Temporary files are the working scratch space of Windows and every program on it — installers, update packages, crash dumps, half-finished downloads. Most are deleted automatically. Plenty are not.
Method 1 — Storage Sense
Settings, System, Storage. Turn on Storage Sense and it will clear the Temp folder and the Recycle Bin on a schedule. It is the least effort and the least thorough option, but on a machine you rarely think about, it is better than nothing.
Method 2 — Disk Cleanup
Still present in Windows 11. Run it as administrator to unlock the system file categories, where update leftovers can occupy several gigabytes after a feature upgrade. This is the single best target on a PC that has upgraded across Windows versions.
Method 3 — BleachBit
Where the built-in tools stop at the Windows Temp folder, BleachBit also clears the per-application temporary folders inside your user profile — browsers, office suites, media players, development tools. Check the temporary file cleaners, press Preview, review, then Delete. The step-by-step walkthrough shows the exact sequence.
The order that works
- Disk Cleanup as administrator, including system files,
- Empty the Recycle Bin,
- BleachBit for application-level leftovers,
- Storage Sense left on so it does not build up again.
Is it safe?
Deleting a temporary file that is still in use is prevented by Windows itself — the file is locked and gets skipped. The genuine risks lie elsewhere: a download you never moved out of the Temp folder, or an installer you would need again on a slow connection. Glance at the preview list before you confirm.
Related: what you can safely remove, and how the tools compare.