Clean up computer files

You can also go to Manage storage on the OneDrive website. Windows 8. Tips: You can view the size of your Windows Store apps and choose whether to uninstall them by tapping or clicking See my app sizes. Notes: If you don't see Disk space, you don't have the latest update to Windows 8. In the message that appears, select Delete files.

Uninstall desktop apps you don't need any more in Programs and Features. To uninstall or change a program Open Programs and Features by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel , clicking Programs , and then clicking Programs and Features. You can also uninstall Store apps you don't want anymore. Notes: If you have Access all files offline turned on, you need to first turn off this setting before you can make files online-only.

Browse to the file or folder you want to make online-only. Swipe down or right-click the file or folder to select it. The removable drive will need to be formatted with the NTFS file system. To check space availability Before you move your OneDrive files, you should make sure the removable drive has enough space to store your files. Follow these steps: Open File Explorer by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search , entering File Explorer in the search box, and then tapping or clicking File Explorer.

Press and hold or right-click OneDrive. To move your OneDrive files First, you'll need to create a folder on the removable drive for your OneDrive files. After you create the folder, follow these steps to move your files: Warning: Moving your OneDrive files will cancel any pending uploads.

Removable storage options: Secure Digital SD cards. Need more help? Join the discussion. Was this information helpful? Yes No. Thank you! Any more feedback? The more you tell us the more we can help. Can you help us improve?

Resolved my issue. Clear instructions. Easy to follow. If you're running low on space, you can free some up by deleting old restore points that have been replaced by newer ones. To do this: Click the More Options tab at the top. Click Delete to delete all but the most recent system restore point. Return to the Disk Cleanup tab when you're done to continue. Select files to delete. In addition to the same sorts of files you were able to select earlier, you have some more options: Windows Update Cleanup files can take up a significant amount of space and are only used to install Windows Updates.

Windows will automatically download the latest update files in the future, so you probably won't need to keep these older ones unless instructed by an admin. Microsoft Defender Antivirus are non-critical files used by your antivirus program that can safely be deleted. Device driver packages, Language Resource Files , and Temporary Windows installation files are all meant to be temporary and can be deleted without issue. A confirmation message will appear.

Once the files are deleted, Disk Cleanup will close automatically. Method 2. Open your Windows Storage settings. Windows keeps track of the types of files consuming space on your hard drive and makes it simple to delete the ones you no longer need. The Windows Storage tool makes it easy to find personal files and apps that you no longer need.

Type storage into the search bar. Click Storage settings in the search results. Find the files consuming the most space on your hard drive. Once your storage settings load, you'll see the name of your hard drive e. Each category is a type of file, and each has its own bar indicator telling you how much space is being used by that file type. To view all categories, click Show more categories below the list. Click a category to view its details. This shows you how much space is occupied by files in this category, and gives you options depending on the type of files you chose.

For example, if you selected Temporary files , you'll see a list of all files meant to be temporary on your computer. If you choose Music , Pictures , or Desktop , you'll see how much space is consumed by the files in those specific folders. You can click the View button inside to see the actual files. Delete files you no longer need. Be super careful here—just because Windows determines that a file or folder is large, that doesn't mean it isn't important to you or someone else who uses the computer.

Only delete files that you are sure you no longer need. To delete a file or folder, click it once to select it, and then press the delete key on your keyboard. You can also drag it over to the Recycle Bin. Temporary files lists the types of temporary files Windows can delete and allows you to select from a list.

After making your selection s , click Remove files at the top to delete those types of files. Method 3. Open Storage Sense on your PC. Storage Sense is a handy part of Windows 10 that can help you keep your hard drive s free of clutter and unnecessary files. Go to source You can use Storage Sense to periodically go through and clear out files, or enable its automatic cleanup feature so it works behind the scenes to preserve hard drive space.

Storage Sense is one of the safest ways to get rid of excess files on your PC. Type storage. Click Turn on Storage Sense in the search results.

Click Configure Storage Sense or run it now. It's near the top of the right panel below the description of Storage Sense. If you want Storage Sense to run automatically, toggle this switch to the On position.

You don't have to turn this switch on if you just want to run it this one time. Storage Sense will only delete the files you specify, so don't worry about losing important data. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Type in disk cleanup. This will search your computer for the Disk Cleanup program, which is a utility that finds and deletes unnecessary files on your computer. Click Disk Cleanup. It's a flash drive-shaped icon at the top of the Start menu.

Disk Cleanup will open in a separate window. If you have other windows open, you'll need to click the flashing Disk Cleanup icon at the bottom of the screen before proceeding. This option is in the bottom-left corner of the Disk Cleanup window.

Doing so allows Disk Cleanup to find even more files to delete. Check every box on the page. Every item on this page can be deleted in order to free up space on your computer. You will have to scroll down to see all available boxes in the main window. It's at the bottom of the window. Click Delete Files when prompted. Disk Cleanup will begin deleting your computer's unnecessary files. This can take a while, so be patient. If you have any applications or programs which you don't want to keep on your PC, deleting them will clear up some space and help your computer run faster overall.

Method 2. Click About This Mac. It's near the top of the drop-down menu. The About This Mac window will open. Click the Storage tab. This option is at the top of the window.

Click Manage…. It's in the upper-right side of the window. Doing so opens a new window with storage options. Depending on your Mac version, you may instead click Details Click Optimize…. You'll see this to the right of the "Optimize Storage" heading. Doing so will prompt your Mac to get rid of any temporary or unnecessary files, as well as move your watched movies and TV shows into iCloud. If you have any applications or programs which you don't want to keep on your Mac, deleting them will clear up some space and help your computer run faster overall.

Method 3. Open the Recycle Bin. Double-click the Recycle Bin app icon, which resembles a white bin with a blue recycling icon on it. It should be on your desktop. Restore any items you don't want to delete. If you find an item that you wish to place back on your computer, double-click the item, then click Restore in the resulting pop-up menu.

Click the Manage tab. It's in the upper-left side of the window. A toolbar will appear near the top of the window. Click Empty Recycle Bin. You'll find this on the left side of the toolbar. Click Yes when prompted. Doing so will delete all files in the Recycle Bin. Method 4. Open the Trash. Click the Trash icon in your Mac's Dock. The Trash window will open. If you want to move an item from the Trash back to your Mac, click and drag the item from the Trash window onto your Mac's desktop.

Click and hold the Trash icon. Doing so will prompt a pop-up menu after a second. I never want that to happen, and you might not want that to happen, either. You can always go way down to the bottom of the Storage Sense configuration page and kick off Storage Sense manually.

As my colleague Brad Chacos explains , WinDirStat solves this problem by offering a top-down view of your hard drive, with a graphical representation of the size and type of your files. Want to find out how much space is consumed by.

MP4 video files? WinDirStat can tell you. It presents this information to you in a File Explorer-like interface coupled with a graphical UI, so you may need to dig through and find any hidden Steam games, for example, that may have escaped your notice.