How to regain calculator hard drive space

Updated: 12/30/2021 by Figurer Hope

Computer hard drive

Most of u.s. run out of storage space at some point. When y'all practice, it'south proficient to know how to clean up your computer properly. The following sections show how to regain computer hard drive space. To proceed, select your operating organization from the post-obit listing.

Windows Vista, vii, viii, x, and 11

There are a few options for clearing space in Windows:

Run the Disk Cleanup pick

  1. Printing the Windows key, type Disk Cleanup, and press Enter.
  2. Select the bulldoze that you need extra space on, and click OK.

Disk Cleanup drive selector

  1. In the Deejay Cleanup window, check the box next to the items using up disk space, and click OK.

Disk Cleanup selections

  1. When prompted, click the Delete Files button.

Delete Files button

Uninstall old programs

Yous can regain a lot of disk infinite past uninstalling programs, including games you lot no longer use.

  • How to uninstall software in Windows.

Disable System Restore

Windows users tin also reduce the default space utilized by Windows System Restore and can gain several gigabytes of difficult drive space. See the steps beneath for your version of Windows to disable organisation restore.

Windows xi

  1. Press the Windows fundamental, blazon restore point, and then press Enter.
  2. In the System Properties window, click the Configure button on the System Protection tab.

System restore configure button - Windows 11

  1. In the System Protection window that opens, select the Disable organisation protection option (A).
  2. Click the Apply button (B) and click OK (C) to disable organisation restore.

Windows 11 - disable system restore

Windows viii and 10

  1. Press the Windows central, type restore indicate, and so press Enter.
  2. In the System Properties window, click the Configure push on the System Protection tab.
  3. In the System Protection window that opens, select the Turn off system protection option.
  4. Click the Apply button, and then click OK to disable system restore.

Windows XP, Vista, and vii

  1. Click Kickoff, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and select System Restore.
  2. In the System Restore window, click System Restore Settings.
  3. On the Arrangement Restore tab, y'all can bank check Plow off Organisation Restore on all drives to disable this feature completely, or click the Settings push and decrease the deejay space usage. Nosotros recommend the second choice.

Motility the swap file

If y'all accept more than than 1 hard drive in the calculator and the C: drive is the drive running out of infinite, consider moving the swap file to another drive.

Disable hibernation

If you turn your computer off instead of using hibernation manner, you tin can disable this feature to free upwards lots of infinite.

  • How exercise I disable hibernation mode in Windows?

Windows 2000 and XP

There are a few options for clearing space in Windows:

Run the Disk Cleanup option

  1. Open Windows Explorer.
  2. Right-click the hard drive you lot desire to regain hard bulldoze space. For example, right-click the C: bulldoze.
  3. Click Backdrop.
  4. In the Full general tab, click the Disk Cleanup push button located next to the pie chart.
  5. In the Disk Cleanup window, check the box next to the items (except "compress old files") that are using up disk space, click OK, and and so click Yeah if you desire to proceed.

Shrink?

When performing a Disk Cleanup, you take the option to compress your hard drive. We strongly recommend users exercise not compress their hard drives or compress their quondam files.

Uninstall onetime programs

You tin regain a lot of disk space by uninstalling programs, including games y'all no longer utilize.

  • How to uninstall software in Windows.

Disable System Restore

Windows XP, Vista, and vii users can also reduce the default infinite utilized by Windows Organisation Restore, gaining several gigabytes of hard drive space. See the steps below in customizing this characteristic.

  1. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, Organization Tools, and open up Organization Restore.
  2. In the Organization Restore window, click Organization Restore Settings.
  3. In the System Restore tab, y'all can check Turn off System Restore on all drives to disable this feature completely or click the Settings button to decrease space usage. We recommend the second option.

Additional suggestion for Windows 2000 and Windows XP users

Window 2000 and Windows XP keep all the necessary files needed to uninstall any updates installed on your estimator. These files can have upward several hundred megabytes and sometimes over a gigabyte of infinite on your hard drive.

  • What are the $NtUninstallKBxxxxxxx$ folders in Windows?

Move the swap file

If you have more than one hard drive in the computer and the C: drive is the bulldoze running out of space, consider moving the swap file to another drive.

Disable hibernation

If yous plough your computer off instead of using hibernation mode, y'all can disable this feature to free up lots of space.

  • How do I disable hibernation mode in Windows?

Microsoft Windows 95, 98, and ME

There are a few options for clearing space in Windows:

Clean upwardly temporary files

  1. Click Beginning and then Search or Observe.
  2. In the File type text field, type *.tmp and verify the computer is looking at the C: drive or the drive containing your operating organization.
  3. Search for files and delete each of the temporary files.

Delete chk files

Perform the same steps above, except search for *.chk and delete all the constitute files.

Uninstall quondam programs

Y'all tin can regain a lot of disk infinite by uninstalling programs, including games you no longer apply.

  • How to uninstall software in Windows.

MS-DOS and Windows 3.10

  1. From the MS-DOS prompt, blazon del *.tmp /south and del *.chk /s to delete any temporary files on the difficult drive.
  2. Delete any software programs or games you are no longer using.
  • Encounter the del command and deltree command pages for further information virtually each command.

macOS

There are a few options for clearing space on your iMac or Macbook:

Manage hard drive storage

  1. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click the Apple icon to open up the Apple tree menu.
  2. In the Apple tree bill of fare, select About This Mac.

About this mac selector

  1. In the System Information window that opens, click the Storage tab at the meridian.

macOS Storage tab

  1. Click the Manage button button on the right side.
  2. The following menu shows management options for your hard drive. You lot can follow Apple's recommended steps for clearing space, or you can choose one of the tabs on the left side and select items on your own.

macOS Storage options

Uninstall onetime programs

You can regain a lot of deejay infinite by uninstalling programs, including games y'all no longer apply.

  • How to uninstall a program on a Mac.