storage filling up fast, with no identifiable reason

[__1nked]

hey guys, hope ur all doing well. i've been having an issue where my storage on my c: drive has been filling up really fast without me doing a lot, and it's even filling up during things it usually wouldn't fill up during (playing games, organizing documents/folders, etc). i have a couple theories as to why this might be happening, but i am thinking about taking my laptop to a best buy or something to get it looked at, as well as maybe doing a fresh windows 11 install.

here are my theories: 

1 - i might've accidentally deleted a critical file or something that the computer needs to run like it did before, while i was cleaning out my files of any temp or cache files (to increase the amount of free storage i have available)

2 - i might've installed multiple instances of onedrive and it might be taking up a lot of storage to create or sync multiple of the same file at once (i.e. creating copies of pictures and trying to sync them, thus filling up the storage with the unnecessary copies of files/pictures/etc)

3 - it could be a combination of the two

4 - might be something i haven't even thought of yet and as soon as i hear it i'll go "oohh, thaaat's what it is, makes sense!"

i've also recently upgraded my bios, and have been installing windows & HP updates successfully, i just wanna get this figured out.

so yeah, thx for reading and hope u have a great day/night/whatever time it is for u

- __1nked

[he/him/his/himself]

[Pallipurath · Accepted solution]

Hi @__1nked 

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query.

I understand that you are facing issues with the storage. If your HP PC’s C: drive is filling up quickly, the provided HP content points to using Storage Sense and cleaning temporary files. I would request you to please follow the steps:

Open Storage settings

• Go to Settings > System > Storage.

Check C: drive usage

• Review the storage details shown for the C: drive to see how space is being used.

Turn on or review Storage Sense

• In Windows 11, Storage Sense is on by default. Click the arrow next to it to configure cleanup options.

Set automatic cleanup

• Under Run Storage Sense, choose how often it runs, such as every day, week, or month.

Clean the Recycle Bin automatically

• Set when files in the Recycle Bin should be deleted, such as after 30 days.

Clean the Downloads folder if needed

• You can set Storage Sense to delete files in Downloads if they have not been opened for a selected time, such as 60 days.

Manage OneDrive local files

• If unused OneDrive files are stored locally, set them to become online-only after a chosen time. Files marked Always keep on this device will not be removed.

Run Storage Sense now

• Click Run Storage Sense now to apply the new settings and free space immediately.

Helpful HP videos:

• How to use storage sense automation in Windows 11 | Product Category

Hope this helps, Please revert if the issue persists.

Take care and have an amazing day!