If you’re looking to free space or just simply need to clean the clutter from the hard drive of your Microsoft Windows 11 computer, here is a list of file and folder locations you can safely remove to clear the most space.
Windows Temp Folders
Applications use these folders to temporarily write data. You can safely remove anything in the folder, but you may not be able to delete items that are in use.
Likely safe locations to delete files and folders from:
- C:\Windows>Temp
- C:\Users>username>AppData>Local>Temp
Browser Temp Folders
Data from web pages. Cached to make loading time quicker.
Likely safe locations to delete files and folders from:
- Microsoft Edge – C:\Users>username>AppData>Local>Packages
>Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe>AC>MicrosoftEdge>Cache - Internet Explorer –C:\Users > username > AppData > Local > Microsoft > Windows > INetCache
- Firefox –C:\Users> username>AppData>Local>Mozilla>Firefox>Profiles> randomcharacters.default>cache2>entries
- Google Chrome –C:\Users> username>AppData>Local>Google>Chrome>User Data>Default>Cache
Log Files
Files that store data about what certain applications did.
Likely safe locations to delete ONLY FILES THAT END IN “.LOG”.
- C:\Windows
- C:\Windows > Debug
Normally it’s safe todelete all files and folders in this location:
Old Prefetch Data
Data Windows uses to open commonly used programs faster.
Likely safe locations to delete files and folders from:
Crash Dumps
Files containing data about what was in memory when applications crash.
Likely safe locations to delete files and folders from:
- C:\Users > username > AppData > Local > CrashDumps
- C:\ProgramData > Microsoft > Windows > WER > ReportArchive
Update Date
If you’ve updated Windows 11 with all updates, you can lose the update files stored in these locations:
- C:\Windows > SoftwareDistribution > Downloads
- C:\Windows > SoftwareDistribution > Datastore
Microsoft Office Backups
Office keeps backups of your files in case you need to recover them. You can delete them if you like.
- C:\Users > username > AppData > Roaming > MicrosoftWord
- C:\Users > username > AppData > Roaming > MicrosoftPowerPoint
- C:\Users > username > AppData > Roaming > MicrosoftExcel
- C:\Users > username > AppData > Roaming > MicrosoftOutlook
- C:\Users > username > AppData > Roaming > MicrosoftAccess
Thanks to Larry Marks for this one.
Surely, I don’t know it all. Others may have locations they regularly clear to free hard drive space in Windows 11. If you have a location that you know about, please share it in the comments section.
FAQs
Windows suggests different types of files you can remove, including recycle bin files, Windows Update Cleanup files, upgrade log files, device driver packages, temporary internet files, and temporary files.
How to permanently and securely delete files on Windows 11? ›
Press the Delete and the Shift key simultaneously. Step 3. On the window that appears, select "Yes". This method makes it possible to use the Keyboard shortcut to delete files without "temporarily saving them" in Recycle Bin.
Which folders are safe to delete? ›
Windows Temp Folder
The files and folders inside contain info that Windows used at one time, but doesn't need anymore. Instead of cleaning via Disk Cleanup, you can visit this folder and delete its contents manually, if you prefer. Just press Ctrl + A to select everything inside, then hit Delete.
Which files to delete from a C drive? ›
Using the tool, you can:
- Delete system temporary files;
- Delete system prefetch files;
- Execute a system file checker;
- Empty the recycle bin;
- Clear history, cookies, and cache for the installed web browsers;
- Disable search indexing; and.
- Enable storage sense.
And if you want to get rid of more files to clear up space, use the Cleanup recommendations feature underneath Storage Sense. If you click on it, it will scan your system and recommend files for you to manually delete, such as temporary files, large or unused files, files synced with your cloud and unused apps.
What Windows file should you not delete? ›
Program files folder: Program files named folder contains all the programs that are installed in your PC by default. So deleting this folder will result in a crash or malfunction in the system and lead to data loss. WinSxS folder: It comes under the windows folder that is abbreviated for windows side by side.
What is the most secure way to delete files? ›
The safest way to permanently delete files from your hard drive is through a process called “zero fill.” When you zero fill a storage device, you're overwriting your entire drive contents with zeroes so that data on that drive can no longer be recovered by others.
Does Windows 11 have a file shredder? ›
Use Windows Built-in File Shredder
Windows do provide you access to a simple and easy-to-use option for permanently deleting a file. This method can be pretty easy to shred the files without the possibility of any recovery. The built-in secure data deletion tool that forms part of the Windows system is called Cipher.
How do I delete stubborn folders in Windows 11? ›
Method 2: Boot in Windows Safe Mode
To begin, use our guide to boot your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC into safe mode. Once in safe mode, open File Explorer and navigate to the folder you want to delete. Then, right-click on the folder and select “Delete”. Your folder has been deleted.
What can I delete on my computer to free up space? ›
How to clear disk space in Windows
- Empty the Recycle Bin. For many people, a hard drive cleanup will begin and end by emptying the trash can. ...
- Use Disk Cleanup. ...
- Delete temporary files. ...
- Delete duplicate files. ...
- Uninstall applications. ...
- Configure System Restore.
What types of files can I delete with Disk Cleanup? Disk Cleanup can help you delete various types of files, including temporary files, system files, Recycle Bin files, and more. These files are generally safe to delete, as they are typically not needed for the proper functioning of your computer.
What is the most important file in Windows? ›
All these basic tasks are programmed into files and stored in system32 as . dll files. These file are no doubted most important files of a windows operating system.
How do I clean my C drive in Windows 11? ›
Disk cleanup in Windows
- In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, and select Disk Cleanup from the list of results.
- Select the drive you want to clean up, and then select OK.
- Under Files to delete, select the file types to get rid of. To get a description of the file type, select it.
- Select OK.
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. ...
- To see the size of the files in a folder, select View from the taskbar, then select Details.
- Select Start > Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations. Open Storage settings.
- Select the temporary files, unused files, files synced to the cloud, or unused apps you want to remove, then select the Clean up button for each section.
Disk cleanup in Windows
- In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, and select Disk Cleanup from the list of results.
- Select the drive you want to clean up, and then select OK.
- Under Files to delete, select the file types to get rid of. To get a description of the file type, select it.
- Select OK.
Deleting the files on the Temp folder will not affect your saved passwords and favorites, you can delete them securely using Disk Cleanup tool. Open the Start Menu, type Disk Cleanup, and select "Run as administrator" check "Temporary files" and "Temporary Internet Files" to clean the files on the Temp folder.
