How to Check and Improve Laptop Storage (2025 Guide)

A full or cluttered hard drive can make your laptop slow, unresponsive, and frustrating. Whether you're a student, gamer, or professional, regularly checking and improving your laptop’s storage ensures smoother performance and extends your device’s life.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to check your laptop’s storage usage, identify what’s eating up space, and apply effective methods to free up and optimize storage on Windows and macOS laptops.

Part 1: How to Check Laptop Storage

On Windows 10 and Windows 11:

1. Open Settings
2. Go to System > Storage
3. You'll see a breakdown of storage usage:
   • Apps & Features
   • Temporary Files
   • Documents
   • Pictures, Videos, Music
   • Other/Unknown

Click “Show more categories" to view detailed storage usage by type.

On macOS:

1. Click the Apple menu
2. Select About This Mac > Storage
3. You’ll see a coloured bar showing what’s using space:
   • System
   • Apps
   • Documents
   • Photos
   • Trash
   • Other

Click Manage for recommendations and manual cleanup options.

Part 2: How to Improve Laptop Storage (Free Up Space)

1. Uninstall Unused Apps and Programs

Many laptops come with software that you never use. Free up gigabytes by removing unnecessary programs.

Windows:

• Settings > Apps > Installed apps
• Sort by size or last used
• Uninstall anything you no longer need

macOS:

• Open Applications folder
• Drag unused apps to Trash
• Empty Trash to reclaim space

2. Clear Temporary and Junk Files

Over time, temporary files, caches, and system logs build up.

On Windows:

• Go to Settings > Storage > Temporary Files
• Select items like Recycle Bin, Thumbnails, and Cache
• Click Remove Files

Or use Disk Cleanup:

• Search "Disk Cleanup" in Start
• Select the drive and check boxes for temporary files
• Clean up system files for deeper removal

On macOS:

• Use Finder > Go > Go to Folder, enter ~/Library/Caches
• Manually delete folder contents (be cautious)
• Use built-in storage recommendations for quick tips

3. Delete or Move Large Files

Sort by file size to find what’s taking the most space.

How to find large files:

Windows:

• Use File Explorer’s search bar
• Type size:>1GB to filter files over 1 GB
• Move files to an external drive or cloud

macOS:

• Open Finder > All My Files
• Sort by Size
• Move or delete bulky videos, installers, or duplicate files

4. Use Cloud Storage for Offloading

Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or iCloud let you store files online and free up local storage.

Move photos, videos, documents, and rarely used files to the cloud, and remove them from your local hard drive.

5. Empty Recycle Bin and Downloads Folder

Forgotten files in your Recycle Bin or Downloads folder can take up tens of gigabytes.

• Empty the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (macOS)
• Clear old installers and media from the Downloads folder

6. Disable Hibernation (Advanced – Windows Only)

Hibernation mode stores a full image of your RAM on the disk, consuming gigabytes.

To disable:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Type: powercfg -h off
3. Press Enter

This deletes the hiberfil.sys file and reclaims space.

7. Use Third-Party Cleanup Tools

Popular tools that help clean and optimize storage:

• CCleaner (Windows & macOS)
• CleanMyMac X (macOS)
• TreeSize Free (Windows – shows folder sizes visually)
• WinDirStat (visualizes disk usage)

Always download from official sources and avoid installing bundled extras.

Conclusion

Managing your laptop's storage is essential for maintaining speed, performance, and reliability. Regularly checking your disk space, removing unnecessary files, offloading data to the cloud, and uninstalling unwanted apps can reclaim valuable space and extend your laptop's lifespan.

FAQs

1. How much free space should I keep on my laptop?

For optimal performance, keep at least 10–15% of your storage free. For example, if you have 500 GB, keep at least 50 GB free.

2. Will clear storage speed up my laptop?

Yes. Freeing up disk space helps improve performance, especially if your system drive (C:) is almost full.

3. Can I expand my laptop’s storage?

Yes. Many laptops allow you to add or upgrade SSDs or insert an SD card or external hard drive.

4. Is it safe to delete system files or caches?

Always review what you're deleting. Use built-in tools or trusted apps to avoid removing essential files.

5. How do I know if my laptop needs an upgrade instead of a cleanup?

If you’re constantly low on space and your laptop supports upgrades, adding an SSD or expanding storage is a good idea.

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