Are you looking for ways to free up space on your Windows 11 computer? If so, you’re in the right place. Disk Cleanup is a tool provided by Microsoft that can help you reclaim valuable disk space on your system.
This article will provide 8 efficient disk cleanup solutions for Windows 11 users.
We will cover various topics, from proper disk maintenance to third-party disk cleaning software. By the end of this article, you should have plenty of ideas for reclaiming disk space on your Windows 11 system.
Why is my C drive full in Windows 11?
Your C drive may be full due to a variety of reasons. That is why you need disk cleanup tool for your Windows 11 to catch any of these reasons.
The most common causes of a full C drive are:
- Unnecessary programs: Are you sure you didn’t install many programs you don’t use? This may be taking up a lot of space on the C drive.
- Old Windows Update Files: Windows stores old Windows update files on the C drive. This can take up a lot of space over time. This may need clearing using a Disk Cleanup utility.
- Large files: The C drive may be full if you’ve stored large files. Examples of such files are either videos or music.
- System Restore: System Restore can take up a lot of space on the C drive. This may occur if it’s been enabled for a long time. You can temporarily disable System Restore and free up some space.
- Temporary Files: Your C drive may also be full because of the accumulation of temporary files. The Disk Cleanup tool can help you delete these files and free up space.
- Low Disk Space Allocation: Full C drive can occur when you allocate too little disk space on the system partition. This may be during the installation of Windows 11.
- Malware: Malware or viruses can take up much disk space on the C drive. They do this when you don’t detect and remove them.
Now that we have identified the causes of full C drive, let’s also remedy it. The solution may be using a simple Disk Cleanup command or the like. Below are expert fixes that are very workable.
How do I free up space on my C drive in Windows 11?
1. Clean up the disk using Run
1.1 Clean with cleanmgr /VERYLOWDISK
- Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run. Then enter the following code and press Enter or the Ok button to run it:
cleanmgr /VERYLOWDISK
- Once the run is executed, you will receive a report showing how much space you have freed up.
- To exit the report, click on Ok.
1.2 Clean with cleanmgr /LOWDISK
- Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run. Then enter the following code and press Enter or the Ok button to run it:
cleanmgr /LOWDISK - Once the run is executed, you will receive a report showing how much space you have freed up.
- To exit the report, click on Ok.
Please note that this method will clean up fewer data than solution 1.1 above.
1.3 Clean with cleanmgr /sageset:1
- Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run. Then enter the following code and press Enter or the Ok button to run it:
cleanmgr /sageset:1 - Then, select which files to clean.
- This will launch the Disk Cleanup utility with checked options.
2. Enable storage sense
- Firstly, click on the Windows icon and choose Settings.
- Click on the System option from the right and choose Storage.
- When launched, turn on the Storage Sense switch.
- For further cleaning, click on the Storage Sense option to configure it.
- It is defaulted to clean up unnecessary files when there is low disk. You can change that by clicking on the drop-down menu below Run Storage Sense in the Configure cleanup schedules option.
- Then, choose any duration option that’s appropriate in your opinion to act automatically either Every day, Every week, or Every month.
3. Remove temporary files
- Press the Windows + R to start the Run app, enter
%tmp%, and press Enter or click the OK button. - When the File Manager app opens, it will contain the Temp folder on your PC.
- Then, use the Ctrl + A hotkeys to select all the files and folders, right-click on them and click on the Delete icon looking like the waste bin, or just hit the Delete key on your keyboard when you have selected the files.
4. Via Drive Properties
- Press the Windows + E keys to open File Manager and click on This PC.
- Then, right-click on the C: drive and select Properties from the drop-down options.
- Click the General tab on the new window and click on the Cleanup button.
- In the next box, select the data you want to clean by checking their boxes and then click OK.
5. Empty Recycle Bin
- Firstly, look for the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and right-click to open the options.
- When the options opens up, select the Empty Recycle Bin and then click Ok.
- Once done, around ten percent of the drive capacity will be freed, assuming the Recycle Bin is at capacity.
6. Use disk cleanup tool
- First, click the Start button, enter disk cleanup in the search bar, and then choose Disk Cleanup from the results.
- On the subsequent display, check all the data you wish to remove under Files to delete and click on Ok.
- Then select Delete files on the confirmation window to confirm the cleanup process.
7. Uninstall applications you no longer need
- Firstly, click on the Start button, enter control panel in the search bar, and then choose Control Panel from the results.
- Then, under Programs, select the Uninstall a program option.
- Finally, right-click the program(s) you want to uninstall that is no longer useful to you and click Uninstall.
8. Free up with Settings
- Begin by clicking the Start button and then selecting Settings.
- Then click on System on the left pane options.
- After that, click on Storage which will show you what is consuming your disk space.
- Click on Temporary files. If not visible, click Show more categories to make it visible.
- The Temporary files page exposes the temporary files on your PC. Check all the boxes and then click Remove files.
Is it safe to Disk Cleanup?
Disk Cleanup is a built-in utility in Windows 11 operating systems that helps users delete unnecessary files from their system to free up disk space. It is an easy and safe way to delete temporary files, cached web pages, and other files that are no longer needed.
Disk Cleanup Windows 11 is generally safe to use and does not cause any damage to your system. The tool does not disable or delete any important system files or any of your personal data.
It does, however, delete some temporary files, so it is essential to be careful when using it. It is recommended that you only delete files you are sure you do not need.
Pay attention to what you are deleting and ensure you are not deleting any important files. You should also back up important files before running Disk Cleanup. This will help protect your data in case something goes wrong.
Overall, Disk Cleanup is a safe and easy way to free up disk space. As long as you are careful with what you are deleting, it should not cause any problems.
In all, the disk cleanup tool in Windows 11 is invaluable to help keep your computer running smoothly and efficiently. With just a few clicks, you can quickly and easily delete temporary files, clear up disk space, and reclaim a large amount of data.
Whether you are a novice or a power user, this tool is easy to use and provides a quick and effective way to keep your computer running at its best. With the fixes in this guide serving as a worthy tool, you can be sure your hard drive is running optimally, helping you get the most out of your computer.
