How to delete temporary files in Windows 10

In the process of working in the Windows operating system, a large number of temporary files accumulate on the computer. Temporary files are not always automatically removed from the computer by applications that use temporary files.

In this article, we will look at how to delete temporary files in Windows to free up additional free disk space on your computer. Temporary files are created while working on the computer: during the installation or operation of programs, installation of operating system updates, etc. After the application ends, these files are no longer needed. In most cases, temporary files are automatically deleted from the computer.

Some temporary files are not deleted, such files uselessly take up disk space, so it is better to delete them with the built-in tool of the operating system, or with a computer cleaning and optimization program, for example, using CCleaner , Ashampoo WinOptimizer , etc. After deleting temporary files, additional free space will appear on the computer, which was previously occupied by temporary data.

Now we will see how you can delete temporary files in Windows 10 in three ways: manually, using the built-in tool of the operating system, using the Disk Cleanup utility.

Clearing temporary files in Windows manually

Where are temporary files stored? Temporary files are stored on the computer in a special folder of the operating system and in the corresponding folder in the user profile.

In order to clean up temporary files, you need to enter these folders, and then manually delete the contents of these folders:

C:\Windows\Temp

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp

After that, restart your computer,

This method works on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 operating systems.

How to clear temporary files in Windows 10

Deleting temporary files in Windows 10 is done using a tool for analyzing the contents of the disk.

Enter the “Start” menu, go to “Settings”, “System” in sequence. Next, go to the “Storage” section.

Then click on the “C” drive for information on how much disk space is occupied by the partitions of the hard disk (or several hard disks).

In the This PC (C:) window, scroll to the bottom of the window. Here you will see the “Temporary files” section and the amount of space they occupy on the computer’s disk.

Next, click on the “Temporary files” section. In the Temporary Files window, select the items you want to permanently delete to free up more disk space.

The user has the ability to select items to delete:

• Temporary files are files left from the work of applications in certain folders.
• Downloads folder – contains files downloaded from the Internet.
• Emptying the Recycle Bin – permanently deleting files previously deleted in the Recycle Bin.

Select the necessary items in order to clear temporary files, then click on the “Delete files” button.

After that, Windows 10 temporary files will be deleted from the computer.

Cleaning up temporary files with Disk Cleanup

Using the built-in Disk Cleanup utility, you can delete temporary files in all versions of the Windows operating system.

To run the tool, follow these steps:

1. Press the keyboard keys “Windows” + “R”, and then enter the command: “cleanmgr” (without quotes).
2. In the window that opens, select the drive you want to clean (drive “C”). Next, in the “Disk Cleanup” window, select the items that you want to remove from the disk, and then click on the “OK” button.
3. Confirm deletion.

After the cleaning process is completed, Windows temporary files will be deleted from the computer.

Article Conclusions

To free up space on the computer’s hard drive, the user can delete temporary files in Windows in various ways: manually clear folders, using the built-in Windows 10 tool, using the Disk Cleanup utility.