How To Use Disk Cleanup On Windows 11 – Guide #2023

As you continue to utilize your computer, system files, cached files, and other unwanted items gather, overloading your storage device. Generally, the items aren’t big enough to trigger a sudden storage constraint on the computer. However, if it’s been a long time since you’ve wiped stuff up or, on the other hand, you’re running out of space, it’s a good idea to get rid of these superfluous files first. So, this article will explain how to use Disk Cleanup on Windows 11 in order to remove unwanted items or files.

Providing your PC some extra room in terms of data storage might also assist it in lasting longer and functioning effectively. As a result, Disk Cleanup is a built-in Windows process that aids you in cleaning these unwanted files from your computer.

Additionally, Disk Cleanup allows you to separate files that are no longer useful and may be properly deleted from your system by type.

Disk Cleanup may be accessed from the Start Menu in Windows 11

The ‘Disk Cleanup’ function may be available on each drive’s ‘Properties’ panel in previous versions of Windows. But it has now been eliminated, and you can now use the Start Menu or the ‘Run’ program to launch the Disk Cleanup procedure.
To use the Disk Cleanup in this manner, go to the Start Menu and hunt for it by typing Disk Cleanup. Afterward, from the search results, launch the wizard by hitting on the ‘Disk Cleanup’ button.
Instead, you may use the Run program to start the Disk Cleanup program. To do so, hit the Windows+R keyboard shortcut at the same time to bring up the Run function. Next, in the comment field, write cleanmgr and press Enter on your keyboard.
Afterward, on the Disk Cleanup wizard window, select the drop-down option to see a listing of all storage devices. Furthermore, pick one of the devices on which you want to execute the Disk Cleanup.
Now, you can press the ‘OK’ button to allow Windows to clear up all the files that can be removed.

Furthermore

A new disc cleaning pane will display on the screen after the analysis is complete. Some file classifications would already be picked by default. You may now navigate down the list to see all of the items that can be cleared away and choose a specific category by checking the box next to each entry.

On the interface, Windows will also show how much disc space each file group takes up. Furthermore, when you pick numerous genres, you will be informed of the total amount of storage you will save by eliminating the files.
To continue, hit the ‘OK’ button once you’ve chosen your desired category of files to erase.
So then, hit the ‘Delete Files’ option to delete all of the files in the specified categories from your system.
This is all; utilizing the Disk Cleanup, you’ve effectively eliminated all the unwanted files from your system.

Automatically clean your Windows 11 PC utilizing Storage Sense

You may also enable Storage Sense on your Windows PC if you run out of disc space and want to keep your Windows PC performing at its best.

Storage Sense cleans up your storage discs automatically when your PC runs out of space. And it may also clean up inactive files and program data. You can also set up a routine to perform Storage Sense on your Windows 11 PC on a regular basis.

In order to achieve this, go to the Start Menu and choose the ‘Settings’ tile beneath the ‘Pinned applications’ area to activate Storage Sense.
Furthermore, on the ‘Settings’ page, keep in mind the ‘System’ option is chosen on the left sidebar of the window to proceed.
To keep going, find and tap the ‘Storage’ tile in the right portion of the window.
Find the ‘Storage management’ area on the next screen and change the toggle switch on the far right edge of the tile to the ‘On’ position.
If you want to change the Storage Sense settings, you have to click on the icon.
Next, on the following page, select the checkbox next to the single choice underneath the ‘Clean up temporary files’ column to automatically clean up temporary system and app files.
Finally, go to the ‘Configure cleanup schedules’ area to set a regular routine for Storage Sense. Afterward, underneath the ‘Run Storage Sense’ item, select the drop-down menu.
Thereafter, pick a desired interval by clicking it. If you’re continuously saving large amounts of data and running out of storage memory, the ‘Weekly’ interval is advised.
Lastly, pick a number of days to irreversibly erase your data from the system. This can be done underneath the ‘Delete my files in recycling if they have been there for over’ choice.

Furthermore

Now the ‘Remove files in my Downloads folder if they haven’t been accessed for more than’ alternative. This will destroy items in your ‘Downloads’ folder that you haven’t accessed in a while.
Then, on the next screen, select the number of days you want to keep the downloaded files.
Once you’ve customized the parameters, hit the ‘Run Storage Sense now’ to launch the wizard right away.

Disk Cleanup may be accessed from the Control Panel

The Windows Tools widget in the Control Panel gives access and control of Windows 11’s system maintenance operations. Disk Clean-Up is one of the 32 built-in tools that you may activate from that widget. These are the instructions for using the Control Panel to access Disk Clean-Up.

First of all, you need to insert the keyword Control Panel into the search box.
To open the Control Panel window, you have to click on its Control Panel icon.
To use the Large icons feature, go to the View by drop-down menu and pick it.
In order to see that panel, you have to double-click Windows Applications.
Afterward, to access it, users need to choose Disk Clean-Up.
You may also use the Start menu to launch the Windows Tools widget. To do so, go to the menu and choose All applications.
Then scroll to the bottom of Windows Tools and click it to launch it.

Conclusion

That’s it, gentlemen. Always keep some free storage capacity on your machine in order to keep it running at its best.