Spring clean your PC with Windows ‘Disk Cleanup’

 Jun 13, 2014

It’s not a secret that the longer we use a computer, the more we mess them up. We have temporary internet files, log files, errors and other files that effectively waste space. One tool that has been around for a long time in Windows Client Operating Systems is the ‘Disk Cleanup’ tool, or, if you prefer your applications by name, cleanmgr.exe.
It’s always been a tool worth using, however, as of late, this tool just got better. One aspect of Windows that the official cleaning tools wouldn't and couldn't really touch were the Windows Update files. That has now changed to be one of the best features! After opening the Disk Cleanup tool, it will scan files and then present an amount of space you can clean up. In my case, it shows I can recover 2.56GB of space from my C-Drive.

However, scrolling down through the list of ‘files to delete:’, I don’t see anything about Windows Update files. To see these, you need to click ‘Clean up system files’ in the lower left corner of the dialog box. You may be prompted for additional credentials at this point or be prompted to approve the system files clean up discovery. Once I let my system scan complete, I am now informed I can save 2.90GB of disk space with the additional 330MB coming from the Windows Update cleanup. So, next time you want a spring clean, always remember to select the ‘Clean up system files’ option and check the box for ‘Windows Update Cleanup’ – the scanning and removal may take some time, so please bear this in mind! Happy cleaning.

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About the Author:

Steve Wiggins  

Steve is a highly experienced technical trainer with over 10 years of specialisation in Software Application Development, Project Management, VBA Solutions and Desktop Applications training. His practical experience in .NET programming, advanced solution development and project management enables him to train clients at all levels of seniority and experience. Steve also currently manages the IT infrastructure for New Horizons of Brisbane, providing him with daily hands-on experience with SCCM, Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8.

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