How to Free Up Disk Space in Windows 11

A drive that is nearly full slows Windows down, throws "low disk space" warnings, and can even block feature updates from installing. The good news: Windows 11 has everything you need built in, and you do not need a third-party "cleaner." This guide walks through the modern Storage settings first — the primary tool Microsoft now points everyone to — then the trusty Disk Cleanup program and how to automate it, and finishes with a clear list of what is safe to delete and what deserves a second look. Everything below is written for Windows 11; where a step differs on Windows 10, we say so.

1. Start with Storage settings (the modern primary tool)

Windows 11 puts a live map of your drive right in Settings, and it is the fastest place to start.

1. Open Settings (press Windows + I).
2. Go to System > Storage.
3. Wait a moment for the page to calculate. You will see a breakdown of what is using space on your system drive — Apps & features, Temporary files, Documents, and so on — with the largest categories at the top.

This screen is the hub for everything else. On Windows 10 the equivalent lives at Settings > System > Storage too, though the layout is a little different.

Use Cleanup recommendations

The single most useful button here is Cleanup recommendations. It bundles the biggest, safest wins into one screen so you do not have to hunt for them.

1. On the Storage page, click Cleanup recommendations.
2. Review the sections it offers: Temporary files, Large or unused files, Files synced to the cloud, and Unused apps — the same four categories Microsoft lists in Free up drive space in Windows.
3. Expand a section, tick the items you want to remove, and click the Clean up button for that section.

The Temporary files list here is the same set you can open directly from Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files — it includes things like the Recycle Bin, Windows Update cleanup, thumbnails and delivery optimisation files. Tick what you want and click Remove files.

2. Turn on Storage Sense to keep space free automatically

Storage Sense is the "set it and forget it" side of Windows 11. When it is on, Windows cleans up on its own — running on a schedule, or automatically when free space runs low, as Microsoft describes in Manage drive space with Storage Sense.

1. Go to Settings > System > Storage.
2. Turn on the Storage Sense toggle.
3. Click the words Storage Sense (or the arrow beside the toggle) to open its options.
4. Choose how often it runs — for example During low free disk space, or every day, week or month.
5. Set how often to empty the Recycle Bin and how long to keep files in the Downloads folder before they are removed. Set the Downloads value to Never if you would rather it left that folder alone.
6. If you use OneDrive, Storage Sense can make files you have not opened in a while online-only to reclaim local space while keeping them in the cloud.

You can also press Run Storage Sense now at the bottom of that page to clean immediately rather than waiting for the schedule. Storage Sense works the same way on Windows 10, under the same Storage settings.

3. Run Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr) for a deeper sweep

The classic Disk Cleanup tool — the program named cleanmgr.exe — still ships with Windows 11. It overlaps with the Storage settings above, but it is quick, familiar, and remains the easiest way to trigger some system-file categories by hand.

1. Press Windows + R, type cleanmgr and press Enter — or search the Start menu for Disk Cleanup.
2. Pick the drive to clean (usually C:) and click OK.
3. Tick the categories you want to remove, then click OK and confirm with Delete Files.
4. To reach system-owned items such as Windows Update Cleanup and previous installations, click Clean up system files. The tool relaunches with administrator rights and shows the extra categories.

Automate it with /sageset and /sagerun

cleanmgr.exe has two command-line switches that let you save a set of cleanup choices once and run them again later — even on a schedule. The number after the colon is just a label you choose (any value from 0 to 9999, per the cleanmgr command reference on Microsoft Learn); the same number ties a saved preset to the command that runs it.

Save your categories once from the Run box or an elevated command prompt:

cleanmgr /sageset:1

That opens the settings dialog with the full category list. Tick everything you want the preset to clear, then click OK. Nothing is deleted yet — Windows just records your choices under the number you picked. Whenever you want to run that selection, use the matching number:

cleanmgr /sagerun:1

Disk Cleanup then runs silently against the saved categories. Because /sagerun is a plain command, you can point Task Scheduler at it — create a task, set a weekly trigger, and for the action choose Start a program with cleanmgr.exe as the program and /sagerun:1 as the argument.

4. What is safe to delete — and what needs care

Most of what these tools offer is safe. A few items are worth a second thought before you clear them.

Generally safe to remove

• Temporary files — scratch data apps and installers leave behind.
• Thumbnails — the cache of preview images; Windows rebuilds it as needed.
• Recycle Bin — files you already deleted. Check nothing there is still wanted first.
• Windows Update Cleanup — superseded copies of update files Windows keeps after newer ones install. This can free a surprising amount of space; the deletion may take a while and can continue during your next restart.
• Delivery Optimisation files and error-reporting files — caches and diagnostic data that are safe to clear.

Look before you clear

• Downloads folder — this deletes the actual files you saved, not temporary data. Open the folder and rescue any installers or documents you want to keep before clearing it. In Storage Sense, set the Downloads rule to Never if you would rather manage it yourself.
• Previous Windows installation(s) and Windows upgrade log files — these remove the Windows.old folder created when you upgrade Windows. That folder is your built-in route to roll back to the previous version, and Windows keeps it only for a limited time anyway. Clearing it is fine once the new version is stable, but Microsoft is explicit that deleting the previous version cannot be undone.

5. Uninstall apps and move files off the system drive

When the built-in cleanup is not enough, the next lever is what you have installed and where your files live.

Uninstall apps you no longer use

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Sort by Size to find the biggest offenders.
3. Click the … menu next to an app and choose Uninstall.

The Unused apps section under Cleanup recommendations surfaces the same thing automatically — apps you have not opened in a long time.

Move large files and change where new content is saved

Photos, videos and games are usually the heaviest items. Move them to a second drive, an external disk, or OneDrive. To send new files there by default in future, open Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved and pick another drive for documents, music, photos and apps.

Quick reference

• See what's using space: Settings > System > Storage.
• Fastest cleanup: Storage > Cleanup recommendations.
• Automatic cleanup: turn on Storage Sense.
• Classic tool: run cleanmgr, then Clean up system files.
• Save a preset: cleanmgr /sageset:1 · run it: cleanmgr /sagerun:1.
• Uninstall by size: Settings > Apps > Installed apps.