My C: drive is almost full, showing 175 GB used out of 186 GB, even though I haven't intentionally stored anything large there. I moved folders such as Videos, Documents, Desktop, and Downloads to another drive when I first set up the computer.
Windows Storage Sense reports around 50 GB of temporary files, but Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense don't actually remove them. I've tried running the tools as administrator, confirming the cleanup, and restarting the computer. The process appears to run for a while and then simply stops without displaying an error.
There is also a separate 50 GB Linux partition on the same physical drive, although it isn't included in the Windows C: drive total. What could be causing the temporary files to remain, and how can I safely identify and delete them?
3 Answers
Since the cleanup process ends without an error, the reported amount may be tied to files currently in use or to Windows-managed items such as update caches and system files. Finding the largest directories first is the safest approach; don’t manually delete unknown files from Windows or system folders just because they are large.
First check where the space is really being used with a disk-usage tool such as WizTree. It will scan the drive and show the largest folders and files, which is more reliable than assuming the entire 50 GB is removable temporary data. The Storage settings number can sometimes include cached, reserved, or system-managed storage that Disk Cleanup cannot immediately delete.
You can try a cleanup utility such as BleachBit, but use its Preview function first. Carefully review the folders and files it wants to remove before running the cleanup, since blindly deleting system or application data can cause problems.
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