How to get more storage on windows 10

Need to free up some disk space on your Windows PC? Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 provide a dedicated settings menu to make the process easier. From this menu, you can see how much space has been used on your device and by what type of content.

Windows' Storage settings also allow you to quickly clear space and enable Storage Sense to automatically remove temporary files and recycle bin items. The process works similarly in Windows 10 and 11, though some of the screens and settings differ slightly.

Open Storage Settings

Open Settings > System > Storage to view the total space you have available, what space has been used across different content and categories, and how much free space remains on your drive. Click Show more categories to see the storage used by additional types of content.

Configure Storage Sense in Windows 10

Storage Sense is a feature built into Windows that can help free up space automatically by removing files you no longer need. Windows 10 users will find the Storage Sense option at the top of the Storage settings screen. Turn on the switch for Storage Sense, then click the Configure Storage sense or run it now link.

Click the drop-down box under Run Storage Sense and select one of the choices: Every day, Every week, Every month, or During low free disk space. If in doubt, go with During low disk space. Next, check the box next to Delete temporary files that my app aren’t using.

Click the drop-down box under Delete files in my recycle bin if they haven’t been opened for more than. If you don’t want recycle bin files to be removed, select Never. Otherwise, you can select one of the other choices, such as 1 day, 14, days, 30 days, or 60 days.

Do the same for the menu under Delete files in my downloads folder if they haven’t been opened for more than. Finally, click the Clean now button to free up disk space right now.

Configure Storage Sense in Windows 11

In Windows 11, the Storage Sense feature has been moved to the Storage Management section of the Storage settings page. Find it toward the bottom of the screen, below the graphs of your current storage space. Turn on the switch for Storage Sense and click the entry to configure it. 

Check the box next to Keep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning up temporary system and app files. Click the drop-down box under Run Storage Sense and select one of four choices: Every day, Every week, Every month, or During low free disk space.

Click the drop-down box under Delete files in my recycle bin if they haven’t been opened for more than and select Never, 1 day, 14, days, 30 days, or 60 days. Do the same for Delete files in my downloads folder if they haven’t been opened for more than.

If you wish to clean the drive immediately, click the Run Storage Sense now button. Allow at least a few minutes for the drive to be cleaned. After the process is finished, you’ll be told how much disk space was freed.

Review OneDrive Files 

If you prefer not to automate the process of freeing up disk space, Windows still gives you enough information to make decisions on your own. Since Windows separates your data into different categories on the Storage settings screen, you can easily see which types of files are chewing up your drive's storage and manually free up space.

For example, if you use OneDrive to store and sync files on your computer, click the OneDrive icon and then click View OneDrive. This will display all your OneDrive files and give you a chance to review everything and delete what you don't need.

Uninstall Apps 

You can do the same with the programs installed on your computer. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, where you can sort the list by name, size, or Install date. In Windows 10, click the entry for an app you wish to delete. In Windows 11, click the three-dot icon and then select the Uninstall command to remove it. (For more on uninstalling apps, check out our guide.)

Manage Photos 

If you store photos and other images in the Pictures folder on your PC, click the Pictures entry on the Storage settings page. Select View Pictures to go to the default Pictures location where you can look for images to delete.

Remove Temporary Files 

Another category you should check is Temporary files. Windows has a habit of hoarding temporary installation files, temporary internet files, and other items that you typically don't need. To view these, click Temporary Files on the Storage settings screen.

Windows suggests different types of files you can remove, including recycle bin files, Windows Update Cleanup files, upgrade log files, device driver packages, temporary internet files, and temporary files. Windows automatically adds a checkmark to any content types it believes you can safely remove without hindering your system. 

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Some content types are unchecked by default. The Recycle Bin option may be unchecked so you can restore any deleted files you still need, while your Downloads folder is also unchecked based on the assumption you might still use files stored there. Review checked and unchecked categories to make any changes, then click Remove files to remove all the checked content.

Check External Storage

Windows allows you to check the available space on any USB-connected storage device. Once connected in Windows 10, click View storage on other drives. Windows shows you both your main drive and the external drive. Select the external drive to view data usage by category and remove any files you don't need.

Windows 11 users will need to click the Advanced storage settings entry, and then select Storage used on other drives. Click your external drive to review it and remove any files.

Change File Destination 

If your PC houses more than one disk drive, you can change where new content is saved. In Windows 10, click the Change where new content is saved link. In Windows 11, you click Advanced storage settings and then select Change where new content is saved.

From here, you can change the location where files are saved for apps, documents, music, photos and videos, movies and TV shows, and offline maps. Just click the appropriate drop-down menu for an item, change the entry to a different drive, and click Apply. You can choose another fixed drive or an external drive.

A second fixed drive is the smoothest option, since it's always available on your computer. If you choose a removable drive, you’ll have to remember to connect it when you want to access any files you store on it.

Cleanup Recommendations

Windows 11 offers advice to help you free up disk space. Click Cleanup recommendations under the Storage Management section of the Storage settings page. Click each of the categories to see recommendations from Windows on cleaning up temporary files, large or unused files, files synced to the cloud, and unused apps. Check the items you want removed and click the Clean up button for that category to remove those files.

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