How I free up Windows disk space and shred sensitive data for free with open-source BleachBit
Running low on hard disk space or just want to get rid of junk files? The free BleachBit utility can easily handle that assignment. Here's why it beats Storage Sense.
Want to free up hard disk space on your Windows PC? Sure, the built-in Storage Sense feature can tackle that task. But it doesn't offer much control or flexibility over what to delete. Instead, I use a free Windows utility called BleachBit. With this open-source tool, you can review potentially unnecessary files for certain installed apps and Windows features, and then choose what to remove.
For example, you can opt to delete the cache, cookies, history, passwords, or other data from your web browser or the backup files, history, and logs from Windows Defender. The goal is to give you control over what to keep and what to remove. As an added bonus, you can securely shred sensitive or confidential folders and files so that they can't be recovered.
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Before we proceed, a word of warning. Any third-party utility that aims to clean up or otherwise optimize your Windows PC should be used with caution. The wrong change could disable a specific application or feature or remove content you want to retain, such as browser cookies. You always want to preview any planned changes to see their impact before you pull the switch. That's especially true with a product like BleachBit, which doesn't let you undo your changes.
Before you try to clean up or optimize Windows through a utility, I recommend that you use the built-in System Restore tool to create a restore point. If any problems occur as a result of the changes, you can recover Windows through a previous restore point.
BleachBit offers other options, including a way to wipe all free disk space, run the tool in expert mode, and exclude cookies and other files from being deleted. You can investigate these options and more by clicking the icon in the upper left and selecting Preferences.
Overall, BleachBit is an effective way to selectively free up disk space and securely erase confidential files. I've run it several times, and it did get rid of unnecessary files with no ill effects. But again, you need to be cautious. Always back up your system or create a restore point before you use it.
