6 Ways to Run Disk Cleanup on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Press the Windows key, search Disk Cleanup, and click to run it on Windows 11.
• Open the Run dialog using the Windows + R shortcut, type cleanmgr and press Enter to launch Disk Cleanup.

Method 1: Run the Disk Cleanup Utility From the Control Panel

The Control Panel app houses a majority of crucial system tools and Windows settings. Consequently, you can open it to run the Disk Cleanup utility.

Step 1: Press the Windows key, search Control Panel, and click to open it.

Step 2: Switch View by to Category and select System and Security.

Step 3: Locate Windows Tools and click on Free up disk space to run Disk Cleanup on Windows 11.

Method 2: Use Command Line Tools to Run Disk Cleanup

If you prefer launching apps from the command line, use Command Prompt to run the Disk Cleanup utility tool.

Step 1: Press the Windows key > search CMD > select Run as administrator.

Step 2: Type cleanmgr in the console window and press Enter to run Disk Cleanup.

Method 3: Open Disk Cleanup From the File Explorer

The Disk Cleanup application resides in the SysWOW64 folder of your Windows 11 system drive. You can access it using the File Explorer app and run it using its executable file.

Press the Windows + E shortcut to open File Explorer > paste the following path in the address bar > press Enter to run Disk Cleanup.

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cleanmgr.exe

Method 4: Use Task Manager to Run Disk Cleanup

Besides managing system processes and disabling the startup apps, Task Manager can help you run the Disk Cleanup utility.

Step 1: Open Task Manager using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut > select Processes from the left sidebar > click on Run new task.

Step 2: Type cleanmgr.exe in the text input and press Enter.

Method 5: Access Windows Tools to Run Disk Cleanup

Windows Tools contains all the important tools to deal with the core parts of the operating system. You can directly launch Disk Cleanup using it on Windows 11.

Step 1: Press the Windows key > search Windows Tools > and click to open it.

Step 2: Locate Disk Cleanup in the list, right-click its icon, and select Open to launch it.

Method 6: Create a Shortcut to Run Disk Cleanup

If you frequently use Disk Cleanup, you can create a desktop shortcut to access it conveniently.

Step 1: Right-click anywhere in the empty desktop area and select New > Shortcut.

Step 2: Copy-paste the following path in the textbox and click on Next.

C:\WINDOWS\system32\cleanmgr.exe

Step 3: Type Disk Cleanup as the shortcut name and select Finish. Double-click the created shortcut to run Disk Cleanup on Windows 11.