Running low on disk space causes slowdowns, prevents updates, and can stop programs from working correctly. Freeing up space does not require deleting anything important. Here is where to look first.
Open Settings, go to System, then Storage. Windows will show you exactly what is using your space. Scroll down and turn on Storage Sense, which automatically cleans up temporary files and empties the recycle bin.
Search for Disk Cleanup in the Start menu and run it. Select your C: drive. Check Temporary files, Recycle Bin, and Thumbnails. Click OK and then Delete Files. If you recently upgraded Windows, you may also see Windows Update Cleanup, which can reclaim several gigabytes.
Go to Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps. Sort by size to see which programs are taking the most space. Uninstall anything you have not used in the past year.
Open File Explorer and go to your Downloads folder. Most people never clean this out, and it accumulates installers, documents, and files that are no longer needed. Delete anything you have already installed or no longer need.
Photos, videos, and large documents that you do not access frequently are good candidates for moving to an external hard drive or cloud storage like OneDrive. Once moved and verified, you can delete the local copies.