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Clear junk files & trash on your computer
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"Junk" files are usually files your computer creates while installing apps, running updates, and various other tasks. Junk files can also be the files you've already deleted but remain in your recycle bin. Since junk files are not deleted automatically, they can hog precious hard drive space and slow down your PC. This wikiHow article will show you how to delete junk files in Windows 10, including files in your recycling bin, your downloads folder, and leftover installation files.
Disk Cleanup on Windows PC
- Click on the Start icon, then open “Settings.”
- Hit the “System” button next to the laptop icon.
- Click “Storage,” then hit “Temporary Files” to open your junk files.
- Check the boxes next to the files you want to delete and hit “Remove files.”
Steps
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Open Settings. You can click on the Start icon, then click the gear icon to open Settings or you can press Win + I . -
Click System . This is next to the icon of a laptop.Advertisement -
Click Storage . It's near the bottom of the menu on the left. -
Click Temporary Files . The number here represents how much space the temporary (and junk) files are taking up. The next page shows you all the files that are considered temporary files, including files in the Downloads Folder, files in the Recycling Bin, and Thumbnails.- This should automatically show you the contents of your "C:" drive, which might also be labeled "Windows" or "Local Disk." If you don't see the "Temporary Files" section, click Show More .
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Click to check the boxes next to the files you want to delete. For example, you can select "Recycle Bin" to remove files you've already deleted, and/or Downloads to delete all of the files in your Downloads folder.- Before you clear out your Downloads folder, make sure you move any files inside that are important. This includes the PDF you downloaded from the email that your boss sent. To move the file out of your Downloads folder, navigate to it in Finder, click it to select it, then click Move to near the top of the File Explorer window. From the menu that drops down, click a folder to move your file to.
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Click Remove files . You’ll see a progress bar of the deletion. [1] X Research source- You can also refer to How to Clear Temp Files in Windows 10 .
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Tips
- You can also use a third-party software, like CCleaner or Razer Cortex, to help remove your junk files.Thanks
- Clear your Recycle Bin periodically to make sure it doesn't have large junk files that you no longer need.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- You can also delete junk files by typing "disk cleanup" in the taskbar search box, then choosing the drive you want to clean up. Just select the files you want to remove and hit "OK."
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Article Summary
X
1. Open Settings.
2. Click System
.
3. Click Storage
.
4. Click Temporary Files
.
5. Click to check the boxes next to the files you want to delete (like "Recycle Bin" and "Downloads").
6. Click Remove files
.
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 76,767 times.
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