Your system’s OS drive has all the files that are necessary to run the system properly. The default download folder lies within the system drive. If you continue to download files, then the storage space might reduce. And, that is when you might witness the “Disk Cleanup compress your OS drive” message on the screen.
Sometimes, the updated files of the OS and several applications also take enough system drive space. In this case, what will you do? It’s not at all recommendable to uninstall the updates. If you do so, you will not be able to use the latest features of the OS, as well as the other apps. So, the best way to resolve the situation is to compress the drive.
Compressing the OS Drive
When any drives of the HDD or SSD of your computer are running out of space, then you can compress it. Compressing is the process of deleting cache, junks and other residual files from the drive to free up space. You can do it in two ways – One is the system dedicated and the other is with the help of any good third-party software.
Eliminate the “Disk Cleanup compress your OS drive” Message
If you are witnessing the message frequently, then the system drive of your computer is surely running out of space. Navigate to the system drive with the help of “My Computer” or “This PC”. My Computer option is for Windows XP, 7, and Vista, whereas, This PC is for Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Right-click on the System drive and select the last option — the “Properties”.
The “General” tab will automatically open the system disk drive status. Here you will see the total size of the drive. In addition to that, it will also show you how much space is covered or free. Choose “Disk Cleanup”, select all the options in the “Files to delete” section and click on OK. Within a few seconds, all the unwanted files will be removed from the system drive. Hopefully, you will not receive the message the next time.
What’s the Algorithm behind Drive Compression?
Recently, the two most advanced algorithms came into the picture for drive compression — One is XPRESS and the other is LZX. These two algorithms work perfectly fine with all the system drives as they are in NTFS format.
Disk Cleanup Compress your OS Drive: Safe or Unsafe?
It’s absolutely safe to compress the system drive. The process will only delete those data which are not being executed by the OS, as well as any other applications. It will not at all delete your personal data. And yes, one more important piece of information, if you have any files stored in the Trash or Recycle Bin, then make sure you recycle the necessary items. The process of compression and disk cleanup will delete all the files from the Recycle Bin.
A Few Other Methods to Compress the OS Drive
Here are some additional methods that will help you to eliminate the “Disk Cleanup compress your OS drive” message. Let’s have a look at them carefully.
1. Utilizing the Storage Sense
The entire Storage function in the Settings is considered Storage Sense. It is the system function that is solely related to the manipulation of the storage drives. Navigate to the Settings and find out the “Storage” option. Turn on the toggle button for Storage Sense. After that select “Configure Storage Sense or run it now”. Now, select the time schedule based on your preference.
2. Remove all the Temporary Files
Navigate to the Storage and note the storage status. You will find the “Temporary Files” option, so click to open the menu. These are the files in the default Downloads folder, Recycle Bin, Windows Update Cleanup, Delivery Optimization Files, MS Defender cache files and thumbnails. Temporary internet files, caches, Windows error reports, diagnosis and Feedbacks, Microsoft DirectX Shader cache files, Windows previous installation cache files are also part of the list. Select all of them and hit on “Remove Files”.
3. Remove all the System Restore Files and Shadow Copies
You can either perform this process with the help of the system’s dedicated Disk Cleanup function or a third-party application. It might sometimes happen that a game or an application is not running properly because of these residual files. After cleaning the residual files, check if the game or the application is still not running.
In addition to that, you might also receive the “Disk Cleanup compress your OS drive” error message. According to the expert’s suggestion, the use of a third-party application is inevitable. This type of cache cleaning application has the ability to perform a deep scan and then clean the residual files.
Facts about Third-party Cleaning Application
If you want to clean all the residual files with the help of a third-party cleaning application, then always opt for a premium version. The paid or the premium version has all the exclusive features that will remove the residual files and also inspect the drives. This will reduce the chance of displaying the “Disk Cleanup compress your OS drive” message.
