Windows 101: How To Free Up Disk Space in Windows 10 - Top Hacks/Tweaks/Tips/Techniques

Here are our exclusive Free Up Windows – Top Hacks/Tweaks/Tips,
Researched and Compiled to Free Up Disk Space in Windows.

Note - You will need to install the "Take Ownership" registry key to be able to delete most of these unwanted files/directories.After the registry key is installed; just right click on any system folder you want to delete and click on  "Take Ownership"  and you will be able to delete any systems folder you previously weren't allowed to.

1.) Delete unwanted files from these folders in your Account-

1. Downloads
2. My Documents
3. My Pictures
4. My Music
5. My Videos

2.) Windows Features Tweaks-

1. Disable Pagefile if you don't use high-end memory demanding applications and have RAM > or = 4GB.
2. Disable Hibernation, also only enable it temporarily when required.
   A. Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box.
   B. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as Administrator.
   C. When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
   D. At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off, and then press ENTER.
   E. Type exit and then press ENTER to close the Command Prompt window.
3. Disable File Content Indexing by unchecking “Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties” option in your Drive’s Properties.
4. Enable NTFS Compression to Compress files and folders you don't use regularly, Note - don't enable this on SSD's.
5. Make your Service Pack Permanent by deleting the Service Pack Backup Files using the “Clean up System Files” option in Disk Cleanup.
6. Delete Shadow Copies by deleting all the restore points under System Restore and Shadow Copies using the “Clean up System Files” option in Disk Cleanup.
7. Use CompactOS to remove windows' file duplicates that exist across Winsxs and Windows' backup WIM file:
   a) Run Command Prompt as administrator.
   b) Verify that your system is not already compacted by entering "Compact.exe /CompactOS:query"
   c) If not already compacted, use command "Compact.exe /CompactOS:always" to start the process. It may take ~20minutes and you shall have ~4GB of diskspace free from your OS disk partition.
   d) Also run the following commands to cleanup the windows image stored on your drive:
   Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase
   Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore 
   Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
   Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded

3.) Clean or disable or reduce the space allocated to-

1. System Restore.
2. Recycle Bin.
3. Web Browser’s Cache.

4.) Remove Applications/Programs/Softwares/Features-

1. Uninstall unwanted Programs from the Apps/Programs & Features menu in the control panel.
2. Turn Off unwanted Windows Features from the "Manage Additional Options / Turn windows features on or off" in the Apps/Programs & Features menu in the control panel.
3. Delete unwanted windows default programs from:
   C:\Users\Your Account Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft
4. Delete unwanted Windows Apps from - 
1. C:\Users\Your Account Name\AppData\Local\Packages
2. C:\Program Files\WindowsApps
3. C:\Windows\SystemApps
4. C:\Windows\InfusedApps

5.) Search and delete windows generated unwanted files-

1. *.log – Logging files.
2. *.bak — Backup files.
3. *.tmp — Temporary application files.
4. *.old — old application files.
5. *.bkp — Backup files.
6. *.$$$ — Work files.
7. *.diz — Marketing files that come with shareware programs.
8. *.~* — Temporary application files.
9. ~*.* — Usually Microsoft work files.
10. *.gid — Hidden index files created when you access Windows help files.
11. MSCreate.dir — Small control files Windows places into directories you create.
12. Readme.txt — Startup files that accompany most packages.

6.) Delete unneeded temporary files from-

1. C:\Windows\Temp
2. C:\windows\system32\dllcache\
3. C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\

7.) Delete unwanted windows files-

1. Fonts from C:\Windows\Fonts
2. Windows Sounds from C:\Windows\Media
3. Themes from C:\Windows\Resources\Themes
4. Lockscreens and Wallpapers from C:\Windows\Web
5. Globalization folders from C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT & C:\Windows\Globalization\ELS
6. Windows Update setup files from C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
7. Microsoft Office setup files from C:\MSOCache
8. Unwanted User Accounts from C:\Users

8.) Delete your old Windows’ left over files from-

1. C:\Windows.old
2. C:\WINDOWS.~Q
3. C:\$INPLACE.~TR

9.) Delete unwanted language folders from-

1. C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ink
2. C:\Windows\Boot\
3. C:\Windows\Boot\PCAT
4. C:\Windows\SysWOW64
5. C:\Windows\System32

10.) Delete unwanted language files (not more than 15 at once) from-

1. C:\Windows\BitLockerDiscoveryVolumeContents
2. C:\Windows\WinSxS\FileMaps
3. C:\Windows\WinSxS\Backup
4. C:\Windows\WinSxS\Manifests

Miscellaneous*
Run Disk Cleanup or use CCleaner to get rid of most of the junk files.
Find and remove duplicate files and folders using a 3rd party software like Easy Duplicate Finder.
If you use an E-Mail Application, locate and delete its temporary E-Mail files.

P.S. These Hacks/Tweaks are common to MOST versions of windows. You may not find all them in your version of windows.