How to Use Disk Cleanup in Windows 10

Windows 10 Disk Cleanup utility can help you remove unwanted files and free up your disk space. The tool finds unnecessary files on its own, so you don’t have to search for items manually. We’ll show you how to use this useful tool on your PC.

In general, the tool only offers you options to delete files that do not concern your system. However, you can review the files before they’re deleted to make sure they’re not important, and we’ll give you some advice on how to make that decision.

Remove unwanted files on Windows with Disk Cleanup

To start cleaning your PC, launch the Disk Cleanup tool. To do this, open the Start menu, search for “Disk Cleanup” and select the app in the search results.

Disk Cleanup will prompt you to select the drive to clean. Since most of your temporary (unwanted) files are stored on the Windows installation drive, select that drive. You are free to choose a different drive if you wish.

Then select OK.

Wait for the tool to scan your drive and find unwanted files. This may take some time depending on the size of your drive.

Once the scan is complete, you will see the types of files that you can remove from your PC. Click on each file type and you will see more details about it.

Note that the tool may recommend deleting “Windows ESD Installation Files”, but you should not delete them. This is because Windows uses these files to help you reset your PC.

Here’s what each file type means in Disk Cleanup:

• Downloaded program files: These are temporary ActiveX and Java applet files downloaded to allow you to view your content. You can safely delete these files.
• Temporary Internet Files: These are the cache files for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer. You can easily delete these files. Note that this will not clear your Chrome or Firefox cache.
• Windows bug reports and feedback: These are various Windows error reports and feedback generated on your system. You can delete them.
• Delivery Optimization Files: These files are used to upload Windows updates to other PCs. Feel free to remove these files.
• waste paper bin: Selecting this option will delete the files currently in the Recycle Bin.
• Temporary data: This option deletes the various temporary files of your apps. It only removes the files that have not been used recently.
• thumbnails: These are the thumbnails of your different file types. You can delete them and Windows will recreate them when you open your folders.

When you have selected the items to delete, choose OK at the bottom of the Disk Cleanup window.

In the prompt, choose “Delete Files” and the tool will start removing your files. Then you are done.

Enjoy a clean Windows PC!

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