How to Make Space for C Drive on Windows [6 Ways]

Why is my C drive full?

A full C drive (or system drive) on your computer may be the main reason why your Windows becomes slow. To speed up your computer, one of the effecient solutions is to free up space on C drive. Before figuring out how to make space for C drive, it's necessary to know the causes behind the issue. Here are some common reasons why your C drive might be running out of space:

Large files and applications: Over time, the installation of large applications, games, or the accumulation of sizable files like videos, images, or music can consume a significant portion of your C drive's space.
System and temporary Files: Windows and other operating systems generate various system and temporary files that can gradually accumulate and take up space. These include system logs, error reports, and cached files.
Downloads folder: Frequent downloads, especially if you haven't been organizing or deleting files from your Downloads folder, can fill up your C drive.
Recycle Bin: Deleted files are often moved to the Recycle Bin, where they continue to occupy space until the bin is emptied.
Software Updates: Windows and software updates can consume a significant amount of space, especially if you haven't been keeping your system up-to-date.

How to make space for C drive in Windows 11/10/8/7?

Now that we've identified the underlying causes of the "my C drive is running out of space" problem, it's essential to delve into effective solutions.

Method 1. Run Disk Cleanup

Disk Cleanup is a Windows built-in tool that allows you to delete various files like thumbnails, Windows update files, deliver optimization files, temporary files, etc. Here is how to clean C drive Windows 11.

Step 1. Type "disk cleanup" in the search box on the taskbar, and select Disk Cleanup from the list of results.

Step 2. Select the drive you want to clean up (like C drive), and then select "OK".

Step 3. Under "Files to delete", select the file you want to get rid of, and click "OK".

Method 2. Uninstall unused software

Applications and software are usually stored on C drive if you don't change the default save path. Thus, you can unload some unused software to save valuable room on the C drive.

Step 1. Click "Start" and open Settings, click "Apps".

Step 2. Click the App you don’t need, and choose "Uninstall".

Method 3. Remove temporary files

Temporary files are produced during the process of using computer. Clearing temporary files at a regular time can help you always get a healthy C drive with enough room.

Step 1. Open start bar and turn to "Settings" > "System" > "Storage".

Step 2. Click "Temporary files".

Step 3. All temp files will be listed, and you can click "Remove files" to delete these temp files.

Method 4. Delete duplicate files

In addition to temporary files, there are duplicate files that you may ignore on your hard drive. Apparently, it's troublesome to find these duplicate files one by one. To save your time and effort, it's recommended to use a reliable duplicate file deleter like AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional to find and eliminate these files easily and quickly.

Let's see how to make more space for C drive by removing duplicate files:

Step 1. Install AOMEI software on your computer and run it. Click "Free up" in the main tab and choose "Duplicate Files Finder".

Step 2. A comprehensive list of all the partitions present on your computer will show up. Customize this selection to your liking and then commence the scanning process by clicking "Scan".

Step 3. After the process is finished, all duplicate files that meet the conditions you set will be displayed. You can click the "Preview" button to view the duplicate file details.

Step 4. You can select the duplicate files you want to delete, or you can employ the "Smart Select" feature for an automatic selection of duplicates. Finally, execute your decision by clicking on "Move to folder".

Method 5. Move files to another drive

If you have an extra drive with enough room, you can move some files or folders from C drive to free up C drive space. Unlike the "Copy&Paste" feature, where you need to move the files or folders from C drive to another drive one by one, the "App Mover" function of AOMEI software allows you to transfer several folders from one drive to another.

Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant, click "Free up" on the top menu, and then choose "App Mover".

Step 2. In the new window, click "Move Folders" in today's case. The other option "APP Mover" allows you to move installed programs to a different place.

Step 3. Select the file or folder you want to move (here take "Documents" as an example). Choose the location to drive as you want, and click "Move".

Step 4. You will see a pop-up message to confirm forcibly closing running applications when moving starts. Click "OK" to begin the process. In only a few seconds, all the selected files will be moved to the new drive successfully. Click "Finish" to exit.

Method 6. Extend C drive

Since so many apps and files need to be stored on C drive, how about considering expanding C drive for more space? It's known that Disk Management only works on extending C drive when there is adjacent unallocated space right behind the system partition. But with AOMEI software, you can easily allocate free space to C drive from other drives.

Step 1. Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant professional. Right-click the D drive and choose "Allocate Free Space".

Step 2. In the new window, you can specify the space size and target partition. If it's C drive, you need to select C drive from the given list, and click "OK".

Step 3. Now, you can see that the C drive has been extended. Then, click "Apply" to save the changes.

If you continue to face space issues, you might also want to consider replacing your small C drive with an SSD with a larger capacity if your computer supports it.

Conclusion

How to make space for C drive? This article has given six effective solutions after explaining the most possible causes to you. You can choose and apply any one of them according to your needs. As you can, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a good helper, offering effective features to free up C drive. If you want to make space for C drive on a Windows Server computer, there is also the Server edition for you.