1. Uninstall programs and apps you don’t need – Look for any large programs you haven’t used in a while, or apps you installed and forgot about. You can usually uninstall these programs through the Control Panel > Uninstall a Program or the programs folder in your start menu.
2. Delete large files – Check your Downloads folder and delete any large files that you no longer need.
3. Clean up your hard drive – Most PCs come with built-in disk cleanup tools. Use them to delete temporary files and other unneeded items.
4. Move files to an external drive – If needed, transfer large files or entire folders to an external drive. This will free up space on your computer’s hard drive.
5. Disable hibernation – Hibernation mode can take up a large portion of hard drive memory. To disable it, type Power Options into the Start menu, click Choose What the Power Buttons Do, and uncheck the Hibernate box.
6. Use cloud storage – Move photos and documents to a cloud storage service such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
7. Disable system restore – System Restore can eat up a lot of hard drive space. You can disable it by typing Create a restore point into the Start menu and then selecting System Properties > System Protection.