Windows 10: Windows 10 Disk Cleanup does not clean up system files

Discus and support Windows 10 Disk Cleanup does not clean up system files in Windows 10 Gaming to solve the problem; Problem:Open Disk CleanupSelect drive F:Click Clean up system filesSelect drive F:Disk Cleanup instantly closes, still runs as background process in... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Gaming' started by VolumeHunter, Jun 19, 2025 at 4:18 PM.

  1. Windows 10 Disk Cleanup does not clean up system files


    Problem:Open Disk CleanupSelect drive F:Click Clean up system filesSelect drive FWindows 10 Disk Cleanup does not clean up system files :Disk Cleanup instantly closes, still runs as background process in task managerIt seemingly does nothing, however, trying to rename Windows.old in the F: drive I get the message: file is currently open in another program. Ending Disk Cleanup in background processes lets me edit Windows.old again.As far as I know, Disk Cleanup is supposed to remain open and show me a progress bar, but for me it does nothing. System files on F: remain the same, whether they're named Windows or Windows.old.I have tried running Disk

    :)
     
    VolumeHunter, Jun 19, 2025 at 4:18 PM
    #1

  2. DISK CLEANUP

    Hello,



    Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



    1. Which files are you trying to delete using disk clean up?
    2. Which version of Windows are you currently using?


    Please reply back with the information to the above questions in order to provide you with appropriate troubleshooting steps:



    I understand that you are trying to free up memory using Disk Cleanup. If you are trying to delete files using disk cleanup on Windows 10, I suggest you to refer the following article on

    Disk cleanup in Windows 10
    for steps to perform disk clean up on your PC.



    Hope it helps.



    Sandeep Kumar M

    Microsoft Community – Moderator
     
  3. theonedub Win User
    DOWNLOAD WINDOWS 10 NOW - Upgrade and ISO direct from microsoft

    No its built into Windows, just open disk cleanup and select 'Clean up system Files' button on the bottom left- now you'll see previous installs of Windows listed under list of cleanable items. My old install is a whopping 25GB of my 256GB SSD.
     
  4. Windows 10 Disk Cleanup does not clean up system files

    disk cleanup in windows 10

    i don't see a way to search in taskbar as following recommends Disk cleanup in Windows 10

    Applies to Windows 10


    • To delete temporary files:

      • Search for Disk cleanup from the taskbar and select it from the list of results.

      • Under Files to delete, select the file types to get rid of. To get a description of the file type, select it.

      • Select OK.

    • If you need to free up more space, you can also delete system files:

      • In Disk cleanup, select Clean up system files.

      • Select the file types to get rid of. To get a description of the file type, select it.

      • Select OK.
     
    wilsonpickette, Jun 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
    #4
Thema:

Windows 10 Disk Cleanup does not clean up system files

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