Free Up Disk Space in Windows 10
If you are running short on storage space on your PC, there are a few ways you can free up some space if you are using Windows 10. It’s natural that as you use your computer, your internal storage space starts to fill up. As space fills up, not only will you run out of room to save files, but you mind that your computer starts running slower and less efficiently.
There are a lot of places files can hide on your computer and take up space without you even know they are doing it. Take a look at a few ways you can free up space, making your PC run a little bit better.
Delete Files And Empty Recycle Bin
The first tip is a simple one. Did you know that when you delete files they end up staying in the recycling bin? When they are in the bin, they are still taking up space on your hard drive. You could have been beating your head against the wall, deleting files, and wondering why in the world you aren’t seeing any changes in how much space is available.
As you delete files, if you are sure you are really done with them, go into your recycling bin and empty it. You should also be able to create a setting that will automatically dump your recycling bin at a period of time you designate (like monthly or weekly).
Clearing Cache And Temporary Files
Sometimes, temporary files can clog our PCs, but fortunately, it is easy to delete them. Whichever web browser you use, you want to go in and clear your cache. Clearing your history, saved passwords, and temporary internet files is a way to free up space without it really affecting your life.
When you delete files, like spreadsheets and documents you’ve created, you might worry that if you delete them you’ll regret it. With temporary internet files, you never have to worry you’ll miss them. Chances are, you didn’t even know your computer was storing them in the background.
Clear Out Your Downloads Folder
When you download things from the internet, they get stashed away in a folder. Open your file explorer and find your download folder. Delete any files that you don’t want or no longer have a need for. You might not even know they are stored there, making this something else easy to delete that you won’t even miss. Try to get in the habit of deleting downloads after you use them. If you download something that you need to use one time, delete it when you are done with it.
The same goes for apps. Do you have apps downloaded that you don’t use anymore? Remember, if it’s something you only log into once a year, you might want to just consider using the website instead of keeping an app stored on your PC. If you are short on space, you only want to keep apps that you use a lot. You can always download them again at a later time if you decide you deleted one that you do use a lot.
Storage Pane
In the Settings on Windows 10, you will find a “storage pane.” Spend some time getting to know this feature. Here, you will easily be able to manage (and delete) things like temporary files, music, pictures, and apps. It’s an organized location of almost everything on your computer that is taking up space.
Do you see any trends? Do you have more music downloaded and saved than you need to? Remember, if you use a streaming app like Spotify or Pandora, you won’t need to download and save songs. You can play any song you want without having it stored on your computer. That’s one example of how you might be able to free up some space by deleting music, if you have a lot of it.
In this storage pane, you’ll also be able to run “storage sense.” This means that you use this feature to automatically clean up your computer. You are going to set this feature to automatically delete temporary files, delete the recycling bin, and generally clean up and free as much disk space as possible. You can run storage sense anytime, or tell the computer to run it when your storage reaches a certain point.
Find Your Large Files
Did you do everything you can think of to improve space and you just can’t figure out what is taking up so much room on your hard drive? Fortunately, there’s a tool you can use that will actually help you find the biggest files on your computer. Then, you can decide how important those files are or if maybe they could be deleted to free up space.
Best case scenario – maybe there is a huge file you haven’t used in years tucked away on your computer. Use WinDirSat to find this type of file. Install this free app and put it to work finding files that are large in size. Maybe you’ll find some big ones you forgot about and can easily delete without missing them.
Delete Old Accounts
Do you have more than one user account on your Windows 10 PC? Maybe you shared your computer for a while with a roommate or family member who then moved out. Those old accounts take up space on your PC. Deleting them could really free up valuable space and solve a lot of your storage space issues.
Only keep the accounts you need, which will free up space to use.
For More Tips
The team at Parkway Tech can help you with any of your tech needs. Our team of experts knows all the ins and outs of everything in the IT industry. Whether you need to learn how to free up storage space or you want to protect yourself from a cyber-attack, give our team a call today. Reach out and contact us to learn all the ways we can help you with technology! We offer a free consultation and will take the time to explain all our IT services.
