Computer hard drives are becoming more and more capacious, so you think you can store a large amount of material in them. Instead, you may suddenly receive a warning message informing you that there is not enough disk space to save, copy, paste or download a file! How to free up hard drive space without having to give up your precious material? In this article, you will learn how to get rid of unnecessary files and even junk that you probably didn't know existed! Note that the following steps are not a step-by-step guide and are therefore optional, you don't need to go through all of them and you can follow them in any order you like.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Delete Files
Step 1. Go to the command prompt or Windows Explorer section (for most Windows Explorer users), and type the directory C:
Programs. Open your game folders on your computer and delete files you no longer need, such as old copies of your game saves. If you can't identify your saved game files, skip this step.
Step 2. Go to the Documents folder on your computer and browse all the files
Delete unnecessary files and long unused files. They might include old songs you don't listen to anymore or files related to your schoolwork.
- Note the date the files were last used. If the files are old (for example from a couple of months ago), it probably doesn't make sense to keep them. Then use Windows Explorer to view the file details. By default, the last detail listed refers to the very last usage date of the file.
- Transfer old photos to an external hard drive or USB stick, this way you will free up space on your computer without losing your photos!
Step 3. Use Windows Explorer or Command Prompt to navigate to the top folder in the directory, and open the "Favorites" folder
In this folder you will find all Internet Explorer favorites files. Delete all files except the ones you have decided to keep.
Step 4. Combine Word Documents
If you find two similar Microsoft Word documents, combine them into one file by transferring the contents from one file to another, then delete the old file. Believe it or not, this operation saves hard drive space!
Step 5. Empty the trash
Right click on the trash and choose "Empty trash" from the context menu. All trashed files will be deleted from your computer. However, be careful, as there is no way to recover these files once they are deleted.
Method 2 of 4: Uninstall the Unwanted / Unused Files
Step 1. Access the "Control Panel" by clicking on "Start"
Step 2. Click on the uninstall programs icon, a new window will appear where you can choose the unused program to remove (other versions of Windows have the "Add / remove programs" button)
Find any programs you no longer use or need, then click "Uninstall". Make sure the program you are uninstalling is actually a program you no longer use, such as an old game.
Method 3 of 4: Delete the Temporary Files
Step 1. Click on the "Start" button
Step 2. Select the search bar
In the bar type Run and press "Enter".
Step 3. In Run, type "% temp%"
A screen will appear with a list of files that are taking up space on your hard drive.
Step 4. Select a file in the window
Now press Ctrl + A, this will select all the files in the list. Delete the highlighted files, they are items that the computer no longer needs.
If a warning message appears asking whether to retry or skip the operation, select "Skip". It means that the computer has detected an important file among those selected, so it is better not to remove it
Step 5. Empty the trash
Method 4 of 4: Using the Command Prompt
Step 1. Here's how to use Command Prompt to check file dates:
open the command prompt by clicking on "Start", then type "cmd" in the search bar, start the search then click on the "cmd" icon. For other versions of Windows: "Start" + "Run" + "cmd". At the command prompt type "chdir C: / documents and settings (username) my documents". Then type "dir" and read the information that will appear on the screen. You should see something like the following:
- Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]
- (C) Copyright 1985-2000 Microsoft Corp.
- C: \> chdir c: / documents and settings / sample / my documents
- C: / documents and settings / sample / my documents> dir
- The volume in drive C has no label. The volume serial number is F8F8-3F6D
- Directory of C: / Documents and Settings / Sample / My Documents
- 7/21/2001 07: 20p
- 7/21/2001 07: 20p
- 7/21/2001 07: 20p 7, 981, 554 clip0003.avi
- 7/15/2001 08: 23p My Pictures
- 1 File (s) 7, 981, 554 bytes
- 3 Dir (s) 14, 564, 986, 880 bytes free
Advice
- When you download programs to install from the internet, remember to delete the installation file after completing the installation operation.
- Empty the trash frequently.
- If not enough disk space has been freed, transfer your files to an external hard drive, flash drive, floppy disk, rewritable CD, etc. You can also consider mounting a second hard drive on your computer.
- If you'd rather not delete unnecessary files manually, download a program like CCleaner to delete temporary files. You can also speed up your computer with a registry cleaner.
- Access the wizard to organize the cleaning operation.
- Organize your Documents folder to keep all your important files. Transfer the less important files to a temporary folder and, after some time, delete the folder.
- To organize your files you can try using the old Dos Navigator. It's a somewhat outdated open source file manager, but it can still make organizing your files easier. Press "Alt + Enter" to run it in full screen.
Warnings
- Do not delete never any file in the system folder (C: / Windows or C: / Winnt, depending on your operating system)!
- If you are unsure of a file's function or it is an unknown file type, do not delete it. If you think it's a virus, run a virus scan on your system.
- Don't delete files that don't belong to you!
- After emptying the recycle bin, your files will be lost forever, so be careful!
