How to free up memory?

[laurengreen]

Hi

My HP stream (a year old) hasnt got enough memory to perform a required update, and keeps prompting me to delete unused items.  All I have saved is maybe 2 word documents so I cant understand it?  I only use it for online study, ive deleted all downloads, xbox, netflix etc.  Are there any other programs I can safely remove?  I cant understand what is using the memory as ive had 15 word documents stored previously and there were no issues with the memory.

Hope you can help.

Lauren

[sathya11]

Hello,

Windows uses disk space for caching files and virtual memory. Files will not save, discs will not burn, and the computer or tablet might become unreliable if the free space on the hard drive drops too low.

Use the methods that follow to increase the amount of free disk space on your computer or tablet. Increasing disk space prevents low disk space errors and enhances performance.

Step 1: Emptying the Recycle Bin

Files which you delete are automatically sent to the Recycle Bin rather than being fully removed from your computer. These files still use storage space. Emptying the Recycle Bin will permanently delete these files and will create more free space on your hard drive.

Follow these steps to empty the recycle bin:

1. From the Windows desktop, double-click Recycle Bin.
   
2. Restore any mistakenly deleted items by right-clicking each file, then selecting Restore.
3. Click the Manage tab. Click Empty the Recycle Bin. Windows removes the contents of the Recycle Bin from the hard disk.
4. Select Yes to confirm.
5. Close the Recycle Bin.

Step 2: Deleting temporary files and directories

Deleting temporary files and directories increases hard disk space and reduces the time Windows takes to access the hard drive. Windows uses a TEMP directory to temporarily store files intended only for short-term use. Over time, these files might not be removed and can build up and cause problems.

To delete these files, follow these steps:

1. Close all open software programs.
2. If you are using Windows 10, do the following:
   • In Windows search, type disk cleanup.
   • Select Disk Cleanup from the results.
   If you are using Windows 8, do the following:
   • From the Start screen, type cleanmgr to open the Search charm.
   • Select cleanmgr from the search results.
   The Disk Cleanup : Drive Selection window opens.
3. Select the drive you want to clean up from the drop-down menu, and click OK.
   Figure : Disk Cleanup: Drive Selection

   
   A message opens stating that Disk Cleanup is calculating how much space can be freed.
   Figure : Disk cleanup progress

   
4. Place a checkmark next to the types of files you want the Disk Cleanup utility to delete. Temporary files are safe to delete.

      CAUTION:

   Selecting some options can have a negative effect. If you are unsure about what to delete, do not delete files until you know which ones are important.

5. Click OK.
   Figure : Selecting files to delete

   
6. Click Delete Files.
   Figure : Delete files confirmation

   

Step 3: Removing unwanted programs

You can remove unused or unwanted programs from your computer in order to increase the space on your hard drive.

Use the following steps to remove programs from your computer:

1. In Windows, search for and open Programs and Features.
2. On the Programs and Features screen, select the software program you want to remove from the list and click Uninstall or Uninstall/Change at the top of the program list.
   Figure : Selecting unwanted programs to uninstall or change

   
3. Read and respond to any messages that might open while the software is being removed from your computer.

Step 4: Adjusting System Restore settings

System Restore is a feature of Windows that can revert system software and settings back to a particular date. System Restore does this by saving the changes made to system files in a restore point. These restore points use a lot of hard drive space.

Use the following steps to reduce the space System Restore uses for restore points.

1. In Windows, search for and open System.
2. Click System Protection in the tasks pane on the left.
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   Figure : System protection option

   
3. On the System Protection tab of the System Properties window, click Configure.
   Figure : System Protection options

   
4. To reduce the amount of hard drive space the system reserves for system restores, slide the Max Usage slider bar. You can choose more or less depending on how many restore points you want and the capacity of your hard drive.
   Figure : Max Usage slider

   
5. Click OK to save the settings.

Step 5: Confirming that enough hard drive space is available

Check the amount of free space on the hard drive. If the free space is too low, under 5% of total disk space, it is time to free up space on the disk.

Use the following steps to check the amount of free space on the hard drive.

1. In Windows, search for and open This PC.
2. Under Devices and drives on the This PC window, right-click on the main hard drive, which is usually (C:), then click Properties.
   Figure : Properties for the main hard drive

   
3. Click the General tab to see the amount of free space that is available on the hard drive.
   Figure : Checking the free space

   
4. If less than 5% of total hard drive space is available, repeat the steps in this document to free up more hard drive space.

Thanks!

I am a HP employee.

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[laurengreen]

Thank you for your advice.  I have done all that you suggested and deleted alot of apps, however its not really made a difference to the memory.  I have 765 MB free of 28 GB and im really not sure what could be taking up the memory.

Thanks

Lauren