How to See What Takes up the Most Space on PC
Is your computer running out of storage space or slowing down? The first thing you need to do is check what takes up the most space on PC. Well, many users assume that its apps or system files, however, in reality, its duplicate files, large media and hidden junk files are usually the true culprits.
In this article, we’ll help you learn how to see what takes up the most space on PC. Here, we’ll offer you the easiest methods to find large files, and remove duplicates to free up space and improve the system performance. So, let’s begin.
Why You Should Check What’s Taking Up Space on Your PC
Let us tell you that understanding disk usage is not just about freeing space. It directly impacts your system performance. Here is why it matters the most.
- It improves overall PC speed. It is because when you see what takes up space on PC and then get rid of it, your system performance eventually improves.
- It also helps you prevent storage related errors efficiently.
- One of the true advantages is that it helps you identify unnecessary or duplicate files, which are the true culprits of your full storage space .
- It also helps you make your system more organized and clean, since you can remove the files that you don’t work with anymore and are unnecessary.
Last but not the least, it extends SSD / HDD lifespan.
How to See What Takes up the Most Space on PC
There are various methods to see what takes storage in PC. We’ll explain to you multiple methods which are beneficial, but take a lot of time and effort. On the other hand there is an automated tool, which can simplify the process. Let’s explore all the methods one by one in detail below.
Method 1: Use In-built Storage Settings on Windows 11 & 10
Windows offers an in-built feature to analyze storage usage.
- First, press Windows + I to open “Settings”
- Now, go to “System” and “Storage”
- Then, wait for Windows to scan your drive
- Now, view categories like:
- Apps & features
- Temporary files
- Documents
- Pictures & Videos
- Other files
Important Note – The “Other” category generally include large and duplicate files that Windows cannot categorize properly.
With this method, you easily see what takes up space on c drive and other computer locations.
Method 2: Use File Explorer to Find Large Files
If you want more control, File Explorer helps you manually locate large files that take up storage on PC.
- Open File Explorer
- Select your drive – C:, D:, etc.
- In the search bar, type:
- size:large
- size:>1GB
Limitations of the Method
- This method fails to detect duplicate files
- It is very time consuming for large files
- Offers no options for automatic cleanup.
Method 3: Use Disk Cleanup Tool
Windows also offers Disk Cleanup for removing temporary files. Temporary files are also one of the things that take up the most space on a PC.
- Search for “Disk Cleanup”
- Then, select your drive
- Select files like:
- Temporary files
- Recycle Bin
- System cache
Method 4: Identify Duplicate Files – The Most Over Looked Step
Here is the fact that even after cleaning the temporary files, your system will still be full. This is because of the duplicate files.
Common Duplicate Files May Include:
- Multiple copies of the same photos
- Similar videos or movies
- Duplicate document files
- Backup files
- Downloaded files that are saved multiple times
These files can silently consume Gigabytes of storage space. This removing them becomes necessary. You can manually and find and delete them, but this may take hours or even days of work depending on your system storage space. You can, however, automate the entire process with the professional tool.
How to Identify and Delete Duplicate Files
4n6 Duplicate remover software is the easiest and time-efficient method to delete duplicates on your system and free-up disk space on computer. Detecting duplicates is the most crucial step in seeing what takes up the most space on PC, and this tool helps to simplify it. You can download and try the tool for free using the download button below.
After downloading the tool you can refer to the steps below to learn it works.
- Install and start the software on your Windows machine.
- Select the location to search duplicates that take the most space on the PC.
- Select filters such as file extension and file types.
- Then, the tool starts scanning for duplicates and offers you the complete list.
- Last, you can click ‘Remove” to remove them all at once.
Why This Tool Matters?
A professional tool can quickly check what’s actually wasting your storage on PC.
- Helps you identify the reasons for slow computer startup
- Let’s you see what takes up most storage in photos
- It helps to see what takes up space on c drive
- Lets you improve slow computer performance
In Conclusion
If you want to see what takes up the most space on PC, built-in Windows tools can give you a basic overview, but they are not enough.
The real culprits that take the most storage on PC are:
- Duplicate files
- Large media files
- Hidden data
- Temporary files
In order to completely optimize your system, manual and automated methods. The given approaches not only free up space but also improve performance.
