Windows 10: How to Clean System and Hard Drive without Additional Software

You’ve probably seen it: as apps are updated and installed, Windows 10 keeps getting heavy. In a few months, it is not exceptional to see the operating system “enriched” with the following. several tens of GB. so much so that hard disk or SSD is running low on available spacethat in a small configuration you may run out of space and the system sometimes experiences slowdowns for no reason.

Sure, there are dozens of software that can clean the hard drive and system, but not all of them have a very good reputation. Some are sometimes ineffective (but biased statistics make you believe otherwise), and sometimes you install adware without warning. Even the highly reputable CCleaner had bad times in 2018 as it was accused of spying on its users.

Performing our major cleaning operation on our side, we decided not to use any additional software. Especially since Windows 10 has everything you need to clean the hard drive effectively. It would be a shame to deprive yourself of it. So say goodbye to old, unused files and old Windows installations. Here’s how to save tens of GB and clean your hard drive.

How to delete unnecessary files from Windows 10

1. We won’t insult you by recommending that you empty your trash, you’ve certainly known how to do this for years. On the other hand, Windows 10 benefits from an important innovation that many users missed. The system embeds a tool to delete all unnecessary files in a few clicks. To access, click on start menuthen select the icon Settings (symbolized by the gear wheel). In the window that appears, then go to the option systemthen click to store.
   
2. meeting day Temporary files. Here you should see a significant amount of data occupying your hard drive, especially if you have never run Storage Sense. First, you should see a section titled Previous installations of Windows. This space can occupy several tens of GB on the hard disk, as shown in the screenshot below. It could be from an older version of the system (Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1) or a previous Windows 10 installation.
   Windows 10 benefits from a major update that is now annual, but keeps all the necessary files on disk to uninstall that update in case something goes wrong. So it holds 4 or 5 GB of files, which corresponds to the old installation of Windows 10. Finally, the final situation: you are part of the Windows Insider program, which consists of testing all beta versions of Windows 10. protected unless otherwise decided. And it can go fast! In any case, and if you think the current version of Windows 10 is stable enough, you can delete all these files to save space on your hard drive. So you can check the Previous Windows installation(s) section..
   
3. We do not recommend checking the Downloads section, especially if you are someone who will use the corresponding folder to store all the programs, documents or photos sent to you. This section will disappear in a future Windows 10 update, but you can check the options. Delivery Optimization Filestogether Windows upgrade log files.
   

4. latest episodes thumbnails, temporary internet files, DirectX shader cache and Windows Error Reporting and Comments and diagnostics can also be checked, but they shouldn’t give you extraordinary hard disk space. Once all these sections are checked, return to the top of the Temporary Files window, then delete files. After a few seconds, you should have already gained a few GB on your hard drive.
   

How to remove apps installed by default

As soon as Windows 10 is installed, it installs more than twenty games and apps that you may not need. In some cases, it may be just a shortcut, not the full application, which takes up only 16 kB. But in other cases, it’s the installation file that Windows 10 saves, or even the entire app. Legend of the Bubble Witch 3, The Legend of Candy Crush Soda, Disney Magic Kingdoms… I don’t care?

1. Always from the module Settings > system > to storeclick Apps and Features (You can also go to the same section by selecting functions. Settings > applications).
   
2. You should see a list of all the apps you installed yourself, as well as those that were installed when Windows 10 was installed. Choose what you want to deleteclick remove, and it’s all over. Note that you can categorize the same apps by size rather than name, making it easier to spot the toughest ones.
   

How to “automatically” delete all junk files?

1. You can have Windows automatically delete certain files at regular intervals. Windows 10 has a self-cleaning system. To do this, go back Settings > system > to store. click Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
   
2. Make sure Storage Sense is set to . activated. At game Run Storage Senseyou can specify when it should start: when your hard disk runs out of space, or at regular intervals (daily, weekly or monthly).
   

3. You can also set the deletion frequency of the same files in the Temporary Files section. Log deletion may not be helpful, but at least you can set it up like this: 14 days.
   
4. Finally, you also have the option to adjust the space on your hard drive allocated to OneDrive, again in the Storage Assistant settings. If some files are never accessed locally, you can have them deleted from the hard disk while keeping them online. You can set how often they are deleted locally from the Assistant’s OneDrive function (every day, every 14 days, 30 days, or every 60 days). Finally, if you find OneDrive really useless, know that you can easily disable or even uninstall it.