Regain computer hard drive space

Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10

There are a few options for clearing space in Windows:

Run the Disk Cleanup option

Press the Windows key, type Disk Cleanup, and press Enter.

Select the drive that you need extra space on, and click OK.

In the Disk Cleanup window, check the box next to the items that are using up disk space, and click OK. When prompted, click the Delete Files button.

Uninstall old programs

You can regain a lot of disk space by uninstalling programs, including games, you no longer use.

Disable System Restore

Windows XP, Vista, and 7 users can also reduce the default space utilized by Windows System Restore and can gain several gigabytes of hard drive space. See the steps below in customizing this feature.

Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and select System Restore.

In the System Restore window, click System Restore Settings.

On the System Restore tab, you can check to Turn off System Restore on all drives to completely disable this feature, or click the Settings button and decrease the disk space usage. We recommend the second option.

Move the swap file

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

Disable hibernation

If you turn your computer off instead of using hibernation mode, you can disable this feature to free up lots of space.

How do I disable hibernation mode in Windows?