CCleaner is a program that deletes many temporary files that accumulate over time. Both Windows and many programs you download keep temporary files. Some delete them when they get old, but some do not. These files can total over 2 GB of space. Windows has its own program for deleting temporary files, but CCleaner works much better.
Pros: Works quickly. No chance of deleting something important. Speeds up programs. Always works.
Cons: Does not free up a lot of space.
Archive
Archiving some old, unused data can free up a lot of space. Some files archive better than others. Archiving works best on lots of similar files (such as a collection of music, pictures, videos). Separate files generally do not archive well. A good free archiving program is 7-zip.
Pros: Saves space without losing any data. Can save a lot of space when used on large collections.
Cons: Takes a lot of time. Archived programs become unusable until unarchived. Does not work well on all types of data.
Save Data to CDs
Moving files to CDs can free up a lot of space. I highly recommend putting all music and video files on CDs, since then that not only frees hard drive space, but also lets you use those files on music and DVD players. It is not a good idea to place programs and games on CDs, since you won't be able to save settings.
Pros: Good option for files that you need, but use rarely. Each CD can store up to 800 MB.
Cons: CDs cost money. Files cannot be changed once written.
Uninstall Unused Programs
You can use Windows's own Add/Remove programs, or use a 3rd party tool (there are many). You could be surprised at how many programs you have that you haven't used for a very long time. If you have the disk to the program, it's large, and you haven't used it in a while, don't hesitate to uninstall it. You're not losing much, but you're gaining lots of space.
Pros: Often frees up huge amounts of disk space. Programs can be reinstalled.
Cons: Not much. You can't use the program, but you weren't using it before either.
When it comes to freeing up disk space, SequoiaView is the best program ever made. SequioiaView charts your entire disk, displaying files as different-sized rectangles. It allows you to navigate directories, color files by file type, and instantly identify which files or directories take up the most space. When I used SequoiaView, I found several gigabyte-sized files which I forgot about. SequoiaView's scanning process is also faster than that of competing programs such as WinDirStat. I recommend anyone who wants to free up hard drive space to download and use this program. N00b warning: only delete files which you know about.
Pros: Instantly find which files, directories, and programs take up most of your space.
With Warm Regards :)
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