Computer hard drives have limited capacity, and when full can prevent installation of new software or updates as well as operating system upgrades, or even prevent the computer from working at all. This article offers some tips about how to manage your disk usage, though there are many other resources you may want to seek out. Most importantly, use great care in deleting files as you may render your computer unusable or, worse yet, lose your important personal files!
Use of cloud services for file storage is one strategy to minimize disk usage, though the settings you use with a given tool may still result in a local copy of all files. Get to know the options and determine whether adding OneDrive, Google Drive and/or another solution makes sense for you and your data. The built-in disk management tools described below are recommended for general use. Additional tips may require more knowledge; please reach out for help when in doubt!
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Built-in options
Disk Cleanup: search "Disk Cleanup" in the search box on the task bar. This tool is mostly self-explanatory and has minimal risk to use. For more see Microsoft's documentation.
File Explorer: For self discovery of your user data, open File Explorer > This PC > Local Disk (C:) > Users > yourusername
Within this folder there are some hidden folders with application settings and data, but those are generally best managed within the applications that store data there (e.g., email caching settings). "Downloads" is often filled with installers and other large files downloaded over time; these MAY be appropriate to delete. As you explore any folder you may wish to click on the View menu and select Details so the Size of files will show and can be used for sorting too. Use caution and note that self-discovery can take hours and result in minimal gains of disk space.
Recovery settings: search "Recovery" in the search box on the task bar and open the associated control panel. Select Configure System Restore and check the Max Usage allowed for system protection. (2% is typically plenty; system restore points are only for rolling back system changes and have no effect on personal data.)
Hibernation: when enabled, hibernation creates a file backing up all information stored in memory for the computer to allow for a sleep level that consumes very little power. If not needed, disabling hibernation can free up many gigabytes of disk space. (Hibernation is useful for extending battery life when a computer is allowed to sleep rather than be shut down; disabling it does not risk loss of personal data with the exception of files open and unsaved when a battery is fully depleted.)
(Pro tip: "powercfg -h off" command followed by a reboot, to turn off hibernation)
Discovery Tools
WinDirStat is an example of a tool that can help quickly discover where the largest files and folders are on a hard drive. Two strong cautionary notes:
- You should right-click and run as administrator for best results. Otherwise you will not be able to see details of another user account or another protected folder.
- Do NOT delete files and folders haphazardly! This is a great discovery tool but it cannot advise you whether deleting that large folder called Windows or My Pictures is a good idea.
At this point, do your research and/or seek trustworthy guidance.
Apple's "Free up storage space on your Mac" provides guidance on the Built-in options listed below, and is recommended reading.
Built-in options
Storage Settings: The path changed with macOS Ventura, but for all versions start with the Apple Menu > About This Mac. With Ventura and newer, select More info...> Storage > Storage Settings... macOS will offer some recommendations as well as provide some overview on which types of files take the most space. The recommendations are the safe option; acting on the rest should be done armed with knowledge.
Finder: For self discovery of your user data, open the Finder and find the computer name on the left sidebar. Open the hard drive name (default is Macintosh HD) > Users > yourusername
Within this folder there are some hidden folders with application settings and data, but those are generally best managed within the applications that store data there (e.g., email caching settings). "Downloads" is often filled with installers and other large files downloaded over time; these MAY be appropriate to delete. As you explore a folder you may wish to click on the View icon and select as List so the Size of files will show and can be used for sorting too. Use caution and note that self-discovery can take hours and result in minimal gains of disk space. Spotlight also has an option to "narrow your search results" that can be used to search for large files, etc.
Discovery Tools
Disk Inventory X is an example of a tool that can help quickly discover where the largest files and folders are on a hard drive. A strong cautionary note:
- Do NOT delete files and folders haphazardly! This is a great discovery tool but it cannot advise you whether deleting that large folder called Windows or My Pictures is a good idea.
At this point, do your research and/or seek trustworthy guidance.