Clear Memory Space

30-04-2021 by



Dec 21, 2020 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

Memory dumps are made by Windows whenever your computer crashes and you see a blue-screen appearing in front of you. These dumps contain copies of the memory of the computer system when it crashed. The memory dumps are stored in the form of a paging file on the computer system and can help in the identification of the reasons and the issues that were responsible for the system crash. There are various types of memory dumps that Windows can create. Depending on their type, memory dumps can be quite large and take up a great deal of space on your hard drive. If you want to clear out this space, then all you have to do is to delete memory dumps.

Restarting your computer system will clear memory saved on RAM and reset all the running programs and applications. However, this method won’t clear the complete memory but it will boost up the processing speed of the system. By cleaning up apps running on the background on Windows 10. Microsoft Word - 'There is insufficient Memory or Disk space' This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. There are various types of memory dumps that Windows can create. Depending on their type, memory dumps can be quite large and take up a great deal of space on your hard drive. If you want to clear out this space, then all you have to do is to delete memory dumps. The good news is you can probably free up a lot of space on your PC running Windows by following the tips here. But if you keep getting messages about low drive space, you might want to consider other options, including adding additional removable storage. To get the most out of these tips, do them in order from top to bottom. Space on a disk drive is normally called 'storage' or simply 'disk space.' Calling disk space 'memory' isn't so much wrong as just unconventional. In a sense, disk space is, of course, memory, but the important thing to realize is that the word is never used that way, and if you do so, you do it at the risk of seriously confusing your audience.

Part 1. How to Delete Memory Dumps

If you have had a blue-screen a while back, you should have a memory dump file sitting on your hard drive. Since memory dumps contain copies of a good portion of your computer’s memory, this .dmp file might have a file size of up to 800 MBs. If you are experiencing a shortage of memory on your hard drive and want to free up some of the space, then deleting these memory dumps would be a good choice. However, the memory dumps are buried deep into the Windows folder and you would have to dig deep to find them.

The best way to delete memory dumps is to utilize the Disk Cleanup Utility offered by Windows. It will offer you the chance to delete these files automatically. You just need to check their boxes when choosing the files to delete in the Disk Cleanup menu. Another way of deleting memory dumps is to make use of system optimization software and data erasure tools.

More ways to free up space:
6 Ways to Delete Folder on Windows/Mac
The Quick and Easy Way to Delete Windows Update Files
How to Automatically Free up Storage Space with macOS Sierra

Part 2. How to Completely Delete Memory Dump Files

You can delete memory dumps quite easily by using the Disk Cleanup utility offered by Windows. However, there is a chance that the space occupied by these memory dumps isn’t completely vacated even after they have been deleted using the Disk Cleanup utility. The only way to be perfectly sure that the memory dumps have been permanently erased from the hard drive is by making use of a data erasure tool. Such tools are capable of erasing all types of data from the hard disk. However, not all tools which claim to erase data are reliable.

There are only a few that do the job as per requirements. Stellar BitRaser for File is a data erasure tool which can delete memory dumps from the hard disk forever and ensure that it isn’t recoverable.

  • Simple and user-friendly interface
  • Capable of erasing data, leaving no chance of data recovery
  • Compatible with various versions of Windows
  • Clears internet search history from the hard drive to keep it private
  • Utilizes around 17 different erasure algorithms for deleting files

Step 1. Download and launch Stellar BitRaser for File on your Windows computer.

Step 2. Click the 'Memory Dumps' option to process.

Step 3. Click the 'Erase Now' button to completely erase memory dumps in Windows.

Stellar BitRaser for File needs just a single pass to completely delete memory dumps from the hard drive. However, if you are concerned that the memory dumps aren’t completely removed from the system, then taking a couple of extra passes would undoubtedly ensure that the memory dumps are erased forever. By the way, you can also learn to clear Windows error report to free up disk.

Part 3. What is Memory Dump Files for Windows?

1.Complete memory dump

Complete memory dumps save a copy of all of the system memory at the time of the system crash. Such memory dumps contain data from all of the running processes when the computer stopped all of a sudden. A complete memory dump requires having a paging file on the boot volume which has a file size of at least the entire physical RAM and an extra MB.

2.Kernel memory dump

Kernel memory dumps collect the kernel memory alone and are thus far smaller in size than complete memory dumps. Memory allocated to the HAL or Hardware Abstraction Layer and kernel-mode program and drivers is recorded in a Kernel memory dump. This type of memory dump also requires a page file on boot volume for its creation. It is considered to be the most useful dump file.

3.Small memory dump (64 KB)

Small memory dumps occupy the smallest space on the hard drive. This type of dump file can hold as low as 64 KB of data in it. The amount of system memory recorded in a small memory dump is only useful for identifying the reason for the system crash but isn’t enough to debug it. A paging file having a size of at least 2 MB on the boot volume is necessary for creating a small memory dump.

Memory dumps are paging files that contain copies of computer memory at the time of its crashing. It can provide developers the chance to diagnose the issues that caused the computer to crash. There are various types of memory dumps available and each one carries a different amount of system memory in it. Because of their large size, memory dump files can take up a lot of hard drive space. You can delete memory dumps to free up space on your hard disk. This task can be accomplished by using the Data Cleanup Utility. However, if you want to delete it permanently from the system, then using a data erasure tool like Stellar BitRaser for File is your best available option.

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What is taking up space on my hard drive?

If you haven’t got space on your computer for that new app or game, or the clutter on your hard drive is just driving you crazy, you’re not alone.

With the introduction of SSDs (solid-state drives) offering loads less space than traditional mechanical hard drives, in conjunction with games and applications requiring more and more disk space, your hard drive can easily become full.

In this article, we’ll go through the top 8 ways to clean up your Windows hard drive: finding out what is taking up so much space on your hard drive, reducing the clutter and creating space for those all important new applications or files. So, without further ado, let’s get started…

Using Mac instead? Find out how to clear disk space on Mac >

Jump straight to:

New Update: Windows Storage Sense

Since the initial publication of this article, Microsoft have been busy working on the issue of saving space on people's computers. The amalgamation of their hard-work comes in the form of 'Storage Sense' - An all-in-one, intuitive feature which cleans a computer of unwanted files easier and more efficiently than ever before!

If you are using Windows 10, you can use this feature in place of the 'Windows Disk Cleanup' and 'Take out the Trash' sections of this article. This is because these steps are now covered by Storage Sense (Disk Cleanup and Recycle Bin are still available too if you prefer to use those, or if you are running another version of Windows like Windows 7). Let's see how to use this new feature...

  • Use Storage Sense on demand
  • Set up Storage Sense to run automatically

How to use Storage Sense on demand

If you don't need to clean up your computer files very often, or if you want control over exactly what files are deleted, I would recommend using Storage Sense on demand, rather than allowing it to run automatically. Here's how:

  1. Click your Windows icon and open 'Settings'.
  2. Click 'System'.
  3. Select 'Storage' from the list on the left.
  4. Under 'Storage Sense', click 'Free up space now'.
  5. Your computer will be scanned for temporary files which may want to delete.
  6. Once the scan is complete, tick the files you want to delete.
  7. Click 'Remove Files' to permanently delete the files from your computer.

How to configure Storage Sense to run automatically

If you often need to clean up your computer for temporary files and like the sound of automating the process, I would recommend using Storage Sense to automatically and periodically clean up your files. Here's how:

  1. Click your Windows icon and open 'Settings'.
  2. Click 'System'.
  3. Select 'Storage' from the list on the left.
  4. Under 'Storage Sense', click 'Change how we free up space automatically'.
  5. Choose your preferences (set when you would like Storage Sense to run, what to delete, and how long).
  6. Once you're happy with your selections, toggle Storage Sense on.
  7. Click 'Clean Now' if you want to start your first scan now.

The tool is great, right? It's a massive improvement over the separate, hard-to-find features from before. However, it still does not deal with duplicate files, uninstalling unused programs and more... Jump to: finding and deleting duplicates now >

1. Windows Disk Cleanup

Windows comes with a handful of great tools to help keep your computer’s storage nice and tidy. The problem is, not everybody knows where to find these functions, or what to look for.

Disk Cleanup is the first of these tools. It allows you to delete data such as temporary files, which can amount to GB’s (gigabytes) of data over time.

To access the Disk Cleanup function:

  1. Go to your Computer window (Start -> Computer)
  2. Right-Click your hard-drive and select ‘Properties’
  3. Under the ‘General’ tab, click ‘Disk Cleanup’
  4. Windows will scan your drive and let you know how much space you can save by running Disk Cleanup
  5. Select the files that you wish to delete form the drive, and hit OK

Another function to mention here is ‘Clean up system files’. Using this function, you can remove older Windows restore points from your drive, leaving only the most recent one. If you wish to use this function, please ensure that your computer is running as expected, as once the restore points are removed, you will not be able to fall back to them.

To use ‘Clean up system files’:

  1. Click Clean up system files
  2. Go to the ‘More Options tab’ in the Disk Cleanup window
  3. Click ‘Clean up…’ under the ‘System Restore and Shadow Copies’ heading

2. Uninstall Programs

For many computer users, most of the disk space used is by applications and games. If you find that you no longer use certain programs, you can uninstall and remove them from your hard drive.

Again, Windows provides the ability to easily get rid of any unwanted programs that we may have on our computer. To uninstall/remove programs, follow the steps below:

  1. Start -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a program
  2. Sort the list of programs by file size by clicking the ‘Size header’. Now you can see which programs take up the most space on your computer.
  3. Click any program that you wish to remove, and click ‘Uninstall’

3. Remove Duplicate Files

It is likely that you’ve accumulated duplicate files over time, which are unnecessary for the running of your computer. Unfortunately, Windows does not provide an easy way to find and remove these duplicate files, so a third party software is needed.

There are a number of applications for the removal of duplicate files, but we’ll look at Duplicate Sweeper here. Duplicate Sweeper has a clear and easy interface, and finds and removes duplicates easily.

Let Duplicate Sweeper automatically select duplicate files for removal, using your preferences, or select individual files yourself.

Duplicate Sweeper can find duplicate files, photos and music on your computer, and remove them for you, freeing up loads of space for the stuff you really want.

Try Duplicate Sweeper free ▼

Receive an email with a link so you can download the free trial on your computer:

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On a similar point, you can also delete any duplicate tracks in iTunes which can take up a lot of disk space. This function can be found in iTunes -> File -> Library -> Show Duplicate Items. From this list you can delete any duplicate tracks.

However, if you have loads of duplicate files listed, which ones should you delete? To manually go through each track and pick the best may take some time. For this reason, many people use a third-party software to help out.

One such application is Tune Sweeper. Tune Sweeper can quickly search your iTunes library for duplicates, and automatically select which to remove based on preferences such as highest quality, longest duration or latest played.

Clear Memory Space

Tune Sweeper can also tidy up your iTunes library by fixing track information, downloading missing album artwork to tracks, removing missing tracks and loads more.



For more information about Tune Sweeper, or to download the free trial:

Tune Sweeper homepage

Clear Memory Space On Macbook

4. Temporary Files

“Wait, we just removed temporary files using Windows Disk Cleanup”, I hear you say. Yes, we deleted temporary files containing webpages, stored on your hard drive for quick viewing. Unfortunately, the Disk Cleanup method did not include files saved by external apps such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. There may still be gigabytes worth of cookies, internet history and caches stored on your computer.

You can delete this information directly from your browser, or by using a third-party application.

For example, using Google Chrome, you can open the settings menu (the 3 dots next to the address bar) -> More tools -> Clear Browsing data… From here you can select which data you wish to remove, then click ‘Clear browsing data’.

5. Take out the Trash

Clear Memory Space On Ipad

Some of these files which we have removed using the above steps may end up being moved to the Recycle Bin. This is a nice safety measure, because if you make a mistake and have removed a file which you now want back, you can easily restore the file from the Recycle Bin.

Clear Memory Space Windows 10

However, the files in the Recycle Bin are still taking up space on your computer. If you’re sure that you would like to remove the files in your Recycle Bin, you can select files and right-click to delete them, or simply click ‘Empty the Recycle Bin’ to permanently delete all of the files.

6. Store data on External Storage or in the Cloud

All previous methods in this list describe how to delete or remove files from your computer which you may not need. However, what of the files which you wish to keep, such as precious photos, video and music? These media types can accumulate to some serious storage space, but if you no longer have space for them on your PC hard drive, you still have options!

A common method for keeping data safe is to transfer it to external storage. There are 2 platforms for storing your data elsewhere from your main computer: physical storage and cloud storage.

Physical storage comes in many different shapes and sizes, but can most commonly be seen as USB Drives or external hard drives. Transferring data from your PC hard drive to an external hard drive allows you to delete the original files on your PC, while still keeping them safe in storage. Needless to say, this can clear a huge chunk of storage space on your PC.

Cloud Storage allows you to store your files on remote servers, and access them via the internet. There are many different cloud service providers: Apple iCloud and Microsoft OneDrive are only two examples. Most providers offer a certain amount of storage space free, and then give the option to pay monthly for more storage space if you should need it.

Consider also that cloud storage is not immune to duplicate files. Since many cloud services charge for more space, it is crucial to remove duplicate files to save valuable space and save yourself money. Check out our guide on how to manage Google Drive files and remove duplicates.

7. Defragment your Hard Drive

When adding a new file to your computer, a particular portion of your hard drive is allocated to store the file. However, after constantly saving and deleting files, a disk will become ‘fragmented’. This means that there are gaps in your hard drive where subsequent files would not fit, so they are left vacant.

As well as affecting your usable free space on your hard drive, fragmentation also has a negative impact on your computer’s ability to store your data in sequence, hence slowing down it’s speed.

Luckily, Windows has us covered, providing a ‘Disk Defragmentation’ tool. Using this tool, we can analyze which of our drives would benefit from defragmentation, before we commit to defragging. This is very useful, as if you have a large drive full of data, it may take a substantial amount of time to defrag.

Clear Memory Space Android

To make use of this tool, hit your Windows icon, or Start menu, then start typing “Defragment”. From the search list, click Disk Defragmenter. Once you see the tool’s window, you can elect each drive and analyze them to determine what percentage of them is fragmented. Higher percentages mean higher fragmentation.

To defragment your disk, just hit “Defragment Disk”.

Clear Up Memory On Pc

Note:

  • It is not advised to defragment your hard drive too often, as the constant writing and erasing of data can reduce the lifespan of your hard drive.
  • It may also be worth pointing out that there has been some debate as to whether defragmentation of SSDs (solid-state drives) is beneficial or detrimental to the drive. If you are unsure, you can read up on the discussion at PC World.

8. Sufficient RAM

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the hardware in your computer which determines how you store data. RAM stores data or instructions which you use frequently, providing fast read or write processes to improve the general speed of your computer experience.

Sounds great, right? Right. However, if you don’t have sufficient RAM, your computer will start to store the overflow of information which should be stored in RAM, in your hard drive instead. Then, when your computer wants to read or write this data, it is a much slower process between hard drive-computer than RAM-computer.

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For these reasons, make sure that you have enough RAM for the processes that you generally do on your computer. It may be worth pointing out that the average user, who’s agenda may be text editing and web browsing, will not require as much RAM as a user who frequently runs multiple programs at once including photo or video editing and rendering software.

Clear Memory Space On Kindle Fire

You can find out how much RAM you currently have installed in your computer by going to Computer > Properties.

Clear Internal Memory Space

Publisher: Wide Angle Software




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