Recommended Free Tools
Start with your computer’s built-in storage screen: it shows which broad categories are using space. If that doesn’t identify the culprit, check your largest personal folders and sort files by size. Windows and macOS include these tools; Linux users with GNOME can use Disk Usage Analyzer.
Start with the built-in storage overview
A storage overview is the quickest way to see whether space is going to apps, temporary files, photos, videos, or system categories. It summarizes usage; it may not name the individual files responsible.
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Windows 11 and Windows 10
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Open Settings > System > Storage.
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Review the category breakdown. Windows lists categories such as Installed apps, Temporary files, and System & reserved.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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If the summary is too broad, select Cleanup recommendations to see suggested categories and Windows’ estimate of the space that could be saved. Review each item before choosing to clean it up.
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Microsoft explains that System & reserved includes space reserved for temporary files, caches, and other files. Windows may use it for other processes, including an update when the device is low on space. It is not a folder of files you should manually delete. See Microsoft’s explanation of Storage settings and cleanup and its guide to freeing drive space.
macOS
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On macOS Ventura 13 or later, open Apple menu > System Settings > General > Storage.
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On earlier macOS releases, open Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage.
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Seagate Portable 1TB External Hard Drive HDD – USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox, 1-Year Rescue Service (STGX1000400) , Black- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
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- The available storage capacity may vary.
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Review the file-category breakdown. The display can take time to update as space is freed.
Apple describes System Data (called Other on some versions) as a broad category for Apple and third-party files that do not fit a more specific category. It is not a single file or a blanket instruction to remove system files. Use any category details available, then investigate files you control, such as downloads, media, apps, and old device backups. See Apple’s guide to optimizing storage space.
Linux with GNOME
Open Disk Usage Analyzer, also known as Baobab, and choose a folder, your home directory, a remote folder, or an internal storage device to scan. Its ring chart and treemap help reveal which parts of the selected location use the most space. A scan can be slow; if a directory cannot be scanned, that failure does not mean it uses no space. GNOME documents the app and its scanning options in the Disk Usage Analyzer help.
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Find the individual files behind a broad category
When a category such as videos or documents is large, inspect the relevant folder and sort by size. This changes the question from “Which category is large?” to “Which specific files are large?”
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Windows: sort a folder by size
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Open File Explorer > This PC.
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Open likely locations such as Videos, Music, Pictures, and Downloads.
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Switch to Details view, then select the Size column to sort. If needed, select it again to reverse the order and bring the largest files to the top.
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Check what a file is and whether you still need it before deleting or moving it.
If the built-in overview is still too coarse, Microsoft’s optional Sysinternals DU v1.62 command-line utility reports directory sizes recursively by default, can limit scan depth, and can output CSV. It is a reporting tool rather than a first step for most people. Its documentation, by Mark Russinovich, was published November 4, 2020; Microsoft Learn lists it as last updated July 19, 2022. Details are in the DU documentation.
Choose a method that matches what you need to see
| Method | What it shows | Scope and format | Cleanup actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Storage settings | Broad usage categories and cleanup suggestions | Device storage, presented as categories | Offers cleanup recommendations; review selections before confirming |
| Windows File Explorer | Individual files and their sizes | Folders you inspect, presented as a sortable list | You decide what to delete or move |
| macOS Storage | Broad file categories | Mac storage, presented by category | Category details vary; the overview itself is for diagnosis |
| GNOME Disk Usage Analyzer | Usage within the scanned location | Selected folder, home directory, remote folder, or internal storage; ring chart and treemap | Displays usage; scanning can be slow and some directories may be inaccessible |
| Microsoft Sysinternals DU | Directory sizes | Recursive command-line output; depth can be limited and CSV is available | Reports usage; it is not a cleanup recommendation screen |
Understand what cleanup tools will remove
A suggested cleanup is not automatically safe just because the operating system lists it. Open the details and confirm that you recognize the files and accept the consequence before deleting anything.
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Windows cleanup recommendations
Windows can identify temporary files, large or unused files, files synced to the cloud, and unused apps. Check what each selection includes rather than relying only on the estimated savings. In particular, removing a previous Windows installation deletes Windows.old and removes the option to return to the previous version. Microsoft explains this consequence in its Windows drive-space guide.
Storage Sense and other drives
Storage Sense works on the system drive, usually C:. To assess other drives, use the separate Storage used on other drives area in Storage settings. Its behavior depends on configuration: with default settings, Downloads and cloud content are not touched unless you configure Storage Sense to handle them. Microsoft’s Windows 11 version 22H2 documentation describes a default OneDrive online-only period of 30 days; settings and Windows versions can differ. Review your own Storage Sense settings rather than assuming that period applies to your computer. See Microsoft’s Storage Sense documentation.
Deleted files may still occupy space
In Windows, empty the Recycle Bin to fully release the space used by deleted files. On macOS, moving a file to Bin does not free its space until you empty Bin. Check the contents before emptying either, since that action removes the items stored there.
Keep large files without keeping them on your computer
If you find files you want to keep but do not need on the computer, you can move them to an external storage drive. This is optional; you do not need one to identify what is using space. Confirm that the drive has enough capacity and a compatible connection, and verify that the files are present on the destination before removing local copies. Microsoft describes moving personal files to an external drive or SD card in its Windows drive-space guide; Apple also recommends moving files to another storage device in its Mac storage guide.
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