I've noticed my system is reporting that Windows updates are occupying 26 GB of space in temp storage, but when I check Disk Cleanup for my C: drive, it only shows 9 MB of cleanable storage. What can I do to free up this space? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
6 Answers
You might want to try using tools like WizTree or WinDirStat. They can show you if that space is genuinely being used or if it's just a Windows glitch.
Have you tried using the 'Storage Sense' feature in your settings? It can automatically clear out temporary files that might be consuming space. It's worth checking out!
I’ve got it enabled too, but it didn’t help much. I actually had to delete a large game recently and that freed up a solid 10 GB.
Honestly, if you're really struggling with the disk space, a clean reinstall of Windows might be your best bet. That’s what I did with my last laptop and it turned out great! Plus, consider running WizTree to check for any unfamiliar files that might be taking up space.
Make sure you click on 'Cleanup System Files' when you're using Disk Cleanup. This option often helps get rid of larger files and updates that aren't visible at first.
Yes! This really is a good solution for clearing out those additional hidden files.
What version of Windows are you using? I've heard that Windows 11 24H2 has a bug that miscalculates disk space usage. If that’s the issue, you might have to clean the update cache manually or even use the DISM tool to tidy up the component store. A few ideas: you can delete everything in C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDownload while the Windows Update service is stopped. And don't forget to check your system restore points—they can take up a lot of space, too! If all else fails, a clean reinstall could solve the problem, but it's a bit of a drastic measure.
WizTree is incredible! I was amazed at how much detail it provided about my storage.