Complete Windows 11 Disk Cleanup Walkthrough

  1. Launching Disk Cleanup

Press Win + R, type cleanmgr and press Enter

Alternatively, search for “Disk Cleanup” in Start menu

Select your system drive (usually C:) and click OK

  1. Standard Cleanup Options

Check these boxes for safe deletion: ✓ Downloaded Program Files (0.5-2GB typically) ✓ Temporary Internet Files (Browser cache) ✓ Windows Error Reports (Debug dump files) ✓ Recycle Bin (Verify contents first) ✓ Temporary Files (Application cache)

  1. Advanced System File Cleaning

Click “Clean up system files” button to access: ✓ Windows Update Cleanup (3-20GB of old updates) ✓ Windows Upgrade Log Files (1-3GB) ✓ Device Driver Packages (Legacy drivers) ✓ Previous Windows Installation(s) (10-20GB if recently upgraded)

  1. Optional Deep Cleaning (Admin Required)

For additional space:

Open Command Prompt as Admin

Run: Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Then: Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded

  1. Scheduled Cleanup Setup

Create automated cleaning:

Open Task Scheduler

Create Basic Task → Name it “Monthly Disk Cleanup”

Set trigger to monthly → Action: Start program

Enter: cleanmgr /sagerun:1

Troubleshooting Tips:• If Disk Cleanup freezes, run chkdsk /f first • For missing options, ensure you’re running as Administrator • Large “System Compressed Files” may indicate hibernation data

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *