As you use your computer over time, programs and files can gradually fill up your hard drive, making your PC or Mac sluggish. Running low on disk space can cause system slowdowns, application crashes, and longer load times, so by freeing up space, you'll improve system performance, allow for smoother updates, and ensure your computer doesn't freeze when RAM offloads to disk.

This guide will walk you through various effective methods to reclaim valuable storage space on your computer, whether it’d a Windows PC or macOS device.

What Makes My PC Storage Full?

Personal files like videos, music, photos, and documents often consume the most space. Large applications and system files also take up room, along with temporary files and junk created by different programs. Here’s how to assess what’s eating your storage:

On Windows, use File Explorer to see which folders are taking up the most space.
On Mac, check your storage usage by clicking the Apple logo, selecting About This Mac, and navigating to the Storage tab.

Tip: Keep an eye on which files take up the most space so that you can target the right ones for removal.

How to Save Storage Space: Ways for PC & Mac

One quick way to save space on your PC or Mac is by compressing images and PDF files. Images, especially high-resolution ones, and large PDFs can take up a significant amount of storage space. This is where 4K Image Compressor comes in handy. It helps reduce the file size of your images and PDF without sacrificing too much (or none at all) visual quality. Simply do this:

Download and install 4K Image Compressor.
Drag and drop your image or PDF into the app. The app can also compress images in batches.
Let the tool optimize the file size, freeing up space while keeping your pictures sharp.

This method is ideal if you work with a lot of media files and need to maintain quality while reducing storage needs.

Use Cloud Storage Options

Storing large files in cloud services can free up substantial disk space. Some popular cloud storage options are Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox.

Delete Temporary Files

Disk Cleanup won’t remove temporary files created by Chrome or other browsers, so you’ll need to clear them directly within the browser. Both Mac and PC users can find the option to clear the cache in their browser’s settings—just look for a "Clear Cache" button, usually located near an option to delete cookies.

Caches can grow to several gigabytes over time, so if you’re looking for ways to free up disk space, clearing out the data your browser stores automatically is a simple and effective solution.

Open your browser settings.
Find the option to clear browsing data or cache.

How to Free Up Storage Space on Windows

Empty the Recycle Bin

When you right-click and select "Delete" on Windows, the file isn’t immediately erased—it’s simply moved to the Recycle Bin. Unless you’ve set up an automatic cleanup or regularly empty it yourself, the contents of the Recycle Bin can accumulate over time, taking up some big amount of space. Fortunately, clearing this out is quick and easy, helping you reclaim disk space in just a few clicks.

Tip: Before emptying the Recycle Bin, take a moment to review its contents. If you’ve accidentally deleted an important file, you can easily restore it by right-clicking the file and selecting "Restore," which will return it to its original location.

Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop.
Select "Empty Recycle Bin."

Make sure to review your deleted files before doing this, as you can still restore them if needed.

Use Disk Cleanup

Windows has a built-in tool to remove unnecessary files, including temporary system files, Recycle Bin contents, and outdated Windows files.

Type "Disk Cleanup" in the taskbar search bar and select it.
Choose the drive you want to clean.
Review the list of files to delete (avoid deleting system files unless absolutely necessary).
For more options, click "Clean up system files."

Delete Duplicate Files

Duplicate files are an unnecessary waste of space. Manually identifying duplicates is tedious, so it’s easier to use software designed to detect and remove them. Many cleanup tools, including Avast, offer this feature.

Uninstall Unnecessary Programs

Unused or unnecessary programs, such as bloatware, can also take up valuable space on your computer. Uninstalling them can free up room on your hard drive. Here’s how to uninstall unwanted applications on a Windows PC and reclaim disk space:

Type "Add or remove programs" into the taskbar and select it from the search results.
Browse through the list of installed programs. If you don’t recognize a program, look it up before deleting it. Anything with "Microsoft" or "Windows" in the name is generally important and shouldn’t be removed. Disk Cleanup may also help clear unimportant files.
Select the program you want to remove and click "Uninstall."

Limit System Restore Usage

System Restore allows Windows to recover essential files that may have been lost during an update. In most cases, it's best to leave it enabled unless you are extremely low on disk space. The feature reserves a portion of your hard drive for recovery purposes. Here’s how to manage the space allocated for System Restore:

Type "System protection" or "Create a restore point" into the Taskbar search and select the option from the results.
With your main Windows drive selected, click on Configure.
Adjust the Max Usage slider to allocate the amount of space System Restore can use. The default setting is usually ideal, but you can reduce it if you’re in need of space and no other options have worked.

Keep in mind that reducing System Restore space means fewer restore points and a potential risk if a system issue arises. Carefully weigh the trade-off between a backup safety net and increased disk space before making any changes.

How to Save Storage Space on Mac

Basically, all the methods are the same; only the steps are different.

Empty the Bin

Like on Windows, files in your Trash still occupy space. To permanently delete them, right-click the Bin icon on your desktop and select "Empty."

Make sure to empty the trash cans in apps like iPhoto and Mail as well, since they store deleted files separately.

Use Optimize Storage

Mac's Optimize Storage feature helps manage large files like movies and TV shows.

Click the Apple logo in the top left and select "About This Mac."
Click on "Storage" and then "Manage."
Use the Optimize Storage feature to clear files that have already been watched.

Remove Duplicate Files

Manually searching for duplicate files can be a daunting task. Instead, consider using third-party tools that automatically detect and remove duplicates.

Uninstall Unused Applications

To uninstall applications:

Open Finder, click on "Applications."
Drag unused apps to the Trash, then empty the Trash.

Some apps might leave behind residual files, so using an uninstaller app is recommended.

Remove Old Backups

If you use your computer to back up devices like an iPhone or iPad, old backups can take up space. Deleting these through iTunes or Finder can help free up several gigabytes.

Save Files to iCloud or External Drives

Even after clearing out unwanted junk, temporary files, and duplicates on your Mac, you can still free up more disk space by moving files you wish to keep to iCloud, Google Drive, or another cloud storage service. This way, you can safely store and access your important documents, photos, and videos without burdening your hard drive.

For iCloud, go to System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud, and enable file storage.
For external drives, drag files from your Mac's storage to the external device.

For even more convenience, macOS provides tools that automatically manage and clear space on your disk:

Empty Trash Automatically: This setting permanently removes items in the Trash after 30 days.
Reduce Clutter: This feature helps you find large or unnecessary files, making it easy to move them to other storage options like the cloud or an external drive.

Take advantage of these features, and you’ll be able to streamline your Mac's storage management and maintain a clutter-free system.