When your hard drive starts to fill up, your computer slows down. Applications take longer to open, files are harder to find, and updates may not install. Fortunately, there are straightforward ways to reclaim space and improve performance without deleting anything important. Start by identifying what’s using the most space. On Windows, you can go to Settings, then System, then Storage. On macOS, click the Apple menu, choose About This Mac, then Storage. You’ll see a breakdown that shows how much space is being used by apps, documents, photos, and more.
Once you know where your storage is going, you can make smarter decisions about what to keep and what to remove. Large files are usually the best place to start. Old videos, disk images, or installers for programs you no longer use often take up the most space. Move them to an external drive or cloud storage or delete them if you’re sure you won’t need them again. Downloads folders are another common culprit. These tend to fill up with forgotten files over time. Open the folder, sort by file size, and remove anything you don’t need.
Next, clear out temporary files. On Windows, you can use the built in Disk Cleanup tool. It can safely remove cached updates, thumbnails, and other system files that aren’t needed. On newer versions of Windows, go to Settings, Storage, and turn on Storage Sense to have your system automatically clear out junk. On a Mac, go to Finder, press Shift + Command + G, and enter ~/Library/Caches to find and manually delete cache files. Be careful not to delete anything you don’t recognize. When in doubt, only remove items in folders labeled "Caches" or "Temporary."
Uninstall apps you don’t use. Open your applications list and look for anything you haven’t opened in months. Games, editing software, and other large programs are usually good candidates. If you’re on Windows, go to Settings, Apps, and uninstall from there. On a Mac, open Finder, go to Applications, and drag unused apps to the trash. Don’t forget to empty the trash afterward or the files will still take up space. Some apps also leave behind support files after you delete them, so you may need to search for leftover folders manually if you want to recover as much space as possible.
Another way to free up space is by managing photos and videos. These files add up quickly, especially if you take a lot of high resolution images or shoot video. Transfer them to a cloud service like Google Photos, iCloud, or OneDrive. Many of these services offer free or low cost plans that automatically back up your media and remove it from your local device. This is also helpful in case your computer is ever lost or damaged. If you prefer to store your media offline, invest in an external hard drive and set up a regular backup schedule.
Email attachments, especially in apps like Outlook or Apple Mail, can also consume a surprising amount of space. Over time, saved attachments pile up even if you delete the original emails. Clearing out your mail downloads folder and adjusting settings so attachments aren’t saved automatically can help keep things tidy.
The same goes for messaging apps like Slack or Teams, which often download files in the background. Periodically clearing those downloads can help free up additional space.
Don’t forget to check your desktop. Many users save screenshots, PDFs, and documents there temporarily but forget to move or delete them. Files stored on the desktop still take up drive space and can make it harder to find what you’re looking for. Move important files into organized folders and delete anything that’s no longer needed. Keeping your desktop clean doesn’t just help your storage, it can also speed up boot times.
Another helpful tip is to disable hibernation on Windows if you don’t use it. The hibernation feature creates a system file that mirrors the contents of your RAM. This file can take up several gigabytes. To disable it, open the Command Prompt as an administrator and type powercfg -h off. This deletes the hibernation file and frees up space. If you later decide you want the feature back, you can re enable it with the command powercfg -h on.
If you use cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive, make sure they’re not set to sync everything by default. You can usually adjust settings so only the folders you use often are kept on your computer. The rest stay in the cloud and can be downloaded when needed. This lets you access files without storing them locally.
Finally, consider upgrading your drive if you’ve done all this and still feel cramped. Solid state drives have dropped in price and offer faster performance in addition to more space. Before replacing your drive, back up your files, clone your system if necessary, and double check compatibility with your device.
Freeing up space isn’t something you have to do every day but making it part of a regular maintenance routine will keep your system running smoothly. Set a reminder every few months to review your files, uninstall apps, and clean out temporary data. Staying on top of it prevents headaches later and extends the life of your machine. Better yet, reach out and let us handle it for you!
