[6 Best Ways] How to Clean C Drive on Windows 11/10/7?

Having enough space on your C drive is important for keeping your PC running smoothly. However, it often gets filled up with things like Windows updates, temporary files, and downloads, which significantly slow down your PC's performance. On Windows 11, if your computer is low on storage, there are many ways to free up space on your C drive and ensure your PC runs in high performance.

This passage will share with you the 6 best methods, including clearing files like running disk cleanup, cleaning junk files, deleting large files, and removing duplicate files. If you want to preserve important files, other methods like moving installed programs to another drive or allocating free space will be suitable for you.

How to clean C drive in Windows 11 easily and effectively?

Several factors can lead to a full C drive in Windows 11, such as viruses or malware generating files, unintentional saving of large files to the C: drive, and the accumulation of system files like page files, previous Windows installations, and temporary files. These factors are also often the main culprits that cause your C drive full without reason. Follow the provided guidance to learn how to free up space in Windows 11 now.

Way 1. Run Disk Cleanup to free up space on Windows 11

Disk Cleanup is a native Windows tool designed for removing files that cannot be deleted through Windows File Explorer. This utility can be useful for simple tasks when clean up C drive on Windows 11.

Step 1. Right-click on the C: drive, choose Properties, and then click the "Disk Cleanup" button in the disk properties window.

Step 2. In the Disk Cleanup window, select the files you wish to remove and click OK. If this doesn't free up enough space, you can click the "Clean up system files" button to delete system files. This allows you to delete items such as the previous Windows installation (Windows.old folder), system restore points, Recycle Bin contents, and other system files.

Way 2. Run PC Cleaner to do Windows 11 disk cleanup

After running Windows Disk Cleanup, little headway may have been made because this utility can only search a limited scope of your computer. If you receive a warning about insufficient disk space, it may be time to seek help from a professional tool for a thorough cleaning, such as AOMEI Partition Assistant.

It is an all-in-one and free computer management tool designed to fix various computer issues. Regarding Windows 11 disk cleanup, it offers multiple solutions to meet different needs. Download this free tool and use it to effectively free up space in Windows 11.

AOMEI Partition Assistant

The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

Step 1. Download and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, then sequentially select "Free up" and "PC Cleaner".

Step 2. Select "Start Scan" in the new popup window to initiate a scan of your computer for unnecessary files.

Step 3. Please be patient while the system scans for junk files. Once the scan is complete, any unnecessary data will be automatically marked for deletion. You can click "Clean All" to remove them. If there are additional unwanted files, you can manually select them by ticking the corresponding checkboxes.

Step 4. When you see a correct symbol displayed in the interface, you can click "Back" to leave the function.

Way 3. Delete large files to clean C drive on Windows 11

Accumulating numerous large files on the C drive may result in space constraints in Windows 11. If unfamiliar with the properties of these files, there is a risk of unintentionally deleting system-related files, potentially disrupting normal computer operation.

To address this concern, consider upgrading to the AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional edition and utilizing the Delete Large Files function. This feature smartly scans your drives, listing files larger than 16MB. Some files are marked in red, requiring careful attention. Easily remove them by clicking the "Delete Now" button.

Step 1. Upgrading to AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, click "Free up", then click "Delete Large Files".

Step 2. On the new interface, all partitions will be displayed. You must check the box next to the desired partition and then click "Start Scan."

Step 3. After scanning, you can see all the large files, some important large files that you need to pay attention to will be marked red. Tick the large files you want to delete and click "Delete".

Step 4. In a new window, there’s summarized information about all the target large files, you can see how much space you can get by deleting them. Click "Delete Now", then all target files will be deleted.

Way 4. Remove duplicate files on C drive to free up Windows 11 space

Long-term used devices will accumulate a large number of duplicate files, and you may not even notice them at all. That’s why you find your C drive is full without reason, especially in circumstances where you upgrade from older Windows versions.

Fortunately, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional also offers a Duplicate Files Finder function that allows you to easily remove them within minutes. It is possible to find that you can free up several gigabytes of space if you have not cleared them before.

Step 1. Click the "Free up" on the main tab and select "Duplicate Files Finder".

Step 2. In this section, you will see a list of all partitions on your computer. Customize your preferences and click "Scan".

Step 3. Once the process is complete, all duplicate files meeting the criteria you established will be shown. You can review these duplicate files by clicking the "Preview" button.

Step 4. You have the option to manually choose the duplicate files you wish to delete. Alternatively, you can click "Smart Select" to automatically mark duplicate files. Afterward, click "Move to folder" to proceed with the deletion.

Way 5. Move installed apps to another drive to clean C drive

To free up space in Windows 11, you can consider other solutions. If you've installed numerous applications on the system C: drive, it can impact computer performance and speed. The most direct solution is to move applications from the C: drive to the D: drive or another partition with ample free space to extend drive space. To do that, you can run App Mover provided by AOMEI Partition Assistant.

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

Step 2. Here, click “App Mover” to move applications. Or, you can also move folders to a different drive if you need.

Step 3. Then, select the drive where the applications you want to move are located and click "Next".

Step 4. Choose apps and select the destination drive, then click "Move".

Step 5. Finally, click "OK" to begin the process.

Way 6. Allocate Free space to extend C drive space

If your C drive is full while the D drive or another partition is empty, it is a good idea to allocate free space from there to the full C drive. AOMEI Partition Assistant can help you do so.

Step 1. Right-click on a partition that is with enough space, and choose “Allocate Free Space”.

Step 2. In the small window, you can decide how much space to be added to C drive. And click “OK” when you finish it.

Step 3. At last, you can preview the outcome on the main interface, and remember to click “Apply”, so the change will be executed.

Conclusion

This passage focuses on how to clean the C drive in Windows 11. With AOMEI Partition Assistant, you can thoroughly clean PC, organize files, and free up space in several ways. Except for Windows 11 disk cleanup, this tool supports effective computer management. For example, OS Migration and Clone Disk are practical features when upgrading disks or devices. Rebuild MBR allows you to effortlessly fix boot issues at home.

If you are a Windows Server user, you can choose the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server edition for a compatible working environment. This software also offers AOMEI Partition Assistant Technician and Unlimited edition for businesses and enterprises that use.