Where Is Disk Cleanup in Windows 10?

Windows 10 is famed for its user-friendly design and sophisticated capabilities, but the buildup of garbage and temporary files can cause your computer to slow down over time. It is important to wipe away these unwanted files on a regular basis in order to keep your system working properly. In this post, we will look at five different ways to go to Disk Cleanup on your Windows 10 machine, and how to clean up junk files on your Windows.

Where is Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 and how to open it?

The Disk Cleanup program in Windows is typically stored in the "C:\Windows\System32" folder. The actual executable file for Disk Cleanup is named "cleanmgr.exe". Here are 5 approaches to access Disk Cleanup.

Method 1: Using the Start Menu

Step 1. Click on the "Start" button located in the bottom-left corner of your screen.

Step 2. In the search bar, type "Disk Cleanup" and press "Enter."

Step 3. Select the "Disk Cleanup" application from the search results.

Method 2: Using the Run Dialog

Step 1. Press the "Windows" key + "R" to open the Run dialog.

Step 2. Type "cleanmgr.exe" and click "OK."

Step 3. The Disk Cleanup utility will launch.

Method 3: Using the Control Panel

Step 1. Open the Control Panel. You can do this by right-clicking on the "Start" button and selecting "Control Panel" from the menu.

Step 2. In the Control Panel, navigate to "System and Security" > "Administrative Tools."

Step 3. Under "Administrative Tools," you will find "Disk Cleanup." Double-click to open it.

Method 4: Using File Explorer

Step 1. Open File Explorer by pressing "Windows" key + "E."

Step 2. Right-click on the drive you want to clean (usually the C: drive) and select "Properties."

Step 3. In the Properties window, click on the "Disk Cleanup" button.

Method 5: Using Command Prompt

Step 1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, search for "Command Prompt" in the Start menu, right-click on it, and select "Run as administrator."

Step 2. In the Command Prompt window, type "cleanmgr" and press "Enter."

How to use Disk Cleanup in Windows 10?

After you know where is Disk Cleanup in Windows 10, now, let's see how to use this tool to clean junk files on your computer.

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".

 You can also click “Clean up system files” to clean Windows system files.

However, you must be careful about what to delete in Windows 10, since there are many important system files that are unremovable. Generally, cache files, temp files, and Thumbnails are safe to delete. But, Windows ESD Installation Files are crucial files. Additionally,  Windows Update Cleanup files, System Archived Windows Error Reporting, System Error Memory Dump Files, Direct X Shader Cache are also relevant to the maintenance of the OS, so, make sure you tick the right options in the Disk Cleanup.

A safer alternative to Disk Cleanup for Windows PC

Now that you're familiar with the built-in Disk Cleanup tool, and how to use it. On the whole, Disk Cleanup is a handy built-in junk file cleaner, but, if you mistakenly delete important system files, your PC will be stuck in danger. Thus, to prevent important file loss and perform safe and efficient disk clean tasks, here we recommend AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, a powerful software that goes beyond basic cleanup and offers a comprehensive approach to optimizing your Windows computer.

It can thoroughly scan your PC by automatically categorizing all garbage files, and you can pick which files to keep or delete based on your needs, delivering surprising results in freeing up disk space.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, and you can click "Free up" on the top bar to find "PC Cleaner".

Step 2. Select "Start Scan" in the pop-up window

Step 3. Wait patiently until the process completes.

Step 4. When it ends, you can see the sorted junk files. Tick the options and then select "Clean All" to clean your PC.

Step 5. All the process is done when you see the icon. Click "Back" and you can enjoy a clean computer now.

If you want further clean, you can continue to choose "Delete Large Files". This function can throb deeply hidden files in the disk and list all to you, you can decide which to delete.

Final lines

Now you know where is Disk Cleanup in Windows 10, you can keep your Windows 10 computer running smoothly is crucial for optimal performance. Disk Cleanup is an essential built-in tool, and AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional takes it a step further by providing advanced features for comprehensive system optimization. It also provides a wide range of disk and partition management features, allowing you to resize, move, merge, split, and clone partitions effortlessly; makes it easy to transfer data between disks and partitions, ensuring data integrity and safety.

And there is the Server Edition for Windows Server 2025/2022/2019/2016/2012/2008/2003 users to manage Windows and disks.

FAQs about where is Disk Cleanup in Windows 10

Where can I find Disk Cleanup on my Windows 10 computer?
Disk Cleanup can be found in various ways, including through the Start menu, Run dialog, Control Panel, File Explorer, or Command Prompt. You can choose the method that suits you best.

What types of files can I clean with Disk Cleanup?
Disk Cleanup allows you to clean up a variety of files, including temporary files, system files, Windows Update files, error reports, and more. It helps free up disk space and improve system performance.

How often should I perform disk cleanup on my Windows 10 computer?
The frequency of disk cleanup depends on your computer usage. It's recommended to perform disk cleanup regularly, especially if you notice a decrease in system performance or if your disk space is running low. You can set a schedule for it or do it manually whenever needed.