How to Free Up Disk Space on Windows 8 [100% Working]

By

Sherly 

Written by

Cici 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

After using your hard drive for some time, your computer might prompt you to free up disk space. This usually happens when your C drive or a disk partition doesn't have enough available space.

This can cause your device to run slower, and applications may start responding slowly to commands and services. This article will help you identify the problem with a free disk space analyzer, and free up space on your Windows 8 hard drive.

What is taking up disk space on my Windows 8 computer?

Drive C is the primary partition/drive in a Windows operating system that stores the OS, system files, other applications, and related files. When it's full, your computer's performance can be affected.

Here are some possible reasons why your Windows 8 disk space might be full:

• Large downloaded files (the default download folder is on the C drive). • Swap files. • Temporary and hidden files. • Backup files. • Old Windows installation files. • A corrupted file system. • A virus or malware attack, and more.

If you're constantly plagued by insufficient SSD space, you can follow this guide to effectively address it:

How to Find Out What's Taking Up Space on Your SSD

Learn how to discover what's occupying your SSD space in detail for a smooth computing experience.

If you want to view the content that is taking up disk space, we recommend using a professional disk analyzer - Free Partition Master. It can easily check the status of your disk space and provide users with multiple options.

< strong > Step 1: Launch Partition Master, click on < strong > Discover on the left, and download the < strong > Space Analyzer under the Popular Tools.

< strong > Step 2. In the Space Analyzer window, select the disk you want to analyze and click < strong > Analyze in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Wait for a moment, and you will see the detailed data. You can click on Files/Folders to view different types of data, and then click on the small folder icon to view more information inside the file.

Understanding why your hard drive might be full can help you free up space more effectively, so read on to learn how to do this in Windows.

How to Free Up Disk Space on Windows 8 - 8 Solutions

The following tested methods can help you free up disk space on Windows 8/10/11 or any other version. But before you proceed, make sure to back up your disk files so you can restore them in case of accidental deletion.

1. Extend a Disk Partition

Extending a drive partition is very effective when you run out of space on the C drive. You can use third-party apps, such as Partition Master, to do this. The app's “Extend Partition” feature lets you expand the C drive partition as much as you need.

To extend a disk partition and free up space in Windows 8, you can use the Partition Master tool and follow these steps:

Step 1: Locate the target partition.

Enter the partition manager, find the target partition, and choose Resize/Move.

Select the partition to extend

Step 2: Extend the target partition

Drag the partition panel right or left to add unallocated space into the current partition, and then click “OK” to confirm.

Extra option: Get space from another drive

If there isn't enough unallocated space, right-click a large partition with enough room and select “Allocate Space.”

Then, in the “Allocate space to” column, select the partition you want to extend.

Step 3: Perform the operation to extend the partition

Drag the partition you want to resize to the unallocated space, and then click OK.

Click the Run Task button, and then click Apply to save all your changes.

With more powerful features like converting MBR to GPT, the Partition Master tool enables you to manage your disk or partition. So, download the app now and give it a try.

2. Remove unnecessary/trash files

Useless files on your disk take up a lot of room, leaving no space for your important ones. Thus, in Windows 8, deleting this unnecessary junk is the easiest and best way to free up disk space.

To get rid of these files, you can use the Partition Master tool or the built-in Windows utility – Disk Cleanup, as described below:

Step 1: Run Disk Cleanup and choose “Clean up system files.”

Step 2: Choose the file type you want to delete, and select it to view a summary of that file type.

Step 3: Click "OK" and the file should be deleted.

3. Delete temporary files with Disk Cleanup 3. Delete temporary files with Disk Cleanup

Windows temporary files are files that are stored temporarily while a task is being performed, and are supposed to be deleted afterward. However, they can take up a lot of hard drive space and don't always get deleted permanently on their own. You'll have to delete these files manually in order to free up disk space in Windows 8.

Here's how to clean up temporary files using Disk Cleanup:

< strong > Step 1 : Open Disk Cleanup and select the files to delete.

Step 2: Select the temporary files, then click OK, and then click Yes to confirm.

Step 3: Make sure you have closed the System Properties dialog box.

4. Uninstall unused software

If your computer is cluttered with too many programs, uninstalling the ones you don't need can free up disk space. However, deleting a program's shortcut from your desktop doesn't do anything.

You can free up disk space on your Windows 8 computer by following these steps:

Step 1: Open the Control Panel and select Programs, then Uninstall a program.

Step 2: Select the program you want to uninstall, and then click "Uninstall/Change."

Step 3: Then follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the program.

5. Move large files to another drive

If your computer still shows low disk space after deleting temporary and unnecessary files, there might be some very large files on the disk. You can move these large files to another drive on your computer to free up space on the disk.

With the help of the Todo PCTrans tool, you can transfer large installed programs and files from your C drive to another or external hard drive without having to reinstall them.

The steps are as follows:

Step 1. Run Todo PCTrans on your computer. Select "Large File Cleaner" and click "Start" to proceed.

Step 2. Select the disk you want to scan and click “Scan”.

Step 3: After the scan, files larger than 20 MB will be listed. Select the ones you want to move and choose the target disk. (You can click the triangle icon to choose the destination or hit "Browse" to pick the location you prefer.)

4. Click the "Move" button, then select the files in the pop-up window and click "Move" again.

The Todo PCTrans application has several features, including junk file cleaning, hard drive formatting, and it can even help you get rid of issues if your disk space is full due to viruses or malware. You can download the Todo PCTrans tool from its official website.

6. Disable Sleep

Hibernate allows your hard drive to control power, and often protects your system from power surges. However, the “Hiberfil.sys” file takes up a lot of space and can slow down your computer. If you need to free up disk space quickly in Windows 8, it's best to disable Hibernation.

Follow the instructions below to disable hibernation through the Command Prompt:

Step 1: Click on "Start," and type in cmd. (Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.)

Step 2: Type powercfg.exe /hibernate off and press Enter.

This two-step process disables the sleep mode, allowing your disk to run at full speed.

7. Defragment the hard drive on Windows 8

Without regular defragmentation, your computer may run slowly and take longer to start up. Excessive fragmentation can also lead to system crashes or issues with available disk space.

So, you can use a disk defragmenter tool to handle it. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click the Search button and look for “Defragment and Optimize Drives.”

Step 2: You can set the disk's defragmentation schedule from the “Optimize Drives” menu. Select the drive you want to modify and click “Change settings.”

Step 3: If the disk is not set to defragment automatically, you can do it manually. Select the drive and click on the "Optimize" button.

This could take some time, because bundling up the pieces is a laborious process.

8. Upgrade to a Larger HDD/SSD

If you're unable to delete any files from your disk and need to store everything without sacrificing system performance, you might need to upgrade your HDD or SSD to a larger model.

As moving all the data to a new HDD or SSD can be tricky, you might need a dedicated tool like Partition Master. In Windows 10/8/7, the utility's Clone feature lets you clone an SSD or HDD to a larger disk without losing any data.

With the cloning feature of Partition Master, you can migrate your files to a larger SSD without having to reinstall Windows and programs.

Here are the steps you might need to follow to clone an HDD or SSD using a cloning tool:

Step 1: Select the source disk.

Click "Clone" from the left-hand menu. Choose "Clone System Disk" or "Clone Data Disk," then click "Next." Select the source disk, then click "Next."

Step 2: Select the target disk.

Select the desired HDD/SSD as the target disk and click “Next” to proceed. Read the warning message and confirm by clicking the “Yes” button.

Step 3: Review the disk layout and edit the target disk partition sizes as necessary.

When prompted that all data on the target disk will be erased, click “Continue” (make sure to back up any important data on your target disk beforehand).

You can choose to “Automatically adjust the disk size,” “Clone the source disk size,” or “Edit disk layout.” (Choose the last option if you want to allocate more space for the C drive.)

Step 4: Click “Start” to begin the disk cloning process.

It's amazing how one tool can solve all your problems, isn't it? So, what are you waiting for? Download it now to free up your Windows 8 disk space and manage your hard drive.

Conclusions

The simplest solution is to delete all unnecessary junk files and programs from your hard drive, but if that doesn't work, a third-party tool can help you with this issue.

AOMEI Partition Assistant also makes it easy to address all your partitioning, virus, disk fragmentation, file transfer between disks or SSDs, and disk cleanup issues from a single console.

And what better tool for the job than Partition Master, an app that can clean up drive partitions and keep your system performing at its best? So, without further ado, perform the fixes mentioned above to free up disk space on your Windows 8/10/2011 and enjoy an uninterrupted system experience.

Here are some useful tips on freeing up disk space. Click here to read more:

Frequently Asked Questions about Freeing Up Disk Space in Windows 8

Hopefully, you won't run into any more disk storage errors. But if you still have questions about freeing up disk space in Windows 8, check out this FAQ.

Does Windows 8.1 have Disk Cleanup?

Yes. Type "Disk Cleanup" in the search box on the taskbar, and then select it from the results list to open the built-in Disk Cleanup app for Windows.

2. What's taking up all the room on my Windows 8 machine?

The following files might be taking up space on your Windows 8 computer:

• Temporary files
• Backup files
• Installation files
• Viruses or malware
• Unmanaged download files

All of these files can become quite large and take up a lot of space. So, you'll likely need to delete or format partitions to make sure everything runs smoothly.

3. How do I lower Windows 8's disk usage, which is at 100%?

High disk usage on a Windows 8 system can be caused by several factors, such as hard drive issues, too many background processes, or outdated drivers. Here are some steps to help you reduce the disk usage on your Windows 8 computer: 1. **Check for Running Processes:** - Press `Ctrl + Shift + Esc` to open the Task Manager. - Go to the "Processes" tab and sort by "Disk" usage. - Identify any applications or processes using a significant amount of disk activity and consider closing them if not essential. 2. **Update Drivers:** - Press `Win + X` and choose "Device Manager." - Browse through the list of devices and expand categories like "Sound, video and game controllers," "Network adapters," etc. - Right-click on each device and select "Update driver." - Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software" and follow the prompts. 3. **Disable Superfetch Service:** - Open the "Run" dialog box by pressing `Win + R`. - Type `services.msc` and hit Enter. - Locate the "Superfetch" service, right-click it, and select "Properties." - Change the "Startup type" to "Disabled" and click "Stop" to stop the service if it's running. 4. **Defragment Your Hard Drive:** - Press `Win + X` and choose "Disk Defragmenter." - Select the drive you want to defragment and click "Analyze." - If the drive needs defragmentation, click "Defragment." 5. **Check for Malware:** - Install a reputable antivirus software (if you don't have one already) and perform a full system scan. - Remove any detected malware or viruses. 6. **Limit Startup Programs:** - Open Task Manager and go to the "Startup" tab. - Disable programs with high "Startup Impact" that you don't need to start automatically. 7. **Update Windows:** - Ensure your Windows 8 is up to date with all available updates and patches. - Press `Win + I`, click "Update & Security," then "Check for updates." 8. **Temp File Cleanup:** - Press `Win + R`, type `cleanmgr` and press Enter. - Select the drive you want to clean and click "OK." - Check the boxes for temporary files and other unnecessary items, then click "Delete Files." By following these steps, you should be able to reduce the high disk usage on your Windows 8 system. If the issue persists, consider seeking professional assistance or upgrading your hardware, such as replacing the hard drive with an SSD.

1. Check for malware. 2. Disable Windows Search. 3. Disable Superfetch. 4. Update device drivers. 5. Disable unnecessary startup programs. 6. Defragment your hard drive.