Free up disk space on Windows 11

A nearly full system drive slows Windows down and blocks updates. These steps target temporary files first, with no risk.

1. See what's using space

   Settings › System › Storage. Windows breaks usage down by category: apps, temporary files, documents.

2. Delete temporary files

   Click Temporary files, tick Windows Update cleanup, Recycle Bin and delivery optimisation files, then Remove files. Untick Downloads to keep that folder.

1. Turn on Storage Sense

   On the same page, turn on Storage Sense to empty the Recycle Bin and temp files automatically every month.

2. Remove old Windows versions

   After a major update, run cleanmgr with Win + R, click Clean up system files and tick Previous Windows installation(s).

Good to know : Removing previous installations means you can no longer roll back to the older Windows version.