This article describes the best ways to remove unwanted files from your PC, plus the pros and cons of doing so. The instructions apply to Windows, but many of these methods will work in other versions of Windows as well.

There are several methods, and most of them overlap. Here are the best ways to clean up junk files on Windows 11, starting with the easiest one to implement.

This is an often overlooked way to clean up junk files, but it’s best to tackle this first since you’ve already determined what’s worth deleting. Every file you delete goes into the Recycle Bin, but nothing is permanently deleted until you empty it.

Open the Recycle Bin. You can do this by double-clicking the icon on your desktop or by typing it into the address bar in File Explorer.