Look! 5 Ways to Clean Up Junk Files in Windows 10

How frequently do you clear your temporary internet files and cookies (and why)? Daily? Weekly? A couple times a year? Never? Each time you use your computer, your disk can become cluttered with hundreds or even thousands of junk files. These are generated by Windows and other programs that create temporary files during installation and runtime, which they require for proper functioning. As time passes, your computer accumulates temporary files, log files, downloaded files, and unnecessary Windows registry entries. Consequently, it becomes essential to delete these junk files to optimize your PC's performance.

?Read More: How to Locate and Remove Large Files on Windows 10

Which Junk Files Can You Delete Without Hesitation

Before commencing the cleaning process, it's essential to understand which files you can safely remove. It's similar to organizing a refrigerator; you need to identify what items to discard to free up space. The following files can be deleted:

< li > Recycle bin files < /li > < li > Temporary files < /li > < li > Program files, thumbnails, log files and more < /li > < li > System junk files < /li > < li > Large files < /li >

Even though you're aware of the files that can be deleted, it's recommended to create a system backup先行 to avoid accidental removal of crucial system files. Alternatively, you can enable the system restore function. After that, you can proceed with the effective methods to delete junk files and free up space.

Additional Information About Other Windows Uninstall Tools:

Download Windows Installer Cleanup Utility

Searching for an official method to download Windows Installer Cleanup Utility? This article offers comprehensive information about the utility on Windows 7/10/11.

Method 1: Empty the Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin is where deleted files go. When you delete a file, it typically ends up in the Recycle Bin. In reality, the file still takes up space on the hard disk drive. Hence, you can dispose of those files. Incidentally, if you need to recover any, it's also a straightforward task to retrieve lost files from the Recycle Bin.

Step 1. Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and choose "Empty Recycle Bin."

Step 2. Choose "Yes" to confirm that you want to permanently delete the items.

Method 2: Automatically Delete Temp Files in Windows 10

Windows systems often accumulate temporary files and other unnecessary items that consume space on your hard drive. You can configure the settings as described below to have them automatically cleaned up.

Step 1. Open "Settings". Go to "System > Storage".

Step 2. In the Storage sense section, turn on the "Storage sense" feature by sliding the toggle to the on position.

Step 3. Click the "Change how we free up space" link. Ensure that the Storage Sense feature is enabled, as mentioned in the first step.

Step 4. Enable the option "Delete temporary files that my apps aren't using" and any other desired options. This will allow Windows 10 to automatically remove temporary files.

This is an image, and the translation for the alt text is: "Automatically delete temp files-2"

This handy option lets Windows 10 automatically delete all files (not just programs or specific file types) that haven't been modified in the last 30 days.

Method 3: Use Disk Cleanup to Remove Program Files and More

Program files, thumbnails, and log files are remnants left behind by an app installer after installing the corresponding application. These files are unnecessary since they merely take up space on the hard disk drive. You can safely delete them. You can utilize Disk Cleanup to eliminate these files. Additionally, this built-in Windows tool can also dispose of temporary files, system files, and more. Let's explore how to clean up unwanted files:

Step 1. In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, and choose "Disk Cleanup" from the list of results.

Step 2. Choose the drive you wish to clean up and click "OK".

Step 3. Check the box next to the type of files you want to delete. By default, "Downloaded Program Files," "Temporary Internet Files," and "Thumbnails" are selected. Make sure to uncheck those boxes if you don't want to delete those files.

Method 4: Handle System Junk Files (Free)

A system file is any file with the hidden system attribute enabled. It's a file that Windows relies on to function correctly. As a general rule, it's best to avoid tampering with system files. Deleting, moving, renaming, or modifying these files can lead to a complete system failure. However, there may be instances when you need to delete system junk files. In such cases, a professional cleanup tool can be immensely helpful. Todo PCTrans, a PC transfer software, has introduced a new feature called System Cleanup. You can regularly use this feature to clean up system junk files and keep your PC running like new. Follow the steps below to clean up system junk files.

Step 1. Launch Todo PCTrans on your computer. Click "System Cleanup" and then hit the "Scan" button to proceed.

Step 2. When the scan is finished, junk files will be listed. Select the unwanted files. Be cautious not to accidentally delete files that may affect the normal functioning of your computer or software.

Step 3. Click the "Clean Up" button and confirm the cleanup operation. You can regularly use this feature to free up disk space.

Method 5: Clean Up Large Files (Free)

If you discover that your hard drive space is occupied by numerous large files, Todo PCTrans is an ideal Windows 10 cleanup utility. It features a "Large File Cleanup" function that scans and locates all substantial files on your partitions. You can utilize it to identify, locate, and delete large files in Windows 10, 8, or 7.

Step 1. Launch Todo PCTrans on your computer. Click "Large File Cleanup" and then press the "Start" button to proceed. (This tool supports moving or deleting large files to free up disk space. You can also choose to move default folders to another drive.)

Step 2. Select the hard drive you want to scan.

Step 3. Once the scan is finished, files larger than 20 MB will be listed. Select the unwanted files as needed. Be cautious not to accidentally delete files that may affect the normal functioning of your computer or software. We also provide recommendations for deletion after the scan is completed in the "Large File Cleanup" feature.

Step 4. Click the "Delete" button and confirm the deletion again. You can regularly use this tool to remove unnecessary large files to free up more disk space. If you have more space on another drive, opt to "Move" the large files instead.

Additional Assistance for Handling Large Files

除了删除大文件，你还可以采取以下措施来处理你的大文件：

< strong > 1. Move large files to a cloud drive

If your hard drive doesn't have enough space, consider moving files to a cloud storage service like OneDrive or Dropbox. The free version of OneDrive only accommodates up to 5GB of files, but you can subscribe to increase that limit to 1000GB.

2. Transfer large files to an external hard drive

It's also a good option to move large files to an external hard drive. If certain programs are occupying too much space, you can also transfer the apps to an external hard drive.

3. Change the game location

Steam games can occupy a significant amount of space. If your C drive is full, you can consider changing the game installation location to another drive. There's no need to redownload the games or purchase them again.

Conclusion

Using a slow computer can be a frustrating experience. Hopefully, the tips provided here will alleviate that problem. Some of these suggestions, like deleting system files or emptying the recycle bin, might also uncover other issues you weren't aware of. Exercise caution before deleting any files. Don't hesitate to leave a message if you have any questions or concerns.