If you’re battling with constant low hard drive space in your PC, it might be the perfect time to conduct a little declutter. 

This article will help you discover major storage hogs that are eating up a huge chunk of your space, and learn the easy ways to organize your files.

1. Examine your drive for memory hogs

Seeing a low-disk space warning doesn’t mean you need to delete every single file you find irrelevant. Take a step back first and analyze the whole picture.

For Windows users:

1. Open Settings > System > Storage. You’ll find here the breakdown of your drive.
2. Click specific categories to see more information, especially the “Others” category which has individual folders that might have large files in them.
3. Eliminate the ones you find irrelevant.

For Mac users:

1. Click the Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage. 
2. Click on the Manage button. You’ll see different categories in the sidebar for a list of large files.
3. Right-click your chosen files to delete them.

If you want a more advanced option, you can find third-party apps like PCTune PRO that can do a keen clean-up for you. It may be hard to get rid of files, but it would greatly benefit you in the long run.

2. Check any file duplication and clean them up

Most operating systems store temporary files like thumbnails and cached files that you can delete anytime. However, eliminating them will do you no good as they’ll just eventually come back. For a permanent solution, follow the steps below. 

For Windows users:

1. Click Start > Disk Cleanup.
2. You’ll then see a list of files you can delete. Click the OK button to free up space right away.
3. For more options, click “Clean up system files”.

If you want an automated process, you can do so using the Storage Sense feature. Just go to Settings > System > Storage and click on the Configure Store Sense link. Using this feature will enable you to delete temporary files or move some to OneDrive. You can set how frequently you want this process to run, or you can just leave it Off to conduct the clean-up yourself.

Mac users don’t have the same tool for cleaning up files. However, both Windows and Mac users can take advantage of free programs to perform the task. You just have to be specific on your needs so you can easily find the best alternative for you.

3. Import files to your external hard drive or Cloud storage

If deleting large files isn’t an option, then this point is perfect for you. Collate your files and import them to Cloud storage like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive for safekeeping. These offer limited free space, but you can upgrade anytime for more innovative features. Like any other advanced alternative, this would require you to invest some money to be able to get the amount of storage you need. 

Especially if your files are truly important, cloud storage is a great option. You may also use an external hard drive, however, it’s quite risky as it’s prone to viruses and may fail at some point. So, investing in a few more cloud storage won’t hurt.

Start cleaning up your disk space now

As you invest your time and resources in cleaning up your computer files, remember that there’s no one-time solution. Eventually, your disk space will be full, temporary files will return, and you’ll be back to square one once again.

If you encounter the same problem, head back to the steps mentioned and you’re good to go. But if doing the steps manually is too tiring for you, alternatives like PCTuneup PRO can be of great help. It has a wide array of functions that are all equipped to provide the best clean-up solutions for your computer, along with a dedicated support service for all related concerns.