Top 5 Ways to Declutter Your Windows 11 System and Free Up Space
If your Windows 11 system feels sluggish or cluttered, it’s time to take some simple steps to clean up and free up valuable storage space. By decluttering your system, you can improve performance, enhance your workflow, and create a better computing experience. Here are the top five effective ways to remove system clutter in Windows 11.
Use Storage Sense to Automatically Clean Up Files
Windows 11 includes a handy feature called Storage Sense that helps automatically delete temporary files, empty the recycle bin, and manage locally available cloud content. To enable it, go to Settings > System > Storage and turn on Storage Sense. You can customize how often it runs and which files it cleans up, making regular maintenance effortless.
Uninstall Unnecessary Apps and Programs
Over time, you may accumulate applications that you no longer use or need. Removing these frees up space and reduces background processes that can slow down your PC. Navigate to Settings > Apps > Installed apps to review all programs installed on your device and uninstall those you don’t require anymore.
Clear Temporary Files Manually
Temporary files can pile up from everyday activities such as browsing or installing software updates. To clear them manually, open Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files. From here, select the categories of files you’d like removed — including cache data or previous Windows installations — then click Remove files.
Manage Startup Programs for Better Performance
Some programs start automatically when your PC boots up, which can slow down startup times and consume unnecessary resources. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Startup tab, then disable any non-essential applications from launching at startup.
Use Disk Cleanup Tool for Deep Cleaning
Windows offers the Disk Cleanup utility for deeply scanning your drives for junk files such as system logs or error reports that are safe to remove but not always visible through regular cleanup methods. Search “Disk Cleanup” in the Start menu, select the drive you want cleaned (usually C:), check file types to delete, then confirm by clicking OK.
By applying these five straightforward methods regularly, you’ll keep your Windows 11 system streamlined and running efficiently with plenty of free space for new projects and apps.
This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.
