We suggest you avoid removing files from locations other than your Downloads, Documents, Music, Pictures or Videos folders and your Desktop.

Watch outĪccidentally deleting important system files can cause your PC to stop working properly. Click Tools > Duplicate Finder to run it.Īgain, we recommend backing up duplicates before permanently deleting anything, just in case.

The free version of CCleaner includes a handy automated tool to find duplicates. Uncovering duplicate files manually can be harder. Use your own best judgment, though it’s possible to view files and folder by their age by navigating to your Documents folder, then right-clicking an empty space and selecting Sort by and then Date modified. Once you’ve installed a program you downloaded, you should no longer need the installer files on your system.Įstablishing which older documents and other personal files you can archive is more difficult. Installer files are a good example of what you can delete. This is Windows’ default storage location, but you may also have downloads on your desktop, so check there too. To get rid of downloads, open the Downloads folder (on the left in Computer/File Explorer). Tech tips you can trust - get our free Tech newsletter for advice, news, deals and stuff the manuals don’t tell you Remove old Download files Tick the categories you want to remove, then click OK > Delete Files. Right-click your main hard drive (usually the C: drive) and select Properties.Ĭlick the Disk Cleanup button and you’ll see a list of items that can be removed, including temporary files and more.įor even more options, click Clean up system files. Windows has a built-in tool (Disk Cleanup) for cleaning up hidden junk files.Ĭlick Start > File Explorer > This PC (Windows 10). Files you no longer use can be archived to an external drive, while downloads, duplicates and temporary files can be deleted altogether.

Too much clutter on your hard drive not only consumes space – it means your PC has to work harder to find the files you do need. Is your PC full of old files and junk? We show you how to tidy up your hard drive

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