How do I free up disk space on my computer?


Table of Contents

Windows

Use Disk Cleanup to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your disk, free up space, and help your computer run faster. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need.

If you're using a Deakin Desktop PC, you can run "Disk Cleanup" from the Software Center. This will run a cleanup with settings optimised for Deakin Desktop.

For more information about deleting files from the Recycle Bin, see Permanently delete files from the Recycle Bin.

Note: University files are not to be stored in consumer services such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Instead, store them in Microsoft OneDrive, which online storage to all Deakin staff and students. When you store files in Microsoft OneDrive, you can use the Files on Demand feature for Windows to offload files you don't use often back to the OneDrive online service. They won't take up space on your drive, and you can get them back when you need them with a click.

 

Mac

View Apple's See used and available storage space on your Mac article to find out how much storage space you have, and how much remains free.

There are several ways to make more disk space available. See theFree up storage space Apple support article to clean up files you no longer need.

Note: University files are not to be stored in consumer services such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Instead, store them in Microsoft OneDrive, which provides online storage to all Deakin staff and students. When you store files in Microsoft OneDrive, you can use the Files on Demand feature for Mac to offload files you don't use often back to the OneDrive online service. They won't take up space on your drive, and you can get them back when you need them with a click.

If you're using a Deakin Desktop Mac, you can also use Self Service to install OmniDiskSweeper, a utility that helps you find files and folders consuming the most space on your drive.

For more information about deleting files from the Trash (sometimes labelled Bin), see Delete files and folders on Mac.

Warning: We strongly recommend you do not install automatic system cleaners such as CleanMyMac, MacKeeper and TuneUpMyMac, as they are known to cause system stability and data loss problems, and in some cases are malware.