5 Ways to Delete Temporary Files on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• To easily clear temporary files in Windows, navigate to Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files.
• You can also use the Disk Cleanup tool or run a command in Command Prompt to remove temporary files.
• Enabling the Storage Sense feature allows Windows to automatically delete temporary files at specified intervals.

Method 1: Clear Temporary Files Using the Settings App

The Settings app on Windows gives you a complete breakdown of different temporary files stored on your PC. Here’s how you can use it to get rid of temporary files.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to System > Storage.

Step 2: Click on Temporary files.

Step 3: Windows will present you with a list of different temporary files along with the amount of storage occupied.

Step 4: Use the checkboxes to select the files that you want to delete. Once selected, you’ll see the amount of storage occupied by the selected files at the top.

Warning: This list also includes files you’ve downloaded from the internet. If you want to keep those files, make sure you uncheck Downloads.

Step 5: Finally, click the Remove files button.

Method 2: Clear Temporary Files With Disk Cleanup

Another way to clear temporary files on Windows is via the Disk Cleanup utility. Unlike the Settings app, Disk Cleanup lets you clear temporary files for each drive partition separately. Here’s how to use it.

Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar, type in disk cleanup, and select the first result that appears.

Step 2: Use the drop-down menu to select a drive from which you wish to clear temporary files. Then, click OK.

Step 3: Under Files to delete, use the checkboxes to select the temporary files you want to remove. You can select a file type to view its description.

Step 4: After you select relevant options, you’ll see how much total storage those files occupy. Then, click OK to proceed.

Step 5: When a confirmation prompt appears, click the Delete Files button.

Method 3: Clear Temporary Files Manually From the Temp Folder

On Windows, the Temp folder serves as the storage location for all temporary files. Emptying this folder is another way to delete temporary files on Windows 11. Here’s how you can go about it.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Type %temp% in the Open field and press Enter.

Step 2: Press Ctrl + A to select all the files and folders within the Temp folder and click the trash icon at the top to delete them.

Method 4: Clear Temporary Files Using the Command Prompt

If you’re an avid Windows user who is familiar with Command Prompt, you can also clear temporary files on Windows with a single command. Here’s how:

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.

Step 3: Paste the following command in the console and press Enter to clear all the temporary files.

del /q/f/s %TEMP%\*

Method 5: Clear Temporary Files Automatically Using Storage Sense

Although cleaning temporary files is quite easy, repeating this task manually every few weeks can be tedious. Thankfully, Windows 11 also lets you automate this entire process using Storage Sense. Here’s how:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to System > Storage.

Step 2: Under Storage management, enable the switch next to Storage Sense.

Step 3: Click on Storage Sense to view additional settings.

Step 4: Under Cleanup of temporary files, check the box that reads Keep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning up temporary system and app files.

Step 5: Turn on the Automatic User content cleanup option to configure cleanup schedules.

Step 6: Use the drop-down menu under Run Storage Sense to select from the available options: Every day, Every week, Every month, or During low free disk space.

You can also configure Storage Sense to delete files from the Recycle Bin and the Downloads folder at regular intervals.

Windows will automatically run storage sense based on the selected configuration and delete temporary files from your PC. Alternatively, you can run the Storage Sense manually by hitting the Run Storage Sense now button.