How to Clean Up C Drive in Windows 10/8/7 Without Formatting [Tested & Working]

This page offers you reliable solutions to clean up C drive, even delete System C drive. Read on to learn how to clean up or delete your System C drive on Windows 10/8/7 by yourself:

How to Clean Up the C Drive in Windows 10/8/7 Without Formatting

After your computer or Windows has been running for a long time, your C drive can accumulate a lot of junk files that aren't needed anymore. The more of these files you have, the slower your computer will run.

Read More: How to Find Large Files on Windows 10

So how to solve this problem? The best and most direct solution to this issue is to clean up the C drive. Some people might think of formatting the C drive as a solution. However, Windows computers will not allow you to format the system C drive. If you do so, you will suffer from massive file loss or even system errors. Below are two tested and effective methods we've gathered for you to clean up the C drive in Windows 10, 8, or even 7 without formatting:

Method 1: Clean Up Drive C Without Formatting

You'll see that the Disk Cleanup tool can only remove some temporary files and Recycle Bin files on your computer. If you want to delete more junk files from built-in Windows apps or large files on Windows 10/8/7, you need to turn to another powerful partition management software for assistance.

To remove all unnecessary, and even large files from the C drive, we recommend trying the CleanGenius software. It's a 100% free and risk-free tool that can optimize your computer's performance with its cleaning features. You can download and install it directly on your computer following this guide, allowing you to clean the C drive without formatting it right now:

Step 1: Download and install the Partition Master Suite.

Step 2: Click on PC Cleaner to install the CleanGinus tool. Then click “Clean” and then “Scan” to begin the system cleanup and restore your computer to its original state.

Step 3: The software will scan your computer and list the idle data files that are taking up a lot of disk space. You can choose to remove large unnecessary files, system junk files, and invalid Windows entries, then click on “Clean” to initiate the cleanup process.

4. After the scan is complete, click “Finish” to clean up system junk files.

Method 2: Run the Disk Cleanup utility to clean up your C drive

1. Open "This PC/My Computer," right-click on the C drive, and then select "Properties."

2. Click on “Disk Cleanup” and select the files you want to delete from the C: drive.

3. Click OK to confirm the action.

I'm sorry, it seems like you have entered a blank message. Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I'll be glad to assist you.

Your computer will run cleaner and faster afterwards.

How to Remove the System C Drive (Including the Operating System) Without Formatting

In addition to cleaning or cleaning up the C drive, there are some Windows users who even consider deleting the system C drive (including the operating system) from HDD or SSD without formatting. But why would anyone want to do this, and how can it be done?

Below is a list of reasons why one would want to delete the system drive from their Windows computer. If you resonate with any of these, worry not. You'll find a solution here:

1. Clean install Windows 10/8/7: This requires wiping all data from the system disk, especially deleting the system drive.
2. After cloning the system to a new HDD/SSD, remove the system drive from the old HDD.
3. Delete the System C drive on the target disk when the OS migration process fails or is interrupted.

How to delete system C drive without formatting? You can use a professional partition manager software - AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional for help.

This software can do something that other built-in Windows tools or third-party software cannot: directly delete the system C drive and partitions on a Windows disk from a WinPE boot disc that you create.

You can activate it directly as a full version and easily delete your System C drive following the guidelines below.

1. Create a WinPE boot drive

2. Delete the System C Drive

Now insert the bootable USB drive into the computer, restart and press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS, set the computer to boot from the bootable disk to enter Partition Master.

Now you can proceed with the next step to completely wipe the C drive and clean it up for new use:

Note that this will delete all existing partitions on the system disk, including the operating system, so make sure you have backed up anything important.

Step 1: Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant and go to the "Partition Management" page. Right-click on the system drive and select "Delete All".

2. Click “Yes” to confirm that you want to delete all the partitions on the operating system disk.

Click “Execute Task” and then “Apply” to start deleting all partitions with operating systems on the selected disk.

Note: Now, just wait patiently as Partition Master automatically deletes the operating system drive and any other data partitions on the disk.

Important: If you have deleted the System C drive from the computer that's currently running, you won't be able to run or start the Windows operating system anymore. You can refer to the tutorials on how to do a clean install of Windows 10, 8, or 7 for assistance.

Conclusions

It's easy and straightforward to clean up your C drive using reliable methods. If you just want to free up some space on your C drive, you can use Method 1 to quickly get rid of junk files from your system C drive with the help of Windows Genius.

If you want to wipe and delete the entire system drive to reinstall Windows, you can do that with Partition Master and its bootable media. It's an efficient and quick way to go about it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cleaning Up C Drive in Windows Without Formatting

If you have more questions about how to clean up the C drive or clean up your Windows computer's C drive without formatting, check out the Q&A section below:

**1. How to clean up your computer without deleting files?** To clean up your computer without deleting files, follow these steps: 1. **Disk Cleanup:** On Windows, use the built-in "Disk Cleanup" tool. Press `Win + S`, type "disk cleanup," and select your main drive. This will scan and list temporary files, system files, and other unnecessary items that can be safely removed. 2. **Uninstall unused programs:** Check your list of programs and uninstall software you no longer use. On Windows, go to "Settings" > "Apps" > "Apps & Features." On a Mac, open the "Applications" folder and remove unneeded programs. 3. **Clean up the Downloads folder:** The Downloads folder often accumulates temporary files and completed downloads. Regularly check and delete no-longer-needed files. 4. **Organize desktop:** Group desktop icons into folders to reduce clutter and improve computer performance. 5. **Disable startup items:** Reduce the number of programs that start automatically at boot to speed up your computer's startup. On Windows, go to "Task Manager" > "Startup" tab; on a Mac, use "System Preferences" > "Users & Groups" > select your account > "Login Items." 6. **Update software:** Keep all software up to date, as older versions may consume more resources. Updates often optimize performance and fix issues. 7. **Run a virus scan:** Ensure your computer is free from malware or viruses, which can affect performance. Perform a full system scan using a reliable antivirus software. 8. **Defragment the disk (optional):** For older hard disk drives (HDDs), defragmentation can help, but this is generally not necessary for most modern solid-state drives (SSDs). 9. **Clear browser cache:** Clear your browser's cache and history to free up some storage space and improve browsing speed. By following these methods, you can clean up your computer and enhance its performance without worrying about deleting important files. Remember to back up crucial data beforehand just in case.

Here are some suggestions for cleaning up your computer without deleting files:

• Backup all important files and data to an external hard drive or cloud drive.
• Backup installed programs and software to an external hard drive. You can refer to this guide: Backup Apps in Windows 11.
• Uninstall any installed programs and software.
• Erase all existing partitions and volumes.

2. How do I perform a deep clean on my C: drive?

• Run the Disk Cleanup tool to remove temporary files, delete the Windows.old folder, and system restore images.
• Uninstall corrupted or problematic programs.
• Empty the Recycle Bin.
• Delete File History backups.
• Clean up junk files with antivirus software.

< strong > 3. What can I delete to free up space on C: ?

• Uninstall damaged or unnecessary programs.
• Clean up unused desktop folders and files.
• Empty the Recycle Bin.
• Find and delete duplicate files.
• Clean out unused downloads folders and files.
• Delete temporary files.
• Upload files to a cloud drive and delete them from the C drive.