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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →One Windows 11 user recovered nearly 36GB by removing system leftovers and moving files—not by changing drive partitions. That is a personal result, not a typical or guaranteed saving. The useful lesson is to find what is consuming space on your own PC, then decide what to delete, keep elsewhere, or stop saving to the crowded drive.
Start by finding what is using the space
Before deleting files or changing settings, check the breakdown for the drive that is running low. In Windows, open Settings > System > Storage. Storage categories can include installed apps, temporary files, and system and reserved storage; the exact labels may vary by Windows release. Microsoft explains the available views in its Storage settings guide.
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Open the categories that look large, and use Cleanup recommendations if it appears. Windows can suggest items and estimate potential savings, but review what it proposes before removing anything. The largest opportunity might be old downloads, apps you no longer use, temporary files, or previous Windows installation files. There is no single cleanup recipe that fits every PC.
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Choose whether to clean up or move files
Deleting unnecessary data is useful when the contents are safe to remove. If you need to keep large files, moving them to another location can recover space without discarding them. These approaches can be combined: clear out what you do not need, move retained files, and direct future saves elsewhere.
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- Need space immediately: inspect cleanup suggestions and identify large files or apps you can safely remove.
- Need to keep the files: move infrequently used personal files to another drive or external storage.
- Want to avoid the same problem later: change where Windows saves new content, then move existing files separately if needed.
Know what deleting Windows.old means
If Storage identifies a previous Windows installation, removing it may free space—but it also removes the files Windows needs to return to that earlier version. Microsoft Support warns: “If you delete your previous version of Windows, this can’t be undone, and you won’t be able to go back to your previous version of Windows.” Read Microsoft’s drive-space cleanup guidance and keep the rollback option if you still need it.
Consider hibernation only if you can give up the feature
Windows uses the hibernation file to support power features, and its size depends on the configuration. Microsoft documents default sizes of 40% of physical memory for full hibernation and 20% for reduced hibernation. Those percentages describe defaults, not a guaranteed amount you can reclaim on every PC. Reduced mode supports Fast Startup, but not full Hibernate. If you rely on Hibernate, do not disable it just to chase a possible space saving; Microsoft’s system power states documentation explains the distinction.
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- Take it with you on your adventures—up to two-meter drop protection means this durable drive can take a beating. (Based on internal testing.)
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Move existing files, then change where new content goes
Move files you want to keep
Look for large personal files you can store somewhere other than the crowded drive, such as videos, archives, or files you rarely open. Move them to another internal drive or an external drive, and confirm they open from the new location before removing any remaining copy. External storage is an option for files you do not need all the time; they are available when that drive is connected. Microsoft includes this approach in its free-up-space guidance.
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Windows lets you choose where new content is saved. Go to Settings > System > Storage and look for Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved; labels can differ across releases. Set the destination for the types of content you want to save elsewhere. Changing this setting affects future content—it does not, by itself, relocate files that are already on the original drive.
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Check the result and leave room for updates
Return to Settings > System > Storage and check available space after cleanup or moving files. Treat any reclaimed amount as specific to your PC: the nearly 36GB figure was Shaheer Khan’s reported result on his own Windows 11 machine, as summarized by WindowsForum, and no per-action breakdown was provided. It is not a promise of what another PC will recover. (WindowsForum summary, October 5, 2026.)
Capacity also matters. Microsoft’s Windows 11 requirements specify 64GB or greater available disk space as a minimum, while noting that updates and some features may require more. Microsoft says feature updates typically need 6–11GB or more and quality updates 2–3GB or more; actual needs vary by device and installed content. Those figures are not a recommended comfort margin. See Microsoft’s Windows 11 requirements and update storage guidance.
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- The available storage capacity may vary.
Finally, a partition is a logical division of storage, not extra physical capacity. Reorganizing files or cleaning up can make room on a partition; changing partitions alone does not increase the drive’s total capacity.
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