How to Remove Unneeded & Unused Files in Windows 10 & 11

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Delete unneeded junk files on your desktop PC or laptop
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The longer you have a PC, the more files that accumulate on your hard drive. In addition to important files you use often, such as documents and media, Windows also creates files that are meant to be temporary. These files, which include logs, caches, and downloaded installers, can be huge, hogging precious hard drive space and even making your PC run slow. This wikiHow article teaches you how to use tools in Windows 10 & 11 to remove unnecessary files from your hard drive, with expert tips from computer repair technician Jeremy Mercer.

Quick Steps

  1. Press the Windows Key and type "disk cleanup".
  2. Click Disk Cleanup in the search results.
  3. Click Clean up system files .
  4. Select unneeded files to delete.
  5. Click OK .
  6. Click Delete Files .
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Using Disk Cleanup

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  1. An easy way to do this is to press Windows key + S to activate the search bar, type cleanup , and then click Disk Cleanup in the search results. Disk Cleanup is one of the fastest ways to delete unneeded files created by the Windows operating system.
  2. It's the button at the bottom-left corner. This reopens Disk Cleanup as an administrator so you can delete more temporary unused files. [1]
    • If you're not an administrator, you can still delete unneeded files to free up space—just continue with this method.
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  3. The files here are temporary, thus they are generally safe to delete. However, if there's anything you're unsure of, leave the selection unchecked. The amount of space you'll save by deleting the selected files appears below the list of file types, and will update as you select and deselect files.
    • Downloaded Program Files are the program installers you've downloaded from the internet. These are usually not needed after you've installed the file unless you plan to install it again.
    • Temporary Internet Files are the cached files from browsing with Internet Explorer.
    • Windows error reports are log files that contain errors that occur as you use your PC.
    • DirectX Shader Cache are cached graphics used to make images on your PC load faster. They aren't required for operation and are safe to delete.
    • Delivery Optimization files are previously downloaded files used for installing updates on your network and are safe to delete.
    • Recycle Bin is a folder that contains the files you've deleted. You should only select this option if you are sure you won't need to restore files from your Recycle Bin later.
    • Temporary files are simply temporary files created by various apps on your computer. They are not meant to be permanent, so don't worry about losing anything by deleting them.
    • Thumbnails are cached images of pictures and videos on your computer that appear when you browse for files. Deleting them is fine; they'll be automatically created again when necessary.
    • Microsoft Defender Antivirus are noncritical files used by Windows' built-in antivirus protection and can safely be deleted.
    • 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.
    • Device driver packages, Language Resource Files , and Temporary Windows installation files are all meant to be temporary and can be deleted without issue.
  4. A confirmation message will appear, asking if you are sure you want to permanently delete the selected files.
  5. This erases all of the selected files.
    • Disk Cleanup will close automatically once the selected files are deleted.
  6. Windows automatically creates images of your computer it can restore in an emergency. 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:
    • Reopen Disk Cleanup.
    • Click the More Options tab at the top.
    • Click Clean up in the "System Restore and Shadow Copies" area.
    • Click Delete to delete all but the most recent system restore point.
    • Return to the Disk Cleanup tab when you're done to continue.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Deleting Personal Files and Apps

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  1. 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 you no longer need. To open your Storage settings:
    • Press Windows key + S to activate the search bar.
    • Type storage into the search bar.
    • Click Storage settings in the search results.
  2. Once your storage settings load, you'll see the name of your hard drive (e.g., "Windows C:") followed by a list of categories (e.g., "Apps & features," "Temporary files," "Documents"). Each category is a type of file, and each has its own bar indicator telling you how much space is used by that file type.
    • To view all categories, click Show more categories below the list.
  3. 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.
    • If you choose Apps & features (Windows 10) or "Installed Apps" (Windows 11), you'll see a list of all apps installed on your computer, and how much space each app consumes.
    EXPERT TIP

    Jeremy Mercer

    Computer Specialist
    Jeremy Mercer is the Manager and Head Technician at MacPro-LA in Los Angeles, CA. He has over ten years of experience working in electronics repair, as well as retail stores that specialize in both Mac and PC.
    Jeremy Mercer
    Computer Specialist

    Try CC Cleaner as an alternative. If you want to free up 500 MB to 2 GB of old junk files you didn't know you had, download and run CC Cleaner. It's the most reputable cleaner available for PC and Mac.

  4. Be super careful here—just because Windows determines that a file or folder is large 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 an app from Apps & features or Installed Apps , click the name of the app (or the three dots on the app's name), and then select Uninstall .
    • 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.
  5. Normally, when you delete files, they remain in the recycle bin just in case you need to recover them. Because of this, deleting files from your computer typically doesn't free up space until you clear them from the Recycle Bin. "Otherwise, [the files you delete] are still going to take up storage on your hard drive," Mercer notes.
    • To empty the Recycle Bin, double-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, click Empty Recycle Bin , and then click Yes to confirm.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Using Cleanup Recommendations (Windows 11 Only)

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  1. Cleanup Recommendations is a cool new feature of Windows 11 that allows you to quickly find unused files, large files, and temporary files you don't need and delete them. Start by opening your Storage settings:
    • Press Windows key + S to activate the search bar.
    • Type storage into the search bar.
    • Click Storage settings in the search results.
  2. You'll see this under "Storage management" in the right panel.
  3. At the top, you'll see different types of temporary files, and how much space they're taking up. You can safely delete most temporary files by checking their corresponding boxes and selecting Clean up .
    • Most of these files are safe to delete, but be careful with "Downloads". "A lot of people don't go through their Downloads folder," Mercer explains. As a result, these folders tend to accumulate a lot of files and consume a lot of space. Instead of selecting the Downloads folder here, Mercer recommends opening the folder directly and going through the downloads so you can see what's there, then delete what you don't need manually.
  4. Click Large or unused files to view a list of files you haven't opened in a while and files that are pretty large compared to other files. If you see any files you know you don't need, check their corresponding boxes and click Clean up . [2]
  5. Click Files synced to the cloud . If you use OneDrive to keep your files synced to the cloud, there may be large files on your computer that you don't need because they're already saved elsewhere. The safest way to delete these files without deleting them from the cloud is to select them here and click the Clean up button.
  6. Click Unused apps to view a list of apps you don't use often. If you see any apps listed here that you won't need again, check their corresponding boxes and click the Cleanup button.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Using Windows Storage Sense

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  1. Storage Sense is a handy part of Windows 10 and 11 that can help you keep your hard drive(s) free of clutter and unnecessary files. [3] 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. To open Storage Sense:
    • Open Settings and click System > Storage > Storage Sense .
  2. This is under "Cleanup of temporary files" and ensures that your computer automatically cleans out the temporary system and app files.
    • This setting keeps your Windows computer running smoothly. [4]
  3. 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.
  4. If you didn't set up Storage Sense to run automatically, just skip to the next step. Otherwise, click the "Run Storage Space" dropdown menu to choose when Storage Space should delete files. You can select a time period such as Every week , or choose During low free disk space to only activate it when you're running out of space.
  5. Storage Sense only deletes certain types of files:
    • To delete temporary app files that are no longer being used, check the box next to "Delete temporary files that my apps aren't using."
    • To delete files from your Recycle Bin that have been there for a certain time period, select that time period from the drop-down menu.
    • To delete files from your Downloads folder that you haven't opened within a certain period of time, select a time period from the drop-down menu. If you're the type of person to leave files in your Downloads folder for easy access, you'll want to choose Never from this menu to avoid losing important data.
  6. Whether you've enabled Storage Sense to run automatically or not, you can click this button at the bottom to clear out unneeded files using the selections you chose on this screen. Once the files are deleted, you'll see a success message at the bottom.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How can I delete useless Windows files?
    Pranjal Srivastava
    Community Answer
    Go to the Run command (Windows Button+R) and type in TEMP and delete all the files in the folder which opens. Do the same thing by typing %TEMP% in the run command.
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  • Question
    How do I delete Perch files?
    Community Answer
    Click on what you are trying to delete -- there should be a little trashcan.
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      • This doesn't need to be done every day, but perhaps once a month, or when your PC seems to be running slowly.
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      • Be careful not to delete any critical files or your own documents. If you follow the guide carefully, you shouldn't, but it is always a good idea to check the 'Recycle Bin' before emptying it, just in case!
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/disk-cleanup-in-windows-10-8a96ff42-5751-39ad-23d6-434b4d5b9a68
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/free-up-drive-space-in-windows-85529ccb-c365-490d-b548-831022bc9b32#WindowsVersion=Windows_11
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-storage-sense-to-manage-disk-space-d77af168-e28f-4071-88a6-af08a3341688
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/manage-drive-space-with-storage-sense-654f6ada-7bfc-45e5-966b-e24aded96ad5#ID0EBD=Windows_10

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Press Windows + S .
      2. Type cleanup and click Disk Cleanup .
      3. Choose files to delete.
      4. Click OK .
      5. Click Delete files .

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        Aug 2, 2016

        "I really needed some space on my computer so I followed the steps, and now I have more than 30 gigabytes! Thank ..." more
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