How to Free Up Space on PC – Top 6 Practical Tips

Tips • May 4, 2023

Do you ever find yourself struggling to save a file or download a new program because your computer is running out of space? It’s frustrating, right? But before you go out and buy a new computer, there are some simple tips and tricks that can help you free up space on your PC.

As we continue to rely more and more on technology, our computers become filled with files, photos, and programs. And while we may not think twice about it, all of these things take up valuable space on our hard drives. Over time, this can cause our computers to slow down and even crash.

The good news is that freeing up space on your PC doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can easily clear out the clutter and make your computer run like new again. In this article, we’ve shared the top 6 practical tips to help you free up space on your PC.

Top 6 practical tips

1. Remove duplicated files

Duplicated files refer to files that have the same content but are saved in different locations on your PC. These files can accumulate over time, taking up valuable space on your hard drive and slowing down your computer’s performance.

Deleting duplicated files can help free up space on your PC, which in turn can improve its speed and efficiency. It can also make it easier to organize your files and find what you need.

To remove duplicated files, there are several methods you can use. One way is to manually search for and delete them yourself, but this can be time-consuming, and you may not catch all duplicates.

Another option is to use a duplicate file finder tool. These programs can scan your PC for duplicated files and help you delete them quickly and easily.

2. Remove items in your trash

Removing items from your trash folder on your PC can optimize storage space because when you delete a file, it’s not permanently removed from your computer. Instead, it’s moved to the recycle bin or trash can. The file still takes up space on your hard drive until it’s completely deleted from the recycle bin.

By emptying the recycle bin or trash can, you permanently delete the files, freeing up space on your hard drive. This can be particularly helpful if you have deleted large files such as videos or images, which can take up a significant amount of space on your PC.

It’s important to note, however, that once you empty the recycle bin, you’ll not be able to recover the deleted files. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that you have backed up any important files before permanently deleting them.

3. Do a quick disc clean-up

A disk clean-up is a process that removes unnecessary files from your computer’s hard drive, freeing up storage space and improving system performance. These files can include temporary files, internet cache, system files, and other files that are no longer needed or used by your computer.

Performing a disk clean-up is a simple process that can help manage your digital files and can be done in a few steps. Here’s how:

Open File Explorer and right-click on the hard drive you want to clean up (usually the C: drive).
Select Properties from the context menu.
In the Properties window, click on the Disk Clean-up button.
Windows will scan your hard drive for unnecessary files and display a list of options that you can choose to clean up.
Select the files you want to remove and click on the OK button.
Windows will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the selected files. Click on the Delete Files button to proceed.
Windows will then begin the process of cleaning up your hard drive. This may take some time,depending on the size of your hard drive and the number of files that need to be removed.

Once the disk clean-up process is complete, you should notice an improvement in your computer’s performance and have more available storage space.

4. Defragment your hard drive

A disk defragment can free up storage space on your PC by rearranging fragmented files on your hard drive, which can lead to more efficient use of space. When files are saved or deleted on a hard drive, they can become fragmented and scattered across different areas of the disk.

This can lead to slower performance and less available storage space. A disk defragment reorganizes these fragmented files, making them easier for the operating system to access and reducing the amount of space they take up on the hard drive.

To perform a disk defragment on a PC, follow these steps:

Open the Start menu and search for “Defragment and Optimize Drives”.
Click on the program when it appears in the search results.
Select the drive you want to defragment and click “Optimize”.
Wait for the defragmentation process to complete. This can take several minutes or even hours, depending on the size and fragmentation level of the drive.
Once the process is complete, you can close the program and check your available storage space to see if it has increased.

It’s important to note that not all computers require disk defragmentation, as newer operating systems and solid-state drives (SSDs) don’t experience the same fragmentation issues as older systems and traditional hard drives.

5. Delete large files or compress them

When you delete large files on your PC, you are essentially removing them from your hard drive or storage device. This frees up storage space that was previously occupied by those files. The space that was once taken up by those files can now be used to save new files or applications, or simply to improve the overall performance of your computer by reducing the load on the hard drive.

You can also reduce the file size by compressing them and then deleting the larger file, so you don’t land up with duplicated items. Compress MP4 file folders by using the right programs, whether they’re audio tracks or videos. This will significantly free up space on your device.

6. Uninstall applications you don’t use

If you go onto your list of applications on your computer, there may be some programs that were pre-installed. There may be gaming apps or software that you don’t need. If this is the case, you can uninstall these programs, and it will free up space on your hard drive to make space for more important software.

To complete the tasks, simply search for apps in your search bar. Then go through all the applications listed. Click on “Uninstall” for any application that you feel you no longer need. If you need to use the app in future, you can always re-install it at a later stage.

Final thoughts

Learn how to optimize Windows 10/11 computers or Mac laptops by following the tips in this article. You can then ensure that your PC stays fast and efficient, allowing you to work and play without any interruptions.

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