Windows 11 · Windows
Free up disk space in Windows
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Open Settings > System > Storage to review Cleanup recommendations and configure Storage Sense. Check cleanup schedules before enabling automatic deletion, and uninstall unused apps or move files you want to keep.
Review Cleanup recommendations
Open Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations and inspect each category. Back up files you want to keep, and select only files or apps you recognize for removal.
Open Storage Sense
Open Settings > System > Storage, then select Storage Sense. It works on the system drive, which is usually C:.
Understand automatic deletion
Deleting Recycle Bin items or Downloads can remove files you still want. Back up anything important before enabling scheduled deletion.
Choose cleanup schedules
Turn Storage Sense on, then use Run Storage Sense to choose a frequency. Review the Recycle Bin and Downloads periods; choose Never for either category if you do not want its files deleted automatically.
Review cloud-content choices
If the cloud-content option appears, choose when inactive files may become online-only. This does not permanently delete them, but you need network access and free space to make them local again.
Remove unused apps and move large files
Uninstall apps you recognize and no longer need. Move important photos, videos, and archives to external storage or use cloud files on demand.
Check the recovered space
Return to Settings > System > Storage and compare the free space with your starting value. Check that files you intended to keep are still available.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If free space falls again, use Storage categories to identify what grew before deleting more files.
- Review the actual cloud-content setting rather than assuming it is disabled. OneDrive files marked Always keep on this device are excluded from Storage Sense cloud cleanup.
- If the drive reports health errors or proposed files have no backup, stop cleanup and use Microsoft Support rather than deleting system folders.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.