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Quick Answer

To see what's using your storage, go to Settings → System → Storage on Windows. The biggest space consumers are usually old downloads, the Recycle Bin, and cached app data. Turn on Storage Sense to automatically clean up temporary files.

Understanding Computer Storage — What's Using Your Space and How to Free It ​

Applies to: Windows 11, Windows 10, OneDrive for Business
Article Type: Informational
Last Updated: 2026-06-17

Summary ​

When your computer warns you about low disk space, it can be hard to know what is safe to delete. This article explains how to find out what is using your storage, which files and folders are safe to clean up, how to offload files to the cloud, and what you should never delete.

Prerequisites ​

  • Windows 10 or Windows 11.
  • No admin rights required for most steps. Steps that require admin access are noted where they appear.

Instructions ​

1. Check What Is Using Your Disk Space ​

See a breakdown of storage usage before you start deleting anything.

  1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
  2. Go to System > Storage.
  3. Windows displays a breakdown of your main drive (usually C:), showing categories like:
    • Apps & features — Installed programs
    • Temporary files — Cache, logs, previous updates
    • Other — Miscellaneous files that do not fit other categories
    • Desktop / Documents / Downloads — Your personal folders
  4. Click any category to see details and identify what is taking up the most space.

This screen is your starting point. Before deleting anything manually, review the sections below to understand what is safe to remove.

2. Clean Up the Usual Suspects ​

These are the safest files to remove and often recover the most space.

Downloads folder:

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to Downloads (in the left-hand pane).
  2. Sort by Date modified (click the column header) to find old files.
  3. Delete installers (.exe, .msi), old ZIP files, and documents you have already saved elsewhere.
  4. Empty the Recycle Bin afterward (right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin).

Recycle Bin:

  • Deleted files stay in the Recycle Bin and continue using disk space until you empty it.
  • Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin.

Temporary files:

  1. Go to Settings > System > Storage.
  2. Click Temporary files.
  3. Windows shows a list of temporary file types with sizes. Safe options to select:
    • ✅ Temporary files — App and system cache
    • ✅ Delivery Optimization Files — Windows Update cache
    • ✅ Thumbnails — File preview cache (rebuilds automatically)
    • ✅ Recycle Bin — Already-deleted files
    • ✅ Downloads — Only if you have reviewed and saved what you need
  4. Click Remove files to delete the selected categories.

Browser cache:

  • Browsers store cached web pages that can grow to several gigabytes.
  • Clear your browser cache periodically — see the related article linked below.

3. Use Storage Sense to Automate Cleanup ​

Let Windows clean up temporary files on a schedule.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Storage.
  2. Toggle Storage Sense to On.
  3. Click Storage Sense to configure:
    • Run Storage Sense: Choose a frequency (e.g., Every month).
    • Delete files in Recycle Bin older than: Set to 30 days or your preference.
    • Delete files in Downloads older than: Set to 30 days or 60 days if you prefer a longer buffer.
  4. Click Run Storage Sense now to perform an immediate cleanup.

Storage Sense runs in the background and requires no admin rights.

4. Use Disk Cleanup for a Deeper Clean ​

Remove system-level temporary files that Storage Sense does not cover.

  1. Press the Windows key and type Disk Cleanup.
  2. Open Disk Cleanup and select drive C:.
  3. The tool calculates how much space you can free. Safe options to select:
    • ✅ Windows Update Cleanup — Old update files (can be several GB)
    • ✅ Temporary Internet Files — Browser cache
    • ✅ System error memory dump files — Crash logs
    • ✅ Previous Windows installation(s) — Only appears after a major update; can free 10+ GB
  4. Click OK, then Delete Files to confirm.

Previous Windows installation files are only needed if you plan to roll back to an earlier Windows version. After 10 days, Windows deletes them automatically. If you are stable on the current version, this is safe to remove.

5. Offload Files to the Cloud with OneDrive Files On-Demand ​

Keep your files accessible without storing them locally.

If your organisation uses OneDrive for Business, you can move files to the cloud and free up local disk space while keeping them available on demand.

  1. Right-click the OneDrive icon (cloud) in the system tray (bottom-right corner).
  2. Click Settings and go to the Sync and backup tab.
  3. Ensure Files On-Demand is enabled (it is on by default).
  4. In File Explorer, navigate to your OneDrive folder.
  5. Right-click a file or folder you do not access frequently.
  6. Select Free up space. The file's icon changes to a cloud icon — it is now stored online only.
  7. To use the file later, open it normally. Windows downloads it automatically.

This is ideal for old project files, large attachments, and archived documents.

6. Know What NOT to Delete ​

Some folders look like they are wasting space, but deleting them can break your system.

Folder / LocationWhy You Should Leave It Alone
C:\WindowsCore operating system files. Deleting anything here can prevent Windows from booting.
C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86)Installed applications. Use Settings > Apps to uninstall apps properly instead.
C:\Users\[YourName]\AppDataApplication settings, caches, and local data. Some subfolders are safe to clean (Temp), but others store irreplaceable app configurations.
Any file you did not createIf you do not recognise a file and it is outside your personal folders, leave it alone.

Safe rule of thumb: Only delete files from your Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Recycle Bin. For anything else, ask IT to confirm the folder is safe to remove before you touch it, and send them the full path so they can answer without guessing.

7. When to Contact IT ​

Some storage problems require admin intervention. Put three things in the ticket and you will usually get one reply instead of three: the free space figure Settings > System > Storage currently shows for your C: drive, which of the steps above you already ran, and the exact wording of the warning you are seeing.

Contact your IT department if:

  • Your C: drive is critically full (less than 5 GB free) and the steps above did not recover enough space.
  • You see a "Low Disk Space" warning that persists after cleanup.
  • You need to uninstall applications but the option is greyed out (admin-managed software).
  • Your OneDrive storage quota is full — IT can adjust your quota or help you archive old files.
  • Your computer has a small SSD (128 GB or 256 GB) and your work demands exceed its capacity — this may require a hardware upgrade.

Troubleshooting ​

INFO

The "Other" category in Settings > System > Storage often appears large because it includes app data, cache files, and system files that Windows cannot neatly categorise. Do not panic — most of it is normal. Focus on the categories listed in Step 2, which offer the safest and most impactful cleanup.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
"Low Disk Space" warning keeps appearingRecycle Bin or Temp files accumulatingEnable Storage Sense (Step 3) to automate cleanup on a schedule.
Storage breakdown does not add upHidden system files not shownRun Disk Cleanup (Step 4) which includes system-level files not visible in Settings.
Cannot delete files — "Access Denied"Files owned by system or another userDo not force-delete them. Copy the full folder path from the File Explorer address bar and ask IT to check whether that space can be reclaimed.
OneDrive "Free up space" option is missingFiles On-Demand is disabledEnable it in OneDrive Settings > Sync and backup > Files On-Demand.
Disk is full but no large files are visibleLarge hidden files (e.g., hibernation file, page file)Windows manages these and changing them needs admin rights. Ask IT to check whether hibernation can be turned off on your machine, and tell them how much space you need to free.
Downloads folder is enormousOld installers and attachments accumulatingSort by Size in File Explorer, delete what you no longer need, and empty the Recycle Bin.