Running out of disk space on your Windows 10 PC can slow down performance and prevent important updates. Fortunately, Windows 10 includes a powerful built-in tool called Storage Sense that can automatically clean up unnecessary files to free up space. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to use Storage Sense to reclaim valuable storage on your Windows 10 computer.
What is Storage Sense?
Storage Sense is an intelligent feature in Windows 10 that automatically identifies and removes unnecessary files to free up disk space. It can clean up temporary files, empty the Recycle Bin, and even delete old files from your Downloads folder. You can configure Storage Sense to run automatically or use it manually when you need to quickly free up space.
How to Enable and Configure Storage Sense
Step 1: Open the Windows Settings by pressing Windows key + I.
Step 2: Click on “System”, then select “Storage” from the left sidebar.
Step 3: Toggle the switch under “Storage Sense” to turn it on.
Step 4: Click on “Configure Storage Sense or run it now” to access additional settings.
Step 5: Use the dropdown menu under “Run Storage Sense” to choose how often it should run automatically. Options include during low disk space, every day, every week, or every month.
Step 6: Configure how long to keep files in the Recycle Bin and Downloads folder before deletion. The default is 30 days, but you can adjust this as needed.
Step 7: If you use OneDrive, you can also configure Storage Sense to automatically free up space by making cloud-synced content online-only after a certain period.
How to Manually Run Storage Sense
Step 1: Navigate to Settings > System > Storage as described above.
Step 2: Click on “Configure Storage Sense or run it now”.
Step 3: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Clean now” button.
Step 4: Windows will begin cleaning up unnecessary files. This process may take several minutes depending on how much there is to clean.
Types of Files Cleaned by Storage Sense
Storage Sense can remove various types of unnecessary files, including:
- Temporary Windows installation files
- Downloaded program files
- Delivery Optimization Files
- Temporary Internet Files
- Windows error reports and feedback diagnostics
- DirectX Shader Cache
- Thumbnail cache
- Files in the Recycle Bin (older than the specified time)
- Files in the Downloads folder (older than the specified time)
Removing Previous Windows Installations
If you’ve recently upgraded Windows, you can use Storage Sense to remove the previous Windows installation files, which can free up significant space:
Step 1: Go to Settings > System > Storage > Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
Step 2: Scroll down to “Free up space now”.
Step 3: Check the box next to “Delete previous versions of Windows”.
Step 4: Click “Clean now” to remove these files.
Caution: Only do this if you’re sure you won’t need to roll back to the previous Windows version, as this action cannot be undone.
Additional Tips for Freeing Up Disk Space
Uninstall Unnecessary Apps: Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features to review and uninstall apps you no longer need.
Move Files to External Storage: Consider moving large files like videos or photos to an external hard drive or cloud storage.
Use Disk Cleanup: While Storage Sense is replacing it, the classic Disk Cleanup tool is still available. Search for “Disk Cleanup” in the Start menu to access additional cleaning options.
By leveraging Storage Sense, you can keep your Windows 10 PC running smoothly with plenty of free disk space. Remember to run it periodically if you don’t have it set to run automatically, especially before major Windows updates that require additional free space.