How to free up space on your Windows PC

Manage your files and folders

If you've never thought about how to organize your files and folders, it might be time to change that.

The organization structure depends entirely on your preferences. Windows initially offers standard folders: “Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos. You can use them or ignore them. For your convenience, you can right-click on any folder to pin it to the Start menu or to the Quick Access panel (located on the left of the Explorer).

Windows helps you get started with file organization (photo: The Verge)

Delete files and folders

Once you've decided it's time to clean up your mess, it's time to find out which applications and file types are taking up the most space. To do this, select System and Storage in the Windows settings. You can then click on one of the categories, such as Temporary Files or Documents, to get more information and delete unnecessary files.

To see which files are taking up the most space in a particular folder, open Windows Explorer. At the top of the window, select Sort, Advanced, and Size.

Now that you know what you want to get rid of, start cleaning up:

• Select the desired file or folder in the explorer
• Press Delete - the file will be moved to the trash

You can also empty the Recycle Bin manually:

• Open the recycle bin in the Explorer (you can find it through the address bar)
• Press Ctrl + A to select all, or mark the files with check marks
• Press Delete to delete files permanently

To have the Recycle Bin emptied automatically, turn on Storage Sense in Windows Settings. This will help you make the most of the available space.

Using Storage Sense

Storage Sense is a built-in Windows feature that automatically deletes various types of files from your computer. It can help you clean up temporary files, deleted files in the Recycle Bin, and local copies of files you've already uploaded to OneDrive. You can find the Storage Sense settings in Settings, System, Storage, and Storage Sense.

By default, this feature is activated when the system detects a lack of free space. It also deletes local copies of files if they have been uploaded to OneDrive and have not been used for more than 30 days. You can change these settings and customize how often Storage Sense runs automatically.

The Memory Control feature allows you to customize various data deletion settings (photo: The Verge)

How to set up the feature:

• Go to “Settings”, “System”, “Storage”, and “Memory control”
• Open the menu under “Delete files in the Recycle Bin if they are there more than...” and select the desired retention period: “Never, 1 day, 14 days, 30 days (default), or 60 days
• Select “Never” if you want to run Storage Sense manually

If you use other cloud storage services, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, they also allow you to delete local copies of uploaded files. This frees up disk space, while you still have access to the files via shortcuts. You can then re-upload the files to your device if needed.

You can choose how long files will be stored in the Recycle Bin before deleting them (photo: The Verge)

Get cleaning recommendations

Windows offers a built-in tool for freeing up disk space. To use it, go to Settings, System, Storage, and select Cleanup suggestions. On this page, you'll find suggestions for freeing up space based on your system's condition.

Options may include:

• Deleting temporary files
• Delete large or rarely used files
• Delete files that are already synced to the cloud

Windows provides a description of the files it finds to help you understand which ones you can safely delete. Select the groups of files you want to delete and click Clean to start the process.

There is also an option to “See more options” where you can find cleaning ideas, such as deleting Windows update files that are no longer needed. Windows will show you details about the types of files and how much space they take up so you can make an informed decision.

Windows will tell you what types of files you can safely delete (photo: The Verge)

Uninstall apps

Apps can take up a lot of space on your Windows computer, especially if you don't store all your data in the cloud. To identify the apps you don't need, go back to the “Cleaning tips” and look for the “Unused apps” category.

How to check which apps take up the most space:

• Go to Settings, Apps, and Installed apps.
• Open the “Sort” menu and select “Size (from largest to smallest)” to see the apps that take up the most space

To uninstall an app, click the ellipsis next to its name and select Uninstall to erase it and all its associated files.

You can sort apps by how much space they take up (photo: The Verge)

Extra tip

If you have game libraries installed on your PC, deleting old games you haven't played in a while can free up a lot of storage space. For example, in the Steam for Windows client, right-click on the game name in the Library section, then select Manage and Uninstall to delete the game.

Read also: Microsoft makes it easier to share files between iPhone and Windows.