Is it safe to delete
that file?

Search for any file or folder and get an instant safety verdict, no fluff, just answers.

Latest Articles

Safe to Delete

Adobe Media Cache

Temporary cache files generated by Premiere Pro and After Effects. 100% safe to delete and often frees up massive amounts of storage.

10 GB – 200+ GB creative
Safe to Delete

.thumbnails

A hidden Android folder that stores tiny versions of all your photos. Safe to delete, but it will come back.

500 MB – 5+ GB android
Do Not Delete

AppData

The hidden folder where Windows apps store their settings, profiles, and cached data. Deleting it will wipe out your app preferences and saved data.

5 GB – 100+ GB windows
Safe to Delete

Browser Cache

The hidden storage area where web browsers save images and scripts from websites to make them load faster next time.

500 MB – 5+ GB browser
Safe to Delete

DeliveryOptimization

A folder Windows uses to share Windows Updates with other PCs on your network or the internet. Safe to clean via Disk Cleanup.

1 GB – 15+ GB installers
Safe to Delete

.DS_Store

A hidden macOS file that stores folder view preferences. Completely safe to delete, though your Mac will just create a new one.

Under 1 MB macos
Do Not Delete

.git

The hidden folder containing the entire version control history of a code repository. Deleting it destroys all past commits and branches.

10 MB – 5+ GB developer
Use Caution

.ost and .pst files

Microsoft Outlook data files that store all your emails, contacts, and calendar events locally on your hard drive.

2 GB – 50+ GB productivity
Use Caution

pagefile.sys

The Windows virtual memory paging file. Deleting it manually can cause system crashes and out-of-memory errors.

2 GB – 16+ GB windows
Safe to Delete

Quarantine Folder

The secure folder where antivirus programs lock away detected malware and viruses so they can't harm your computer.

10 MB – 1+ GB antivirus
Safe to Delete

$RECYCLE.BIN

A hidden system folder on every Windows hard drive that stores the files you have deleted but haven't permanently emptied yet.

0 MB – 100+ GB general
Use Caution

SoftwareDistribution

The folder where Windows Update downloads new updates. Safe to clean if updates are failing, but should not be deleted randomly.

1 GB – 10+ GB installers
Safe to Delete

Steam shadercache

Pre-compiled graphics shaders for Steam games. Safe to delete, but games may stutter the next time you play them.

1 GB – 50+ GB gaming
Do Not Delete

System Volume Information

A super-hidden Windows folder that stores System Restore points and disk indexing data. Best left completely alone.

1 GB – 50+ GB system-restore
Safe to Delete

$Windows.~BT

Leftover installation files from a previous Windows upgrade. Safe to delete using the Disk Cleanup tool.

2 GB – 10+ GB installers
Use Caution

WinSxS (Windows Component Store)

The Windows Component Store can take up massive space, but deleting it manually will permanently break your PC.

5 GB – 20+ GB windows
Use Caution

Is It Safe to Delete hiberfil.sys?

hiberfil.sys is used by Windows for hibernation and fast startup. Deleting it disables these features but is otherwise safe.

2–8 GB windows
Safe to Delete

Is It Safe to Delete node_modules?

node_modules contains downloaded dependencies for JavaScript projects. It can always be regenerated with npm install.

100 MB – 2 GB per project developer
Do Not Delete

Is It Safe to Delete System32?

System32 is the core of Windows. Deleting it will completely break your operating system. Never delete this folder.

3–6 GB windows
Safe to Delete

Is It Safe to Delete Windows.old?

The Windows.old folder contains your previous Windows installation. It's safe to delete and can free up 10-30 GB of space.

10–30 GB windows