If your Windows 10 computer is running slow, it could be because you have too many large files taking up space on your hard drive. If you’re not sure where to start, this guide will show you the fastest way to find and delete large files on your Windows 10 PC. Follow the steps below to get started.
Search for the Larger Files using File Explorer
To find the largest files on a Windows 10 computer, follow these steps:
- Open the File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon in the taskbar or pressing the Windows key + E on your keyboard.
- In the File Explorer, navigate to the location where you want to search for large files. This can be a specific folder, a drive, or your entire computer.
- In the search box at the top of the File Explorer window, type “size:gigantic” without the quotes and press Enter. This will search for files that are larger than 1 GB in size.
- The search results will appear in the File Explorer window, sorted by size with the largest files at the top.
- To see the exact size of a file, right-click on it and select “Properties” from the context menu. The size of the file will be displayed in the “General” tab of the properties window.
- To delete a large file that you no longer need, right-click on it and select “Delete” from the context menu. You can also move it to a different location or compress it to save space on your hard drive.
By following these steps, you can easily find and manage the largest files on your Windows 10 computer.
Search for the Larger Files using TreeSize Application
To find larger files on a Windows computer using the TreeSize Free application, follow these steps:
- Download and install the TreeSize Free application from the following website: https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/
- Launch the TreeSize Free application by double-clicking on its shortcut icon on the desktop or from the Start menu.
- In the TreeSize Free application window, navigate to the location where you want to search for large files. This can be a specific folder, a drive, or your entire computer.
- In the “Folder” field at the top of the TreeSize Free application window, type the path of the location where you want to search for large files, or click on the “Browse” button and navigate to the location.
- In the “Search” field at the top of the TreeSize Free application window, type “size:>1gb” without the quotes and press Enter. This will search for files that are larger than 1 GB in size.
- The search results will appear in the TreeSize Free application window, sorted by size with the largest files at the top.
- To see the exact size of a file, right-click on it and select “Properties” from the context menu. The size of the file will be displayed in the “Properties” window.
- To delete a large file that you no longer need, right-click on it and select “Delete” from the context menu. You can also move it to a different location or compress it to save space on your hard drive.
By following these steps, you can easily find and manage the largest files on your Windows computer using the TreeSize Free application.
Search for the Larger Files using Command Prompt
To find larger files on a Windows computer using the Command Prompt, follow these steps:
- Open the Command Prompt by clicking on the “Start” button, typing “cmd” in the search box, and pressing Enter on your keyboard.
- In the Command Prompt window, navigate to the location where you want to search for large files. This can be a specific folder, a drive, or your entire computer.
- To navigate to a specific location, type the “cd” command followed by the path of the location and press Enter. For example, to navigate to the “C:” drive, type “cd C:” and press Enter.
- To search for files that are larger than 1 GB in size, type the following command and press Enter:
dir /s /b /a-d /o:gen /tc >files.txt
findstr /m /c:"<1000000000" files.txt
- The search results will be saved in a text file called “files.txt” in the current location. To view the results, type the following command and press Enter:
type files.txt
- The search results will appear in the Command Prompt window, sorted by size with the largest files at the top. The size of each file will be displayed in bytes.
- To delete a large file that you no longer need, type the following command and press Enter:
del <file name>
Replace “<file name>” with the name of the file you want to delete. For example, to delete a file called “largefile.txt”, type “del largefile.txt” and press Enter.
By following these steps, you can use the Command Prompt to find and manage the largest files on your Windows computer.
Conclusion
Both the TreeSize Free application and the Command Prompt can be used to find and manage large files on a Windows computer. The steps for using each are slightly different, but they both provide a quick and easy way to locate and delete unwanted files that are taking up valuable space on your hard drive. Which of these methods will you use to clean up your computer?
