How to Open Storage Settings in Windows 10

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Free up space using Windows 10 storage settings

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: March 17, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Opening Storage Settings
|
• Troubleshooting
|
• Ways to Free Storage
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

It's a good practice to keep a tab on how your device storage is allocated. It makes sure that your device doesn't slow down due to unnecessary files that accumulate over time. You can use the Windows Storage settings to analyze your PC's storage and clear those temporary files to free up space. Here's how to open the storage settings in Windows 10, what to do if it freezes, and tips to clear up space.

Quick Steps

1. Open Settings.
2. Click System.
3. Click Storage.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Opening Storage Settings

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1. 
   1
   Open your Settings. Click the Start menu and select the cog icon. A new window will open.

   • Alternatively, press the Win key + I on your keyboard to quickly open the settings menu.
2. 
   2
   Click System. You can find this option towards the top of the window.
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3. 
   3
   Click Storage. This option is in the left panel, underneath Power & sleep or Battery.
4. 
   4
   View your storage usage. You'll see categories listed below your disks. The categories using the most storage will be at the top, while categories using the least storage will be at the bottom.

   • You can use this information to determine what files are taking up the most space on your computer.
   • Categories approaching their limit will be indicated by a red bar.
   • If your Windows device struggles with speed, loading, or other issues, you may want to free up some storage.
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Section 2 of 3:

Troubleshooting

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1. 
   1
   Force-restart the Settings program. If the Storage Settings window is frozen, you can force-close it and then try to open it again. To force close an app), do the following:

   • Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
   • Click the Processes tab.
   • Select Settings.
   • Click End task.
   • Open Storage Settings again.
2. 
   2
   Restart Windows Explorer. This is responsible for many aspects of your computer display, such as your Start menu, taskbar, system tray, and more. If you can't open your storage settings or interact with any of the options, you can try restarting Windows Explorer. Do the following:

   • Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
   • Click the Processes tab.
   • Select Settings.
   • Right-click Windows Explorer.
   • Select Restart.
3. 
   3
   Restart your computer. Sometimes, a quick restart can fix minor software bugs with your Windows PC. Once you fully restart your computer, try to open the storage settings again.
4. 
   4
   Update your computer. Updates provide important fixes. You can check for updates by typing "check for updates" in the Start menu and clicking the first option. Click Check for updates to see available updates.
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Section 3 of 3:

Ways to Free Storage

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1. 
   1
   Clear temporary files. This is a category listed in the storage settings window, usually at the bottom. To clear available temporary files, do the following:

   • Click Temporary files and wait for the results to load.
   • Check the files you want to remove.
     • If you don't want to delete the files in your Downloads folder, be sure to uncheck the box next to "Downloads."
   • Click Remove files.
2. 
   2
   Use the Storage Sense feature. This built-in feature helps you manage your drive space by automatically deleting items like temporary files and items in the Recycle Bin. These files can easily build up over time and take up precious space on your computer. To use it, do the following:

   • Open the Storage settings.
   • Click Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
   • Toggle on Storage Sense.
   • Click the Run Storage Sense drop-down menu
   • Select an option for when to run Storage Sense.
   • To free up space now, click Clean now at the bottom.
3. 
   3
   Change where new files are saved. If new files are saved in a folder that you often overlook, it's easy to let them pile up. If this is an issue, you can try changing the default save location to somewhere more accessible. Do the following:

   • Open the Storage settings.
   • Click Change where new content is saved.
   • Click the drop-down menu and select a new save location.
   • Repeat for all content types.
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Tips

• Search for "Storage" in the Start menu and select Storage from the search results to quickly open the storage settings in Windows 10.
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