How to Reduce Windows System Data Storage

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Execute the Disk Cleanup Utility

   Press the Windows key, type Disk Cleanup, and press Enter. Select your primary system drive, typically C:, and click OK to scan for removable files.

   Note: Ensure you click 'Clean up system files' to expose hidden Windows Update remnants.
2. 1 min

   Remove Windows Update Cleanup files

   Within the Disk Cleanup window, check the boxes for Windows Update Cleanup and Delivery Optimization Files. Click OK and select Delete Files to initiate the removal process.

   Note: This step alone frequently recovers several gigabytes of storage.
3. 1 min

   Clear temporary system files

   Open the Settings app via Windows + I. Navigate to System > Storage > Temporary files and allow the system to calculate the sizes of various caches.

   Note: Do not select 'Downloads' if you wish to keep files in your primary download folder.
4. 1 min

   Perform removal of temporary files

   Select all categories except Downloads if necessary. Click Remove files to purge the accumulated temporary data from your system drive.

   Note: System performance may temporarily decrease while these processes finalize.
5. 2 min

   Clear Storage Sense cache

   In the same Storage menu, toggle Storage Sense to On. Click on Storage Sense and select Run Storage Sense now to clear non-essential system logs and cache immediately.

   Note: Storage Sense automatically maintains your storage health in the background.
6. 1 min

   Reset the Windows Update components

   Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Type net stop wuauserv and press Enter, then navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download and delete all folder contents.

   Note: Restart the service by typing net start wuauserv after completing the deletion.