Windows 11: Automatically free up space on your PC with this hidden feature

Running out of space on your hard drive can slow down your computer and block some applications, making it difficult and sometimes frustrating to use your computer.

The solution is obvious: you need to clean your hard drive. However, you may have trouble identifying exactly which files you need to get rid of. Fortunately, Windows 11 makes it easy to delete files you don't need and free up space on your computer.

Instead of downloading third-party software to free up disk space, Windows 11 offers some settings you can configure to quickly delete temporary files, system files, and old downloads that you may not need.

And if you're worried about deleting important files, don't worry: Windows 11 will help you decide what to delete to improve your PC's performance.

How to automatically free up storage space in Windows 11?

On your Windows 11 computer, go to Settings > System > Storage. If this is the first time you've accessed this setting, wait a few seconds for your computer to scan your data store. Once Windows has gathered the information it needs, you'll be able to see the total free memory at the top of the page. Just below, you'll see a breakdown of your storage space, divided into apps and features, temporary files, and more. You can also click View more categories For a more detailed breakdown.

The parameter that interests us here is Storage assistant, which automatically frees up space on your computer when disk space is low. It does this by deleting temporary files, emptying the Recycle Bin, and getting rid of old downloads. Everything is done in the background.

To activate Storage assistant, just activate the button here. If you click Setup (rightmost arrow), you can configure several functions:

• Turn on automatic cleaning : Start cleaning when disk space is low (default), every day, every week, or every month.
• Delete files from the trash if they have been there for more than : Choose 1 day, 14 days, 30 days (default) or 60 days.
• Delete files from my Downloads folder if they haven't been opened in more than : Choose Never (default), 1 day, 14 days, 30 days, or 60 days.

These Storage Assistant settings can help you decide which files to delete and when, so you don't have to worry about deleting important files from your computer.

At the bottom of the page you can click Turn on Storage Assistant now To use the feature immediately.

If you want to get rid of more files to free up space, use the function Cleaning recommendations Located under Storage Assistant. If you click it, it will scan your system and recommend files to delete manually, such as temporary files, large or unused files, files synced with your cloud, and unused applications.