How to Find the Largest Files on Your PC Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

Is your Windows 11 PC running out of storage space faster than you expected? You’re not alone.

Over time, our computers accumulate huge files — videos, system updates, backups, and forgotten downloads — that silently eat up precious disk space.

But don’t worry — this guide will show you exactly how to find the largest files on your PC in Windows 11 using different built-in tools and third-party methods.

Whether you’re a beginner or a power user, you’ll learn step-by-step how to locate, analyze, and safely delete massive files to free up space and boost your PC’s performance.

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🧭 Quick Summary: Key Takeaways

✅ Goal: Identify and clean up large files to free disk space.
⚙️ Applies to: Windows 11 (Home, Pro, Enterprise).
💡 Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate.

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Why You Should Find Large Files on Your PC

Before we start, let’s understand why this matters.

🚀 Benefits of Finding Large Files

1. Free up storage space – Delete large files you no longer need.

2. Improve performance – Low storage can slow down Windows 11 significantly.

3. Organize data – Identify old backups, duplicates, or outdated installers.

4. Prevent storage warnings – Avoid “Low Disk Space” alerts on C: drive.

5. Prepare for upgrades – Essential before updating Windows or installing large software.

⚠️ When Large Files Become a Problem

• Your PC takes longer to boot or open apps.

• Windows Update fails due to insufficient space.

• Disk Cleanup doesn’t reclaim enough storage.

If this sounds familiar, it’s time to hunt down those space-hogging files.

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How to Find the Largest Files on Your PC (Windows 11 Methods)

Let’s explore multiple ways — from built-in Windows tools to advanced third-party apps — so you can choose what works best for you.

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🧭 Method 1: Find Large Files Using File Explorer Search (Easiest Way)

This is the quickest and most beginner-friendly method.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open File Explorer
   Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.

2. Select the Drive You Want to Search
   For example, click on This PC → Local Disk (C:).

3. Click the Search Bar (Top Right Corner)
   Type one of the following size filters:

   • size:>1GB → Finds files larger than 1 GB

   • size:>500MB → Finds files larger than 500 MB

   • size:>100MB → Finds files larger than 100 MB

4. Press Enter
   Windows will now search your drive for large files.

5. Sort by Size
   Click View → Details, then sort by the Size column to see the biggest files first.

💡 Pro Tip:

You can narrow the search to specific folders:

📸 Example:

If you often download movies, searching the Downloads folder might reveal forgotten gigabytes.

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🧭 Method 2: Find Large Files via Storage Settings

Windows 11 comes with a built-in Storage Management tool that visually shows what’s taking up space.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.

2. Go to System → Storage.

3. Wait for the Storage breakdown to load.

4. Click on Show more categories to expand the list.

5. Select Apps & features, Documents, or Temporary files to view what’s consuming space.

📊 What You’ll See

• Apps and Games

• Temporary Files

• System & Reserved

• Videos, Music, Pictures, Documents

Click any category to see the largest items and remove them directly.

💡 Tip:

Enable Storage Sense to automatically clean temporary and recycle bin files:

• Go to Settings → System → Storage → Storage Sense → Turn On.

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🧭 Method 3: Use Command Prompt to Find Large Files

If you prefer a faster, command-line method, CMD works great.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Press Windows + S, type cmd, right-click, and choose Run as administrator.

2. Run the following command:

   forfiles /s /m *.* /c "cmd /c if @fsize GEQ 104857600 echo @path @fsize" > "%userprofile%\Desktop\LargeFiles.txt"


   This command searches for files larger than 100 MB (104,857,600 bytes) and saves the results in a text file on your desktop named LargeFiles.txt.

3. Open the text file to view file paths and sizes.

⚙️ Customize It:

• To search for files over 1 GB, change 104857600 to 1073741824.

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🧭 Method 4: Find Large Files Using PowerShell

PowerShell provides even more flexibility than CMD.

🔹 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Press Windows + X → choose Windows Terminal (Admin).

2. Type or paste this command:

   Get-ChildItem -Path C:\ -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Where-Object {$_.Length -gt 1GB} | Sort-Object Length -Descending | Select-Object FullName, @{Name="Size(GB)";Expression={[math]::Round($_.Length / 1GB, 2)}} | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\LargeFiles.txt"


3. Press Enter.
   PowerShell will scan your system drive and save the largest files in a text file.

4. Open LargeFiles.txt on your desktop to review the results.

💡 Tip: You can change 1GB to 500MB or 100MB to adjust the threshold.

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🧭 Method 5: Use Third-Party Tools (Best Visualization)

If you prefer a graphical overview of your disk usage, third-party apps make this process faster and more visual.

Here are the best options:

🔹 1. WinDirStat (Windows Directory Statistics)

• Free and open-source.

• Displays your files as colored blocks based on size.

Steps:

1. Download from https://windirstat.net/.

2. Install and open WinDirStat.

3. Choose the drive (e.g., C:).

4. Wait for scanning to complete.

5. View the Treemap — large blocks represent large files.

💡 Hover over a block to see the file name and location.

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🔹 2. TreeSize Free

• Fast and user-friendly.

• Great for analyzing storage across folders.

Steps:

1. Download from https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free.

2. Run TreeSize as Administrator.

3. Select a drive or folder to scan.

4. Sort by size to find the biggest files and folders.

📊 TreeSize also shows file sizes in GB, MB, and percentage of total disk usage.

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🔹 3. SpaceSniffer

• Visual “bubble” interface that instantly shows where your disk space went.

Steps:

1. Download from http://www.uderzo.it/main_products/space_sniffer/.

2. Run it (no installation needed).

3. Choose a drive → Wait for the map to load.

You’ll see large rectangles representing large files. Simple and intuitive!

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🧰 Bonus: Use Disk Cleanup to Free Up Space

After finding large files, you can safely delete system junk using Disk Cleanup.

🔹 Steps:

1. Press Windows + S → type Disk Cleanup → open it.

2. Choose your drive (usually C:).

3. Check categories like:

   • Temporary Files

   • System Error Memory Dumps

   • Windows Update Cleanup

   • Recycle Bin

4. Click OK → Delete Files.

💡 Tip: For deeper cleanup, click Clean up system files inside Disk Cleanup.

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🧹 How to Safely Delete Large Files (Without Breaking Windows)

Not all large files should be deleted!

⚠️ Files You Can Safely Delete

• Old downloads (Downloads folder)

• Temporary files (Temp, Prefetch)

• Unused installers (.exe or .iso files)

• Old videos, backups, or duplicate files

🚫 Files You Shouldn’t Delete

• Files inside C:\Windows or System32

• Hidden recovery or driver files

• AppData folders unless you know their purpose

When unsure, right-click → Properties → File location to see which app owns the file.

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📈 Bonus Tips: Keep Storage Clean Automatically

🧩 1. Enable Storage Sense

Windows can automatically delete temporary files and empty your Recycle Bin.

• Go to Settings → System → Storage → Storage Sense → Turn On

• Click Configure cleanup schedules to set preferences.

🧩 2. Move Large Files to External Storage

Use an external hard drive or USB flash drive to move large media files.

🧩 3. Use OneDrive or Google Drive

Upload photos, videos, and documents to the cloud to save local space.

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🔍 Common Mistakes When Searching for Large Files

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🧠 Summary: Find & Manage Large Files in Windows 11

Bottom line:
Finding and managing the largest files on your PC in Windows 11 is easier than you think. Using File Explorer or tools like WinDirStat, you can instantly see what’s taking up space and delete unnecessary files safely.

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🏁 Conclusion

You’ve just learned how to find the largest files on your PC in Windows 11 — step by step.

By now, you should be able to:

• Search for large files using File Explorer

• Analyze disk usage through Storage Settings

• Use CMD or PowerShell for advanced file search

• Visualize disk space with tools like WinDirStat or TreeSize

Cleaning large files not only frees up space but also makes Windows 11 faster and more efficient.

💡 Pro Tip: Schedule a monthly cleanup to keep your PC clutter-free!

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❓ FAQs About Finding the Largest Files in Windows 11

1. What is the easiest way to find big files in Windows 11?

The simplest method is using File Explorer. Just type size:>1GB in the search bar.

2. Can I delete large files from the Windows folder?

No, avoid deleting files in the C:\Windows directory — they’re critical for system stability.

3. How do I find large folders instead of files?

Use TreeSize or WinDirStat — both show folder sizes visually.

4. Does Windows 11 automatically delete large temporary files?

Yes, if Storage Sense is turned on under Settings → System → Storage.

5. Why is my C: drive still full after deleting files?

Empty the Recycle Bin, clear temporary files, and check for hidden system files.

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✅ Final Tip: Bookmark this guide — it’s the perfect resource to quickly find and manage large files whenever your Windows 11 PC starts running low on space.