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Samuelyur's avatar
Samuelyur
Copper Contributor
Feb 27, 2026

Best way to free up space on c drive without losing data?

Recently, got my Surface Laptop 2 upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11. The free disk space in c drive was almost full after downloading the latest update. This old laptop comes with a 256GB SSD on...
Axton-X's avatar
Axton-X
Brass Contributor
Feb 28, 2026

The Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image command is a powerful utility in Windows that helps clean up and optimize your system, reclaiming storage space without compromising your data.

What does Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image do for free up space on C drive without losing data?

  • Cleanup-Image is the option that performs the actual cleanup. It can be used to:
  • CheckHealth: Scans system components for potential corruption and resolves the issue if found.
  • CheckForUpdate: Scans for available updates to Windows components.
  • ComponentStoreCleanup: Cleans up the component store by removing superseded or failed updates.
  • RestoreHealth: Restores the health of the system by repairing any issues found by the CheckHealth option.

How to to Free Up Space on C Drive Without Losing Data:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Right-click on the Start menu and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows PowerShell (Admin)".

2. Execute the Command: Type in the following command and press Enter:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This command will check your system for any corruption or issues and attempt to fix them. If there are any superseded or failed updates in the component store, it will remove them to free up space.