How to save space in Windows 10

Low space on Windows 10 devices leads to the stoppage for the new installs and updates of the existing apps. Along with those, the overall performance could be affected too. We have identified some important methods that could help in saving the space and keeping the device’s performance on a high level.

See also: How to defragment hard drive in Windows 10

Temp folder filled to the top

The Temp Folder keeps the backup files needed by the apps during their operation. At times when the app is closed, the temporary file created by the app is not removed. There is no alarm that could alert the user about a temporary file in the temp folder even after the app has been closed. The temp folder uses the space of the storage drive on which the Windows 10 is installed. With time, the folder gets filled, consuming the storage of the device and leaving very low space for the updates. The user could only know that the storage has been consumed quickly, but there would be no alert for the temp folder. In such a case, when the storage is consumed faster than expected or is going down without any new installation and updates, you need to clean the temp folder.

To clean the temp folder, open Run dialog box by pressing Windows Key + R. Then type %temp% and hit enter.

A new window will open with the temporary files in it that are not removed.

Select all, and delete them. In the end, some files would not be deleted as they are being used by the system. Skip those files and close the window. Then, check the Recycle Bin. If the temp files have been moved into the bin, then clear it from there to see the effect of the cleaning.

Reboot the system and open the System Settings from the Start menu. Click open Update and Security and choose Troubleshoot from there. It will take you to a new window with various options. Choose Windows Store Apps and click on Run the Troubleshooter to inspect the app if that is causing the temp folder to fill rapidly.

Another thing to do is to, clear the cache for the Microsoft Store. Open the Run Dialog box again and this time type wsreset.exe and hit Enter or click Ok. An empty command prompt would open for a few seconds and after it’s closed, the Microsoft Store App would open automatically. Close the store, open the settings again, and go to the Troubleshoot from Update and Security. Then, choose Windows Update and troubleshoot it.

After this process, reboot the device. The performed operation should free up space on your Windows 10 Device. But if it has not fixed your problem, then you need to proceed to the next method.

Storage Sense and Disk Cleanup apps

The Windows 10 has a built-in feature to identify and delete miscellaneous, temporary and duplicate files. Open the Start menu, choose Settings and from there and open System Settings. There you will see the Storage Sense option under the Storage tab shown on the left. Turning it on allows you to activate Storage Sense that could automatically and manually delete the unnecessary files. For the automatic run, make sure you configured the files types so that you may not lose your data.

Ahead of that, Windows 10 comes with the Disk Cleanup app, and you can also get the third-party apps if it does not satisfy your needs. The Windows Disk Cleanup is a very handy tool for users who do not want to go deep into the cleanup process. You may run Disk Cleanup from the Start menu. In the program, you would see that it has three options already checked for the Download Program Files, Temporary Internet Files and Thumbnails. Besides, there is the option for the system files (Clean up system files). Clicking on this, a new window opens where multiple options are shown and you can surely clean up plenty of space that can be used for the new apps and updates.

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