How to Delete Windows Temporary Files and Reclaim Your Storage
We’ve all been there: you’re midway through a massive game download or a critical project when the dreaded "Low Disk Space" notification slides into the corner of your screen. It always happens at the worst possible moment. Most of that bloat isn't actually your photos or documents—it’s "digital exhaust" left behind by apps that didn't clean up after themselves.
Whether you're on Windows 10 or the latest Windows 11 build in 2026, these files can easily swell from a few megabytes to 50GB+ of wasted space. Reclaiming that room is the fastest way to snap your system back to life without buying a new SSD. Before you dive in, save your work and close your browser; Windows can't delete files that are currently being "locked" by active programs.
Using the Windows Settings Menu for Quick Results
The modern Settings interface is the best place to start because it actually shows you what you're about to kill.
Navigating the Storage Menu
Expert Note: If this calculation seems to hang or take forever, don't panic. Windows is indexing millions of tiny files. Give it a minute; if it stays stuck, your file system might need a quick reboot to refresh its index.
Selecting Your Targets
Windows will present a checklist of junk. Most are safe to nukes, like the DirectX Shader Cache or Windows Error Reporting files.
The Legacy "Disk Cleanup" Double-Clean
-
Press the Windows Key + S, type "Disk Cleanup," and hit Enter.
-
Select your C: drive and click OK.
-
The Pro Move: Once the window opens, don't just click OK. Click the button labeled Clean up system files. This restarts the tool with admin privileges, allowing it to find Windows Update leftovers and the "Windows.old" folder.
Should You Delete Windows.old?
If you see "Previous Windows installation(s)" taking up 20GB or 30GB, that’s your safety net. It allows you to "roll back" to a previous version of Windows if a new update breaks your drivers. If your PC has been running stable for more than a week, it’s usually safe to kill this and reclaim the space.
Automating the Process with Storage Sense
The Nuclear Option: Manual %temp% Deletion
Sometimes the automated tools are too polite. If you see "60GB of Temporary Files" in Settings but the "Remove files" button doesn't seem to do anything, you need to go in manually.
-
Press Windows Key + R, type
%temp%, and hit Enter. -
This drops you directly into the "hidden" folder where apps dump their daily trash.
-
Press Ctrl + A to select everything, then hit Delete.
The "File in Use" Error
Why Windows Protects Certain Files (The 7-Day Rule)
You might notice that even after a "thorough" clean, some files remain. By default, Windows often ignores temporary files that have been modified within the last seven days.
The 2026 Recommendation
%temp% command in your back pocket for emergencies.