Since Windows 98, Microsoft has included a built-in cleanup tool in the operating system. This trustworthy utility stood firm when users turned to third-party cleanup apps. Microsoft even announced that third-party apps are almost useless and that removing registry entries is not a good idea.
The Disk Cleanup tool can help remove temporary files, old changelogs, thumbnail caches, and other unnecessary files. It is free and secure as it comes with the operating system. We will list the quick ways to turn on Disk Cleanup in Windows and clear the clutter of your system. Let's get started.
The Start menu is the easiest way to access the Disk Cleanup utility. It makes it very convenient to search and open any program or file. Here's how to turn on Disk Cleanup using the Start menu
1. Press the Windows key to open the Start menu.
2. Type "Disk Cleanup" in the search bar and press Enter to open the "Disk Cleanup" app.
This will launch the Disk Cleanup tool window.
You can pin the Disk Cleanup tool to the Start menu or create a taskbar shortcut to launch it directly when you need to. Here's how:
1. Open the Start menu and type "Disk Cleanup".
2. Go to the right pane and click on the "Pin to Start Screen" option.
3. After that, click on the "Pin to taskbar" option.
Now, when you open the Start menu, Disk Cleanup will show up in the Pinned Apps section. Unless you manually delete it, it will also remain pinned to the taskbar.
The control panel is the central hub for most of the built-in tools and settings. Although Microsoft is working hard to move many of the options to the Settings app, most of them still redirect to the Control Panel. Here's how to run Disk Cleanup using Control Panel:
1. Press the Windows key + S shortcut key to open Windows Search, type "Control Panel", and then press Enter to start it.
2. In the Control Panel window, click on the "System and Security" option.
3. Scroll down and find the "Management Tools" section. Finally, click on the "Free Up Disk Space" option to initiate Disk Cleanup.
The Run dialog box also provides an easy way to start the application. Type the correct file path or matching command. Here's how:
1. Press the Windows key + R shortcut key to open the "Run" dialog box.
2. Type cleanmgr in the text input area, and then click the OK button or press Enter to open Disk Cleanup.
If you prefer to launch your application using a command-line approach, you can launch Disk Cleanup directly from a terminal window. This is a shorter way to access the app and can avoid using the GUI method to open the Control Panel or Settings. Here's how:
1. Press the windows key + S shortcut, type cmd, and then press enter.
2. Type the following command in the Command Prompt window and press Enter
cleanmgr
3. Disk Cleanup will start. Close the Command Prompt window.
The Disk Cleanup application is located in the syswow64 folder of the system drive (C:). Thus, you can access the C: drive and launch the tool using its executable. Here's how:
1. Press the Windows key + E shortcut key to open File Explorer.
2. Go to the address bar, type the following path, and press enter
c:\windows\syswow64\cleanmgr.exe
Most people only use Task Manager to end a process or disable the startup program. However, you can also use Task Manager to run new tasks. Repeat the following steps:
1. Press the Ctrl+Shift+ESC shortcut key to open the "Task Manager".
2. Go to the top bar of the "Processes" tab and click the "Run New Task" button.
3. Type cleanmgr. in the text input boxexe and press enter.
The Disk Cleanup utility will be launched on your system.
The window tool contains all the important tools for working with the core parts of the operating system. You can also start Disk Cleanup directly from this utility. Here's how:
1. Press the Windows key, type Windows Management Tools, and then press Enter.
2. Scroll down and find the Disk Cleanup tool on the page. Right-click on the "Disk Cleanup" icon and click on the "Open" option.
You can add a desktop shortcut to the Disk Cleanup tool for faster access to it. This way, you can switch to the desktop and avoid searching for the tool. Here's how:
1. Press the Windows key + D shortcut key to switch to the desktop.
2. Right-click on "Desktop" to open the context menu and click on the "New" option. Then, select the "Shortcuts" option from the menu.
3. In the "Create Shortcut" window, paste the following file path into the text box:
c:\windows\system32\cleanmgr.exec： \windows\system32\cleanmgr.exe
4. Click the "Next" button.
5. Type the name of the shortcut as "Disk Cleanup". Click the "Finish" button to close the "Create Shortcut" window.
6. You will see the newly created disk cleanup shortcut on your desktop. Finally, double-click on it to run the Disk Cleanup tool.