Are you concerned about your slow-performing laptop? Obviously, there could be several reasons behind the speed issues of your PC or laptop. But, a low disk space is one of the major factors, causing your device to run slowly. So, how will you clear space on the C drive? So, let us provide a brief guide on how to free up space on laptop.
Why Should You Prioritize the Disk Space of Your Laptop?
Disk space is the overall storage capacity on the hard drive. If more than 85% of your disk is full, your laptop’s performance will decline. So, what problems would you encounter with a low disk space?
- Sudden crashes and shutdowns of your system
- Windows update initialization will not work.
- Your computer will not perform optimally.
- There will be no space to store your temporary files
- Low disk space leads to overheating laptop problems due to the increasing workload on processors.
It is important to have a solid understanding of the disk space to restore your computer’s health. The hard drive should have a significant free space to avoid issues with routine operations. The availability of disk space also leads to the creation of temporary files.
How Should I Check the Available Disk Space on My Laptop?
Before freeing up the disk, you must know the amount of space it currently has. An initial assessment lets you identify the storage status of your computer. It will help you set your goals for disk cleanup.
So, how will you check the disk space on your Windows PC or laptop?
Press the Windows key + E and click on the ‘This PC’ option, found on the left side. You will find the available storage space in your C and D drives.
Right-click on the C or D drive and choose Properties. You will find detailed information on the chosen drive.
How To Free Up Space on Laptop- Learn a Few Simple Tips
We have discussed various ways how to free up disk space on laptop or PC.
Free up disk using Windows’ built-in Disk Cleanup tool
Your Windows PC or laptop has a Disk Cleanup application that frees up disk space. The powerful tool lets you remove junk files accumulated during your everyday use of the device. For instance, you do not need offline web pages or temporary internet files, remove them using the tool.
Go to your Windows search bar and type the words ‘Disk Cleanup’. Choose the system drive and click OK. It will start scanning for files. Select the option- ‘Clean up system files’. This will help you restore more space in your device.
The Disk Cleanup utility is the Windows’ built-in tool to free up disk space. This powerful utility can remove unnecessary files accumulated during normal computer use. These files often include temporary internet files, downloaded program files, and offline web pages you no longer need.
Which files should you remove?
- Temporary internet files
- Windows update cleanup
- DirectX shader cache
- Temporary Windows installation files
- Memory dump files
- Delivery optimization files
Remove Files from the Recycle Bin
The deleted files automatically go to the Recycle Bin. However, the Bin covers a significant part of disk space, and most files in it will no longer be used. So, you must delete the unwanted files permanently. After right-clicking on the Recycle Bin, choose the option- Empty Recycle Bin.
The application will take some time to review the content. However, remember that files removed from the Recycle Bin are not recoverable without special software.
Transfer A Few Files to a Different Storage Platform
If you have limited internal disk space, move a few files to the external storage. This is the best option if you do not want frequent access to larger files.
External storage is easily manageable with a few steps.
- Choose your external hard drive and connect it to your computer
- Detect larger files, such as movies and videos or music libraries.
- Move them to the selected external storage.
- Before removing the files, verify them thoroughly.
It is better to label your drives to save time. You may also use folders for organized content.
Look for Duplicate Files
Duplicate files often consume much space in your drive. It is challenging to find those duplicate files manually. So, you may invest in Duplicate Cleaner Pro to remove duplicate folders and files.
Its clean interface will allow you to delete duplicate files.
Turn on the Storage Sense Feature
Storage Sense is another built-in feature to manage storage space on your Windows laptop. Make sure your Windows version is at least 10 or higher. Once you turn on the option, it automatically removes your old files to free up disk space.
Access the Settings option and go to Storage. You will find the Storage Sense option with a toggle button on the right side. Click the toggle button and turn it on. It will automatically remove
- Old downloads
- Recycle Bin
- Temporary files
- Local old copies
How to Maintain Disk Space on Your PC
Maintaining disk space involves ongoing your attention. So, create a regular maintenance schedule to avoid storage problems-
- Your daily maintenance activity includes the deletion of temporary downloads.
- Every week you must clear the Recycle Bin and browser cache.
- Run Disk Cleanup every month.
- Full system cleanup every 3 months.
When Should You Upgrade Hardware?
Only software solutions are ineffective in addressing your disk space issues or storage problems. You must upgrade the hardware-
- If regular cleanup does not provide adequate space
- Your system is consistently performing slowly.
- You need to access large files faster.
What are the different ways to upgrade hardware?
- Install a larger hard drive
- Upgrade to an SSD
- Add external drives and secondary drives
Wrapping Up
The brief guide on how to free up space on laptop or PC will remove your concerns about disk storage. Delete old files from your laptop or PC. Moreover, clearing caches and uninstalling unused applications will help you free up disk space on your desktop or laptop. There is no need to be tech-savvy to manage your device’s disk space.