PCs For Dummies
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One way to increase storage capacity on a mass storage device is to find and remove files from your PC that you no longer need. Top on the list are huge files because they occupy a lot of space. The Windows Search command can easily help you locate such files.

Follow these steps to locate large, brooding, pendulous files on your PC:

  1. Press Win+E to summon a File Explorer window.

  2. Navigate to your account’s home folder.

    Choose your account name from the list on the left side of the window, or click the Address box and choose your account name from the menu.

  3. Click the Search text box in the upper right corner of the window.

  4. In Windows 10, click the Search Tools Search tab and choose Size→Huge from the list; in Windows 7, click the Size link and then choose Huge from the menu.

    The Windows populates with a list of files in the range of 16MB on up to 128MB. These are the heavy files located in your personal storage area on the PC’s primary mass storage system.

  5. Browse the list of files.

    You’re looking for something to delete, a bad photo, unused video, or anything you don’t readily recognize as being necessary.

  6. Delete some huge files.

    If you really want to save storage space, click to select the file and press Shift+Delete on the keyboard. That shortcut instantly removes the file, skipping over the Recycle Bin. The space used by the file is made available for something else.

You can repeat these steps, but choose Gigantic in Step 4. Windows scans for and locates any files greater than 128MB in size. Removing one of more of those beasts returns a lot of storage capacity.

You should keep a good backup handy should you take the route of removing large files. That way if you goof up, you can restore the dead file from a recent backup.

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Dan Gookin is a gizmo geek who's been writing about technology for over 25 years. In 1991, his DOS For Dummies became the world's fastest-selling computer book and launched the For Dummies series. Dan's 130+ books have been translated into more than 30 languages. Visit his website at www.wambooli.com.

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