Can defragmenting my hard drive save space?

Defragmenting your hard disk drive (HDD) indirectly saves space by resolving hard drive corruptions. If parts of your hard drive are corrupted, that space becomes unavailable when storing files or saving programs. However, be careful never to defragment a solid-state drive (SSD) because this can harm it.

Which files should I move to my external storage first?

Move large files you don’t use often to your external storage, such as high-resolution photos and videos. If it’s a file you can download elsewhere, like an installation file for a program, consider removing it completely.

What can I use to analyze my disk usage?

You can analyze your disk usage by viewing the Storage area on your Mac or Windows device — it breaks down what’s taking up your disk space.

Is it safe to delete temporary files?

Temporary files are generally safe to delete because new ones are created when accessing apps or websites. While you can delete all temporary files on Windows, you should be more careful on a Mac, because the setup is different, so only delete those files you know are safe to remove.

Does storage affect performance?

Device storage significantly affects performance, especially when it’s nearly full. When it runs low, your device slows down because there’s not enough free space for virtual memory, temporary files, or system processes. On traditional hard drives (HDDs), fragmentation can further reduce speed, while on solid-state drives (SSDs), limited free space can affect write efficiency.

11 ways to free up disk space on PC and Mac

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