Over time, every Windows installation builds upward junk that takes up space and wastes resources. It's easy to neglect regular maintenance, so oft the problem comes from old files and programs.

If you don't clean your computer, before long you'll encounter low disk space warnings and detect it slowing downwardly. Let's walk through how to clean Windows 10 using a variety of tools for different situations.

Step 1: Erase Temporary Junk

Windows 10 includes a pair of similar tools for clearing out old temporary files from your disk, meaning yous don't need a dedicated Windows cleaner app. They're a not bad beginning stop on your Windows 10 cleanup journey.

Disk Cleanup

If y'all don't listen an former-school interface, the archetype Disk Cleanup tool gets the cleaning chore done. Access it by typing Disk Cleanup into the Get-go carte du jour and selecting the deejay you want to clean.

Later on a moment, you'll see a list of unnecessary files that Windows tin clean upwardly. Bold you're an administrator, you should click the Make clean upwardly organization files push to scan over again for additional types of information.

Feel free to delete pretty much every category of information available here, with a few exceptions. On older versions of Windows 10, sentry out for Downloads, which will delete everything in that folder. You may likewise want to avoid cleaning the Recycle Bin until you lot're sure that you don't need to restore anything from it.

If you lot've recently updated to a new major version of Windows 10, yous'll see a Previous Windows installation(s) entry. Deleting this will remove the old files Windows keeps for 10 days that allows you to easily become back to an earlier version. You should also avoid removing the Windows ESD installation files option, as this is used for resetting your PC via Settings.

Check out Windows folders you tin can delete to save infinite for more than info on the specific items y'all tin can remove with disk Cleanup.

Storage Sense

Windows 10 includes much of this same functionality, with a nicer interface, at Settings > Organization > Storage. You lot can use Storage Sense to automatically make clean upward files when your disk space is low, or every and so ofttimes. Click Configure Storage Sense or run it at present to change these options.

In the list of what'due south using space on your PC, click Temporary files and you tin delete the same types of data equally in Disk Cleanup. Testify more categories provides more than info most types of data that aren't using as much space.

Step ii: Delete Large Files

You've removed unnecessary files; the next step to clean up Windows ten is to find quondam information taking up a lot of space on your reckoner. To help with this, download TreeSize Free, which will scan your storage and show you where the biggest files are.

Once installed, search for TreeSize on the Start Carte and launch it using the (Administrator) link so you can scan everywhere. To start, choose Select Directory in the acme-left and select your master storage disk.

After a few moments, you'll see a visual breakdown of your PC's storage with the largest files at the superlative. Click the dropdown arrow on whatever folder to motion downwardly one level.

The largest folders will probably be Users, Windows, and Programme Files (or Program Files (x86)). There'southward not much you can exercise in the Windows directory without causing issues, so let'southward look at the others.

Uninstall Big Programs

Under Plan Files (and/or Program Files (x86) on 64-fleck Windows), you'll discover files for most of the apps you accept installed. If yous don't utilize some of these anymore, caput to Settings > Apps > Apps & features to uninstall them.

Eliminate Large Items From Your User Folder

The majority of space-hogging files will likely exist in your account folder nether Users. This contains your documents, pictures, videos, and similar.

You'll probably see a lot of space taken in the AppData folder, which is where many apps store information and preferences. For instance, Chrome and Spotify's caches can take up several gigabytes here.

Take a wait at these files and encounter if anything is low-hanging fruit. You tin delete files yous no longer use, or move some information to an external hard bulldoze. If you take lots of files in Dropbox or other cloud storage, use their preference panels to de-sync files you don't need. You can always access them through the web interface.

You might see some other enormous files in TreeSize, such as WinSxS. See our guide to managing a large WinSxS folder if yous have this consequence.

Step iii: Make clean Windows ten Bloatware

Well-nigh store-bought computers come loaded with worthless manufacturer bloatware that wastes space and duplicates functionality already in Windows. In addition, Windows 10 itself includes some junk apps you probably never use.

If you haven't taken the fourth dimension to remove bloatware from your system, you should. Information technology's an important part of Windows ten cleanup. See our guide to removing bloatware from Windows 10 for instructions.

Pace 4: Tidy Your Desktop

Even after y'all've cleaned up your computer, a messy desktop tin still confuse you and brand information technology harder to work efficiently. Many people use their desktop as a temporary storage space, leading to all sorts of files getting scattered across it.

You should try "resetting" your desktop to a make clean state to make information technology neater. Start by moving all the files from your desktop to another location. Next, you lot can create shortcuts to files you need all the time on your desktop.

If yous have so many files that you don't think this will piece of work, the Fences app is definitely worth a look. It includes powerful tools that permit you lot automatically combine similar desktop icons, hide or show all icons with a few clicks, and much more.

Afterwards y'all've cleaned up Windows 10 and your desktop, you lot'll experience like you have a whole new car. We have a deeper guide on cleaning up your Windows desktop if you're interested.

If Necessary: Refresh Windows 10

Maybe you feel that your PC is such a mess that y'all don't desire to spend the try to clean up Windows x. In that example, you can use a born pick to reinstall a fresh re-create of Windows.

You might know about the Reset this PC option bachelor in the Recovery settings. However, using this with certain options will restore your PC to how it was out of the box, including the preinstalled manufacturer bloatware. To avert this, you can use another method.

To use information technology, hit the same Get started button in the Recovery bill of fare. Pick Proceed my files, choose whether to download or reinstall locally, pick settings, and and so make sure y'all option No for Restore preinstalled apps?.

This is equivalent to the Fresh Get-go option found in the Device performance & health section of the Windows Security app in older Windows 10 versions. It reinstalls Windows x and updates it to the latest version, as well as removing all installed apps. But your personal files and "some Windows settings" are kept.

Even though Windows promises to keep them safe, make sure you back up your files earlier doing this, in case something goes wrong. You lot should too make a note of any license keys you'll need to reactivate software after the refresh.

Having to reinstall all your programs past hand will take some fourth dimension. But if your computer is a mess, information technology might still be worth it to go a clean system.

Avoid False Cleaning Apps

While we're discussing Windows 10 cleanup, it bears mentioning that yous should exist careful what software you download. While the above tools are all legitimate ways to clean your PC, you'll observe many scammy "PC cleaners" online that are totally worthless (such as the ane in the above video).

These tools provide a "free scan" that finds thousands of "bug," which absurdly count every cookie on your computer as a "privacy risk." Then they demand you pay a good corporeality of money to actually "clean" anything up.

Don't bother with this nonsense. The above tools should be plenty to make clean up unnecessary files. If you feel the need to do more, follow our ultimate Windows cleaning checklist.

Now Windows 10 Is Cleaner Than Ever

Now y'all know the large steps to clean up large and unnecessary files in Windows 10. These methods should be sufficient to make clean up a good chunk of space on your computer and make it feel fresh. Continue up with them every so oftentimes, and yous shouldn't have to worry nigh disk space warnings whatever longer.

Simply make certain yous don't go overboard and make maintenance mistakes.

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Nigh The Author

Ben Stegner (1798 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Chief at MakeUseOf. He left his IT task to write full-time in 2022 and has never looked back. He'southward been roofing tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more as a professional person writer for over 7 years.

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