8 Steps to Clean Up Your PC

Regularly cleaning up your Windows 11 PC helps maintain its performance and makes sure you have enough storage space. Follow these 8 steps to maintain you computer and make room.

Use Storage Sense

Windows 11 comes with a built-in feature called Storage Sense, which automatically frees up space by deleting unnecessary files. Here’s how to use it.

Press Win + I to open the Settings app. Then click on System and then Storage.

Now, turn on the toggle for Storage Sense.

You can configure it by clicking on “Storage Sense” and setting your preferences for temporary files, recycle bin, and Downloads folder cleanup.

Delete Temporary Files

Temporary files can accumulate and take up significant space over time. Here’s how to clear them out. Hit Win + I to open Settings, then select System and Storage.

Click on Temporary Files.

Check the boxes for the types of temporary files you want to delete (e.g., Windows Update Cleanup, Temporary Internet Files).

Click “Remove files” to delete the selected items.

Uninstall Unnecessary Applications

Removing programs you no longer use can free up substantial space. Start by pressing Win + I to open settings. Then click on Apps.

Choose Installed Apps.

Sort the list by size or installation date to find unused apps.

Click on the three dots next to an app and select “Uninstall”.

Clear Downloads Folder

The Downloads folder often contains files that you no longer need. I am guilty of using it as a holding spot for darn near everything.

Let’s clean it out. Open File Explorer by pressing Windows + E. Then click on Downloads in the left panel.

Take a good, long look at everything in your Downloads file. Delete what you don’t need and move the stuff you want to keep to other spots like Documents or Photos.

Empty Recycle Bin

Files in the Recycle Bin still take up space on your hard drive. Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your Desktop.

Choose Empty Recycle Bin.

Use Disk Cleanup

Disk Cleanup is a utility that can help you delete various system files. Start by typing Disk Cleanup in your Windows search box and clicking on the results.

Windows will scan your computer and show you the files it thinks you might want to delete. This includes downloaded program files, temporary Internet files, temp files, offline web pages and archived Windows error reports. It will also show you how much space each of these things are taking up. 

Check the boxes for the types of files you want to delete (e.g., Temporary files, Thumbnails, System error memory dump files). Click on “Clean up system files” to access more options. Select additional file types to delete. Then click OK and confirm you want to delete the files.

Manage System Restore Points

System restore points can consume significant disk space. Let’s look at how to manage them. Type Create a Restore Point into your search box and click on the results.

Configure Restore Settings: In the System Protection tab, click “Configure” for the drive you want to manage.

1. Delete Restore Points: Click “Delete” to remove all restore points for that drive. You can also reduce the maximum disk space used for restore points.

Defragment and Optimize Drives

While SSDs generally don’t need defragmentation, traditional HDDs do. Type Deframent and Optimize Drives in your Windows Search Box, then click on the results.

Choose the drive you want to defragment and click on Optimize.