5 Quick Tips To Free Up Hard Drive Space on Your Windows 10 PC

While data storage devices continue to offer more space for a smaller price tag, running out of room on your computer’s hard drive is still an issue. We keep data because it’s important, and when it comes to business data, it needs to be accessed quickly. So even when files get backed up to an external storage device, some things need to stay on your computer. When you realize you’re quickly running out space, you have two options; you can pay for a hard drive expansion, or you can work with what you already have to give yourself the extra room you need.

Here are 5 quick and easy things you can do to get the most out of your hard drive space:

• Delete Unnecessary Files – This might seem like a no-brainer, but if you took a good look at what’s on your computer, you might be surprised by the amount of useless files you’ve accumulated without realizing it. Use the Store setting to get an overview of which folders are using the most space, and go from there. Temporary Files are a good place to start.
• Delete File History Versions – If you’re having the same trouble with your external drive as your internal drive, check to see if your backup settings are eating up all of your extra space. Basic settings will make copies of your data by default, and hang on to them permanently. Change your File History settings by accessing Control Panel, and adjusting the Advanced Settings. Click through to the File History Clean Up tool, and once you’re happy with the changes you’ve made, save the changes in Advanced Settings.
• Uninstall Apps You Don’t Need – Off the top of your head, you can probably name 3 apps you’ve downloaded and used once – or not at all. There are likely a few apps that came pre-loaded that are of absolutely no use to you as well. Windows 10 will let you use the Settings app to get rid of unwanted programs – traditional desktop programs included.
• Delete Duplicate Files – This is another no-brainer. Files can end up saved to multiple folders by mistake, or several slightly different versions of the same document might be kicking around. Figure out where the file is supposed to be, or which file is the one you actually need to keep, and erase the rest.
• Delete Previous Installations of Windows – If you’re one of the many, many users who update to Windows 10 from a previous version, that older version is still on your computer. It’s hanging out as part of your system’s backup and restore mechanism, there to give you the option to roll your computer back to a previous version of the operating system if something goes wrong during the upgrade. But once you’ve successfully made the switch to Windows 10, these files are just taking up space. This is slightly more complicated than the previous tips, but you can find a great step by step guide here.

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