How to Free Up Space on Your Hard Drive
Running out of hard drive space can slow down your computer, cause errors, and prevent software updates from installing. Follow these steps to clear unnecessary files, optimize storage, and keep your system running smoothly.
🚀 Brought to you by Axio Networks, an award-winning managed IT provider in Scottsdale, Arizona. We help businesses and individuals manage IT systems efficiently with expert storage solutions.
📌 Step 1: Check Your Disk Space Usage
Before freeing up space, identify what’s taking up the most storage.
Windows:
- Click Start > Settings > System > Storage.
- View the breakdown of storage usage by Apps, Documents, Pictures, and Temporary Files.
Mac:
- Click Apple Menu > About This Mac > Storage.
- Check which categories (Documents, Photos, System, etc.) are using the most space.
✅ This helps you focus on the biggest storage hogs first!
📌 Step 2: Delete Temporary and Junk Files
Windows: Use Storage Sense
✔ Open Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense.
✔ Turn on Storage Sense to automatically delete temporary files.
✔ Click “Free up space now” to remove junk files manually.
Mac: Use Optimized Storage
✔ Go to Apple Menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage.
✔ Enable “Optimize Storage” to remove old files and system junk.
✅ Removing temporary files frees up space without deleting personal files!
📌 Step 3: Uninstall Unused Applications
✔ Windows: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, select apps you don’t use, and click Uninstall.
✔ Mac: Open Finder > Applications, drag unwanted apps to Trash, and empty it.
✔ Check for large software programs that take up space but aren’t used regularly.
✅ Removing unused programs can free up several gigabytes of storage!
📌 Step 4: Empty the Recycle Bin / Trash
✔ Windows: Right-click the Recycle Bin on the desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin.
✔ Mac: Open Trash, click Empty in the top-right corner.
✅ Deleted files still take up space until they’re removed from the Recycle Bin!
📌 Step 5: Move Large Files to Cloud Storage
✔ Store documents, photos, and videos in OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud instead of your hard drive.
✔ Use Selective Sync to keep only frequently used files on your computer.
✔ Backup large files to an external hard drive and delete them from your system.
✅ Cloud storage helps keep your files accessible while freeing up local disk space!
📌 Step 6: Delete Duplicate and Large Files
✔ Use Windows File Explorer (Win + E) and search size:>100MB to find large files.
✔ On Mac, open Finder > File > Find, then set filters for file size and date created.
✔ Use tools like CCleaner (Windows) or Gemini 2 (Mac) to detect and remove duplicate files.
✅ Getting rid of duplicate and unnecessary large files can reclaim a lot of space!
📌 Step 7: Clear Browser Cache and Download Folder
✔ Open Chrome, Edge, or Firefox and clear cached files (Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Browsing Data).
✔ Empty your Downloads folder – Delete old installers, PDFs, and large files.
✅ Clearing cache and downloads improves storage and speeds up browsing!
📌 Step 8: Disable Hibernation Mode (Windows Only)
✔ Hibernation mode saves a file called hiberfil.sys, which can take up gigabytes of space.
✔ To disable it:
- Open Command Prompt (Admin) (
Win + X, then select Command Prompt (Admin)). - Type:
powercfg -h offand press Enter.
✅ Disabling hibernation frees up valuable space but removes the ability to hibernate your PC!
📌 Step 9: Compress Large Files
✔ Windows: Right-click a large file, select Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
✔ Mac: Right-click a file, select Compress to create a ZIP file.
✅ Compressing files saves space while keeping them accessible!
📌 Step 10: Use an External Hard Drive for Storage
✔ Move old photos, videos, and documents to an external drive.
✔ Use an SSD for faster storage and backups.
✅ A good backup strategy ensures you never lose important files!
💡 Axio Networks Pro Tip
For business users, having a cloud-based storage solution, scheduled cleanups, and automated backups helps manage storage efficiently and prevent data loss. Need expert storage solutions? Axio Networks provides IT management and storage optimization—contact us today! 🚀