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By applying the 16 methods to free up disk space on Windows 10 below, you can free up tens of gigabytes of disk space on your computer.
Remove Unnecessary Programs and Applications
You may be aware that certain unnecessary applications and programs can occupy gigabytes of empty drive space. Thus, if you're not using these programs or applications, you can uninstall them to free up disk space.
Access Settings =>System =>Apps & features to view the installed apps and programs on your computer and how much disk space they occupy.
To uninstall installed apps and programs, simply click on the app or program, and select Uninstall.
Furthermore, you may consider uninstalling default apps on Windows 10 that you don't use to free up disk space on Windows 10.
Disable Hibernate mode to free up disk space on Windows 10
Before proceeding with the steps to disable Hibernate mode, let's explain why it's advisable to turn off Hibernate mode to free up disk space on Windows 10.
When activated, the Hibernate feature creates a file called hyberfil.sys, which occupies space equivalent to the size of the installed RAM on your computer. For example, if your computer has 8 GB of RAM, the Hibernate feature occupies around 7 GB of hard drive space.
Note that on Windows 10, the Hibernate feature is enabled by default but not added to the Start Menu by default. Therefore, if you're not using it, it's best to disable the Hibernate feature to free up disk space on Windows 10.
How to Disable Hibernate Feature
Step 1: First, open Command Prompt as an Administrator by typing CMD in the Search box on the Start menu or Taskbar. From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
Step 2: In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter to disable the Hibernate feature and free up disk space:
powercfg /hibernate off
Disable or Delete System Backup and Restore Points
System backup and restore points are extremely useful in case you need to restore your Windows 10 computer to a previous state to fix errors. Depending on the number of backup and restore points and the space allocated for this feature, it can occupy several gigabytes of disk space.
Of course, it's not advisable to disable the System Restore feature, as you may need it to restore your Windows 10 computer to a previous state to fix errors.
The best solution is to delete old backup and restore points to free up disk space on Windows 10.
How to Disable System Restore Feature
Step 1: Type sysdm.cpl into the Search box on the Start Menu or Taskbar, then press Enter.
Step 2: In the System Properties window, go to the System Protection tab, and under Protection Settings, select a drive and click Configure.
Step 3: On the next window, select the Disable system protection button, then click Apply.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 above for other drives to disable the System Restore feature on all drives and free up disk space on Windows 10.
Clean Up Recycle Bin
You may already know that when you delete any files on Windows 10 by selecting the file and pressing the Delete key, the deleted file is moved to the Recycle Bin. As long as the files remain in the Recycle Bin, they continue to occupy disk space. Reclaim disk space by allocating less space and deleting all files in the Recycle Bin.
Use the Shift + Delete key combination to permanently delete files in the Recycle Bin. Additionally, you can configure Windows 10 to automatically remove old files from the Recycle Bin.
Delete Old Drivers
Similar to outdated software versions, old drivers no longer in use also occupy a significant amount of disk space. Fortunately, Windows 10 allows users to easily remove old drivers.
Readers can refer to the article Delete Old Drivers in Windows 10, by Mytour, to remove old drivers and free up disk space on Windows 10.
Delete Windows.old Folder
If you upgrade from Windows 7/8.1 to Windows 10 or upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10, there will be a folder named Windows.old in the root directory of the system drive.
The Windows.old folder contains data from previous Windows version installations and occupies no more than 10 GB of disk space. If you're certain that you don't need data from previous Windows versions, it's best to delete the Windows.old folder to free up disk space on Windows 10.
Refer to the article Delete Windows.old, delete Windows old, Previous Windows installations on Win 10, 8.1, 8, 7 computers by Mytour to learn how to do it.
Delete Files in the Downloads Folder
By default, files downloaded through the web browser are stored in the Downloads folder located in the Windows 10 installation drive.
Dozens of unused files, such as program installation files, etc., stored in the Downloads folder can occupy hundreds of megabytes of disk space.
The advice is to delete files in the Downloads folder that you no longer use to free up disk space on Windows 10.
Delete Temporary Files
Deleting temporary files is quite simple; follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open the Run dialog by pressing the Windows + R key combination.
Step 2: Type %temp% into it and press Enter to open the Temp folder containing temporary files.
Step 3: Select all files and folders, then press the Delete key to delete all temporary files. The ideal solution is to move temporary files to the Recycle Bin, and after a few days, permanently delete them to prevent any issues if programs or Windows misbehave after deleting temporary files, you can restore them.
Delete Windows Update Cache
By clearing the Windows Update cache, you can reclaim a significant amount of free space. The Windows Update cache is where all downloaded update files and temporarily stored faulty updates are stored.
Delete Unused User Accounts
Typically, an unused user account occupies very little free space. Depending on the number and size of files, a user account can occupy several megabytes to several gigabytes of free space.
In summary, if there are other user accounts that you don't use on your computer, you can delete them even though they may occupy very little free space. The important thing is that you can always create a new account when needed.
To delete a user account, open the Settings app =>Accounts =>Family & other people. Select an account and click the Remove button.
Compress Drives to Free Up Disk Space on Windows 10
Compressing drives isn't always a great idea, especially if you don't want to compromise overall performance. But if you're facing a shortage of free disk space, you can do so to free up disk space on Windows 10.
Compress Windows 10 Installation
Compact OS is a new feature in Windows 10 that allows you to reduce the disk space usage. Readers can find more information on how to compress the Windows 10 installation by activating Compact OS and freeing up disk space on Windows 10.
Find and Delete Large Files
Finding large files is not too difficult, and once you've identified large files as well as small files you no longer need, you can proceed to delete them to free up disk space on Windows 10.
Delete Delivery Optimization Files
Delivery optimization files are files downloaded previously on your computer. To free up disk space on Windows 10, you can delete these files.
Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open This PC. Find and right-click on the Windows 10 installation drive, then select Properties.
Step 2: Click on the Disk Cleanup button.
Step 3: On the next window, check the box next to Delivery optimization files, then select OK to delete Delivery optimization files.
Delete Temporary Files Used by Applications
Temporary files used by applications can occupy several gigabytes of disk space. So you can delete these files to free up disk space.
Step 1: Open the Settings app, then navigate to System =>Storage.
Step 2: Click on the link Change how we free up space.
Step 3: Select the option Delete temporary files that my apps are not using.
Ensure that other options are not selected, then click the Clean now button. Within seconds, you'll see how much free space is freed up after deleting temporary files that apps are not using.
Delete duplicate files and folders
Finding duplicate files on your computer has never been easier. With dupeGuru, you can easily and quickly find and delete duplicate files and folders.
The ultimate solution, simple yet crucial, is to consider moving photos and videos to an external drive or uploading them to cloud services to free up space on your Windows 10 hard drive.
Thus, Mytour has just introduced and guided you through 16 ways to free up space on your Windows 10 hard drive. If you know any other methods or tricks to free up space on your Windows 10 hard drive, share your thoughts with Mytour.
