how to find whats taking up space pc

If your PC is running low on free space, y'all might not be able to install important Windows updates, and your PC'due south performance may be afflicted. Here are some ways to free up space so you tin can keep your PC up to date and running smoothly. These suggestions are listed in order, so start with the first one, meet if that helps, and so go on to the next one if information technology doesn't.

To cheque the total disk infinite left on your Windows xi device, select File Explorer from the taskbar, and and then select This PC on the left. The bachelor infinite on your drive will appear under Devices and drives.

Note:If you follow the steps below and continue to have problem updating Windows because of low deejay space, resetting or reinstalling Windows might aid. For more info, see Reinstall Windows.

If you used Disk Cleanup to complimentary up space on your device and and so see a Low Disk Space fault, it'south possible that your Temp folder is chop-chop filling up with awarding (.appx) files that are used by Microsoft Store. For more info, see Low Deejay Infinite fault due to a total Temp binder.

Storage Sense can automatically free upwards drive space for you lot by getting rid of items that you lot don't need, like temporary files and items in your Recycle Bin. For more info, see Manage drive space with Storage Sense.

If your system doesn't have Storage sense, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete temporary files and system files from your device.

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, and so select it from the results.

2. Select the check box next to the type of files you want to delete. (To view a description of each blazon of file, select the name.) By default, Downloaded Programme Files, Temporary Internet Files, and Thumbnails are selected. Be certain to articulate those check boxes if yous don't want to delete those files.

3. To free upwards even more infinite, select Clean up arrangement files, and then select the blazon of system files yous want to delete. Deejay Cleanup will accept a few moments to calculate the amount of space that can be freed upward.

   Note:If it'southward been fewer than x days since you upgraded to Windows x, your previous version of Windows will be listed as a system file you can delete. If you demand to free upwardly bulldoze space, you can delete it, but go on in mind that you'll exist deleting your Windows.old folder, which contains files that give yous the option to go back to your previous version of Windows. If you delete your previous version of Windows, this tin't be undone. (You won't be able to go back to your previous version of Windows.)

4. Subsequently y'all've selected the types of files you want to delete, select OK, and then select Delete files in the confirmation window to showtime the cleanup.

Important:

• There's too an option in Disk Cleanup to Shrink your Bone drive. Selecting this pick compresses the drive on which Windows is installed, helping you gain actress space to install important updates. This action does non delete the contents of this bulldoze, and y'all shouldn't feel problems opening and saving files from the compressed bulldoze.

• After y'all install the update, y'all tin can manually decompress the Bone bulldoze at any time. To do this, select File Explorer from the taskbar, and in the left pane, selectThis PC. Right-click or tap and hold the Bone drive (unremarkably disk C), and then select Properties on the shortcut menu. Articulate the Compress this bulldoze to save deejay infinite bank check box, and then selectApply >OK.

Windows 11 may indicate that information technology needs more space to get the latest Windows xi feature update. You can utilise an external storage device to help you consummate the update.

To larn more than, see Free up space for Windows updates.

Note:You may demand to apply a micro-USB adapter if your device doesn't have a standard USB port.

Personal files such equally videos, music, photos, and documents can take up a lot of infinite on your device. To encounter which files are using the nearly space:

1. Select File Explorer from the taskbar and detect the files you lot want to move.

2. NetherThis PCin the bill of fare on the left, select a binder to see what files are saved in information technology. The Videos, Music, Pictures, and Downloads folders usually comprise the largest files that you've saved to your device.

3. To see the size of the files in a binder, select View > Details. Right-click in the open space and so select Sort by > Size to bear witness the largest files at the top of the list.

4. If there are files you no longer need on your device, y'all can either delete them or move them to an external storage device like a USB drive or an SD bill of fare.

Note:If you delete whatsoever files, remember to empty the Recycle Bin to completely remove them from your device and complimentary up infinite.

To motion photos, music, videos, or other files that y'all want to proceed merely don't utilise very ofttimes, consider saving them to an external storage device like a USB drive or an SD carte. You'll notwithstanding be able to use them when the drive is continued, but they won't take up space on your PC.

1. Connect an external storage device similar a USB drive or SD card to your PC.

2. Select File Explorer  from the taskbar and go to the binder that contains the files you desire to move.

3. Select the files, and then select Cutting on the ribbon. Navigate to the location of the external storage device you connected, so select Paste.

Saving new files to another bulldoze will assist prevent depression space issues on that bulldoze in the future, and so y'all won't have to move your files to some other drive repeatedly. Instead of saving all your new files to the default drive, you can salvage some of them to a different bulldoze that has more than free infinite.

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved.
   Open Storage settings

2. For each content type, select a drive from the drop-down card. If the drive you want to apply isn't listed there, make certain it'due south connected to your PC.

You can salve space by turning on OneDrive Files On-Demand, which stores a smaller placeholder file on your hard drive instead of the full-size file that's stored in your OneDrive account in the deject. You'll be able to get to your OneDrive files from your PC without having to use upwards difficult-drive space downloading total-size versions of them all. Run into Learn about OneDrive Files On-Demand for more info.

Sometimes a virus or other malware can consume pregnant hard-drive infinite past corrupting your organization files. If you suspect your PC is infected with malware, use an antivirus program like Windows Defender to run a virus browse and cleanup. If this doesn't ready the problem, you might need to reset your PC.

If y'all've followed the instructions hither but even so need aid freeing up space on your device, you can contact Microsoft support to chat with a support agent. This is also recommended if your attempts to complimentary upward drive space trigger particular fault codes that yous need help resolving.

The following questions business organisation low deejay space and Windows Update specifically. Larn more nearly Windows Update.

When there isn't enough complimentary infinite bachelor to install an update, a pop-up notification will prompt yous that boosted infinite is required to install the update.

When you select Fix issues, you'll be informed about how much additional space is needed. You lot'll likewise be notified that you can utilize an external storage device so that you don't need to costless upwardly quite as much infinite on your arrangement drive. Learn how to free up infinite to install Windows updates.

The total free disk space your device requires to complete an update varies. Typically, feature updates require 6 GB–11 GB or more of gratuitous space, while quality updates require ii GB–iii GB or more. Learn most the divergence between a characteristic update and a quality update.

You need disk space to download the update, download new versions of any optional features and languages that are currently installed, and to apply the update. Additional space is temporarily required to support removal of the update (typically for ten days). This space tin can be reclaimed afterward the update is completed. To exercise this, Select Offset > Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations.
Open Storage settings

The update is compressed to reduce download size.

Notation:For devices with reserved storage, an update will first employ the reserved storage space before using other disk space. For more info, see How reserved storage works in Windows.

The space required to complete a characteristic update depends on ii factors: which update path is followed and the size of optional content and other updates that employ to your PC when the feature update is installed.

Notation:For devices with reserved storage, an update will start use the reserved storage space before using other disk infinite. For more than info, see How reserved storage works in Windows.

Windows follows three different feature update paths, depending on the corporeality of deejay infinite currently bachelor.

one. For PCs with plenty of gratis deejay infinite

Windows automatically tries to complete more of the update procedure in the background while yous utilise your PC. This significantly reduces the fourth dimension your PC volition be offline (or unusable) during the update, although information technology might temporarily use more than deejay space to complete the update. Acquire more about our efforts to reduce offline time during updates (English but at this fourth dimension).

2. For PCs with limited free space but still enough to complete the update automatically

Windows will automatically optimize for reducing the corporeality of free disk space required to install the update. This volition result in a longer offline install fourth dimension.

three. For PCs that don't have enough space to automatically install the update

Windows will prompt you lot to free up disk infinite or apply external storage to temporarily extend the storage on your PC. If yous use an external storage device, Windows won't need as much free space on the organization drive equally information technology temporarily uses your external storage.

Beyond each of these update paths, the full corporeality of costless deejay space required will vary, depending on the optional content installed and other updates that utilise to your PC. For case:

• Optional features. Many optional features available for Windows are pre-installed or acquired on demand by the system, or manually by you. Yous can see which ones are installed on your PC by going to Settings > Apps> O ptional features.
  Open up Optional features settings
  These features range in size from less than one MB to nigh two GB for the Windows Mixed Reality portal. You can reduce the corporeality of infinite required to install a characteristic update on your PC by uninstalling optional features y'all aren't using.

• Languages installed. Windows is localized into many languages. Although many people simply employ one language at a fourth dimension, some people switch between two or more languages. You can see which languages are installed on your PC by selecting Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
  Open up Linguistic communication settings
  During each update, all linguistic communication resource and any associated typing, text-to-spoken language, speech-to-text, and handwriting recognition resources must exist updated. The content for each language can range from about 175 MB to more than 300 MB. You can reduce the amount of space required to install a feature update on your PC by uninstalling languages you lot aren't using.

• Driver updates. OEMs and other hardware partners sometimes publish new graphics, networking, audio, and other drivers in conjunction with the new Bone update. The size of these drivers can vary significantly, depending on your PC and on which drivers have been updated.

• Os quality updates. During a characteristic update, Windows tries to download and automatically install the latest quality update and so that your PC is fully upwards to date when you get-go using it. Shortly after the feature update is released, the quality update for that characteristic update could be equally small every bit a few hundred MB, but as more than quality and security changes are implemented, the quality update can increase in size to 1 GB or more. If your PC is short on disk space, y'all can download and install the quality update after the feature update is complete.

Finally, Windows Update will temporarily disable hiberfile.sys, pagefile.sys, and other organization files in club to use the space these files typically swallow to apply the feature update. Any files that are disabled to apply the update will be automatically re-enabled when the update is complete. Because these files vary in size depending on how you use your PC and the amount of RAM your PC has, even in cases where two unlike PCs take the verbal same OS epitome, the amount of costless disk space required to complete an update may vary.

The combination of update path and features ways at that place'south a wide range of free disk space required to complete an update. Hither are a few examples for PCs updating to Windows 10 version 1803:

	Optimized for reduced offline fourth dimension	Optimized for minimal deejay space	Optimized for minimal disk space with external storage
Minimal optional features, languages, and updates	20 GB	v.5 GB+	iv.five GB+
Lots of optional features, languages, and updates	xx GB+	13.75 GB+	7 GB+

To cheque the full disk space left on your Windows xi device, select File Explorer  from the taskbar, and then select This PC on the left. The available space on your bulldoze will announced under Devices and drives.

It may be best to apply an external storage device in the following cases:

• When admission to the internet isn't available.

• When you demand to shop large files or a large number of files. In these situations, the files generally take longer to upload and it might price more to shop files.

More often than not, we recommend that you cull a larger capacity device because your local storage and deejay space needs may change over fourth dimension. If you know that you won't have many photos, videos, or other files and apps to save to your device, the 32 GB device might exist a practiced option for you. A expert example is a device that yous only use to run one small app, or that you simply utilise for online content that never gets downloaded to the local hard drive.

When considering what storage hardware to utilise in your device, don't expect just at the hardware's storage capacity. Often, the speed of the storage is more important than its size. Devices with slow storage hardware, such every bit those labeled "HDD" are typically slower to utilize than those using faster storage hardware, such as those labeled "SSD" or "eMMC."

You don't need to remove everything from your hard bulldoze to update your device, but you lot'll demand to free up enough space to consummate the update.

Related topics

• Tips to meliorate PC performance in Windows

• Go help with Windows activation errors

If your PC is running low on free space, you lot might not be able to install important Windows updates, and your PC's performance may be affected. Hither are some ways to free up space then you tin can keep your PC up to date and running smoothly. These suggestions are listed in order, so kickoff with the starting time ane, see if that helps, and and so go along to the adjacent one if it doesn't.

To cheque the total deejay space left on your Windows 10 device, select File Explorer from the taskbar, and then select This PC on the left. The available infinite on your drive will appear under Devices and drives.

Note:If you follow the steps below and go along to have problem updating Windows because of low disk space, resetting or reinstalling Windows might help. For more info, see Reinstall Windows.

If you lot used Disk Cleanup to costless up infinite on your device and and so see a Low Deejay Space error, information technology'southward possible that your Temp folder is quickly filling up with application (.appx) files that are used by Microsoft Shop. For more info, see Low Disk Space fault due to a full Temp folder.

Storage Sense tin can automatically free upwards bulldoze infinite for you by getting rid of items that you don't need, like temporary files and items in your Recycle Bin. For more info, run across Manage drive space with Storage Sense.

If your system doesn't accept Storage sense, you lot can utilize the Disk Cleanup tool to delete temporary files and arrangement files from your device.

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, then select it from the results.

2. Select the check box next to the type of files yous want to delete. (To view a description of each type of file, select the name.) By default, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, and Thumbnails are selected. Be sure to clear those check boxes if y'all don't want to delete those files.

3. To free upward even more than space, select Clean up system files, then select the blazon of system files you want to delete. Disk Cleanup will take a few moments to calculate the amount of infinite that can exist freed up.

   Note:If information technology's been fewer than x days since you lot upgraded to Windows 10, your previous version of Windows will exist listed as a arrangement file you can delete. If you demand to free up drive infinite, you can delete it, but continue in mind that y'all'll be deleting your Windows.old binder, which contains files that give you lot the option to go dorsum to your previous version of Windows. If y'all delete your previous version of Windows, this can't be undone. (Yous won't be able to become back to your previous version of Windows.)

4. After you've selected the types of files you want to delete, select OK, so select Delete files in the confirmation window to start the cleanup.

Important:

• There's likewise an option in Disk Cleanup to Compress your OS bulldoze. Selecting this option compresses the bulldoze on which Windows is installed, helping you gain extra space to install important updates. This action does non delete the contents of this bulldoze, and yous shouldn't experience problems opening and saving files from the compressed bulldoze.

• Afterward y'all install the update, you can manually decompress the OS drive at any time. To do this, select File Explorer from the taskbar, and in the left pane, selectThis PC. Correct-click or tap and hold the OS bulldoze (usually disk C), and and so select Backdrop on the shortcut menu. Articulate the Compress this bulldoze to save deejay space bank check box, and and then selectUtilise >OK.

Windows x may indicate that it needs more than infinite to become the latest Windows 10 feature update. You can utilise an external storage device to assistance you complete the update.

To learn more, see Free upward space for Windows updates.

Note:You may need to utilise a micro-USB adapter if your device doesn't have a standard USB port.

Personal files such as videos, music, photos, and documents can have up a lot of space on your device. To see which files are using the most infinite:

1. Select File Explorer from the taskbar and notice the files you want to move.

2. UnderThis PCin the menu on the left, select a folder to see what files are saved in it. The Videos, Music, Pictures, and Downloads folders usually contain the largest files that yous've saved to your device.

3. To see the size of the files in a binder, select View > Details. Correct-click in the open up space and and so select Sort by > Size to evidence the largest files at the top of the list.

4. If there are files you no longer need on your device, you lot can either delete them or motility them to an external storage device like a USB drive or an SD card.

Notation:If you delete any files, remember to empty the Recycle Bin to completely remove them from your device and free up space.

To move photos, music, videos, or other files that you want to keep but don't apply very frequently, consider saving them to an external storage device like a USB drive or an SD card. You lot'll all the same exist able to use them when the drive is connected, merely they won't take up space on your PC.

1. Connect an external storage device similar a USB drive or SD card to your PC.

2. Select File Explorer  from the taskbar and go to the folder that contains the files you want to movement.

3. Select the files, select the Dwelling tab, and and then select Movement to > Cull location.

4. Select the external storage device you lot connected in the location list, and then select Motility.

Saving new files to another drive will help prevent low infinite problems on that drive in the future, so you won't have to movement your files to another drive repeatedly. Instead of saving all your new files to the default drive, y'all can save some of them to a different bulldoze that has more free space.

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Storage .
   Open Storage settings

2. Under More storage settings, select Change where new content is saved.

3. For each content type, select a drive from the drop-down menu. If the bulldoze you desire to employ isn't listed at that place, make sure information technology's continued to your PC.

Annotation:OneDrive Files On-Demand requires Windows 10 version 1709 or afterwards and OneDrive customer version 17.three.7064.1005 or later. To see which version of Windows you're running, select Kickoff > Settings > System > About . To encounter which version of the OneDrive client you have installed, see Which version of OneDrive am I using?
Open Well-nigh settings

You tin save space by turning on OneDrive Files On-Demand, which stores a smaller placeholder file on your hard drive instead of the total-size file that's stored in your OneDrive account in the deject. You'll be able to become to your OneDrive files from your PC without having to use upward hard-drive space downloading full-size versions of them all. Run into Learn about OneDrive Files On-Demand for more info.

Sometimes a virus or other malware can swallow pregnant difficult-drive space by corrupting your organization files. If you suspect your PC is infected with malware, utilize an antivirus plan similar Windows Defender to run a virus scan and cleanup. If this doesn't fix the problem, you might demand to reset your PC.

If you've followed the instructions here but nonetheless need assist freeing up space on your device, you lot can contact Microsoft back up to chat with a support agent. This is too recommended if your attempts to free up bulldoze space trigger particular error codes that you need help resolving.

The following questions concern low disk infinite and Windows Update specifically. Learn more nearly Windows Update.

When there isn't enough free space available to install an update, a popular-upwardly notification will prompt you that additional space is required to install the update.

When you select Fix issues, you'll be informed nearly how much boosted infinite is needed. You'll likewise be notified that you tin use an external storage device so that you lot don't need to costless upwards quite every bit much space on your organization drive. Larn how to free up infinite to install Windows updates.

The total free disk space your device requires to consummate an update varies. Typically, characteristic updates require vi GB–11 GB or more of free space, while quality updates crave ii GB–3 GB or more than. Learn about the difference between a characteristic update and a quality update.

You need deejay space to download the update, download new versions of whatsoever optional features and languages that are currently installed, and to apply the update. Additional infinite is temporarily required to support removal of the update (typically for 10 days). This space tin be reclaimed after the update is completed. To do this, Select Start > Settings  > System  > Storage > Free up space now.
Open Storage settings

The update is compressed to reduce download size.

Note:For devices with reserved storage, an update volition starting time employ the reserved storage space earlier using other disk space. For more info, encounter How reserved storage works in Windows.

The space required to complete a characteristic update depends on two factors: which update path is followed and the size of optional content and other updates that apply to your PC when the feature update is installed.

Notation:For devices with reserved storage, an update will first use the reserved storage space before using other disk space. For more info, see How reserved storage works in Windows.

Windows follows three different feature update paths, depending on the amount of deejay space currently available.

ane. For PCs with plenty of free deejay space

Windows automatically tries to complete more of the update process in the groundwork while you lot use your PC. This significantly reduces the time your PC will be offline (or unusable) during the update, although it might temporarily use more disk space to complete the update. Larn more about our efforts to reduce offline time during updates (English only at this time).

2. For PCs with limited free infinite but still enough to complete the update automatically

Windows will automatically optimize for reducing the corporeality of complimentary disk space required to install the update. This will result in a longer offline install time.

3. For PCs that don't have enough space to automatically install the update

Windows will prompt you lot to free up disk infinite or use external storage to temporarily extend the storage on your PC. If you use an external storage device, Windows won't need as much free space on the system drive as information technology temporarily uses your external storage.

Beyond each of these update paths, the total amount of gratuitous deejay space required will vary, depending on the optional content installed and other updates that employ to your PC. For example:

• Optional features. Many optional features available for Windows are pre-installed or acquired on demand past the system, or manually past y'all. You tin see which ones are installed on your PC by going to Settings  > Apps > Apps & features  > Manage optional features.
  Open Optional features settings
  These features range in size from less than 1 MB to almost 2 GB for the Windows Mixed Reality portal. You tin can reduce the corporeality of space required to install a feature update on your PC by uninstalling optional features you aren't using.

• Languages installed. Windows is localized into many languages. Although many people only apply 1 language at a time, some people switch between two or more languages. You can see which languages are installed on your PC by selecting Outset  > Settings  > Time & Language  > Language .
  Open Language settings
  During each update, all language resources and any associated typing, text-to-oral communication, speech-to-text, and handwriting recognition resources must be updated. The content for each language tin can range from about 175 MB to more than 300 MB. You can reduce the amount of space required to install a characteristic update on your PC past uninstalling languages you aren't using.

• Commuter updates. OEMs and other hardware partners sometimes publish new graphics, networking, audio, and other drivers in conjunction with the new OS update. The size of these drivers can vary significantly, depending on your PC and on which drivers accept been updated.

• Os quality updates. During a feature update, Windows tries to download and automatically install the latest quality update so that your PC is fully up to appointment when you start using it. Shortly after the feature update is released, the quality update for that characteristic update could be every bit small as a few hundred MB, merely as more quality and security changes are implemented, the quality update can increase in size to ane GB or more. If your PC is short on deejay space, you can download and install the quality update after the feature update is complete.

Finally, Windows Update volition temporarily disable hiberfile.sys, pagefile.sys, and other organisation files in gild to use the space these files typically consume to use the characteristic update. Any files that are disabled to apply the update will be automatically re-enabled when the update is complete. Because these files vary in size depending on how you use your PC and the amount of RAM your PC has, even in cases where ii different PCs have the exact aforementioned OS image, the amount of gratis deejay space required to consummate an update may vary.

The combination of update path and features means there's a wide range of free disk space required to complete an update. Hither are a few examples for PCs updating to Windows version 1803:

	Optimized for reduced offline fourth dimension	Optimized for minimal disk infinite	Optimized for minimal deejay space with external storage
Minimal optional features, languages, and updates	xx GB	v.five GB+	4.v GB+
Lots of optional features, languages, and updates	20 GB+	thirteen.75 GB+	7 GB+

To check the full deejay space left on your Windows 10 device, select File Explorer  from the taskbar, and and so select This PC on the left. The available space on your bulldoze will appear under Devices and drives.

It may be all-time to employ an external storage device in the following cases:

• When admission to the net isn't available.

• When you need to shop big files or a big number of files. In these situations, the files more often than not take longer to upload and information technology might cost more to shop files.

Windows Update automatically offers updates to eligible devices. To double check that your device is up to date, select Start > Settings > Update & Security  > Windows Update , and then select Cheque for updates.
Check for updates

Learn more about Windows Update.

Generally, we recommend that you lot choose a larger capacity device considering your local storage and disk space needs may change over time. If you know that you won't have many photos, videos, or other files and apps to save to your device, the 32 GB device might be a proficient option for you. A good example is a device that yous only use to run one small app, or that you lot only use for online content that never gets downloaded to the local difficult drive.

When considering what storage hardware to use in your device, don't look just at the hardware's storage capacity. Often, the speed of the storage is more of import than its size. Devices with slow storage hardware, such as those labeled "HDD" are typically slower to use than those using faster storage hardware, such as those labeled "SSD" or "eMMC."

You don't need to remove everything from your hard drive to update your device, but y'all'll need to free upward plenty infinite to complete the update.

Related topics

• Tips to improve PC performance in Windows

• Get help with Windows activation errors

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Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/free-up-drive-space-in-windows-85529ccb-c365-490d-b548-831022bc9b32

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