Windows file space utility

Contig Wish you could quickly defragment your frequently used files? Use Contig to optimize individual files, or to create new files that are contiguous. Disk2vhd Disk2vhd simplifies the migration of physical systems into virtual machines p2v. DiskMon This utility captures all hard disk activity or acts like a software disk activity light in your system tray.

DiskView Graphical disk sector utility. Disk Usage DU View disk usage by directory. EFSDump View information for encrypted files. FindLinks FindLinks reports the file index and any hard links alternate file paths on the same volume that exist for the specified file.

A file's data remains allocated so long as at it has at least one file name referencing it. MoveFile Schedule file rename and delete commands for the next reboot. Here are some ways to free up space so you can keep your PC up to date and running smoothly. These suggestions are listed in order, so start with the first one, see if that helps, and then continue to the next one if it doesn't.

To check the total disk space left on your Windows 11 device, select File Explorer from the taskbar, and then select This PC on the left. The available space on your drive will appear under Devices and drives. Note: If you follow the steps below and continue to have trouble updating Windows because of low disk space, resetting or reinstalling Windows might help. For more info, see Reinstall Windows. For more info, see Low Disk Space error due to a full Temp folder.

Storage Sense can automatically free up drive space for you by getting rid of items that you don't need, like temporary files and items in your Recycle Bin. For more info, see Manage drive space with Storage Sense. If your system doesn't have Storage sense, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete temporary files and system files from your device.

In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup , then select it from the results. Select the check box next to the type of files you want to delete. To view a description of each type of file, select the name. Be sure to clear those check boxes if you don't want to delete those files. To free up even more space, select Clean up system files , and then select the type of system files you want to delete.

Disk Cleanup will take a few moments to calculate the amount of space that can be freed up. If you need to free up drive space, you can delete it, but keep in mind that you'll be deleting your Windows. If you delete your previous version of Windows, this can't be undone. You won't be able to go back to your previous version of Windows. Selecting this option compresses the drive on which Windows is installed, helping you gain extra space to install important updates.

This action does not delete the contents of this drive, and you shouldn't experience problems opening and saving files from the compressed drive. After you install the update, you can manually decompress the OS drive at any time. Right-click or tap and hold the OS drive usually disk C , and then select Properties on the shortcut menu.

Windows 11 may indicate that it needs more space to get the latest Windows 11 feature update. You can use an external storage device to help you complete the update. To learn more, see Free up space for Windows updates. Personal files such as videos, music, photos, and documents can take up a lot of space on your device. To see which files are using the most space:. Select File Explorer from the taskbar and find the files you want to move.

Under This PC in the menu on the left, select a folder to see what files are saved in it. If there are files you no longer need on your device, you can either delete them or move them to an external storage device like a USB drive or an SD card.

Note: If you delete any files, remember to empty the Recycle Bin to completely remove them from your device and free up space. To move photos, music, videos, or other files that you want to keep but don't use very often, consider saving them to an external storage device like a USB drive or an SD card. You'll still be able to use them when the drive is connected, but they won't take up space on your PC.

Select File Explorer from the taskbar and go to the folder that contains the files you want to move. Select the files, then select Cut on the ribbon.

Navigate to the location of the external storage device you connected, then select Paste. Instead of saving all your new files to the default drive, you can save some of them to a different drive that has more free space. Open Storage settings. For each content type, select a drive from the drop-down menu.

If the drive you want to use isn't listed there, make sure it's connected to your PC. You can save space by turning on OneDrive Files On-Demand, which stores a smaller placeholder file on your hard drive instead of the full-size file that's stored in your OneDrive account in the cloud.

You'll be able to get to your OneDrive files from your PC without having to use up hard-drive space downloading full-size versions of them all. Sometimes a virus or other malware can consume significant hard-drive space by corrupting your system files. If you suspect your PC is infected with malware, use an antivirus program like Windows Defender to run a virus scan and cleanup.

If this doesn't fix the problem, you might need to reset your PC. This is also recommended if your attempts to free up drive space trigger particular error codes that you need help resolving. Best Linux Laptops. Best Wireless iPhone Earbuds. Best Bluetooth Trackers. Best eReaders. Best VPN. Browse All News Articles. Windows 11 Uninstall Clock. Teams Walkie-Talkie. PCI Express 6.

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