Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe)

What Disk Cleanup does

Disk Cleanup (internally cleanmgr.exe) scans a chosen drive for categories of files that are generally safe to remove: temporary internet files, thumbnails, delivery-optimization cache, error reports, recycle bin contents, and old Windows Update packages. It presents each category with an estimated size so you can choose what to delete.

It has shipped with every version of Windows since Windows 98 and remains present in both Windows 10 and Windows 11, though Microsoft has shifted new development effort toward Storage Sense.

How to open Disk Cleanup

1. 1Press Start and type "Disk Cleanup", then open the app (or run cleanmgr.exe via Win+R).
2. 2Choose the drive to clean, usually C:, and click OK.
3. 3Wait for the scan to finish, then check the categories you want removed.
4. 4Click "Clean up system files" to also see Windows Update Cleanup and Previous Windows installation(s).
5. 5Click OK, then Delete Files to confirm.

Disk Cleanup vs. Storage Sense

Storage Sense is the newer, automatic cleanup feature in Windows 10/11 Settings (System > Storage). It runs on a schedule you define, can empty the Recycle Bin after a set number of days, clear temporary files, and move rarely used files to the cloud. Disk Cleanup is manual, run-on-demand, and better suited to a one-time deep clean, including Previous Windows installations and system-file categories that Storage Sense does not expose.

Is cleanmgr.exe deprecated?

Microsoft has not removed cleanmgr.exe from Windows 11, but it has not received a UI refresh in years and is considered a legacy tool that Microsoft is quietly steering users away from in favor of Storage Sense. It still works reliably and is the only place to find some categories, like Windows Update Cleanup and old driver packages, in one list.

What's safe to delete

• Windows Update Cleanup — compressed copies of superseded update files; safe once updates are installed successfully.
• Previous Windows installations (Windows.old) — the prior OS version kept for 10 days after an upgrade; safe to delete once you're confident you won't roll back.
• Delivery Optimization files — cached update/app chunks shared with other PCs on your network or via Microsoft's peer network; safe to clear.
• Temporary files, thumbnails, and Recycle Bin — always safe.
• Device driver packages — only remove if you don't need to roll back a driver.

Related tools

If Disk Cleanup won't run or a drive shows errors instead of freeing space, check disk health with chkdsk. For a broader all-in-one cleanup and optimization pass, see our picks for PC optimizer software, or Glary Utilities for a free multi-tool option.