Clean C drive in Windows 11/10 safely with C Drive Cleaner. Learn how to remove junk files, free up disk space, boost performance, and prevent C drive from filling up again.
Running out of space on your C drive is one of the most common storage problems in Windows 11 and Windows 10, often triggering "Low Disk Space" errors, slow system performance, failed updates, or application crashes. Many users search for a C drive cleaner hoping to remove excess junk, recover free space, and improve disk speed.
| What is the best free cleaning software? I'm just looking for smth to clean any junk files off my pc - r/Windows10 |
| C drive is basically full. How can I free up more space? - r/Windows10 |
| Is it safe to delete everything in Disk Cleanup? I have everything checked, I will gain 28.1 GB of storage. Is it safe to delete all of this? - r/techsupport |
If your C drive is full but you still want to improve performance, speed up Windows, and delay costly upgrades, this guide will introduce a reliable C drive cleaner and walk you through safe and effective ways to clean and optimize your C drive without risking data loss.
Keep reading to learn when to rely on Windows' built-in tools and when a professional cleaner can help. Feel free to share this guide to help others who are also searching for a reliable C drive cleanup solution.
EaseUS Partition Master is a powerful utility that goes beyond the standard Windows cleanup tools. It helps you quickly analyze what's taking up space, identify storage hogs, and remove unnecessary files that traditional methods may miss. Whether it's hidden caches, temporary logs, old installation files, or duplicate content, this tool shows where your storage is used and helps you reclaim disk space efficiently.
Beyond freeing space, it can help you remove leftover system residue, clear browser cache and cookies, and safely eliminate unwanted files. Most importantly, it offers a feature to extend your C drive, reallocating unused space from other partitions to directly resolve low disk space errors without data loss.
This feature scans for clutter such as system caches, leftover logs, browser temp data, and redundant install files that silently eat storage. It helps recover disk space and boost disk speed by removing space-consuming junk.
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, navigate to the "Discovery" section, and activate "CleanGenius."
Step 2. Click "Scan" and this hard drive cleaner can list junk files and invalid entries for you.
Step 3. Click "Clean" to one-click remove these junk files and useless files.
Duplicate photos, documents, and installers can take up more space than you expect. This tool finds and displays all duplicate content so you can decide what to remove without risking personal files.
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master and navigate to the "Discovery" section. Click the blue icon to activate "Dupfiles Cleaner."
Step 2. Click "Scan now" to scan all the files on your disks.
Step 3. Click the "plus" to add the folders to be scanned; click the "minus" to delete the drives or folders you don't want to scan. After that, click the "Scan" option on the bottom right.
Step 4. When the scan process is completed, you can see how much space is taken by those files. Then, click the "Auto Remove" to move them to the Recycle Bin or delete them.
Not sure why your C drive is full? The disk space analyzer visually shows which folders and file types are the largest, helping you find space hogs instantly and make informed storage decisions.
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master and turn to Discovery. Find and Download Space Analyzer below Frequently Used Tools.
Step 2. In the Space Analyzer pop-up window, select the target disk to be analyzed and click Analyze in the upper right corner.
Step 3. Wait a while, and you will see the detailed data. You can click on Folder/File to view different data types and click on the small folder icon to see more information inside the file.
Guide 4. Extend C Drive
When cleanup isn't enough, this feature allows you to increase available C drive space by redistributing unused space from other partitions, resolving persistent low disk space errors without reinstalling Windows or losing data.
Extend System C drive with unallocated space
If this guide helps you manage and optimize your PC storage effectively, please share this article to assist others facing similar low-space or performance concerns.
Windows provides several built-in C drive cleaners to reclaim storage and manage disk usage. Disk cleanup and storage optimization help improve system performance, speed up Windows startup, and reduce unnecessary disk writes that degrade disk lifespan.
Disk Cleanup helps remove temporary files, Windows update leftovers, and system garbage that accumulate over time. Here is how to use Disk Cleanup:
Step 1. Press Windows + R, type cleanmgr, and press Enter.
Step 2. Choose drive C: and click OK.
Step 3. Check all categories you want to remove, then click Delete Files.
Can I delete everything Disk Cleanup shows? Is it safe? Check the Reddit post to learn more details.
Storage Sense automatically frees disk space based on rules you set, so it can help clean the C drive on Windows PCs. Here is how:
Step 1. Go to Settings > System > Storage.
Step 2. Turn on Storage Sense.
Step 3. Configure cleanup frequency and targets.
Here is a full guide from Microsoft Support on how to use Storage Sense to manage disk space.
Temporary files (temp files) in Windows are short-term data files created by the operating system or applications for immediate tasks. Temporary files, caches, and system logs can accumulate rapidly.
Before getting started, read this Reddit post if you are worried about whether deleting temp files is safe.
Is it safe to delete files in C:WindowsTemp
byu/Visible-Place5521 inWindows10
Step 1. Press Windows + R, type %temp%, and press Enter.
Step 2. Select all files and delete them. Skip files in use if necessary.
Please consider sharing this post if you found this solution helpful; many users struggle with temp file buildup and C drive full alerts.
Cleanup recommendations focus on freeing up digital space by removing temporary files, unused apps, large/old files, and browser data. Regularly running these cleanups, especially for temporary files and downloads, helps optimize disk performance and storage.
Step 1. Open Settings > System > Storage.
Step 2. Click Cleanup recommendations.
Step 3. Review and delete listed items.
Large media files and backups quickly consume C drive space. Moving them to cloud storage (like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox) or an external HDD/SSD helps maintain available system storage and improves responsiveness.
Cloud options: OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud.
When your system drive is running low, manually relocating bulky documents, media, or application installers can provide immediate relief. This is a direct way to free up gigabytes of space without deleting anything permanently.
Step 1. Use File Explorer to identify large files.
Step 2. Move them to a larger partition or external storage by dragging them.
If you want to transfer large games to another drive from C, you can uninstall them and reinstall them to another drive. If you want to transfer games while keeping all data and settings, turn to third-party game transfer software.
How do I move programs from my C drive to D drive without having to uninstall and reinstall all the software?
byu/andypiano213 intechsupport
Applications often consume substantial space on the C drive. So uninstalling unused apps or large games can help free up more disk space on the C drive and improve PC performance.
Step 1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Step 2. Sort these games by size.
Step 3. Uninstall items you no longer use.
After this, read these articles if you meet any issues:
If this helped you free up space, please share this article to help others with similar issues.
OneDrive Files On-Demand saves space by storing placeholders locally and full files in the cloud. Here is how to turn on OneDrive Files on-Demand:
Step 1. Ensure you are signed into the OneDrive app on your Windows PC.
Step 2. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray (notification area).
Step 3. Click the gear icon to open Settings, then go to the Sync and backup tab.
Step 4. Click Advanced settings.
Step 5. Under the Files On-Demand section, ensure the Save space and download files as you use them option is checked.
Check the full guide from Microsoft Support on how to sync files with Files on-Demand.
Malware and unwanted background processes can create disk clutter and degrade system performance. Running a full scan helps clean traces and protect disk health.
Here are some bonus tips that clean the C drive, improve overall system performance, reduce boot times, and improve application responsiveness.
Whether you're searching for a C drive cleaner free download or using Windows' built-in tools, the key is understanding what’s actually consuming space and acting systematically. By combining Cleanup tools, space analyzers, and professional utilities like EaseUS Partition Master with basic storage habits, you can free up valuable disk space, optimize system performance, and delay costly hardware upgrades.
1. What's taking up space on my C drive?
Caching files, system logs, update leftovers, temp files, application data, and large personal files often consume most of your C drive storage.
2. Is it safe to use Disk Cleanup on a C drive?
Yes. Disk Cleanup is a built-in Windows tool that safely removes unnecessary files without affecting personal data.
3. How does Storage Sense help free up space?
Storage Sense automatically deletes temporary files, Recycle Bin items, and old downloads based on rules you set in Storage settings.
4. Can cleaning the C drive improve disk performance?
Yes. Removing clutter and freeing up space improves disk I/O performance and Windows responsiveness.
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