Holiday Tech Tune-Up: Free Up Space Before the Holidays

Running low on storage is one of the biggest reasons devices slow down, freeze, or refuse to update — and the holidays are when people take the most photos and videos. If your phone or computer is already warning you about low space, now’s the time to clean things up.

Fortunately, it only takes a few quick steps.

1. Review Your Downloads Folder (Don’t Just Empty It)

The Downloads folder fills up fast — installers, PDFs, pictures, email attachments — but many people store important files there without realizing it.

Instead of emptying it blindly:

• Sort by size to find the biggest items quickly

• Move anything important into Documents, Pictures, or another permanent folder

• Safely delete old installers, duplicates, and files you’re sure you don’t need

This approach gives you a big storage win without losing something important.

2. Clear Trash / Recycle Bin

Files aren’t truly deleted until you empty the bin.

• Windows: Right-click Recycle Bin → Empty Recycle Bin 

• Mac: Right-click Trash → Empty Trash

You’d be surprised how many gigabytes sit there.

3. Remove Apps You No Longer Use

Unused apps can hog a surprising amount of space.

• Windows: Settings → Apps → Installed Apps

• Mac: Applications folder → Drag apps to Trash

If you haven’t opened it in a year, you probably don’t need it.

4. Move Photos & Videos Off Your Device

Holiday photos + family videos pile up fast.

Quick options:

• Move older photos to an external drive

• Use cloud storage (iCloud, Google Photos, OneDrive)

• Back up older videos, then delete them from your device

Videos take the most space — even a couple can be several GB.

5. Clean Up Temporary Files

Temporary files build up quietly in the background.

• Windows: Settings → Storage → Storage Sense

• Mac: Apple Menu → About This Mac → Storage → Optimize

These tools safely remove caches, logs, and leftover update files.

Tip: Keep at least 20–25% free space

Your device needs room to breathe — for updates, apps, photos, and overall speed.

Need help freeing up space?

PCRescue can run a remote cleanup, safely move your photos, and fix systems where storage is completely full.