How to Remove Junk Files for Free on Windows PC?

Junk files are temporary files produced on your computer to execute particular activities but are no longer required. These files were once sound since applications, apps, and operating systems were needed to generate temporary files for computing activities. However, after they have served their role, these files become obsolete.

Main types of junk files on Windows PC

We use our computers for a range of functions, such as site surfing, document opening, and photo viewing. Computers employ temporary files to conduct all of these activities, which become obsolete as the task is completed. These garbage files will gather on your hard disk and will not be deleted by the system, causing issues. All of those files consume a significant amount of storage space, causing your storage to fill up and your PC to become slower or encounter other performance difficulties.

Start with the typical suspects for removing trash files. The following are the most typical forms of trash files found on computers:

• Temporary Internet Files
• Temporary System Files
• Installer files
• Thumbnails
• Files in Recycle Bin

Junk files are formed as the result of many computing processes, and they quickly accumulate. If you let trash files accumulate, your computer's performance will suffer, and you'll have difficulty determining what to keep or delete.

4 ways to remove junk files for free

It’s totally safe to delete junk files from your PC. Here, we’ll show you some methods to remove junk files via Windows built-in tools and a free third-party tool.

Way 1. Using CMD to remove junk files

You can use CMD orders to remove part of junk files.

Step 1. Type "cmd" in the Windows search bar, right-click on Command Prompt, and select "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Type “%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe %temp%\” and hit "Enter" to view temp files on your computer.

Step 3. Type “del %temp%\*.*/s/q” and press "Enter" to run the command. Then, Command Prompt will delete all temporary files except those currently in use.

Way 2. Using Run to delete junk files

Step 1. Press “Windows” + “R” together to open Run box, and type “temp” and press “OK”.

Step 2. It leads you to the temp files location in Windows 10. Press the "Ctrl + A" keys to select the files and hit the "Delete" button.

Step 3. Open the Run command once again, type "%temp%" and click "OK".

Step 4. It takes you to the Local Temp files location. Press "Ctrl + A" to select all the files and hit the "Delete" key.

Step 5. Once again, open the Run command, and this time, type "prefetch" and move on.

Step 6. It guides you to the Prefetch files' location. Press the "Ctrl + A" keys together and press the "Delete" button.

Way 3. Using Disk Cleanup to clear junk files

Disk Cleanup assists users to remove all forms of trash files such as Temporary files, Thumbnails, and so on. In this program, you can see how much space these garbage files take up and how much space you can save up.

Step 1. Type "disk cleanup" in the search box, and hit "Enter".

Step 2. In the Disk Cleanup, select C drive (or other drives you want to clean) and click "OK".

Step 3. Tick the files you do not need and click "OK" to confirm the operation. And you can click "Clean up system files" to get more free space.

Way 4. Using a free third-party PC cleaner tool to remove junk files

In general, the aforementioned Windows built-in tools can only remove a portion of the junk files on your computer since certain files are system trash files, and these built-in tools will not enable users to delete them directly.

To remove these persistent garbage files from your computer, we recommend using AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, a handy PC cleaner. It will thoroughly detect all trash files on your hard drives and allow you to easily eliminate them. It works with all editions of Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista and a variety of machine brands.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, and then click "Free up" > "PC Cleaner".

Step 2. In the pop-up window, click "Start Scan" to scan for junk files.

Step 3. Wait until the scanning process completes.

Step 4. After the scan is completed, all kinds of available junk files will be listed. Then, tick the options you want to clean, then click "Clean All" to begin the cleaning process.

Step 5. When you see a correct symbol displayed in the interface, you can click "Back" to exit the Window.

Now, all junk files are removed by this handy tool.

Ending lines

Now you know how to remove junk files for free, you can regularly clear junk files from PC to keep your computer in a nice status. And AOMEI Partition Assistant is a practical tool with many features. Besides the Professional Edition, you can choose the Server Edition if you want to manage Windows Server 2025/2022/2019/2016/2012(R2)/2008(R2)/2003 much more conveniently.