Forum Discussion
Asaoniu
Feb 28, 2026Copper Contributor
How to find out what's taking up space on a C drive in windows 11?
My Windows 11 laptop is showing that the C drive is almost full, but I have no idea what is actually taking up all the space. I don’t store many large files like videos or games, so I’m confused abou...
PhoenixAdler
Feb 28, 2026Iron Contributor
Many users struggle with low disk space on the C: drive, but Windows has a built-in tool to help you find out what is taking so much space on my C: drive. It clearly shows how storage is used across different categories.
How to find out what is taking so much space on my C: drive
- Press the Windows Key + I to open Settings.
- Go to System > Storage.
- You will see a bar showing your used space. Below that, click "Show more categories."
- What to look for:
- System and reserved space: This encompasses the Windows operating system itself, along with hibernation files and virtual memory, which collectively may exceed 10GB.
- Temporary files: These include files from Windows Update clean-ups or previous Windows installations, which can be safely deleted.
- Installed applications: Sort by size to identify any unused applications occupying over 5GB of space.
Using this native Windows feature, you can swiftly and accurately pinpoint the root cause of excessive space usage on your C drive, then safely clear redundant large files to free up disk space.