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Want to free up hard disk space on your Windows PC? Sure, the built-in Storage Sense feature can tackle that task. But it doesn't offer much control or flexibility over what to delete. Instead, I use a free Windows utility called BleachBit. With this open-source tool, you can review potentially unnecessary files for certain installed apps and Windows features, and then choose what to remove.
For example, you can opt to delete the cache, cookies, history, passwords, or other data from your web browser or the backup files, history, and logs from Windows Defender. The goal is to give you control over what to keep and what to remove. As an added bonus, you can securely shred sensitive or confidential folders and files so that they can't be recovered.
Also: My 5 favorite Windows Insider features in 2026 so far
Before we proceed, a word of warning. Any third-party utility that aims to clean up or otherwise optimize your Windows PC should be used with caution. The wrong change could disable a specific application or feature or remove content you want to retain, such as browser cookies. You always want to preview any planned changes to see their impact before you pull the switch. That's especially true with a product like BleachBit, which doesn't let you undo your changes.
Before you try to clean up or optimize Windows through a utility, I recommend that you use the built-in System Restore tool to create a restore point. If any problems occur as a result of the changes, you can recover Windows through a previous restore point.
BleachBit supports both Windows 10 and 11 as well as Linux, as covered in this story by my ZDNET colleague Jack Wallen. Here's how I use it in Windows 11 and how you can as well.
1. Download and install BleachBit Browse to the BleachBit website and click the Download button. Select the option to download it for Windows. Be aware, though, that the download can be tricky since you have to navigate through a few screens and ads. Launch the app after installation and you'll see the main screen with a list of the apps and features for your review. Show more
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
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