How to Reclaim Disk Space on Windows 11

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Run Storage Sense to automate cleanup

   Open the Settings app by pressing Windows Key + I. Navigate to System > Storage and toggle the Storage Sense switch to On to allow Windows to automatically purge temporary files and manage cloud-synced content.

   Note: Select 'Configure Storage Sense' to set a specific frequency for file deletion.
2. 2 min

   Remove temporary files manually

   Within the Storage menu, click Temporary files. Wait for the scan to complete, check the boxes for items like Windows Update Cleanup and Delivery Optimization Files, then select Remove files.

   Note: Be cautious when checking the Downloads folder if you have important files stored there.
3. 1 min

   Analyze disk usage with File Explorer

   Open File Explorer and select This PC. Look for folders with the largest footprint, typically User folders such as Downloads, Videos, and Pictures, to identify high-capacity media that can be moved to external storage.

   Note: Right-click a folder and select Properties to see its total size on disk.
4. 1 min

   Uninstall unused applications

   Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Sort the list by Size to identify heavy software suites or games you no longer use, then click the three-dot menu next to the application and select Uninstall.

   Note: Some applications may require a system restart to finalize the removal of associated registry keys.
5. 1 min

   Disable Hibernation to reclaim large file space

   Open Command Prompt as Administrator by typing 'cmd' in the search bar, right-clicking, and selecting Run as administrator. Enter 'powercfg -h off' and press Enter to delete the hiberfil.sys file, which is often several gigabytes.

   Note: This will remove the Hibernation option from your Power menu.