Step 1: Run Disk Cleanup or “Free up space now”

From time immemorial, Windows has included a utility for cleaning up disk space — namely, Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe). In Windows 10, users gained a second method, "Storage Sense."

To launch Disk Cleanup, type "disk" into the Start menu search box and be sure to right-click and select "Run as administrator." This allows it to clean up OS files like old updates.

The second option is in Settings > System > Storage > "Free up space now." After a scan, you can select items for deletion. Note that the Recycle Bin is not checked by default.

While Microsoft has discussed deprecating Disk Cleanup, its command-line capabilities for scripts and power users mean it will likely remain for the foreseeable future.

Step 2: Use UnCleaner to catch what built-in tools miss

UnCleaner is a free utility from developer Josh Cell that can find and remove temporary and obsolete log files that even Windows’ own tools miss. You can download version 1.7 from Major Geeks.

Running UnCleaner even on a recently cleaned system can often find hundreds of megabytes of extra files to remove. Simply click the "Clean" button to delete anything it flags that isn't locked by a running process.

Step 3: Drop obsolete device drivers with DriverStore Explorer

DriverStore Explorer (RAPR.exe) is a free, open-source tool from GitHub that helps you remove old, outmoded drivers. Be sure to run it in administrator mode.

You only need to click two buttons: "Select Old Drivers" and then "Delete Package." The utility will not delete any driver currently in use. First-time users may recover several gigabytes of space, especially on cruft-laden systems.

Step 4: Use DISM to clean the Component Store

The Windows Component Store (WinSxS folder) can accumulate duplicate or obsolete files after updates. You can use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to clean it.

Open an elevated PowerShell window (Run as administrator) and run the following command to check if a cleanup is needed:

dism /online /cleanup-image /analyzecomponentstore

If the output says "Component Store Cleanup Recommended," run this command to perform the cleanup:

dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

This can often recover up to 3GB of space on recently updated systems.

Step 5: Inspect the system drive with WinDirStat

Once cleanups are complete, use a tool like the free, open-source WinDirStat or TreeSize Free to see a graphical representation of what is taking up the most space on your drive.

The treemap diagram makes it easy to spot unusually large files that might be leftovers from diagnostic tools or other activities. Removing just one of these large, unneeded files can free up significant disk space in one go.