5 Tips To Stop Your PC from Running Out of Disk Space

One fine day, you try to download an important project file shared by your colleague for today’s meeting, and your computer suddenly pops up with a frightening error that you’re running low on storage. There is not much storage for downloading new files, or installing new applications onto your machine without deleting some of your existing files. A situation like this can happen too quickly, sometimes without you even realizing it. Don’t panic. There are several workarounds that can help you get off from a situation like this, and reclaim your lost storage.

1. Evaluate your Disk Space Usage

Windows 10 has a great feature that provides you with a glimpse of available storage space and the kind of files that eat up your storage. It classifies your files into different categories such as Apps & features, temporary files, mail, others. It helps you identify which items to keep and which ones to delete.

1. Click on the Start button, followed by the Settings icon.
2. Click on System > Storage.
3. Wait a while as Windows calculates the disk usage and shows up the data categorically.

To automatically get rid of temporary files on your system, turn on the Storage Sense feature. To do so, just move the Storage Sense option to the right (ON).

2. Delete Duplicate Files

Duplicate files can take significantly higher storage and cause disorganization. Your regular activities such as file transfer, file downloads, lead to the creation of duplicate copies. 

1. Download and install Clone Files Checker software.
2. Click on the Add button under the System Scan category.
3. Select the target folder that you want to add, and click OK.
4. You may add more folders if you wish.
5. Select the All files option to scan files of all types/ extensions. Use the Custom option to choose individual file types (such as documents, images, videos, etc).
6. Click on Start Search.
7. Once the results are accumulated, use the Quick Fix wizard and follow the on-screen instructions.

3. Delete Windows Update Downloaded Files

By default, Windows 10 automatically downloads cumulative updates as soon as they are available. These updates can be important as they contain performance improvements, bug fixes, patches and enhancements. However, you may not need the downloaded files after your updates are successfully installed. By deleting these files, you can free up your storage and reuse the lost space for some productive purpose.

Important: Before proceeding, please check whether Windows Update is running in the background. Deleting update installation files before they could be completely installed, will cause Windows Update to stop functioning correctly and make your system unstable. If the Windows Update is already running, you may find its icon in the system tray icon on your Taskbar with a small tooltip that tells your computer needs to be restarted to install the downloaded updates. Another alternative method is to open the Start > Settings. Click on the Update & Security tab and check the last activity and the current status of the updates.

1. Press Windows Key + R.
2. Type the following: C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download
3. Delete all the files and sub-folders.

4. Clean Internet Cache

Did you know that your Web browser keeps track of your browsing activity and generates a cache of the most frequently visited websites? Although the idea behind the creation of Internet cache is to speed up website loading and improve your browsing experience, sometimes things may go horribly wrong. As the cache grows bigger and bigger in size, it occupies larger storage and causes technical glitches in loading websites, images, Javascripts and other objects. To get back your storage space, it’s worth emptying your cache regularly.

For Google Chrome:

1. Click on Menu.
2. Select More tools > Clear browsing data.
3. On the new page, select the Time Range to All time.
4. Check the Cached images and files option.
5. Click on Clear Data.

For Microsoft Edge:

1. Type edge://settings/clearBrowserData in the Address Bar.
2. Check Cached images and files.
3. Click on Clear Now.

For Mozilla Firefox:

1. Click on the Menu icon.
2. Select Options.
3. Click on the Privacy & Security tab.
4. Set the Time range to Everything.
5. Check the Cache option and then click on OK.

5. Save Files on the Cloud

You can also save files on the cloud to reclaim your HDD/ SSD storage. Cloud technology offers immense benefits. Not only will you save your precious storage, but your files will also be accessible from any device regardless of the operating system. Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Box are some of the prominent cloud storage service providers worldwide. These cloud service companies provide standalone desktop applications that automatically synchronize your files online so that you don’t need to manually upload them online.