How to free up disk space on Windows 11 (and what is safe to delete)

Last reviewed 22 October 2026 · Windows 10 and 11

Start with Storage Sense and Disk Cleanup (including Windows Update Cleanup), then uninstall apps you do not use and clear temp and shader caches. Never delete WinSxS or Installer by hand.

Quick wins, in order

Storage Sense. Settings, System, Storage. Turn on Storage Sense and click Temporary files to see what Windows suggests. Review the list before you delete.
Uninstall what you do not use. Settings, Apps, Installed apps, then sort by size. Large games and old creative tools are usually the biggest wins.
Windows Update leftovers. In Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr), choose Clean up system files and tick Windows Update Cleanup. This is safe and can free several GB.
Component store. Run this in an admin terminal. It removes superseded system components safely:
```
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
```
Downloads and the Recycle Bin. Both are often large. Check them by hand.
Browser caches. Clear them from the browser's settings. They refill, so this only helps once.

Bigger options, with trade-offs

Hibernation file. powercfg /h off deletes hiberfil.sys, often 6 to 12 GB. You lose hibernate and Fast Startup. Turn it back on with powercfg /h on.
Move a large program to another drive. See how to move an installed program.
Find what is actually big. A folder size view shows where the space went, so you do not guess.

What not to delete by hand

C:\Windows\WinSxS. It looks huge because it contains hard links. Use the DISM command above instead.
C:\Windows\Installer. Programs need these files to repair or uninstall.
pagefile.sys, or anything in System32 or Program Files.
Folders you do not recognise inside AppData. They often hold settings and saved games.

Is it safe to empty these folders?

%TEMP% and C:\Windows\Temp: yes for files that are not in use, ideally older than a day. Windows skips files that are locked. Close Office documents first, since some lock files look like junk.
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download: yes when no update is downloading or waiting for a restart. Restart first.
Shader caches (DirectX, NVIDIA, AMD): yes. Games rebuild them, so the first launch may stutter once.
Crash dumps (CrashDumps, Minidump): yes, unless you are debugging a crash.

The same thing in Trimmel

Trimmel's Cleanup page lists each of these targets with its size before it touches anything. It skips Office lock files and refuses to clear update downloads while a restart is pending. Storage shows folder sizes with a click-through and suggests whether to clean, move or review each large item.

Related guides

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