The Deejay Cleanup tool included with Windows can quickly erase various system files and costless upward disk space. But some things–similar "Windows ESD Installation Files" on Windows ten–probably shouldn't be removed.

For the most part, the items in Disk Cleanup are rubber to delete. But, if your computer isn't running properly, deleting some of these things may prevent y'all from uninstalling updates, rolling dorsum your operating system, or just troubleshooting a problem, so they're handy to keep effectually if you accept the space.

Disk Cleanup 101

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You can launch Disk Cleanup from the Start carte–just search for "Disk Cleanup". It will immediately scan for files it can delete and brandish a listing to you. Still, this just shows files you can delete with your current user account's permissions.

Bold yous have administrator access to the computer, y'all'll want to click "Clean Upwardly System Files" to view a complete list of files y'all tin delete.

To remove a grouping of files, bank check it. To continue a group of files, ensure information technology's unchecked. You'll see the maximum amount of data y'all tin can delete at the top of the window, and how much space you lot'll actually relieve at the bottom. Click "OK" afterwards you're washed selecting information and Disk Cleanup will delete the types of information you want to remove.

Windows ESD Installation Files Are Of import

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On Windows 10, in that location'southward now a "Windows ESD installation files" option hither. Deleting it can free a few gigabytes of hard disk space. This is probably the most important option on the list, as deleting information technology could cause y'all problems.

These ESD files are used for "resetting your PC" to its factory default settings. If you delete these files, y'all'll accept more disk space–but you lot won't have the files necessary to reset your PC. You may need to download Windows 10 installation media if yous always want to reset it.

We recommend not deleting this, unless you lot desperately demand the few gigabytes in hd space. Deleting this will make your life harder if you ever want to use the "reset your PC" feature in the future.

Everything Else Disk Cleanup Can Delete

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And so what practice all the other options practice? Nosotros went through Disk Cleanup and made a listing. Note that we used Disk Cleanup on a PC running Windows 10 with the Ceremony Update installed. Older versions of Windows may have slightly fewer options. Some options may only announced if you have certain types of system files on your hard drive.

  • Windows Update Cleanup: When y'all install updates from Windows Update, Windows keeps older versions of the system files around. This allows you to uninstall the updates afterwards. Yet, if you don't program on ever uninstalling any Windows updates, this is a waste matter of space. This is prophylactic to delete every bit long every bit your reckoner is working properly and you don't programme on uninstalling any updates.
  • Windows Defender: This pick deletes "not disquisitional files used by Windows Defender", according to the Disk Cleanup tool. Microsoft doesn't explain what these files are anywhere, simply information technology's likely they're but temporary files. You can select this option to gratis up some space and Windows x's built-in antivirus will continue running unremarkably.
  • Windows upgrade log files: When you lot upgrade Windows–for example, upgrade from Windows 7 to 10, or upgrade from Windows ten'southward November update to Windows 10'southward Anniversary update–Windows creates log files. These log files can "Help place and troubleshoot problems that occur". If you don't take whatsoever upgrade-related problems, feel gratis to delete these.
  • Downloaded Program Files: This folder contains ActiveX controls and Java applets that are downloaded from the Internet when you view certain web pages in Internet Explorer. Feel complimentary to delete these. They'll exist automatically downloaded again when you lot visit a website that requires them, if y'all need them.
  • Temporary Internet Files: This contains your "browser enshroud" for Cyberspace Explorer and Microsoft Edge. The cache includes bits and pieces of websites that are stored on your hard drive so you can load them faster in the hereafter. Y'all tin clear this to free up space, but your browser cache volition eventually fill up again. Note likewise that this only affects Microsoft'south browsers. Other browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have their own browser caches you would need to articulate from within Chrome or Firefox themselves. Simply remember: regularly erasing your browser cache slows down your web browsing.
  • System error memory dump files: When Windows crashes–known as a "blueish screen of death"–the system creates a retentivity dump file. This file can help identify exactly what went wrong. Still, these files can utilize a big amount of infinite. If you don't programme on trying to troubleshoot any blue screens of death (or you lot've already fixed them), y'all can remove these files.
  • Arrangement archived Windows Mistake Reporting: When a plan crashes, Windows creates an error report and sends it to Microsoft. These error reports can help you identify and fix problems. Archived error reports have been sent to Microsoft. You tin choose to delete these, but you won't exist able to view reports about programme crashes. If you're not attempting to solve a problem, they're probably not important.
  • Organisation queued Windows Error Reporting: This is the same every bit "System archived Windows Error Reporting," except it contains queued fault reports that have not however been sent to Microsoft.
  • Windows ESD installation files: This one is important! Every bit described above, these files are stored on your PC and used to "Reset your PC" to its factory default settings. Y'all can remove them to free up space, but then you'll demand to create and provide Windows installation media if you lot ever want to reset your PC.
  • Commitment Optimization Files: The "Windows Update Delivery Optimization Service" is the part of Windows 10 that uses your computer's bandwidth to upload app and Windows updates to other computers. This choice allows you to remove data that'due south no longer needed, except for uploading to other PCs.
  • Device driver packages: Windows keeps quondam versions of device drivers, whether they were installed from Windows Update or elsewhere. This option will delete those old device driver versions and keep only the most recent one. You lot tin remove these files if your PC and its devices seem to be working properly.

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  • Previous Windows installation(s): When you lot upgrade to a new version of Windows, Windows keeps the old Windows system files effectually for 10 days. You lot tin then downgrade within those 10 days. After the x days, Windows will delete the files to free upwardly disk infinite–but you tin delete them from here immediately. On Windows ten, installing a large update like the Anniversary Update or Nov Update is treated basically the aforementioned as upgrading to an entirely new version of Windows. Then, if y'all recently installed the Anniversary Update, the files here will permit you to downgrade to the November Update.
  • Recycle Bin: Bank check this choice and the Disk Cleanup tool volition also empty your computer's Recycle Bin when information technology runs.
  • Temporary Files: Programs oftentimes store data in a temporary binder. Bank check this option and Disk Cleanup will delete temporary files that haven't been modified in over a week. This ensures that information technology should but delete temporary files programs aren't using.
  • Temporary Windows installation files: These files are used by the Windows Setup process when installing a new version of Windows or a major update. If you're not in the center of a Windows installation, you tin delete them to free up infinite.
  • Thumbnails: Windows creates thumbnail images for pictures, videos, and document files and stores them on your hard drive and so they can be displayed quickly when you view that binder again. This pick will delete those cached thumbnails. If you admission a folder containing these types of files again, Windows volition recreate the thumbnail cache for that folder.

We've likewise seen various other options here. Some only appear on previous versions of Windows, like Windows 7, and some but announced if your reckoner has certain types of files on its difficult drive:

  • Temporary Setup Files: Programs sometimes create setup files when y'all're installing them and don't automatically clean them up. This pick volition delete setup files that are no longer being used for annihilation.
  • Offline Webpages: You tin salve spider web pages for "offline" browsing in Internet Explorer. Your "Offline Webpages" are web pages that have specifically been saved for offline utilize, and checking this will delete them.
  • Debug Dump Files: These are debugging files created later on a crash to assist pin down the cause of the crash. If you're not trying to troubleshoot a problem, you tin can delete them.
  • Per User Archived Error Reporting: These are the aforementioned as "System archived Windows Error Reporting" files, but stored under a user business relationship instead of system-broad.
  • Per User Queued Windows Error Reporting: These are the same equally "System queued Windows Fault Reporting" files, just stored under a user business relationship instead of system-wide.
  • One-time Chkdsk Files: The chkdsk tool runs when in that location's file arrangement abuse on your hard drive. If you see any "onetime chkdsk files", these are fragments of corrupted files. You can safely remove them unless you're trying to recover of import, irreplaceable data.
  • Game Statistics Files: On Windows vii, these include your score data for included games similar Solitaire and Minesweeper. Delete them and the game will forget your scores and other statistics.
  • Setup Log Files: These log files are created while software is installing. If a problem occurs, the log files can help identify the problem. If you're non trying to troubleshoot a software installation, you can remove them.
  • System Error Minidump FIles: These are smaller memory dump files created when Windows crashes in a blue screen. They take less space than larger memory dump files, but can still provide helpful information that identifies the problem. You can delete these if yous're not trying to troubleshoot system issues.
  • Files Discarded past Windows Upgrade: These are organisation files that weren't migrated to your new PC during a Windows Upgrade process. Assuming your figurer is working properly, you tin delete them to free up space.

Overall, you lot can safely delete almost everything in Disk Cleanup as long as yous don't programme on rolling back a device driver, uninstalling an update, or troubleshooting a system problem. Simply you should probably steer clear of those "Windows ESD Installation files" unless you're really pain for infinite.