To free up space in Windows 11, first open Settings > System > Storage to see what is actually using your drive. Then choose a suitable fix: review Cleanup recommendations, remove selected temporary files, configure Storage Sense, uninstall unused apps, make OneDrive files online-only, or move personal files to another drive. Check each category before deleting it; the space you can recover varies by PC.
1. Find out what is using your storage
Open Settings > System > Storage. Windows groups drive usage into categories such as Installed apps, Temporary files, and System & reserved. Start here rather than guessing from a folder’s apparent size: the category breakdown helps you target the right cleanup. Microsoft’s Storage settings guide describes the categories and controls available in Windows.
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2. Review Cleanup recommendations
Go to Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations. Windows may suggest temporary files, large or unused files, cloud-synced files, previous Windows installations, or unused apps. It can show an estimated amount of space associated with the candidates. Treat these as items to inspect, not a command to select everything: open the details and choose only files or categories you understand. The estimate is specific to the device and selection, not a guaranteed amount you will recover. Microsoft explains Cleanup recommendations alongside the other Storage settings.
3. Use Storage Sense for routine cleanup
Open Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense to set when Windows runs it and what it manages. Storage Sense can remove temporary files and manage Recycle Bin contents according to your settings; it works on the system drive, usually C:. Downloads and cloud content are not managed unless you configure the relevant options. Review the settings before enabling an automatic schedule, particularly if you keep files in Downloads or the Recycle Bin. See Microsoft’s Storage Sense instructions.
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You can also run it immediately from the same page. In Windows 11 version 22H2, Microsoft says the default Storage Sense behavior makes cloud files that have not been opened for more than 30 days online-only; the interval can be changed. This is a version-specific default, not a universal cleanup schedule. Check Microsoft’s description of Storage Sense behavior if you use a different Windows build.
4. Remove temporary files selectively
In Settings > System > Storage, open the temporary-files category to review what Windows can remove. Read each category name and its description before checking it; categories can include different kinds of temporary or system-related data, and selecting a category authorizes Windows to remove those files. When uncertain about a listed item, leave it unchecked and consult its description rather than assuming every item is disposable. Microsoft’s free-up-drive-space guidance covers this review process.
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5. Run Disk Cleanup for a category-by-category choice
- Open Start, type Disk Cleanup, and launch the utility.
- Select the drive to clean, usually C:, and review the available categories.
- Select only categories whose contents you intend to remove, then choose the cleanup action.
- To see additional system-file options, choose Clean up system files, select the drive again if prompted, and review the expanded list before confirming.
Disk Cleanup is useful when you want to review choices for a particular run rather than rely on an automatic schedule. Microsoft documents its selection-based workflow in its Windows drive-space guide.
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6. Uninstall apps you no longer need
Open Settings > Apps and review the installed apps list. Choose an app, use the available uninstall control, and confirm only if you are sure you no longer need it. Avoid removing software just because you do not recognize its name; if it may be a driver, device utility, or component another program uses, identify it first. Removing an app can reclaim its installed files, but it does not necessarily remove personal files the app created. Microsoft includes unused-app removal among its storage cleanup recommendations.
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7. Make selected OneDrive files online-only
If OneDrive Files On-Demand is available and enabled, right-click a downloaded OneDrive file or folder in File Explorer and choose Free up space. The item remains visible in OneDrive but becomes an online-only placeholder, freeing its local copy; you need an internet connection to open it again. For files you must access without a connection, right-click and choose Always keep on this device instead, which retains a local copy and uses storage. These choices change local availability, not the need to understand which files are synced. See Microsoft’s Files On-Demand guide.
8. Move large personal files to external storage
Videos, music, photos, and documents can be moved from the system drive to an external USB drive, SD card, or another suitable drive. Choose a destination that your PC supports and that has enough capacity for the files you plan to move; a drive that stays connected is more convenient for files you use often, while a portable drive can be stored separately. After copying, confirm the files open from the destination before deleting the originals from C:.
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An external SSD or hard drive is optional; Windows’ built-in cleanup methods do not require one. Compared with OneDrive online-only files, an external drive keeps a local copy but must be connected when you need files stored on it. Microsoft’s drive-space guidance describes using external storage to move personal files.
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If your PC has another suitable drive, change destinations for supported new content at Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved. Choose an available destination for each content type shown. This can reduce repeated moves from the system drive, but it affects supported new content rather than automatically relocating existing files or every app. Microsoft lists this setting among ways to manage drive space.
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10. Handle update problems and unusual low-space errors
If an update needs more room
When Windows reports that an update cannot proceed because of low storage, check Settings > System > Storage and work through the relevant cleanup options above. Microsoft also recommends using external storage in some update situations. Its Windows Update space guidance explains the available approaches.
If a previous Windows installation is listed
Cleanup recommendations or system-file cleanup may offer previous Windows installation files. Microsoft says these can be listed for deletion when fewer than 10 days have passed since an upgrade. Removing them also removes the files needed to roll back to the prior Windows version, so do not delete them while you may still want that option. Microsoft’s drive-space guidance describes this limitation.
If the error is unusual or malware is a concern
For certain low-disk-space errors involving Microsoft Store apps, Microsoft documents resetting the Store cache as a targeted fix; this is not a general storage-cleaning step. Follow the specific instructions in Microsoft’s low-disk-space error guide only if the error matches. If malware is a plausible cause of unexpected storage use, run a scan with Windows Security rather than treating malware scanning as routine disk maintenance. Microsoft’s PC performance guidance includes scanning as a troubleshooting measure.
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Which cleanup approach should you use?
| Approach | Best suited to | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Sense | Recurring cleanup with configured rules | Can run automatically and manages the system drive according to the settings you choose; review its treatment of the Recycle Bin, Downloads, and cloud files. |
| Cleanup recommendations or Disk Cleanup | A one-time cleanup where you want to inspect candidates | Review categories and files before confirming deletion; estimates depend on your device and choices. |
| OneDrive online-only | Files you can retrieve over the internet when needed | Frees the local copy, but an internet connection is required to open an online-only file. |
| External storage | Large personal files you want to keep locally but off the system drive | Moved files are accessible from that drive; it must be connected when you need them. |
For most nearly full C: drives, begin with the Storage breakdown, then make deliberate selections in Cleanup recommendations or Disk Cleanup. Use Storage Sense if you want recurring cleanup, and move or offload personal files when those categories—not temporary data or apps—are the main source of usage.
Quick Recap
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