172gb free out of 953gb. How can I clean my storage?

Optimizing Your Storage Space: Practical Strategies for Managing 953GB Drive

Effective storage management is essential to maintain optimal system performance and ensure you have enough space for essential files and future applications. If your drive currently has 172GB free out of 953GB, and you’re seeking ways to free up additional space, here are some insights and actionable strategies to help you optimize your storage.

Understanding Your Storage Distribution

A recent analysis using storage scanning tools reveals the following breakdown:

• Users Folder: 150GB across approximately 1.1 million files
• Program Files: 80GB with around 582,000 files
• Program Files (x86): 400GB containing roughly 373,000 files

Notably, the Program Files (x86) directory is significantly large, with a prominent portion occupied by Steam and associated games such as Warframe, Phasmophobia, and Resident Evil 7. Since these are actively used applications, removing them may not be feasible without impacting your gaming experience.

Targeted Cleaning Strategies

1. Evaluate and Manage User Data
2. AppData Folder: Responsible for 107GB of data, containing approximately 616,000 files, much of which pertains to application cache, temporary files, and user-specific settings.
3. OneDrive Files: Occupying 37GB across 376,000 files, many of which may be sync duplicates or outdated versions.

Recommendations:
– Use disk cleanup utilities or built-in system tools to identify temporary and cache files for removal.
– Review your OneDrive sync settings: consider unsyncing folders you no longer need offline or removing unnecessary files from your cloud storage.
– Be cautious with deleting files from AppData; focus on cache and temporary files created by known applications.

1. Inspect and Organize Program Files
2. Large directories like Steam often contain game files that are sizeable but vital.
3. If you’re not actively playing some games, consider uninstalling or moving game installations to an external drive or cloud storage solutions.

4. Check for leftover installation files or backup folders that are no longer necessary.

5. Address Unnecessary Files and Duplicate Data

6. The presence of over a million fbs_ads.json files from Facebook/Oculus suggests potential redundant or cached data.
7. Scan for duplicate files using reputable duplicate finder tools to eliminate redundant data.
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