Software Windows 7 Download

Software has a way of accumulating on your Windows machine, and for the sake of security, system performance, and disk space, it's a good idea to clear out junk files every so often. Sometimes Windows may make you do an in-place upgrade (which happens frequently for members of the Insider program). This means that the operating system is completely re-installed, but you keep your files and installed programs. A side-effect of this process is a lot of leftover files that you may never use again, including an archived copy of the old Windows build that you just upgraded from. If you find yourself doing one of these upgrades, or if you just want to check for stuff you can get rid of, there are a few easy things you can do that don't require installing special software.

The Disk Cleanup tool

Every storage device in your computer has access to the Disk Cleanup tool. Find it by clicking the Start button, typing "disk cleanup" (without the quotes), and clicking the Disk Cleanup shortcut in your search results. (Click and drag this shortcut to your desktop or taskbar for easier access next time.) You can also find the tool by right-clicking a storage device in File Explorer, selecting Properties, and clicking the Disk Cleanup button to the right of the pie chart.

Sometimes the shortcut doesn't show up in your search results. If this is the case, instead of typing "disk cleanup, " type "free up disk space" (without the quotes). A phrase may work when the name of the program doesn't.

If you have a lot of stuff to clean up, it may take the tool several minutes to analyze your situation and get your cruft organized for deletion. Once that's done, you'll get a new window listing separate deletable elements. Some boxes are pre-checked, such as the one next to Temporary Internet Files.

Browser and thumbnail caches

Browser and thumbnail caches can consume several gigabytes if you use Internet Explorer or Edge as your main browser. When you load a webpage, it gets stored here for quicker access later, so cleaning out the cache can make future browsing slower.