How To Increase C Drive Space in HP Laptop Windows 11, by TechTutor on YouTube. 3 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open Settings from the Start menu, then click System and choose Storage. Wait a moment while Windows calculates how much space each category uses.
Turn on Storage Sense and click its settings link. Set it to run weekly and to delete temporary files automatically, then click Run Storage Sense now.
Go back to the Storage page and open Temporary files. Tick Recycle Bin, Downloads and Temporary files, then click Remove files.
Return to the Storage page and click Installed apps. Sort by size, then uninstall games and programs you no longer use.
Open File Explorer, right-click the C drive and pick Properties, then click Disk Cleanup. Tick every box you are happy to lose and click OK.
In Disk Cleanup, click Clean up system files and tick Windows Update Cleanup and Previous Windows installation files to remove old upgrade data.
Move large personal files such as videos and photos to an external drive or a cloud folder. Delete them from the C drive once they are copied.
Empty the Recycle Bin, then check the Storage page again to confirm the freed space. Restart the laptop to finish clearing locked temporary files.
Tips and common mistakes
Check Downloads before deleting it, since Storage Sense removes everything in that folder.
Never delete files inside the Windows or Program Files folders by hand, as that can break the system.
If you plan to extend the C drive later, back up your files first, because resizing partitions can fail.
Questions
Will this delete my personal documents?
No. Storage Sense and Disk Cleanup only remove temporary files, old update files and items you tick yourself. Your documents, photos and installed apps stay where they are.
How much space can I get back?
It varies. Clearing old Windows update files and the Recycle Bin often frees several gigabytes, while uninstalling large unused apps frees the most.
What if the C drive is still full afterwards?
Check which folder is largest using the Storage page, then move that data to another drive. Windows needs roughly 15 to 20 GB free to install updates smoothly.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
