How to free disk space after updating Windows

Windows 10 and 11 receive updates every month, but this time, things are more special. Microsoft just launched the latest Windows 11 feature update, version 24H2, which packs quite a number of new features and changes. However, you will most likely notice that the update took away a massive chunk of disk space. This might become a serious problem on lower-end systems that do not have a lot of space on a system drive.

Here is how to fix the situation and clean up the C drive after installing Windows 11 version 24H2 or another big update. In a nutshell, Windows keeps the pre-update version for emergencies to let you roll back in case of issues. That old copy usually takes over 20GB of free space.

If you are not there yet, check out our guides detailing how to update to Windows 11 version 24H2 on supported systems and how to do that if your computer is not supported.

Clean disk C after installing a Windows update

It is worth mentioning right off the bat that cleaning up the system drive after a major Windows update will prevent you from going back. Consider this fact before purging the old Windows installation since you will have no way to roll back the update in case of serious bugs or issues, and the only way to solve the problem would be to clean-install Windows from scratch.

1. Press Win + I to launch Windows Settings.
2. Navigate to System > Storage and wait for the system to scan the contents of the C drive.
3. Click Temporary Files and wait again—Windows will check what can be safely deleted.

   

4. Place the checkmark next to "Previous Windows Installation(s)" and "Delivery Optimization Files."
   Note: As of right now, there is an allegedly known issue where Windows 11 won't let you clear 8.6GB of data. If it stays after running a disk cleanup, leave it be and wait for Microsoft to release a fix.

   

5. You can tick additional options. Just be careful not to delete the content of the Downloads folder accidentally (that option is not selected by default).
6. Click "Remove files" and wait for Windows to complete the process.

Free space on disk C after updating Windows—another option

Windows 11 still has a lot of legacy components, which means processes can be completed using modern and old interfaces. That is the case with disk cleanup in Windows 11. If you want some nostalgia, here is how to clean disk C using the legacy UI:

1. Press Win + R and type cleanmgr. Alternatively, open the Start menu and type Disk Cleanup.
2. Select Disk C and click Ok.
3. Click "Clean up system files." This command will let Windows find previous installations and delete them.

   

4. Wait for the scan to complete and place a checkmark next to the "Previous Windows installation(s)" option.

   

5. Click Ok and wait for the process to complete.

That is how you clean disk C after installing a major Windows update.