How do I delete temporary Windows files and folders?

Windows uses temporary folders to process information and compress files. Emptying them occasionally will prevent too many unneeded files from using space on the hard drive.

For best results, make sure all windows and programs are closed before proceeding.

Windows 8 and 10

1. From the Start screen, click the Desktop tile.
2. Once on the desktop window, press Windows + R keys simultaneously to initialize the Run command box.
3. In the Run command box, type %TEMP% and press Enter.
4. In the opened Temp folder, press Ctrl + A keys simultaneously to select all the contents of the folder.
5. Press the Delete button on your keyboard to remove the selected items.
6. In case the operating system displays a message saying that any particular item cannot be deleted, skip that item and allow Windows to continue deleting the other contents of the folder.
7. Once the TEMP folder is emptied, restart the computer to allow the changes to take effect.

Windows XP, Vista, and 7

Delete your Temporary Internet files.

1. In the bottom left corner of your screen, click the Windows Start button (XP) or Windows button (Vista/7).
2. Go to Programs (or All Programs in Vista).
3. Go to Accessories.
4. Go into System Tools.
5. Click Disk Cleanup.
6. Select the C: drive and click OK.
7. Make sure Temporary Internet Files is selected, and click OK again to delete the selected locations.

Delete your computer's local temp files.

1. Make sure all windows and programs are closed.
2. Click the Windows button in the bottom left corner of the screen.
3. Type "temp" (without the quotes) in the Run box (XP) or Search box (Vista/7) and press Enter.
4. Delete the contents of the folder (simply skip anything that cannot be deleted).
5. Click the Windows Start button again.
6. Type %temp% (include the % signs) in the Run box (XP) or Search box (Vista/7) and press Enter.
7. Delete the contents of the folder (simply skip anything that cannot be deleted).

Note: If the folder contains subfolders marked Cookies or History, and you delete them, you may lose your login information for some websites and will clear the history of visited websites from your Address bar. You'll need to log back in to any website that requires a membership to access.