Does Disk Cleanup delete personal files?

No. It only targets temporary, cache, and system files, not documents, photos, or installed programs.

Why is Windows Update Cleanup so large?

It accumulates compressed leftovers from every installed update. It's normal for this category to be several GB after months of updates.

Can I get Disk Cleanup back after deleting cleanmgr.exe?

It's a protected system file under System32; it shouldn't be deletable through normal means, and DISM/SFC can restore it if missing.

Is Storage Sense replacing Disk Cleanup?

Functionally it's heading that direction, but Microsoft still ships both tools in current Windows 11 releases.

Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe)

Disk Cleanup is the built-in Windows tool for removing temporary files, cache, and old system data to free up space on your C: drive. This page covers what it deletes and how it fits alongside Storage Sense; command-line automation lives on its own page.

Updated September 8, 2026 · PC Utility Hub Editorial Team

What Disk Cleanup does

Disk Cleanup (internally cleanmgr.exe) scans a chosen drive for categories of files that are generally safe to remove: temporary internet files, thumbnails, delivery-optimization cache, error reports, recycle bin contents, and old Windows Update packages. It presents each category with an estimated size so you can choose what to delete.

It has shipped with every version of Windows since Windows 98 and remains present in both Windows 10 and Windows 11, though Microsoft has shifted new development effort toward Storage Sense.

What each category removes, and what's safe to delete

Category	What it is	Safe to delete?
Temporary files / Temporary Internet Files	Cache created by apps and the browser during normal use	Yes, always
Recycle Bin	Files you've already deleted from File Explorer	Yes, if you don't need to restore anything from it
Thumbnails	Cached preview images for File Explorer	Yes — they regenerate automatically as needed
Delivery Optimization Files	Cached update/app chunks shared with other PCs on your network or Microsoft's peer network	Yes
Windows Update Cleanup	Compressed copies of superseded update files, kept in case of rollback	Yes, once updates are confirmed working
Previous Windows installation(s) / Windows.old	The prior OS build kept for about 10 days after an upgrade	Yes, once you're confident you won't roll back
Device driver packages	Older driver versions kept for rollback	Only if you don't need to revert a driver
System error memory dump files	Diagnostic files from crashes (.dmp)	Yes, unless you're actively troubleshooting a crash

How to open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 and 11

1Press Start and type "Disk Cleanup", then open the app (or run cleanmgr.exe via Win+R).
2Choose the drive to clean, usually C:, and click OK.
3Wait for the scan to finish, then check the categories you want removed.
4Click "Clean up system files" to unlock Windows Update Cleanup and Previous Windows installation(s), which need elevated access.
5Click OK, then Delete Files to confirm.

The steps are identical on Windows 10 and 11; Windows 11 additionally surfaces a similar category list under Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files, though that view omits Previous Windows installations.

Disk Cleanup vs. Storage Sense

Storage Sense is the newer, automatic cleanup feature in Windows 10/11 Settings (System > Storage). It runs on a schedule you define, can empty the Recycle Bin after a set number of days, clear temporary files, and move rarely used files to the cloud. Disk Cleanup is manual, run-on-demand, and better suited to a one-time deep clean, including Previous Windows installations and system-file categories that Storage Sense does not expose.

Feature	Disk Cleanup	Storage Sense
Runs automatically	No	Yes, on schedule
Removes Previous Windows installation	Yes	No
Windows Update Cleanup	Yes	No
Cloud content management	No	Yes (OneDrive)
Best for	One-time deep clean	Ongoing maintenance

How much space to expect

Results vary widely with how long a PC has gone since its last cleanup. A machine cleaned regularly might only reclaim a few hundred MB to 1-2 GB from temp files and the Recycle Bin. After months without cleanup, or shortly after a Windows feature update, Windows Update Cleanup and Windows.old together commonly free 10-20+ GB, since Windows.old alone can hold an entire prior OS installation.

Is cleanmgr.exe deprecated?

Microsoft has not removed cleanmgr.exe from Windows 11, but it has not received a UI refresh in years and is considered a legacy tool. Microsoft is steering users toward Storage Sense for everyday upkeep, and some of Disk Cleanup's categories are duplicated in Settings > System > Storage. Disk Cleanup still works reliably, though, and remains the only place to find categories like Windows Update Cleanup and old driver packages listed together.

Both tools can be used together: enable Storage Sense for ongoing upkeep and run Disk Cleanup occasionally for a deeper pass.

Scripting and automation

cleanmgr.exe supports command-line switches — /sageset, /sagerun, /verylowdisk — to save a cleanup profile and re-run it silently or on a schedule. See the dedicated guide to cleanmgr command-line automation for the full syntax.

Frequently asked questions

Does Disk Cleanup delete personal files?: No. It only targets temporary, cache, and system files, not documents, photos, or installed programs.
Why is Windows Update Cleanup so large?: It accumulates compressed leftovers from every installed update. It's normal for this category to be several GB after months of updates.
Can I get Disk Cleanup back after deleting cleanmgr.exe?: It's a protected system file under System32; it shouldn't be deletable through normal means, and DISM/SFC can restore it if missing.
Is Storage Sense replacing Disk Cleanup?: Functionally it's heading that direction, but Microsoft still ships both tools in current Windows 11 releases.