How to Run Disk Cleanup on Windows 10 Safely

To free space on a Windows 10 PC, open Disk Cleanup from Start search, choose the drive to scan, select the file categories you want removed, and confirm with Delete Files. If you also want to review system files, select Clean up system files and check the second list carefully. The space recovered depends on your PC and the categories you select.

Open Disk Cleanup and choose a drive

1. Select the search box on the taskbar, type Disk Cleanup, and open the result.
2. If Windows asks which drive to scan, choose the drive you want to clean and select OK. The Windows drive is usually C:, but check the drive label if your PC has multiple Windows installations or storage drives.

You can also open File Explorer, select This PC, right-click the Windows drive, choose Properties, and select Disk Cleanup on the General tab. This alternate path reaches the same utility.

Review the file categories

Disk Cleanup calculates the amount of space that each category could free. Select a category to read its description, then check only the items you want removed. Common entries include temporary files, thumbnails, the Recycle Bin, Temporary Internet Files, and Downloaded Program Files. The list and the estimated sizes vary by Windows build, drive, and what is stored on the PC.

Be deliberate with the Recycle Bin option: Disk Cleanup removes the items selected there instead of leaving them available in the Recycle Bin. Also, Downloaded Program Files is not the same as your personal Downloads folder. Review your Downloads folder separately if you want to remove files you saved yourself.

If the ordinary categories are enough, select OK and continue to the confirmation step below. To see additional cleanup choices, select Clean up system files.

Include system files when needed

After you select Clean up system files, approve the administrator prompt if Windows displays one. Choose the Windows drive again if asked, then select OK. Disk Cleanup rescans the drive; let the calculation finish before changing the list.

The refreshed list can include items such as Windows Update Cleanup and, after some Windows upgrades, Previous Windows installation(s). Read each description and decide whether you still need the files. Microsoft notes that a previous installation can be listed during the first 10 days after an upgrade; deleting it removes the Windows.old rollback files and means you cannot return to the previous Windows version. Do not select it if you may need that rollback option.

Confirm and run the cleanup

When the selected categories look right, choose OK. In the confirmation dialog, select Delete Files to start. Disk Cleanup may take a few minutes, especially when it removes system files. If the confirmation makes you uncertain, choose Cancel and review the categories again.

Disk Cleanup removes only the categories you selected; it does not uninstall your applications. You can run it for another drive by reopening the tool and choosing that drive. There is no need to run it on a fixed schedule or after every update—use it when you want to clear eligible files or need more free space.

Use Storage Sense as an alternative

Storage Sense is a separate Windows 10 feature for automatic or on-demand cleanup. Open Start > Settings > System > Storage, turn Storage Sense on if you want it enabled, then select Configure Storage Sense or run it now. In the settings, choose when it should run and review the age rules for the Recycle Bin and Downloads folder.

Storage Sense normally leaves Downloads and cloud files alone unless you configure it to manage them. If you enable a Downloads rule, check the time period so you do not lose files you still need. To run an immediate cleanup, use Clean now in the Free up space now section.

Storage Sense works on the Windows system drive. Use Disk Cleanup or the drive-specific Storage settings if you want to manage another drive. These tools have different controls, so review Storage Sense's rules instead of assuming that it repeats the same cleanup as Disk Cleanup.

Microsoft references

• Microsoft: Free up drive space in Windows
• Microsoft: Manage drive space with Storage Sense