🧹 How to Make Room on Your Windows Partition (C: Drive)

Running out of space on your Windows partition (usually the C: drive) can cause performance issues, prevent updates from installing, and even freeze your system.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to make room on your Windows partition using a variety of methods — from built-in tools to advanced cleanup techniques.

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🚨 Why Is My C: Drive Full?

Before we dive in, here are common causes of a full Windows partition:

• Accumulated temporary files
• System updates that didn’t clean up properly
• Too many installed programs
• Page file or virtual memory taking up space
• User data stored on the system drive
• Hibernation file
• Large Windows logs or caches

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✅ Method 1: Use Disk Cleanup (Built-In Tool)

Best for:

• Removing temporary files
• Clearing update backups
• Deleting downloaded installers

Steps:

1. Press Win + S, type Disk Cleanup, and open it.
2. Select your C: drive if prompted.
3. Wait for it to calculate space.
4. Check all boxes (especially “Windows Update Cleanup”, “Temporary Files”, “Downloaded Program Files”).
5. Click OK > Delete Files

💡 Tip: For more advanced options, click Clean up system files after step 2.

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✅ Method 2: Enable Storage Sense (Windows 10/11 Only)

Storage Sense automatically deletes unnecessary files when space runs low.

Steps:

1. Go to Settings > System > Storage
2. Toggle Storage Sense ON
3. Click Configure Storage Sense or run it now
4. Choose what gets cleaned and how often

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✅ Method 3: Uninstall Unused Programs

Some apps take up significant space without being used regularly.

Steps:

1. Press Win + I → Go to Apps > Apps & features
2. Scroll through the list and uninstall unused apps
3. Sort by size to find the largest ones first

⚠️ Be careful not to remove critical system components.

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✅ Method 4: Move User Data to Another Drive

If you have another drive or partition, move large folders like:

• Downloads
• Documents
• Pictures
• Videos
• Music

Steps:

1. Open File Explorer, go to This PC
2. Right-click each folder (e.g., Documents) → Properties
3. Go to the Location tab
4. Click Move and select a new folder on a different drive
5. Apply changes

🔁 This keeps your data accessible but off the system drive.

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✅ Method 5: Remove Old Windows Updates (Windows Update Cleanup)

Old system updates can take up several GBs of space.

Steps:

1. Open Disk Cleanup
2. Click Clean up system files
3. Select the C: drive
4. Check the box for Windows Update Cleanup
5. Click OK > Delete Files

⚠️ Once deleted, you won’t be able to roll back recent updates.

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✅ Method 6: Disable Hibernation

Hibernate creates a hidden file (hiberfil.sys) equal to about 25–75% of your RAM size.

Steps:

1. Run Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Type:

   powercfg -h off

3. Press Enter

💾 You’ll free up hundreds of MBs to several GBs instantly.

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✅ Method 7: Reduce System Restore Space

System Restore points can use a lot of disk space.

Steps:

1. Right-click This PC > Properties > System Protection
2. Under Protection Settings, select C: drive
3. Click Configure
4. Slide the Max Usage bar down (e.g., 5–10%) or click Delete to remove old restore points

⚠️ Reducing space may delete existing restore points.

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✅ Method 8: Extend Partition Using Disk Management

If you have unallocated space on your drive, you can extend the C: partition into it.

Steps:

1. Press Win + X > Disk Management
2. Locate unallocated space adjacent to C:
3. Right-click C: drive > Extend Volume
4. Follow the wizard to expand the partition

📌 Note: If there’s no unallocated space, consider resizing other partitions or using third-party tools like MiniTool Partition Wizard or EaseUS Partition Master.

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✅ Method 9: Move Virtual Memory to Another Drive

The paging file (virtual memory) can take up space on your C: drive.

Steps:

1. Press Win + Pause to open System Properties
2. Click Advanced system settings
3. Under the Advanced tab, click Settings under Performance
4. Go to Advanced tab again > Change under Virtual memory
5. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size
6. Select C: drive, choose No paging file, click Set
7. Select another drive > System managed size > Set > OK

⚠️ Ensure the target drive has enough space and is reliable.

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✅ Method 10: Clean Up WinSxS Folder (Use DISM)

The WinSxS folder stores component store files for Windows updates. It can grow large over time.

Steps:

1. Open Command Prompt (Admin)
2. Run:

   Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

3. Then run:

   Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

💡 For deeper cleanup:

Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded

(Only after installing the latest service pack)

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✅ Method 11: Use Third-Party Tools

Tools like these can help automate and safely remove junk files:

Tool	Features
CCleaner	Quick system cleanup
Wise Disk Cleaner	Deep scan and safe deletion
TreeSize Free	See which folders are taking up space
WinDirStat	Visual breakdown of disk usage

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📊 Summary Table: Ways to Free Up Space on C: Drive

Method	Difficulty	Space Saved	Notes
Disk Cleanup	Easy	Moderate	Safe and built-in
Storage Sense	Easy	Ongoing	Automatic cleanup
Uninstall Programs	Easy	Varies	Removes installed apps
Move User Folders	Medium	Large	Requires extra drive
Windows Update Cleanup	Medium	Large	Deletes old updates
Disable Hibernation	Easy	Moderate	Frees up RAM-sized space
System Restore Cleanup	Medium	Varies	May delete restore points
Extend Partition	Advanced	Depends	Needs unallocated space
Virtual Memory Move	Medium	Depends	Must have secondary drive
WinSxS Cleanup	Advanced	Large	Requires command line
Third-Party Tools	Easy–Medium	Varies	Automate cleaning process

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🏁 Final Thoughts

Keeping your Windows partition free from clutter is essential for smooth performance and system stability.

Here’s how to prioritize based on your situation:

If You Want…	Do This First
Quick cleanup	Use Disk Cleanup
Long-term automation	Turn on Storage Sense
Major space savings	Run DISM and Windows Update Cleanup
Permanent solution	Move user data or extend the partition
Prevent future issues	Combine Disk Cleanup + Storage Sense + Periodic Checks

💡 Pro Tip: Schedule monthly maintenance with Disk Cleanup and check storage usage in Settings regularly.

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🏁 By following this guide, you can reclaim valuable space on your Windows partition and keep your system running smoothly for years to come.