How to Find And Delete Files in Windows 11, 10, 8, And 7

The importance of find and delete files in Windows

Low disk space is probably the most common problem when we use a computer. When this happens, it is necessary to take measures to solve it. Because it is related to the performance of Windows. If the disk space is not cleaned up in time, it may cause problems such as the PC suddenly slow, the system crash, and more.

After a long time of use, a lot of junk files will accumulate on the disk, including residual files, duplicate files, temporary files, etc. The size of junk files is often between MB and GB, so deleting them can free up drive space to keep your system and programs running properly. But their storage path is very hidden, it is difficult for users to locate and delete.

To help users find files, Windows provides some tools to perform this task. And you can also turn to a third-party tool to do it easily and quickly.

3 ways - How to find and delete files in Windows PC

Now, I believed you already know why you want to delete junk files. Next, I will show you how to find and delete large files in Windows 10, 8, and 7, as well as Windows 11.

▶ Option 1. Search and delete files using the CMD

You can use the command line to find and delete files, you can refer to the following steps:

Step 1. Type “CMD” in the start bar, right-click the Command Prompt icon and select “Run as administrator”.

Step 2. In the CMD taskbar, type "cd C:\" and hit "Enter" to search the entire C drive.

Step 3. Then, you should type in forfiles /S /M * /C "cmd /c if @fsize size echo @path > largefiles.txt” command. But you should replace size with the size of the target file in bytes(B). For example, if the files you are searching for larger than 1GB(1,073,741,824 B), you should type in forfiles /S /M * /C "cmd /c if @fsize GEQ 1073741824 echo @path > LargeFilesList.txt" and press “Enter”.

Step 4. After that, a folder named "LargeFilesList" will be created. You can delete files from the folder.

Tip: 1 KB = 1024 B, 1 MB = 1,048,576 B, 1 GB = 1,073,741,824 B

▶ Option 2. Scan and delete files in File Explorer

CMD is not suitable for everyone, because typing the command line requires computer knowledge. File Explorer can also manage files stored on disk, which is an easier way than CMD.

Step 1. Press “Windows + E” to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Click “View” at the top of the menu. After that, click “Show” and “Hidden items” to make hidden files visible.

Step 3. Click “This PC”, enter “Size: Large” in the search box and press “Enter”.

Tip: The search results depend on the parameters you type. For example, Tiny: 0 to 16 KB, Small: 16 KB to 1 MB, Medium: 1 MB to 128 MB, Large: 128 MB to 1 GB, Huge: 1 GB to 4 GB, Gigantic: > 4 GB.

Step 4. After scanning, all related files will be displayed in the list. You can find and delete files you want.

▶ Option 3. Locate and delete files completely with PC junk cleaner

In fact, the best utility to find and delete files on Windows is AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, which is compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7.

It is different from other third-party software. Its "Delete Large Files" feature can automatically scan the target disk or folder for large files. After the scan, all large files and related information, including location, size, last accessed will be listed. You can permanently delete files in Windows 10 or 11 with a click. And some important files will be marked in red to remind you that you need to handle them carefully.

Besides finding and deleting files, it offers two other ways to free up space: App Mover and PC Cleaner. The former allows moving installed programs/folders to another drive; the latter supports deep PC cleaning to remove junk files.

Step 1. After installing, double-click to open it. Click "Free up" and "Delete Large Files".

Step 2. Here, you can choose the target drives or folders and click “Start Scan”

Step 3. Wait a moment, all files larger than 16MB will be listed in the search results in descending order. You should click “Delete” to clean them.

Step 4. Confirm the selected file again and click“Delete Now”.

Extended reading: Free up space by move installed programs

As mentioned above, you can move installed programs or folders to another drive without installing. You can follow the steps:

Step 1. Click “Free up” on the top, then select “App Mover”.

Step 2. There are two options: App Mover and Move Folders. Please select one as needed, then follow the prompts to continue with the steps below.

Bottom line

How to find and delete unnecessary files in Windows 10, 8, 7, and 11? This article has given you the definitive answer. It not only provides Windows built-in tools, but also provides a professional software to find and delete files on Windows. If you accidentally delete a useful file, you can also recover it immediately!