How to remove downloaded files from your computer

Uninstalling the program should be accompanied by removing the Disk Images also. This will free a greater amount of space. Once you have located the file, you can drag the file to the trash can or just right click on the file and then press delete. There is a huge range of file application managers available online. These application managers can easily be downloaded and then operated on devices that run on android. Once you have installed the application manager, for the sake of understanding lets explore with the ES File Explorer , you need to open it.

A screen will appear having all the files on the phone, you need to locate the folder marked downloads. Once you open the download folder you will be able to view all the files that you have downloaded on to your mobile device.

Once you are in the folder and you have located the file that you want to delete, all you have to do is press delete. The first step is to locate the files that you want to delete.

In iOS you want don't get to see all of your downloads in one location. You have to access the file that you want to delete using the application that is used to handle them. Once you have the file to view, all you have to do is swipe the file and the delete option will become visible. List of Partners vendors. By Daniel N. Daniel N. He is a professional librarian and an experienced tech and information literacy teacher. Tweet Share Email.

Browsers Chrome Safari Firefox Microsoft. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Tell us why! More from Lifewire. How to Delete Temporary Files in Windows. How to Delete and Clear Cookies on an iPhone. How to Delete Downloads on Any Platform. If you want to remove OneDrive files from your local computer without deleting them from your cloud storage you have two choices.

If you want to make sure that you're always able to access OneDrive files on your local PC, even when you're offline, you need to make sure a local copy is available at all times. The icon will change to a white tick in a green circle and the selected files will sync to your PC.

It could take a few minutes, depending on the files' size. Once the process is complete, any changes you make to the files on other computers will automatically be reflected in your local copy. Perhaps you've finished working on a project and you're now happy for the old files to live in the cloud where they won't take up space on your hard drive.

Delete old system restore points optional. Windows automatically creates images of your computer it can restore in the event of an emergency. If you're running low on space, you can free some up by deleting old restore points that have been replaced by newer ones.

To do this: Click the More Options tab at the top. Click Delete to delete all but the most recent system restore point. Return to the Disk Cleanup tab when you're done to continue. Select files to delete. In addition to the same sorts of files you were able to select earlier, you have some more options: Windows Update Cleanup files can take up a significant amount of space and are only used to install Windows Updates.

Windows will automatically download the latest update files in the future, so you probably won't need to keep these older ones unless instructed by an admin. Microsoft Defender Antivirus are non-critical files used by your antivirus program that can safely be deleted. Device driver packages, Language Resource Files , and Temporary Windows installation files are all meant to be temporary and can be deleted without issue.

A confirmation message will appear. Once the files are deleted, Disk Cleanup will close automatically. Method 2. Open your Windows Storage settings. Windows keeps track of the types of files consuming space on your hard drive and makes it simple to delete the ones you no longer need.

The Windows Storage tool makes it easy to find personal files and apps that you no longer need. Type storage into the search bar. Click Storage settings in the search results. Find the files consuming the most space on your hard drive. Once your storage settings load, you'll see the name of your hard drive e.

Each category is a type of file, and each has its own bar indicator telling you how much space is being used by that file type. To view all categories, click Show more categories below the list. Click a category to view its details. This shows you how much space is occupied by files in this category, and gives you options depending on the type of files you chose. For example, if you selected Temporary files , you'll see a list of all files meant to be temporary on your computer.

If you choose Music , Pictures , or Desktop , you'll see how much space is consumed by the files in those specific folders. You can click the View button inside to see the actual files. Delete files you no longer need. Be super careful here—just because Windows determines that a file or folder is large, that doesn't mean it isn't important to you or someone else who uses the computer.

Only delete files that you are sure you no longer need. To delete a file or folder, click it once to select it, and then press the delete key on your keyboard. You can also drag it over to the Recycle Bin. Temporary files lists the types of temporary files Windows can delete and allows you to select from a list. After making your selection s , click Remove files at the top to delete those types of files.

Method 3. Open Storage Sense on your PC. Storage Sense is a handy part of Windows 10 that can help you keep your hard drive s free of clutter and unnecessary files. Go to source You can use Storage Sense to periodically go through and clear out files, or enable its automatic cleanup feature so it works behind the scenes to preserve hard drive space.

Storage Sense is one of the safest ways to get rid of excess files on your PC. Type storage. Click Turn on Storage Sense in the search results. Click Configure Storage Sense or run it now. It's near the top of the right panel below the description of Storage Sense.