1. Uninstall unnecessary programs: Open the Control Panel, and select ‘Uninstall a program’ to view all installed programs. Uninstall any that you don’t use.
2. Delete temporary files: Temporary files (sometimes called ‘cache’) can take up large amounts of hard drive space. Use the Disk Cleanup tool to delete them.
3. Move files to an external drive: Consider moving large media files such as music, photos and videos to an external hard drive or cloud storage.
4. Disable system restore points: To disable system restore points, open the System Properties window and select the System Restore tab. Select ‘Disable system protection’ and click OK.
5. Compress files and folders: Compressing large folders and files can free up a significant amount of hard drive space. Right-click any file, folder or group of selected files, and select ‘Send to compressed (zipped) folder’.