If the steps above don't work, you may need to reinstall Windows. For more info, see Windows 10 recovery options. Describes how to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista.

Windows 11 Windows 10. If your PC is running low on free space, you might not be able to install important Windows updates, and your PC’s performance may be affected. Here are some ways to free up space so you can keep your PC up to date and running smoothly.

To open Disk Management, right-click (or long-press) the Start button and select Disk Management. If you need help freeing up space on your PC, see Disk cleanup in Windows or Free up drive space in Windows. Disk Management in Windows helps you perform advanced storage tasks like initializing a new drive and extending or shrinking volumes.

Check the current space on your PC. Use Disk Cleanup. Uninstall desktop apps you no longer need. Uninstall Windows Store apps you no longer need. Archive or delete files you're no longer using. Reduce the size of the WinSxS folder. Make OneDrive files online-only. To make files online-only using the OneDrive app.

In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, and select Disk Cleanup from the list of results. Select the drive you want to clean up, and then select OK. Under Files to delete, select the file types to get rid of. To get a description of the file type, select it. Select OK.

Select Update Driver. If Windows doesn't find a new driver, you can try looking for one on the device manufacturer's website and follow their instructions. Reinstall the device driver. In the search box on the taskbar, enter device manager, then select Device Manager.

Click the OneDrive cloud icon up in your Menu bar, click the three dots to open the menu, and select Preferences. Go to the Account tab. Select Unlink this PC. Hide or uninstall OneDrive. On some versions of Windows, you can also hide or uninstall OneDrive. You can also uninstall the OneDrive mobile app from Android and iOS devices.

Refunds for digital games include Microsoft Store digital game offers, Xbox apps (excluding movies and TV apps), digital gaming bundle offers, digital game durable content, and some digital game consumable content, whether made available through the Xbox console, on your PC, or on your mobile device.

To create a recovery drive in Windows 11: In the search box on the taskbar, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. You might be asked to enter an admin password or confirm your choice. When the tool opens, make sure Back up system files to the recovery drive is selected and then select Next.

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a technology built into Windows that helps protect you from executable code launching from places it's not supposed to. DEP does that by marking some areas of your PC's memory as being for data only, no executable code or apps will be allowed to run from those areas of memory.