Clearing out unnecessary files with Disk Cleanup — finally figured it out
Honestly, if your Windows laptop is feeling sluggish or just cluttered beyond reason, the first thing a lot of folks do is run the built-in Disk Cleanup tool. It’s pretty straightforward but also kinda hidden in plain sight. This utility scans your drive for a bunch of junk files—like temporary files, system cache, leftover Windows update files, and other debris that piles up over time—and helps you delete them all at once.
I’ll admit, I’ve always known about it, but sometimes I’d ignore it until my PC was clearly crawling. Turns out, it’s a must-do every few months if you want to keep things running smoothly, especially if you tend to install/uninstall a lot of apps or do a lot of Windows updates.
Getting into it isn’t too tricky. Hit Windows key + S (the default Search shortcut), or right-click the Windows icon (Start menu) and pick Search. Type Disk Cleanup and select the app when it pops up. When you run it, it usually prompts you to pick a drive—most likely C:. The tool’s a bit old-school, but it does its thing: it shows a list of file categories like “Temporary files,” “Recycle Bin,” “System error memory dump files,” etc. I usually check most of these, but it’s smart to double-check what you’re deleting—better safe than sorry. Sometimes it offers you an option to clean up system files, which is different from just a regular scan—you’ll want to click or select that because there’s often more to purge in there.
If you want to see exactly what will be deleted before hitting OK, just click on View Files. Also, after you click the button, it sometimes suggests clicking on Clean up system files. That opens up a more detailed list—like old Windows update files stored in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\—stuff that’s typically safe to remove but can eat up a lot of space. On my older ASUS laptop, it was buried in Advanced > Properties since I had to dig around, but on newer systems, it’s right there in the main UI. Just a heads-up: if you see anything labeled “Previous Windows installation(s),” deleting that means you won’t be able to roll back to the older version anymore, so only do that if you’re sure you’ve fixed all issues and don’t need an undo option.
Once you’ve selected what to delete, click OK. A confirmation will pop up asking if you’re sure. After confirming, Windows will start cleaning—sometimes this takes a bit, especially if you’ve got a lot of junk or if your PC is busy. I’ve had it go through in a few minutes, but on a really full drive, it can take longer. Don’t be surprised if your PC restarts or if you see a notification that the cleanup is finished—sometimes it includes background processes that finish after the initial window closes.
Going deeper with Command Prompt
If you’re comfortable with a little command-line magic, this is where I finally got more serious. Using Command Prompt can give you a cleaner, more fine-tuned cleanup with fewer steps and the option to automate it later. It’s surprisingly effective for cleaning temp files and other leftovers, especially if you want to script recurring maintenance.
To do this, search for cmd in the Start menu, then right-click and choose Run as administrator. This is a must—if you skip that, some system directories will be off-limits, and the cleanup won’t be complete. Once the black window opens, you can run commands like cleanmgr /sageset:1 which opens an interface to select what kinds of files you want to target. After setting this up, you run cleanmgr /sagerun:1 to execute that cleaning profile. Think of it like setting a custom cleanup. Alternatively, if you want to delete specific folders directly, commands like del /F /Q %temp%\* will delete all temp files in your user Temp folder. Be cautious—if you’re not sure what a command does, you could accidentally delete something important, so double-check before hitting Enter.
This approach isn’t quite as simple as clicking buttons, but it’s a good way to automate regular cleanups or clear particular temp directories like %SystemRoot%\Temp or C:\Windows\Temp. Sometimes it’s faster than waiting for the GUI, especially on a cluttered system, but do remember: if you’re not careful or unfamiliar with these commands, you could cause more harm than good. Always review what each command does, especially with del or rd.
Tips to stay on top of junk files
If all this sounds like too much trouble or you’re worried about deleting the wrong stuff, here’s what I learned from messing around with my system: make this a semi-regular habit. After big updates (like jumping from Windows 10 to 11 or installing major driver upgrades), run this stuff. It helps keep things from piling up and slowing everything down.
In addition to Disk Cleanup, keep an eye on your Downloads folder, your browser cache, and your Temp folders—like C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp. These are the usual culprits for space stealing and system slowdowns. Sometimes I’d notice my free disk space creeping down without explanation, which usually meant temp files or old system restore points were hiding somewhere.
For more foolproof cleanup, there are third-party tools—like CCleaner or BleachBit—that have prettier interfaces and extra cleanup options. Just be cautious and stick with reputable apps—they can be useful but dangerous if you use shady ones. For most, though, Windows’ built-in tools are enough and safer.
Anyway, this whole process isn’t perfect—sometimes files hide in odd spots or cleanup doesn’t clear everything you want—but for a regular user, starting with Disk Cleanup and some command-line scripts is more than enough. Just remember to double-check what you’re deleting before hitting confirm. When all’s said and done, your system should be a bit faster, less cluttered, and happier.
Hope this helps — it took me way too long to get these steps working properly. Hopefully, this saves someone else a weekend of fruitless digging!