How to Use Disk Cleanup in Windows 11

[Sneakyone]

How to Use Disk Cleanup in Windows 11

Disk Cleanup is a built-in utility in Windows 11 that helps you free up disk space by removing unnecessary files like temporary files, system cache, and previous Windows installations. This guide will walk you through the steps on how to use Disk Cleanup effectively to clean up your system and improve its performance.

Step 1: Open Disk Cleanup

1. Press Windows + S to open the search bar and type Disk Cleanup.
2. Select Disk Cleanup from the search results.

Step 2: Select the Drive to Clean

1. When the Disk Cleanup utility opens, you will be prompted to select a drive.
2. Choose the drive you want to clean up (typically C:, where Windows is installed) from the drop-down menu.
3. Click OK.

Step 3: Choose Files to Delete

1. Disk Cleanup will scan your selected drive and display a list of file categories you can delete.
2. Review the list and check the boxes next to the file types you want to remove. Common categories include:
  - Temporary Internet Files
  - Downloaded Program Files
  - Recycle Bin
  - Temporary files
  - System cache

Note: Be cautious when selecting file types. Only delete files that you no longer need, such as temporary files or items in the Recycle Bin.

3. Once you’ve selected the files you want to delete, click OK.

Step 4: Confirm File Deletion

1. After clicking OK, a confirmation window will appear asking if you're sure you want to delete the selected files.
2. Click Delete Files to proceed. Disk Cleanup will now remove the unnecessary files from your system.

Step 5: Clean Up System Files (Optional)

Disk Cleanup also provides an option to remove system files, which can help you reclaim even more disk space.

1. In the Disk Cleanup window, click on the Clean up system files button.
2. You will be prompted to select the drive again. Select the same drive (usually C:) and click OK.
3. Disk Cleanup will scan for system files, including:
  - Windows Update Cleanup
  - Previous Windows installations
  - Delivery Optimization Files
 
4. Check the boxes next to the system file categories you want to remove and click OK.

Note: If you choose to delete Previous Windows installations, you will not be able to roll back to a previous version of Windows.

5. Confirm the deletion by clicking Delete Files.

Step 6: Optional - Schedule Disk Cleanup with Task Scheduler

If you want to run Disk Cleanup automatically at scheduled intervals, you can use the Task Scheduler.

1. Press Windows + S and type Task Scheduler, then select it from the search results.
2. In Task Scheduler, click Create Basic Task from the right-hand menu.
3. Name the task something like Disk Cleanup and click Next.
4. Choose how often you want Disk Cleanup to run (daily, weekly, or monthly) and click Next.
5. Set the date and time for when you want Disk Cleanup to run and click Next.
6. Select Start a program and click Next.
7. In the Program/script field, type:

 

Code:

cleanmgr.exe

8. Click Next, then Finish to schedule Disk Cleanup.

Conclusion

Disk Cleanup is a powerful tool in Windows 11 that helps you free up valuable disk space by removing temporary and unnecessary files. By following the steps in this guide, you can use Disk Cleanup to maintain your system and keep it running efficiently. For more advanced cleanup, don’t forget to clean up system files as well.