Disk Cleanup Not Working in Windows 10 & 11

By Timothy Tibbetts

on 06/22/2023

Windows 10 includes a simple drive cleaning app called Disk Cleanup. If it is not working, or working properly, here are some options to consider.

1: Disk Cleanup Not Working in Windows 10 - Delete Files Manually

You can easily delete all of your temp files manually.

Press the Windows Key + R, type in %temp%, and press Enter.

Press Ctrl + A to highlight all of the files on the right, and press the Delete button.

If you're not comfortable, try the next step.

2: Disk Cleanup Not Working in Windows 10 - Use Storage Sense

If you did the first step, you could continue to the next step.

Clean out your temporary files with Storage Sense.

3: Disk Cleanup Not Working in Windows 10 - Use a Third-Party Drive Cleaner

Technically, this should be the first suggestion, but we're assuming you like Disk Cleanup. The fact is that Disk Cleanup is basic, and numerous, completely free, drive cleaning apps do a better job safely.

Sometime back, we compared the three best drive cleaners. These three options are your best choices and have been for years.

CCleaner - https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/ccleaner_standard.html
PrivaZer - https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/privazer.html
Wise Disk Cleaner - https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/wise_disk_cleaner.html

4: Disk Cleanup Not Working in Windows 10 - Run DISM & System File Checker

You will need to first open the Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator.

Type in DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press enter. This may take a few minutes.

2: Running System File Checker

All you need to do is type in sfc /scannow and press the Enter key.

Similar:

How to Run Disk Cleanup Automatically with All Items Checked

How to Analyze Drive Space With Microsoft DiskUsage

How to Add Disk Cleanup to Context Menu in Windows 10