What can i delete from my c drive？

To safely clean up your C drive without affecting your system’s performance or essential files, here are the categories of files you can consider deleting:

1. Temporary Files

Temporary files are created by the operating system and applications during routine tasks. These files are usually not necessary after their initial use. To delete them, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool or manually remove files from the C:\Windows\Temp folder.

Disk Cleanup: Go to the Start Menu, type “Disk Cleanup,” select your C drive, and check the boxes for “Temporary files,” “Downloaded Program Files,” and “System cache.”

2. Downloaded Files

Your Downloads folder often contains files like software installers, documents, and media you’ve downloaded. If you’ve already used or no longer need these files, consider moving them to external storage or deleting them altogether.

Location: C:\Users\[Your Username]\Downloads

3. Recycle Bin

Files you’ve deleted aren’t fully removed from your system until you empty the Recycle Bin. This folder can accumulate gigabytes of space if not managed regularly.

Action: Right-click the Recycle Bin on your desktop and select “Empty Recycle Bin.”

4. Unnecessary Installed Programs

Unused software can occupy significant space on your C drive. Review your installed programs and uninstall the ones you no longer use.

Action: Go to Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program.

5. System Restore Points

Windows creates restore points periodically to roll back system changes in case something goes wrong. These restore points can consume significant disk space over time.

Action: To free up space, you can remove old restore points via Disk Cleanup. Go to Start → Search for “System Protection” → Configure, and adjust the space for restore points.

6. Windows.old Folder

If you’ve recently upgraded to a new version of Windows, the Windows.old folder stores your previous Windows installation. This folder can consume a lot of space but is safe to delete once you’re confident the new installation is working smoothly.

Action: Delete the Windows.old folder through Disk Cleanup by checking “Previous Windows installation(s)” in the Disk Cleanup options.

7. Delivery Optimization Files

Windows updates are often shared with other computers through your device, creating unnecessary files that occupy space.

Location: These files can be removed through Disk Cleanup by selecting the “Delivery Optimization Files” checkbox.

8. Hibernation File

When your computer enters hibernation, it creates a file called hiberfil.sys on your C drive to store the system state. If you don’t use hibernation, you can disable it to free up this space.

Action: Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the command: powercfg.exe /hibernate off.

9. Downloaded Program Files

These are files automatically stored on your PC when you browse certain websites. You can safely remove these as they are no longer needed after use.

Action: Use Disk Cleanup or manually delete from the folder.

10. Log Files

Windows and installed programs create log files to keep track of activities and errors. These logs can take up space over time, but they’re not essential once the immediate issue has been resolved.

Location: You can usually find log files in the C:\Windows\Logs folder.

11. System Cache Files

Cache files are temporary data stored by the operating system and applications to speed up performance. However, they can pile up over time and consume valuable space.

Action: Use Disk Cleanup or third-party tools like CCleaner to safely remove these cache files.

12. Browser Cache

Each time you browse the internet, your browser stores files like images, scripts, and stylesheets to load websites faster in the future. These files can be safely deleted to free up space.

Action: Clear the cache in your browser settings under “Clear browsing data.”

13. Temporary Internet Files

These files are a type of browser cache but can also be created by Windows for offline files. Removing them won’t affect your browser’s performance.

Action: Use Disk Cleanup or clear your browser’s cache manually.

14. Prefetch Files

Windows creates prefetch files to speed up the startup of applications. While these files can help with performance, over time, they may slow down your system if they accumulate.

Action: You can manually delete them by going to C:\Windows\Prefetch or using a tool like Disk Cleanup.

15. Error Reporting Files

These files are generated when an error occurs in Windows or an application. Unless you’re troubleshooting a specific problem, these can be deleted to free up space.

Location: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER

16. Windows Update Cache

Windows updates are stored in a cache before being installed. After installation, this cache can remain on your system and take up space.

Action: You can clear it manually or use Disk Cleanup by checking the “Windows Update Cleanup” box.

17. Font Cache

Windows stores font data in a cache to render text quickly. These files can grow large over time, but you can safely delete the cache to free up space.

Action: You can clear the font cache manually or use a third-party cleaner tool.

18. Old Driver Files

When you update your hardware drivers, Windows keeps older versions as a backup. These can add up in size and occupy significant disk space.

Location: These files can be found in the C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository folder.

19. Pagefile.sys

Windows uses this file for virtual memory, which allows your system to manage memory more efficiently. However, you can adjust its size or move it to another drive to free up space on your C drive.

Action: Go to System Properties → Advanced → Performance Settings → Advanced → Virtual Memory and adjust the size of the page file.

20. Large Media Files

If you have large video, audio, or image files saved on your C drive, consider moving them to an external drive or cloud storage.

Action: Check the size of folders in your C drive using tools like WinDirStat to identify large media files for removal or transfer.

21. Duplicate Files

Sometimes, duplicate files such as images, videos, or documents accumulate without you realizing it. Removing these duplicates can save considerable space.

Action: Use third-party software like Duplicate Cleaner or CCleaner to identify and remove duplicates.

22. Hidden Junk Files

Some system files may be hidden from view but still occupy space. To view these, enable “Show hidden files” from the Folder Options menu in Windows Explorer.

Action: Manually inspect these hidden files and delete those you’re sure are unnecessary.

23. Third-Party Application Caches

Applications like Photoshop, iTunes, and video editing software often cache files that remain on your system long after they’ve been used.

Action: Go into each program’s settings and clear the cache manually, or use third-party cleaning tools.

24. Email Attachments and Cached Emails

If you use an email client like Outlook or Thunderbird, it may store copies of attachments and email data on your hard drive. These can take up space if not managed.

Action: Review and delete old emails with large attachments, or adjust the email client settings to reduce the size of the local cache.

25. Offline Webpages

Some browsers and programs save webpages for offline use, taking up space on your drive. If you no longer need these, they can be safely removed.

Action: Check your browser or software settings for offline content and delete them if unnecessary.

26. System Logs and Reports

Windows keeps detailed logs of system operations. While these are useful for troubleshooting, they can pile up over time and become unnecessary if no issues are present.

Location: These are often found in C:\Windows\Logs, but can also be spread across different program directories.

27. Application Data

Some applications store data in the AppData folder on your C drive. While some of this data is necessary, there may be remnants from uninstalled programs or caches that you can delete.

Location: Go to C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData, and inspect the subfolders for unnecessary files.

28. Old Projects and Files

If you use your C drive for work or personal projects, there may be outdated or completed files that you no longer need. Consider archiving them to an external drive or cloud storage.

Action: Organize your project files and move any outdated or large files to external storage.

By carefully reviewing and deleting unnecessary files, you can free up a substantial amount of space on your C drive without compromising your system’s performance. Be cautious when deleting files in system folders, and always back up important data before making significant changes.