There are temporary files and prefetch files on your computer.
To free up disk space, you need to safely remove temporary and unneeded files from Windows.There are temporary files created by Windows on your hard drive.These files may be hogging up hard drive space.Prefetch files are created by the operating system when an app is launched for the first time.If you're running low on disk space, you can remove these files without causing any problems.
Step 1: You can open Disk Cleanup on your PC.
The easiest way to do this is to type disk clean up in the search bar and then click on the results.
Step 2: Click the button to clean the system files.
It's in the middle of the dialog window.A new window will appear after Windows scans your primary hard drive.You may have to use your administrator password.
Step 3: To remove files, select them from the list.
There are many types of temporary files created by Windows.Before selecting or deselecting an option, click each type to see a description.There is an amount of hard drive space consumed by each file type.The checkmarks should be removed next to any type of file.If you download files from the internet to your Downloads folder, you'll want to remove the checkmark.One folder that takes up a lot of space is "Windows Update Cleanup," which contains compressed versions of every Windows Update that's ever been installed.If you're looking for a quick way to gain hard drive space, check that option.
Step 4: To remove selected files, click OK.
If you're removing a lot of files, this part might take a while.Once the files are deleted, you'll have regained all the space they used.
Step 5: The Run dialog can be opened by pressing Win+R.
To open the Run dialog, type run into the Windows search bar and click on the results.Prefetch files don't usually take up a lot of space on your drive, they are created to speed up the launch of certain applications.Unless you need to free up a small amount of space, there's no reason to remove these files.
Step 6: Go to the "Run" box and type prefetch.
The Prefetch folder can be opened in the File Explorer.Before you see the contents of the folder, you may need to enter your admin password or confirm the action.
Step 7: There is an option to display hidden files.
Skip to the next step if you see a list of files in the Prefetch folder.If the folder appears empty or you get an error that says you can't open it, press the + to open the file explorer.The file explorer has a tab at the top.Click if you're using Windows 7 or earlier.There is a button near the top-right corner.Click instead when using Windows 7 and earlier.The folder options window has a tab on it.Select.To close the window, click.
Step 8: All Prefetch files can be selected by pressing Ctrl+A.
The folder in the right panel should be highlighted.Click a blank area of the folder to start the panel.
Step 9: The Del key should be pressed.
The files are removed from the folder.You'll see an error if you try to remove any files that are in use.You won't be able to remove these files until you close whichever app is using them.The files won't be deleted permanently until you empty your recycle bin.Clicking at the top- left will open Recycle Bin.