How to free up storage space with Windows 11’s memory optimization

Is your PC feeling a bit sluggish or running out of space? Don’t sweat it. Windows 11 has some handy built-in tools to help you declutter and boost performance. We’ll walk you through this simple guide on how to optimize your memory and free up some space.

1. Open memory optimization

Search for Storage Sense in the Windows 11 taskbar and select Turn On Storage Sense.

2. View space usage

Navigate to Settings > System > Storage. Here you’ll see how much space is being used by apps, temporary files, and other content.

3. Turn on memory optimization

In the Storage settings, make sure Storage Sense is turned on under the Storage Management section. Next, you’ll want to check out the Cleanup Recommendations to see how much space you can free up. Then select Show More Categories to expand the list and see what else you can clean.

4. Temporary files

Click on Temporary Files to view and manage temporary data. You’ll see additional categories like Music, Video, and Documents.

5. Select subcategories

Windows 11 will already have some temporary files checked for you like Windows Update Cleanup, Files for Transfer Optimization, and Thumbnails. These are safe to delete.

Depending on your system, you may also see entries like Previous Windows Installation(s), System Error Memory Dump Files, and Windows Upgrade Log Files.

6. Delete recycle bin, downloads, etc

If you also want to remove the contents of the recycle bin and the download directory, select Recycle Bin and Downloads to delete the selected contents.

7. Confirm deletion

Click Remove Files to delete selected items. Depending on the number of files selected, this process may take several minutes.

8. Advanced storage settings

Once the process is complete, click on Storage at the top to return to the start page of the Storage Optimization area. Then click on Advanced Storage Settings at the bottom.