Easily free up space on Drive C by using Disk Cleanup and enabling Storage Sense.

Microsoft has published an article introducing how to clean up your system, free up storage, and solve full drive issues on Windows 11 and Windows 10 using free built-in tools. No formatting or external software is required.

It's common for Windows users to experience slowdowns and storage issues after a period of use due to junk files, temporary files, and caches, leading many to rely on external cleaning programs. This article highlights that Windows actually provides a complete set of readily available tools, eliminating the need for a clean install.

Storage Sense, an automatic junk file management system, automatically removes unnecessary files from system drives, including temporary files and files in the Recycle Bin. Users can enable this in Settings > System > Storage, significantly reducing the need for manual space management.

Storage Sense can also be configured to automatically delete files every 1, 14, 30, or 60 days, including inactive files in the Downloads folder. The deletion schedule can be set daily, weekly, or monthly.

Disk Cleanup, a classic tool that remains highly effective, is also included. This process scans and deletes unnecessary files from various drives, and users can select the types of files to delete. Choosing the “Clean up system files” mode, which requires administrator privileges, can free up several GB of space by including files from Windows Updates and unused system cache.

However, Microsoft recommends carefully reviewing the file deletion options, especially system files or important folders like Downloads, to prevent accidental data deletion. Finally, Microsoft and Neowin do not recommend deleting files in the Prefetch folder, System Restore Points, or Volume Shadow Copies unless absolutely necessary, as these files contribute to system performance.