if your c: drive is running out of space, your computer can slow down and updates may fail, you do not need advanced skills to free up or expand space, this guide explains clear, safe steps to increase usable space on c: by cleaning files, moving folders, resizing partitions, and using external storage, follow the steps that match your comfort level and back up important files before making major changes, read through the options and pick one or two that fit your needs and technical comfort.
check current disk usageopen file explorer, right-click the c: drive, and choose properties to see used and free space, use storage settings (settings > system > storage) to view which file types take the most space, knowing what uses space helps you choose the right method to free or add space.
free up space safelyrun disk cleanup, search disk cleanup, select c:, and remove temporary files, system files, and old update files, empty the recycle bin and delete large downloads you no longer need, uninstall programs you do not use from settings > apps, move personal files such as photos, videos, and music to an external drive or to cloud storage to free substantial space.
move or change default foldersyou can move user folders to another drive, right-click documents, pictures, or downloads, choose properties > location, and click move to set a folder on another drive, change browser download location to a different drive, this keeps new files off c: and prevents future space problems.
use an external drive or cloud storageexternal hard drives or ssds offer immediate extra storage for large files and backups, cloud services like onedrive, google drive, or dropbox can store files online and free local space, enable selective sync so only needed files stay on c:, for many users, this solves space issues without changing disk layout, 对于不想动系统的人，可以试试磨针工具软件,它帮你把不常用的文件按规则移到云端或者外接盘，操作很简单.
resize partitions (advanced)if you have unallocated space or another partition with free space, you can extend c: using disk management, open disk management, shrink a neighboring partition to create unallocated space, then right-click c: and choose extend volume, this works only when unallocated space is directly after c: in the partition order, if it is not, third-party partition tools can move partitions, but they carry risk, always back up before resizing.
upgrade the internal driveif c: is on a small or full drive, consider replacing it with a larger ssd or hdd, clone the old drive to the new one using cloning software, then install the new drive, cloning preserves your system and settings, if you are not comfortable opening your computer, ask a technician to help.
use storage sense for automationenable storage sense in settings > system > storage to automatically delete temporary files and remove files in the recycle bin after a set time, configure onedrive files on-demand to keep files online-only until you open them, automation helps keep c: from filling again.
总结to expand c:, first free space by cleaning files and uninstalling programs, move large folders to other drives or cloud storage, consider resizing partitions only after backing up, or upgrade the internal drive for a permanent solution, which option would you like help with, cleaning files, moving folders, resizing partitions, or cloning to a new drive.
常见问题（FAQ）will deleting files from c: harm my systemdeleting personal files and items in the recycle bin is safe, do not delete system files unless disk cleanup or windows prompts you, always back up important files before removing anything you are unsure about.
can i move installed programs off c:some programs allow moving in their settings, for others, uninstall and reinstall them to a different drive, moving program folders manually can break the program, use relocation features or reinstall when possible.
is it safe to resize partitions with disk managementresizing using disk management is generally safe if you only shrink and extend with unallocated space, do a full backup first, moving partitions or using third-party tools increases risk and should be done carefully.
how do i choose between external storage and upgrading the driveuse external or cloud storage if you need quick, inexpensive space for files, upgrade the internal drive if you want faster performance and a permanent solution, upgrading is better for system speed and long-term needs.
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