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Fix Temporary Files not Deleting [Automatically, Disk Cleanup]

Find out how to delete temp files that cannot be deleted

9 min. read

Updated onAugust 12, 2024

updated onAugust 12, 2024

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Key notes

Temporary files are generated when users create a new file, and their role is to temporarily retain the information until the file users are working on is saved.

Why are temporary files taking up space? Temporary files should be deleted from time to time. Otherwise, they unnecessarily load your computer’s drive, reducing your system’s overall performance.

However, there are situations when users cannot delete temporary files.

This is quite a complicated situation because temporary files can sometimes use hundreds of gigabytes of your computer’s memory.

Here’s how users describe this issue:

here you can see in this snapshot that there is 5.49GB temporary files. but I’m unable to delete them I had tried this serval times but its not performing any deletion operation. it shows that we are cleaning up your temporary files come back in a bit to check out result. but no result I got.

kindly help me to solve this issue. my c driver is getting full day by day.

Users tried various methods to clean temporary files: ranging from running theDisk CleanupWizardto performing clean boots and drive error searches, but nothing worked.

If you’re having trouble deleting temporary files on yourWindows 10computer, follow the below steps to solve this problem.

Why some temp files cannot be deleted?

There are multiple reasons why the TMP files or the temporary files don’t get deleted automatically. Here are some of the common causes:

You can try turning on the option under theStorage Sensesettings that saysKeep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning up temporary system and app filesoption.

Temporary files can take a lot of space on your PC, and according to users, sometimes you might have issues removing these files. Speaking of issues, these are some problems that users reported:

What happens if you delete temporary files?

Deleting temporary files is a fantastic method to reclaim storage space, but it’s also likely that doing so can assist boost the performance of your computer if it’s operating a little bit slower.

If achieving that is your objective and removing the temporary files didn’t help, you should tryclearing the cache on your computer.

Without further ado, let’s just jump right in!

How do I force delete temporary files?

1. Delete the files manually

When using the delete option, you can also pressShift+Del,instead of a regular delete, to permanently delete files and not just send them to the recycle bin.

This issue related to temporary files has been plaguing users for more than a year, yet Microsoft hasn’t rolled out any official fixes to solve this problem, as users will remark:

This forum is a year old now with many followers all with the same problem and no one from Microsoft has stepped forward with a solution that actually works. So I do not believe you when you say “We will be glad to assist you.”

If I am wrong and Microsoft is working on solving this problem, then enlighten me regarding what is being done and I will gladly stand cotterted.

2. Use a third-party software

According to users, if you can’t delete temporary files on Windows 10/11, you might want to try usingspecialized repair software.

If you are unfamiliar, these tools can help you scan your PC and remove unnecessary files that take up space for no reason. Thanks to this kind of software you can quickly free up space and remove temporary files.

3. Use Command Prompt

According to users, if you can’t delete temporary files, you might be able to do so by usingCommand Prompt. To do that, you need to follow these steps:

Once the command is executed, all your temporary files should be deleted, and the problem will be resolved.

This is a quick and relatively simple solution, and if you don’t want to delete your temporary files manually, be sure to try this solution.

4. Install the latest updates

According to users, sometimes, the inability to remove temporary files is caused by a bug in your system.

Bugs can interfere with your system and prevent you from performing certain operations. Therefore you must keep your system up to date.

By default, Windows 10 automatically installs the missing updates, but sometimes you might miss an update or two. However, you can always check for updates manually by doing the following:

Windows 10 will check for available updates. Updates will be downloaded automatically in the background if any updates are available. As for the updates, they will be installed as soon as you restart your PC.

Once your PC is up to date, the problem should be resolved, and you’ll be able to remove temporary files without any issues.

5. Delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution directory

Several users reported that they could not delete temporary files due to the SoftwareDistribution directory. This folder holds Windows Update files, which can sometimes prevent you from deleting specific files.

However, you can quickly solve this issue by deleting the contents of this directory. To do that, just follow these steps:

After doing that, you should be able to remove temporary files without any issues.

6. Uninstall Skype and Spotify

According to users, sometimes third-party applications such as Skype and Spotify can interfere with your system and cause problems with temporary files.

According to users, the issue started appearing after the update when these two applications were installed automatically.

However, you can fix the problem simply by removing these apps. To do that, just follow these steps:

Now follow the instructions on the screen to remove the application. Next, repeat the same steps for the Spotify app. This is a strange problem, but several users solved it by removing these two apps, so feel free to try it out.

7. Remove the temporary files from Safe Mode

If you’re having problems with temporary files, you might want to try removing them from Safe Mode. To access Safe Mode, do the following:

Once you enter Safe Mode, you should be able to remove temporary files without any issues.

Why does my computer keep making temporary files?

The computer makes temporary files to load all your settings for your PC or a program faster. Temporary files are a program’s settings files that remember your selection for a specific program.

So, using these files, your PC can load programs and other system tasks much more efficiently and faster.

Let us say an editing tool when you use any program; then your PC will store a temporary file for your created work. Temporary files are created as a part of the internal process of the program or in situations when the program cannot allocate enough memory for the tasks.

Why can’t I delete temp files on Windows 11?

If you want todelete temporary files in Windows 11, you need to use the built-in tools, or if you’re an experienced user, you can do that manually.

If afile is open in another program, that might prevent you from deleting it, so you need to find the application using it and turn it off.

If youneed administrator permission to delete foldermessage, it means you don’t have the necessary privileges, so try switching to administrative account and try again. And if you keep getting thetemp folder access is denied, see how to bypass this restriction.

Most of the temporary files are deleted automatically once the task is complete. However, there are temporary files that continue to stay on your PC for future use. It is safe to delete temporary files, though.

Not being able to remove temporary files can be a big problem sometimes, but you should be able to fix it with one of our solutions.

Fix Temporary Files not Deleting [Automatically, Disk Cleanup]#

Why some temp files cannot be deleted?#

How do I force delete temporary files?#

1. Delete the files manually#

2. Use a third-party software#

3. Use Command Prompt#

4. Install the latest updates#

5. Delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution directory#

6. Uninstall Skype and Spotify#

7. Remove the temporary files from Safe Mode#

Why does my computer keep making temporary files?#

Why can’t I delete temp files on Windows 11?#