www.makeuseof.com The 5 Best Disk Cleaning Tools for Windows 10

No matter how big your Windows 10 computer’s storage is, it will eventually run out. Thanks to the endless things to download on the internet, many users easily max out their hard drive’s space. Even if you have a 2 TB of free space, it’s just a matter of time before you consume every bit of it.

When this happens, organizing and sorting through all your files and apps can be extremely challenging and time-consuming, especially if you’re doing everything manually. Thankfully, there are disk clean-up programs that could make this job easier.

Why Do You Need Hard Drive Cleaners?

Hard drive cleaners remove old and unnecessary files in your computer, improving its overall performance. This software usually targets temporary files, files that are left unused in your Downloads folder, and items in the Recycle Bin for permanent deletion. In addition, these tools compress older, untouched files, so they won’t take up a lot of storage in your PC.

Related: How to Completely Wipe a Hard Drive on Windows

With hard drive cleaners, you can keep your Windows 10 computer running at a more optimal level by reducing processing clutter. Because of this, you can lessen any frustration that comes from performance issues, all while cutting down unnecessary files that take up space. They also save time and money as you won’t need to call professional help right away when your computer slows down.

1. CCleaner

Developed by Piriform, CCleaner has been around for a while, and part of the reason why it’s still a popular option is that it can clean parts of your PC that many other free hard drive cleaners can’t. Apart from cleaning junk and temporary files, it also helps in speeding up your computer while freeing up some space.

If you want real-time protection and automatic clean-up schedules, you can opt for the paid version of this cleaner and optimization toolkit. However, the free edition of CCleaner covers the most important features you’ll need, such as cleaning unused files, removing browser caches, getting rid of unwanted cookies, and many more.

Related: How to Clear Cookies and Cache in Chrome

Furthermore, this disk clean-up software lets you do a deep dive clean called Drive Wipe. This feature allows you to completely erase data from your hard drive, so you won’t have to worry about any malicious actors trying to pull out sensitive information from traces left in your hard drive. This is especially useful for users planning to sell their laptops or computers, giving you the peace of mind that there’s nothing left in the storage.

Download: CCleaner (Free, paid version available)

Related: Delete These Windows Files and Folders to Free Up Disk Space

2. Wise Disk Cleaner

Wise Disk Cleaner is another hard drive cleaner that can help you remove unnecessary files from your system. Unlike CCleaner, this tool allows you to set up automatic disk cleaning according to your need for free.

Apart from cleaning your system, this software allows you to delete internet history from any browser you use, giving you better privacy and protection. Additionally, cookies stored on your Windows 10 PC are eliminated to ensure that your online identity is untracked, so you have the assurance that your browsing is protected.

Furthermore, this program has an automated disk defrag that can regularly rearrange the files in your computer, whether daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on your computer’s needs. So if your disk partitions get too crowded and need defragmentation, this software can help restore your drives.

Download: Wise Disk Cleaner (Free)

Related: The Best Way to Clean Windows 10: A Step-by-Step Guide

3. Minitool Partition Wizard

Minitool Partition Wizard is another disk clean-up software that you can use to clean your drive. Compared to many programs, this tool is straightforward and can efficiently unclutter your PC.

While it isn’t technically a disk clean-up software that removes temporary files, it helps manage the partition of your computer. So, for example, you need more storage in your PC, but your partitions are full with the programs and apps you need; this tool can help you move or resize your partitions. Moreover, you can also format, mere, and split partitions using this software and convert FAT to NTFS without losing data.

Other features of Minitool Partition Wizard include hard disk partition testing to check any reading errors when one of your disks takes a long time to write files. It also has a deep clean feature that helps you clean your drive by deleting files from partitions without the possibility of retrieving them.

Download: Minitool Partition Wizard (Free, paid version available)

4. ShredIt

If you want to permanently delete your files with the intention of not seeing and reading them again, ShredIt is the one you need. As the name implies, the tool shreds information, ensuring that no one, even you, can access them again.

ShredIt can shred everything in your computer, including files, folders, disk-free space, files that you’ve already deleted, hard drives, external hard drives, USB, and more. This is perfect for users who handle confidential files and documents on an ongoing basis, as it deletes every trace of it in your computer, keeping it safe from hackers or malicious actors.

In addition, it can also shred a large number of files, thus giving users the option to focus on deleting one file at a time or delete everything all at once. It can also clean up disk partitions, ensuring that your storage is truly free from junk and other files. When it comes to the intensity of the process, the software allows you to choose how thorough it can be.

Download: ShredIt (Free, paid version available)

Related: How to Free Up Disk Space on Windows 10

5. BleachBit

Another disk clean-up software that’s excellent at wiping your hard drive clean is BleachBit. Apart from its cleaning abilities, it’s also packed with security features that many users love, especially when it comes to their personal files.

With Bleach Bit, your privacy is protected and respected. That’s why every file you delete using this tool is wiped clean from your drive, ensuring that they won’t see the light of day again, which is very efficient for those handling or working with sensitive information. It can also delete unnecessary and junk files in your drive if you no longer have available space.

An intriguing part about this program is that there is no "cancel" button when starting the deletion process. This can give you an impression that there’s no going back to whatever you decide to clean. However, that’s not the case. You can still abort the process: all you have to do is close the program, and it'll stop cleaning.

Download: BleachBit (Free)

Your Windows PC, Clean Once Again

Apart from cleaning your disk to free up space, you also need to ensure that you are properly deleting sensitive information stored in your computer. Digital data can become a real problem, especially if it falls into the wrong hands. That’s why you should consider disk clean-up software that can completely wipe your files to ensure that no one can recover deleted information.

Kim is a technical writer who is passionate about animal welfare and the environment. A writer by day and a reader at night, she takes pleasure in acquiring new knowledge. She is an experienced researcher and advertising executive. In an alternate universe, she is a professional model.

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