The C drive is full – just do a quick cleanup!

Cleaning up the computer C drive space can be done by following the steps below. The operation is simple and […]

Cleaning up the computer C drive space can be done by following the steps below. The operation is simple and safe, suitable for most users:

I. Quick cleanup of basic items

1. Use the system’s built-in disk cleanup tool

• Press Win + S to search for “Disk Cleanup” → Select C drive → Check “Temporary files”, “System cache”, “Recycle Bin”, etc. → Click “Clean up system files” (can delete old Windows installation files).
• Effect: Usually several GB to more than ten GB of space can be freed up.

1. Delete temporary files

• Manually delete the path (paste directly into the folder address bar):
• %temp% → Select and delete all (skip files that cannot be deleted)
• C:\Windows\Temp → Clean up content

II. Deep cleanup of large files

1. Find and delete large useless files

• Press Win + E to open the Explorer → Right-click C drive → “Properties” → “Disk Cleanup” → “Clean up system files”.
• Use the tool TreeSize Free (free) to scan the C drive and intuitively view the folders that occupy large space.

1. Clean up application cache

• WeChat/QQ: Enter software settings → File management → Delete historical chat files (path example: C:\Users\username\Documents\WeChat Files).
• Browser cache: Press Ctrl+Shift+Del in Chrome/Edge → Check “Cached images and files”* → Clean up.

III. System-level optimization

1. Turn off the hibernation function (suitable for laptop external power users)

• Press Win + S to search for “cmd” → Right-click to run as administrator → Enter powercfg /h off
• Effect: Immediately release about 3-8GB of space (depending on the memory size).

1. Move virtual memory to another disk (optional)

• Press Win + S to search for “Advanced system settings” → Click “Settings” in the performance bar → Select “Advanced” → Change virtual memory → Uncheck the C drive and select another drive.

1. Long-term maintenance tips

• Turn on the “Storage Sense” function (Win10/11)
• Settings → System → Storage → Turn on **”Storage Sense” → Set the automatic cleanup frequency.
• Check the download folder regularly
• Path: C:\Users\Username\Downloads, manually clean up files that have not been used for a long time.

Notes

• Delete carefully: Avoid directly deleting unfamiliar files in C:\Windows or C:\Program Files.
• Back up data: It is recommended to copy important files to a mobile hard drive or cloud storage before cleaning.

Follow the above steps to free up more than 10-30GB of space. If the C drive is close to full capacity for a long time, it is recommended to install the software to other partitions later, or consider upgrading the hard drive.