C drive is a key element in a computer and your essential data is commonly kept here. Ensuring sufficient space in your C drive is crucial for maintaining smooth PC operation. So, how can you clean your C drive safely? In this article, you'll discover some practical methods to address your concerns.

What Files in C Drive Can Be Safely Deleted?

It's well-known that you should keep enough space on your C drive for the operating system and applications to function properly. If your C drive becomes full, you might face various problems like poor PC performance, system or application crashes, file corruption, etc.

Over time, some unnecessary files build up in your C drive. So, how do you clean your C drive? Which files can you remove without affecting your PC and program operations?

Here, Windows recommends certain types of files that can be removed, such as files in the Recycle Bin, Windows Update Cleanup files, upgrade log files, device driver packages, temporary internet files, temporary files, language resource files, etc.

Next, here are some additional ways to free up space on your C drive.

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How to Clean Your C Drive Safely?

Method 1: Use MiniTool System Booster

If you're worried about making mistakes during C drive cleanup that could cause serious issues, consider using specialized third-party software designed to free up disk space. MiniTool System Booster is one such tool.

It’s a professional system optimization software that can fix system issues, clean up your device, and recover lost files. It serves as a PC cleaner to remove over 50 types of hidden junk files and clean up unnecessary clutter for the Internet, Windows, Registry, programs, etc.

To give it a try, click the button to download and install it. A 15-day free trial version is available.

Step 1: Launch the program and select Deepclean in the Performance tab.

Step 2: Click START CLEAN to begin the scan. This cleanup will automatically run seven tasks one by one, including NetBooster, Internet Cleanup, Windows Cleanup, Registry Cleanup, Security Optimizer, Program Accelerator, and Memory Mechanic.

Step 3: During each cleanup task, it will display the scan results and provide an option to fix the issue. The simple interface instructions can guide you through the process, and it won’t take long.

In addition to the Cleanup feature, if you prefer to manually delete specific files or folders, the Incineration Extension feature in Toolbox can help remove all file traces and permanently and securely delete files and folders.

Method 2: Uninstall Unnecessary Programs

Some people tend to install programs on the C drive, which can consume a significant portion of storage space. In this case, you can choose to uninstall unwanted programs or move them to another drive.

MiniTool System Booster offers the Advanced Uninstaller feature to easily remove installed programs. Alternatively, you can follow these steps to uninstall programs via Settings.

Step 1: Press Win + I to open Settings and navigate to Apps > Apps & features.

Step 2: Scroll down to find and click on the program, then click Uninstall > Uninstall to remove the app.

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Method 3: Use Storage Sense

Storage Sense can automatically delete useless files to clean your C drive. Here’s how to use this handy tool.

Step 1: Go to Start > Settings > System > Storage and enable the “Storage Sense” toggle.

Step 2: To customize the Storage Sense settings, click Configure Storage Sense or run it now to set the time when the feature runs automatically. Alternatively, you can scroll down to click Clean now to free up C drive space immediately.

Method 4: Use Disk Cleanup

Another tool for cleaning your C drive is Disk Cleanup. We’ve listed several types of files that can be deleted in the previous section, and you can use Disk Cleanup to perform that. If you want to learn more about safe cleanup, you can read this post first: What Is Safe to Delete in Disk Cleanup? Here Is the Answer.

Step 1: Type Disk Cleanup in Search and open the result under Best match.

Step 2: Select your C drive, check the options you wish to delete under Files to delete, and click OK to start it. Additionally, you can click Clean up system files to perform another cleanup for the C drive.

Step 3: In the Disk Cleanup tab, select the files you want to delete and click OK.

Step 4: Then, you can free up space by removing your system restore points. In the More Options tab, click Clean up… under System Restore and Shadow Copies and then Delete.

Method 5: Empty Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin is used to temporarily store items you've deleted from the system. To permanently remove these unwanted files, simply empty the Recycle Bin.

The process is straightforward. Just right-click on the Recycle Bin icon, choose Empty Recycle Bin from the dropdown menu, and confirm your choice. After a short while, all the contents stored in the Recycle Bin will be deleted.

Method 6: Disable Hibernation

The hibernation feature allows you to resume where you left off when the PC powers on again. However, this feature can consume a large amount of C drive space. To clean your C drive, you can try disabling this feature.

Step 1: Open Control Panel, change View by: to Small icons, and click Power Options.

Step 2: Click Choose what the power button does from the left panel and then click Change settings that are currently unavailable.

Step 3: Uncheck the option of Hibernate under Shutdown settings and click Save changes to save it.

Conclusion:

This article has provided a thorough guide to cleaning your C drive. Let’s try these tips and create a clean environment for your PC to operate smoothly.

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