select the Start button, type disk cleanup, then select Disk Cleanup from the list of results.
- Select the check box next to the type of files you want to delete. (To view a description of each type of file, select the name.) By default, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, and Thumbnails are selected.
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To free up even more space, select Clean up system files, and then select the type of system files you want to delete.
Note
If it’s been fewer than ten days since you upgraded to Windows 10, your previous version of Windows will be listed as a system file you can delete. If you need to free up drive space, you can safely delete it, but keep in mind that you'll be deleting your Windows.old folder, which contains files that give you the option to go back to your previous version of Windows. Deleting your previous version of Windows can’t be undone.
- After you’ve selected the types of files you want to delete, select OK, and then select Delete files in the confirmation window to start the cleanup.
Uninstalling apps and optional features you don’t need is a good way to free up some extra space on your drive.
- Select the Start button, and then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features .
- You’ll see a list of installed apps, including how much space each one uses and when it was installed. You can sort by Size to see which apps use the most space.
- To uninstall an app, select it from the list and then select Uninstall.
Note
If you uninstall an app, you can always install it again later, either from the Microsoft Store or from any installation media you may have purchased. Make any sure you have the installation media and license keys you might need to reinstall the app before you uninstall it. If the app stores data, you may wish to export that data first or use tools and settings in the app to reduce how drive space it uses on your PC.
To free up additional space, you can also remove optional features, such as language packs and keyboard languages you no longer need.
- Select the Start button, and then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features .
- Select Manage optional features.
- You’ll see a list of optional features installed, including how much space each one uses. If you see something you no longer need, select it and then select Manage or Uninstall.
Note
For language-related features, selecting Manage opens the Region & language settings page, where you can modify or remove any language packs you no longer use.
Windows 10 may indicate that it needs more space to get the latest Windows 10 feature update. You can use an external storage device to help you complete the update.
To learn more, see Free up space to install the latest Windows 10 update.
Note
You may need to use a micro-USB adapter if your device doesn't have a standard USB port.
Personal files such as videos, music, photos, and documents can take up a lot of space on your device. To see which files are using the most space:
- Open File Explorer from the taskbar and find the files you want to move.
- Under This PC in the left menu, select a folder to see what files are saved in it. The Videos, Music, Pictures, and Downloads folders usually contain the largest files that you’ve saved to your device.
- To see the size of the files in a folder, select View > Details, and then select Sort by > Size to show the largest files at the top of the list.
- If there are files you no longer need on your device, you can either delete them or move them to an external storage device like a USB drive or an SD card.
Note
If you delete any files, remember to empty the Recycle Bin to completely remove them from your device and free up space.
To move photos, music, videos, or other files that you want to keep but don't use very often, consider saving them to an external storage device like a USB drive or an SD card. You'll still be able to use them when the drive is connected, but they won't take up space on your PC.
- Connect an external storage device like a USB drive or SD card to your PC.
- Open File Explorer from the taskbar and go to the folder that contains the files you want to move.
- Select the files, then select Home tab, and then select Move to > Choose location...
- Select the external storage device you connected in the location list and then select Move.
Saving new files to another drive will help prevent low space problems on that drive in the future, so you won’t have to move your files to another drive repeatedly. Instead of saving all your new files to the default drive, you can save some of them to a different drive that has more free space.
- Select the Start button, and then select Settings > System > Storage .
- Under More storage settings, select Change where new content is saved.
- For each content type, select a drive from the drop-down menu. If the drive you want to use isn't listed there, make sure it's connected to your PC.
Note
OneDrive Files On-Demand requires Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (Windows 10 version 1709) and OneDrive client version 17.3.7064.1005 or later. To see which version of Windows you’re running, select the Start button, then select Settings > System > About . To see which version of the OneDrive client you have installed, see Which version of OneDrive am I using?
You can save space by turning on OneDrive Files On-Demand, which stores a smaller “placeholder” file on your hard drive instead of the full-size file that's stored in your OneDrive account in the cloud. You'll be able to get to your OneDrive files from your PC without having to use up hard drive space downloading full-size versions of them all. See Learn about OneDrive Files On-Demand for more info.
If you’ve followed the instructions here but still need help freeing up space on your device, you can contact Microsoft support to chat with a support agent.