The Disk Cleanup tool included with Windows tin can quickly erase diverse arrangement files and free up disk space. But some things–similar "Windows ESD Installation Files" on Windows x–probably shouldn't exist removed.

For the about part, the items in Disk Cleanup are safe to delete. Merely, if your estimator isn't running properly, deleting some of these things may prevent you from uninstalling updates, rolling dorsum your operating system, or just troubleshooting a problem, and so they're handy to keep around if you take the infinite.

Deejay Cleanup 101

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Yous tin can launch Deejay Cleanup from the Start menu–just search for "Deejay Cleanup". It volition immediately scan for files it can delete and display a list to you lot. Withal, this simply shows files you tin delete with your current user account's permissions.

Assuming you have administrator access to the computer, you'll want to click "Clean Up System Files" to view a complete list of files you can delete.

To remove a group of files, check it. To keep a group of files, ensure information technology'southward unchecked. You'll meet the maximum amount of data you lot can delete at the top of the window, and how much space you'll actually save at the bottom. Click "OK" after y'all're done selecting data and Disk Cleanup volition delete the types of data y'all want to remove.

Windows ESD Installation Files Are Important

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On Windows x, at that place's now a "Windows ESD installation files" option hither. Deleting it can complimentary a few gigabytes of difficult disk space. This is probably the almost important option on the listing, as deleting it could cause you problems.

These ESD files are used for "resetting your PC" to its factory default settings. If yous delete these files, you lot'll have more than deejay space–but you lot won't take the files necessary to reset your PC. You lot may need to download Windows 10 installation media if yous ever want to reset it.

We recommend non deleting this, unless you desperately need the few gigabytes in hard disk drive space. Deleting this volition make your life harder if y'all ever want to employ the "reset your PC" feature in the hereafter.

Everything Else Disk Cleanup Tin can Delete

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So what practice all the other options practice? Nosotros went through Disk Cleanup and fabricated a list. Notation that we used Deejay Cleanup on a PC running Windows 10 with the Ceremony Update installed. Older versions of Windows may have slightly fewer options. Some options may only announced if you have sure types of organization files on your hard bulldoze.

  • Windows Update Cleanup: When yous install updates from Windows Update, Windows keeps older versions of the system files around. This allows you to uninstall the updates later. However, if you lot don't plan on ever uninstalling any Windows updates, this is a waste of space. This is safe to delete as long as your computer is working properly and you don't programme on uninstalling whatsoever updates.
  • Windows Defender: This selection deletes "non disquisitional files used past Windows Defender", according to the Disk Cleanup tool. Microsoft doesn't explain what these files are anywhere, just it's likely they're just temporary files. Y'all tin can select this selection to free up some infinite and Windows 10's built-in antivirus will go on running normally.
  • Windows upgrade log files: When y'all upgrade Windows–for example, upgrade from Windows seven to 10, or upgrade from Windows x'south Nov update to Windows ten'southward Anniversary update–Windows creates log files. These log files tin can "Assistance place and troubleshoot problems that occur". If y'all don't have any upgrade-related problems, experience costless to delete these.
  • Downloaded Program Files: This folder contains ActiveX controls and Java applets that are downloaded from the Internet when y'all view certain spider web pages in Internet Explorer. Feel gratuitous to delete these. They'll be automatically downloaded again when you visit a website that requires them, if you demand them.
  • Temporary Internet Files: This contains your "browser cache" for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. The cache includes $.25 and pieces of websites that are stored on your difficult drive so you can load them faster in the future. Yous can clear this to costless up space, but your browser cache volition eventually fill up up again. Note also that this only affects Microsoft's browsers. Other browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox take their own browser caches you would need to clear from inside Chrome or Firefox themselves. But remember: regularly erasing your browser enshroud slows down your web browsing.
  • Organization error memory dump files: When Windows crashes–known equally a "blue screen of expiry"–the system creates a retention dump file. This file can help identify exactly what went incorrect. However, these files can utilise a large amount of infinite. If you don't plan on trying to troubleshoot any bluish screens of decease (or you've already fixed them), you can remove these files.
  • Organisation archived Windows Error Reporting: When a plan crashes, Windows creates an error written report and sends information technology to Microsoft. These fault reports can assistance you identify and gear up problems. Archived error reports accept been sent to Microsoft. Yous can choose to delete these, but you won't be able to view reports almost program crashes. If you're non attempting to solve a trouble, they're probably not of import.
  • Arrangement queued Windows Error Reporting: This is the same as "System archived Windows Error Reporting," except it contains queued mistake reports that accept non yet been sent to Microsoft.
  • Windows ESD installation files: This i is important! As described above, these files are stored on your PC and used to "Reset your PC" to its mill default settings. You can remove them to costless upward space, simply and so you'll need to create and provide Windows installation media if you ever want to reset your PC.
  • Delivery Optimization Files: The "Windows Update Delivery Optimization Service" is the part of Windows 10 that uses your computer's bandwidth to upload app and Windows updates to other computers. This option allows you to remove data that'southward no longer needed, except for uploading to other PCs.
  • Device driver packages: Windows keeps old versions of device drivers, whether they were installed from Windows Update or elsewhere. This option will delete those sometime device commuter versions and proceed but the most recent 1. You can remove these files if your PC and its devices seem to exist working properly.

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  • Previous Windows installation(s): When you upgrade to a new version of Windows, Windows keeps the one-time Windows organisation files effectually for 10 days. Y'all can so downgrade within those 10 days. After the 10 days, Windows will delete the files to free up deejay infinite–but you can delete them from here immediately. On Windows x, installing a big update like the Anniversary Update or November Update is treated basically the same as upgrading to an entirely new version of Windows. So, if you lot recently installed the Anniversary Update, the files hither will allow you to downgrade to the November Update.
  • Recycle Bin: Check this option and the Deejay Cleanup tool will also empty your computer'southward Recycle Bin when it runs.
  • Temporary Files: Programs frequently store data in a temporary folder. Check this option and Deejay Cleanup volition delete temporary files that haven't been modified in over a week. This ensures that it should but delete temporary files programs aren't using.
  • Temporary Windows installation files: These files are used past the Windows Setup procedure when installing a new version of Windows or a major update. If you lot're not in the middle of a Windows installation, you can delete them to free up space.
  • Thumbnails: Windows creates thumbnail images for pictures, videos, and document files and stores them on your hard drive and so they can be displayed rapidly when you view that folder again. This option will delete those cached thumbnails. If you admission a folder containing these types of files again, Windows will recreate the thumbnail cache for that folder.

We've also seen various other options here. Some just appear on previous versions of Windows, similar Windows seven, and some only appear if your computer has sure types of files on its hard bulldoze:

  • Temporary Setup Files: Programs sometimes create setup files when you're installing them and don't automatically clean them upward. This option volition delete setup files that are no longer beingness used for annihilation.
  • Offline Webpages: You can salvage spider web pages for "offline" browsing in Internet Explorer. Your "Offline Webpages" are web pages that have specifically been saved for offline apply, and checking this volition delete them.
  • Debug Dump Files: These are debugging files created after a crash to help pivot downwardly the cause of the crash. If y'all're non trying to troubleshoot a problem, y'all can delete them.
  • Per User Archived Mistake Reporting: These are the aforementioned every bit "Arrangement archived Windows Mistake Reporting" files, but stored nether a user business relationship instead of organisation-wide.
  • Per User Queued Windows Error Reporting: These are the aforementioned every bit "System queued Windows Error Reporting" files, but stored under a user account instead of organization-broad.
  • Sometime Chkdsk Files: The chkdsk tool runs when there'southward file system corruption on your hard drive. If yous see any "old chkdsk files", these are fragments of corrupted files. Yous can safely remove them unless you're trying to recover important, irreplaceable data.
  • Game Statistics Files: On Windows 7, these include your score information for included games like Solitaire and Minesweeper. Delete them and the game will forget your scores and other statistics.
  • Setup Log Files: These log files are created while software is installing. If a problem occurs, the log files tin help identify the problem. If you're non trying to troubleshoot a software installation, you lot can remove them.
  • System Mistake Minidump FIles: These are smaller retention dump files created when Windows crashes in a blueish screen. They take less infinite than larger memory dump files, simply tin still provide helpful information that identifies the problem. You lot can delete these if you're not trying to troubleshoot system issues.
  • Files Discarded by Windows Upgrade: These are arrangement files that weren't migrated to your new PC during a Windows Upgrade process. Assuming your computer is working properly, yous can delete them to costless upwardly infinite.

Overall, you can safely delete nigh everything in Disk Cleanup as long equally y'all don't plan on rolling dorsum a device driver, uninstalling an update, or troubleshooting a system problem. But you lot should probably steer clear of those "Windows ESD Installation files" unless you're really hurting for infinite.

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