Fix Disk Cleanup Not Working on Windows 10/11
Disk Cleanup is a free utility that comes with all Windows systems and is meant for cleaning temporary files, system files, caches, old Windows updates, and so on. This utility is helpful for cleaning up disks without downloading some external applications. Nevertheless, sometimes it might happen that the Disk Cleanup utility doesn’t work correctly and freezes while scanning files or fails to delete selected files.
The reason for this problem may be corrupted temporary files, damaged system components, leftovers from Windows Update process, and so on. Fortunately, there are some ways to fix this issue.
Why Is Disk Cleanup Not Working?
It is helpful to know what the possible reasons are for the utility’s malfunction before taking any steps to fix it. Some of them are:
- Corrupted or excessive temporary files
- Windows system file damage
- Damage to the parts responsible for Windows Updates
- Disk-related or file system problems
- Lack of administrative rights
- Corruption of temporary installation files
- Disk Cleanup freezing while trying to calculate the available space
- A huge amount of system information to be processed
In case you face Disk Cleanup not working, follow these instructions.
#1: Run Disk Cleanup as Administrator
Some cleaning options need administrative access. Executing the tool in normal mode might thus cause the utility not to have access to some system files.
Steps to run the Disk Cleanup utility with Admin rights:
- First, press the Windows + S key together to open the search box.
- Search for Disk Cleanup.
- Right click on Disk Cleanup from the search result.
- Click on Run as administrator.
- Choose the disk that needs cleaning, which is generally the C: drive.
- Give Windows some time to calculate the amount of space that can be cleaned up.
- Choose the categories of the files to be cleaned.
- Click on OK and then click on Delete Files.
#2: Delete Temporary Files Manually
An abundance of temporary files sometimes causes problems with cleaning. It is helpful to clean them manually if you experience problems with the disk cleanup.
To delete the temporary files:
- Launch Run using Windows + R key combination.
- Type in %temp% and press Enter.
- Select all the files with Ctrl + A.
- Press Delete.
- In case Windows informs you that the file(s) cannot be deleted because they are being used, press Skip.
- Launch Run once again and type in temp.
- Delete the files that Windows permits.
- Do the same thing with prefetch, if Windows lets you do so.
Additionally, you can use Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files menu and choose unnecessary categories to be deleted.
#3: Use Storage Sense
Windows comes with Storage Sense as an additional and more recent option for automated management of unnecessary files. In case Disk Cleanup does not work, then Storage Sense may help you with several typical cleanup operations.
Open Settings → System → Storage and choose Temporary files. Windows will determine what categories of files are available. Select the files that you do not require anymore and press Remove files.
In addition, it is possible to configure Storage Sense to delete the necessary files automatically depending on your settings.
The described procedure is especially helpful if Disk Cleanup does not work.
#4: Run System File Checker
A corrupted Windows system file will affect the functionality of the in-built Windows tools. The System File Checker tool will scan the Windows protected system files and replace any of the corrupt components with the existing copies that have been stored on cache.
How to do this:
- First search for Command Prompt.
- Right-click it and choose “Run as administrator.”
Type in:
sfc /scannow
- Press Enter.
- Wait till the scan completes at 100%.
- Reboot your PC.
#5: Run DISM to Repair Windows Components
If the SFC tool is unable to fix particular files, then go for the DISM tool. This tool helps repair the Windows Component Store that is dependent upon SFC.
Open the Elevated Command Prompt window and type:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Wait till the task gets completed. The time taken by this process depends on the state of the Windows installation as well as the performance of the computer system.
Once DISM completes its work, restart the computer and execute the following command:
sfc /scannow
#6: Check the Drive for Errors
File system errors will prevent Windows tools from reading and making changes to certain files. Check Disk command can detect logical errors in the disk and fix them.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator and execute the following command:
chkdsk C: /f
If the Windows indicates that the drive is being used by the system, it may ask whether you want to schedule a scan at the next reboot. Type Y, hit Enter key and reboot the computer.
After the scan process finishes, try whether Disk Cleanup runs properly.
#7: Reset Windows Update Components
Windows Update keeps all the update files that it downloaded for installation purposes. Corruption of these components might make cleanup process involving update files impossible.
A typical troubleshooting procedure involves stopping the Windows Update related services, clearing the update cache and starting the services.
Open Command Prompt as Administrator and execute the following commands:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
Then go to:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
Delete everything from this directory, and then start the services:
net start wuauserv
net start bits
Restart Windows and run Disk Cleanup tool again. Do not delete any system directories except the ones listed above.
#8: Use the Disk Cleanup Command
In case there is any problem with the graphical interface of Disk Cleanup, one can run the cleanup configuration of this tool from Command Prompt.
Hit the combination Windows + R, then type:
cleanmgr /sageset:1
Click OK and select the cleanup categories to let Windows perform the cleanup task on them and hit OK.
Next, run Command Prompt as an administrator and execute the following command:
cleanmgr /sagerun:1
Windows will perform the cleanup task on the selected categories in the previous step.
#9: Find and Remove Duplicate Files
The Disk Cleanup tool is designed for deleting temporary and system-generated files. It is not intended to detect duplicate documents, images, videos, archives, etc. Therefore, even after a successful cleanup, a lot of disk space will still be occupied by the duplicate files.
In case duplicates are occupying significant disk space, it is recommended to use PCVITA Duplicate Photo Remover Software in order to find duplicates on the selected folders or disks, analyze the findings and delete them.
#10: Restart Windows and Try Again
Disk Cleanup may fail to work due to some temporary issues with the program itself. Files needed for removal can be locked by background programs and processes, while Windows operations might affect the process as well.
Close all the applications, restart the computer, and run the Disk Cleanup utility. In case Disk Cleanup does not work even after restarting the computer, go ahead with the methods described above.
What to Do If Disk Cleanup Still Does Not Work?
When the disk cleanup not working issue occurs despite the attempts to fix it through the above methods, check how much available space is left on the system drive and which categories take up the space. Windows Storage settings can help to see which applications, files, documents, and other information are taking up the storage space.
Make sure Windows and the user account have the latest updates and admin rights respectively. If the issue appeared due to some changes in the system, use Windows Recovery methods to solve the issue.
Do not forget to check the content of the files you want to delete. Otherwise, it can lead to extra problems with the computer system. It is better to save the important information before starting any cleanup processes.
Final Summary
Where disk cleanup does not work regularly, the reason for this could go from temporary file corruption to problems with the Windows system or disk problems. One should try the simplest measures like performing Disk Cleanup as an administrator, clearing temporary files and utilizing Storage Sense. In case that doesn’t work, one can use SFC, DISM, CHKDSK, or reset Windows Update components.
In the case of storage used up by duplicate files belonging to a person, a tool might prove more useful to delete duplicate files on the system. Combining the built-in Windows utilities with specific file management measures can help restore the disk space.