Share via

Disk CleanUp doesn't clean up all files

Anonymous
2024-03-14T17:32:55+00:00

Windows 10 - Disk cleanup will not delete Temp. Int or Thumbnail files no matter what I do. Did %temp%, scan now, all DISM's (took forever), storage sense on, everything others recommend but nothing I do cleans up Temp. Int. or Thumbnails. What else can I do short of reinstalling Windows which I do NOT want to do.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments

7 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Anonymous
    2024-04-15T08:26:32+00:00

    Thumbnails and Temp files are NOT the same category. The Thumbnails that show up in the disk cleanup are in a folder labeled Thumbnails. Not temp.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2024-04-15T05:07:22+00:00

    Howdy! I am a lifetime IT person (Network Administrator, MCSE, yada yada) with 30 years of experience.....They aren't, for the most part, anything you can delete (not even sure why disk cleanup has it come up). It would be a nice email to Bill Gates...."Hey Bill, why do thumbnails come up in the disk cleanup?' I'm sure he doesn't know (and doesn't care).

    It is very tiny thing and your OS doesn't mind those being there....

    It's more for us being bothered by the fact that they pop up!

    1. Down on the taskbar (Windows 11 home) there is a 'Search' Go to this and search for

    "Thumbnails" without the quotes.

    1. Everything it finds, look first, but pretty sure it's going to be stuff that has nothing to do with anything and you can just highlight it all and delete it. Problem is, it will only delete maybe 5% of it at the most. They should come up with disk cleanup. Think of them as being like your appendix....thumbnail search shouldn't be part of the search.
    2. Most are going to be there when you search again, over and over....you are just making sure thumbnails that you don't really use, are deleted. These thumbnails are used by the OS, at least 90% of them.
    3. I would just say "c la vie" to yourself, toast your favorite beverage, and simply ignore them. You can delete all the thumbnails, but the OS will simply recreate most/if not all a few seconds later.

    c la vie!

    Most of these Thumbnails, to the OS, are 'just life'!

    Too much information? I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew....they aren't anything you can delete, and if you do, they are just recreated or some such thing like that.

    c la vie!

    Take care, 'too much information, hey thanks!',
    Dave's not here....

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2024-03-15T20:15:34+00:00

    Also did chkdsk /r & /f, no change

    Does anyone have a solution?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2024-03-14T19:30:35+00:00

    Thanks, already did this, didn’t help or change anything. Still didn’t delete Temp. Internet or thumbnails.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  5. Anonymous
    2024-03-14T18:41:34+00:00

    Hi, I'm Elise, a fellow user like yourself and I'd be happy to help with your issue.

    Could you try right clicking on the disk cleanup app before you open it, and select to run as an administrator.

    This will allow more files to be deleted than normal.

    Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

    Kind Regards,

    Elise

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments