How To Free Up Disk Space in Windows 8

Uninstall programs you don't use anymore to speed up your Windows 8 PC

What to Know

  • In the Start menu, select the magnifying glass to bring up the search window. Type Free in it.
  • Select Free up disk space on this PC. Under Apps, choose See my app sizes to display all the apps with the largest at the top.
  • Select an app. Choose Uninstall. In the pop-up window, choose Uninstall again. Repeat this process to remove other apps.

This article explains how to free up disk space in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

How To Free Up Disk Space in Windows 8

If your computer is running slow, your hard drive might be running low on space. The best way to free up disk space in Windows 8 is to delete programs and data you're not using or no longer need.

If you don't know what a program does, don't delete it. Windows has lots of programs that are essential to the proper operation of your computer, and deleting one of them can crash the system.

To free up disk space by removing unneeded programs:

  1. From the Windows 8 Start menu, select the magnifying glass to bring up the search window.

    Select the magnifying glass on the Windows 8 Start menu.
  2. Type Free, then select Free up disk space on this PC or Uninstall apps to free up disk space. Both options take you to the same menu.

    Type Free, then select Free up disk space on this PC or Uninstall apps to free up disk space.
  3. On the Free up space on this PC menu, you will see how much free space is available of the total amount on the hard drive. Select See my app sizes under Apps.

    You can also free up disk space for Windows 8 by emptying your Recycle Bin or deleting large media files (e.g. images and videos).

    Select See my app sizes under Apps.
  4. To the right of each app is the amount of space it's taking up. Apps are listed in the order of how big they are, with the largest on top. Select the app you want to delete.

    The Apps list in Windows 8
  5. Select Uninstall when it appears under the app.

    Select Uninstall when it appears under the app.
  6. Select Uninstall in the pop-up window.

    Check the box beside Uninstall from all my synced PCs to delete the app on any connected devices, such as your Windows Phone.

    Select Uninstall in the pop-up window.

After Windows removes the app, check your apps list and make sure it's gone. You can reinstall the app anytime in the future.

Other Ways to Free Up Disk Space in Windows 8

Sometimes when you delete an app, data associated with the program still remains on your computer. The Windows Disk Cleanup Utility can get rid of this data along with any temporary files and items in your trash. There are also disk space analyzer tools that can help you make optimal use of your hard drive. If you're having trouble removing a program, try using a third-party uninstaller app, or check the developer's website to see if there's an official uninstaller.

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