How do I free up disk space?

To run smoothly, all operating systems require a bit of free space on the hard disk – this is in addition to what is used for installation. For example, the Windows XP or Windows Vista operating systems shall inform you repeatedly when the threshold for minimal space requirement is about to be reached.

If you are facing such a problem I can offer some quick and easy instructions to free up disk space on your computer. In fact, basic housekeeping functions such as deleting unwanted files will recover plenty of hard disk space.

Depending on how your computer has been configured, there could be one or more drives on the hard disk. On Windows based computers, the operating system is typically installed on the C drive. It’s usually suggested that this drive is reserved for the operating system and data be stored on another.

However, it’s fine if you have just the C drive and no other because as long as you have segregated other data (documents, music, video, pictures) into folders, you’ll find it easy to clean the computer and get rid of unwanted files.

How to free up disk space on your computer

Here are some basic tips for Windows users. Depending on how you have used your computer you would be able to free up a little or a lot of hard disk space.

• Remove any programs that you don’t use: If one is running short on hard disk space, this should be the first thing to do. However, you’ll be surprised that many users don’t think on this line at all. Unless specified otherwise, programs on Windows will be installed on the same drive as the operating system – the C drive. Use the Control panel to uninstall programs which you don’t use – we’ll touch upon this again in a related point below.
• Delete unused files: Make it a point to do occasional house-keeping on the hard disk and get rid of any unwanted files or those which you rarely use. For instance, videos are typically huge in file size… and how many times do you think you see them? Get rid of these. You can always burn them on a CD/DVD, or better still, invest in an external hard disk.
• Shift contents of folders on C drive to another disk drive: The Windows Vista operating system comes with many default folders like “Pictures“, “Music“, “Videos” etc. which are on the C drive. People generally have the habit of storing lots of files in these folders – huge digital camera photographs or videos. These are all data files and I suggest you free up disk space occupied by these folder by moving the contents to another drive or an external storage medium.
• Uninstall large programs and then reinstall them on a different disk drive: This concerns users who have partitioned the hard disk into two or more drives. When installing software, people generally do not change the default installation location which is usually the “Program Files folder on the C drive. As more and more programs are installed the free space on the C drive decreases and there might come a situation when there is not enough space for the operating system to perform optimally. Thus, I recommend you shift rarely used programs from the drive that holds the operating system to another. First remove the program using the “Control Panel” and reinstall it on another drive.
• Portable versions of programs: Another option is to use portable versions of programs. These don’t require any installation and can run from a flash drive. Check the web for such programs.
• Delete browser cache: Remove all the unnecessary temporary internet files. You’ll find step by step instructions for all the five popular web browsers – Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera.
• Email messages: If you use email clients and programs such as Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, Outlook Express etc., you can free up many megabytes of space by changing the storage folder from the C drive to another. Typically, the storage folder information is found in the “Maintenance” section of settings and options.
• Defragment the hard disk: Defragmentation is the process by which you recover the scattered space left by files you’ve deleted.
  Let me explain this in a layman’s language. Let us say you saved a 10 MB file when the computer was relatively new and had lots of free space on the hard disk. Now, after a few months, you delete this file. Though the entire 10MB will be available, it is highly improbable that another file with the exact same size will be put in this place. In fact, the system saves smaller files that do not consume the full 10MB which means a little space will be left over. Such small hard disk areas pile up over the course of deleting old files and saving new ones. The defragmentation process recovers all the freed-up bits and pieces that are lying around on the hard disk which not only lets you reclaim the lost space but also speeds up your computer. How? The files will be kept at one location and the hard disk doesn’t have to hunt for them – less mechanical wear-and-tear.
• Disk Cleanup: A nice system utility is the Disk Cleanup. Running it will show the amount of free space that you can get on the hard disk space. However, be sure to read about each option and don’t blindly select and cleanup everything. For more information, read make space on hard disk with Disk Cleanup.

Conclusion: Starting with the simple process of housekeeping – removing unwanted files and taking a back up of large ones on an external hard disk – you can recover lots of hard disk space. Shifting programs from one drive to another might require a bit of work. The time taken to free up disk space on the computer depends on your organizational skills – it would be quick and easy if you’ve always taken care to segregate files in meaningful folders instead of mixing and dumping them wherever you wanted.