Most people install the Windows 10 operating system on the default drive, which is usually the C drive. The problem starts when the C drive turns red and appears full or near full. This can lead to various problems such as slowdown of the computer. The main issue that needs to be addressed first is how to free up space on the C drive in Windows 10.
C drive is where all your system files are saved. They are critical to the operation of your computer. Most users install apps and software in the same place. The operating system and these applications need space to run, install updates, and a more complete C drive would deprive them of that ability. Hence the slowdown.
Note: By default, most people’s Windows operating system installations reside on the C drive or partition. It could be any drive letter on your system, but the full storage issue leading to slow and unresponsive apps can be easily fixed by moving the data around.
Let’s start.
1. House cleaning
Let’s start with some simple but effective solutions. Have you emptied the Recycle Bin? Open it and make sure there are no files or folders you want to restore.
Click on Empty Recycle Bin to delete everything there. Select all the files and folders you want to restore and click restore selected items if necessary.
You can also delete temporary files from your computer. Performing these two activities can help you regain enough space.
2. Clean C Drive
The downloads folder contains images, videos, programs, etc. It is located on the C drive where all the default files such as Collectively, they can take up quite a bit of space. Also, check other folders like Pictures, Videos and Documents to see if there are files you can move to other drives. Maybe there are duplicate files stored in the C drive, adding to the stress? Search for and delete them.
Don’t forget your desktop, as the files stored there are also part of the C drive. You are looking for large files that can be deleted or moved to a different location. Some of these files will be difficult to delete, but there are ways to fix this problem.
3. Uninstall Apps
Open Control Panel and search for ‘uninstall’ in the search bar and select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall any software and apps you no longer use or need. Right click and select Uninstall for it.
You can sort all installed apps by size to understand which one is taking up the most space and whether you can uninstall it.
4. Increase C Drive Size
You can increase the size of the system drive, which is the C drive for most users in Windows 10, by re-allocating space from other drives. The process will take no more than a few minutes, but I still recommend making a backup. This allows you to get unallocated and free space from other drives and use it to store more files on the C drive.
5. Upgrade to Larger HDD/SSD
Regardless of how many files you delete, uninstall apps and reallocate space from other drives, you are limited to the total space available on your HDD/SSD. How about installing a new, larger HDD on your computer? Better still, why not take this opportunity to upgrade to an SSD?
6. Disk Cleanup
Windows 10 comes with a tool called Disk Cleanup that will help clean up system files, temporary files, and files moved to the recycle bin that are no longer needed. What many users don’t know is that you can schedule Disk Cleanup so it runs periodically behind the scenes. Automate the whole process and run a sample now to see if it fixes the C drive full error.
7. Windows Component Store (WinSxS)
The WinSxS folder is located inside the C drive and stores, among other things, files used during updating and maintaining Windows. These files can build up over time and take up a lot of space.
You can only reduce the size of this folder, not delete or move it to another location or to a different drive. To do this, search for Task Scheduler in the Windows Start menu and open it.
Examine the folder structure below and click on the StartComponentCleanup file. Tap Run.
Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Servicing.
This much.
Organize and Conquer
The other two options will help you save some space, but I don’t recommend either. One disables hibernation and the other disables system restore. Both are useful features, especially restore. Also, they won’t make a huge difference anyway. I suggest you follow the steps above to reclaim the lost space and if that doesn’t work get a larger disk. Either way, you should now stop seeing the C drive full error. If you found another way to fix this error and free up more space, do share with us in the comments below.
Next: Have you decided to install an SSD? Click the link below to learn how to migrate to SSD without having to reinstall Windows 10.
