Deleting download files on windows 10

Storage Sense in Windows 10 is a new feature. When you enable it, Windows will automatically delete unused files when the computer is low on disk space. For instance, it can automatically delete files older than 30 or 60 days from the Recycle Bin or delete temporary files to free up some space.

It also can delete older files in the Downloads folder. But If you don't want the Storage Sense to delete files by itself, you can change its default settings to prevent Windows 10 from automatically deleting files when you want to keep them.

Step 1. Open the "Settings" app. You can flip the Storage Sense switch to "Off". In some cases, this MS update clearly triggers a download process, but in others, it does not seem to do so. I personally run Windows 7 Professional, but IE11 and Windows Update have both been incessantly nagging me to upgrade. Several readers have asked why we continue to cover topics like this and implied that ET or myself have a bias against Windows Daniel N.

He is a professional librarian and an experienced tech and information literacy teacher. Tweet Share Email. Browsers Chrome Safari Firefox Microsoft.

Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Tell us why! More from Lifewire. How to Delete Temporary Files in Windows. She holds a Master of Science in English. Google Chrome Hangs When Opening. Share on Facebook. Benefits There are two main benefits to removing downloads from your computer.

Dangers The main danger of deleting a file you downloaded to your computer is that you won't be able to use the file again. Computer Performance If you notice your computer running more slowly than usual, it may be due to hard disk fragmentation. To clear the files in the Downloads folder on your Mac computer, follow the steps below.

You may also clear download history entries by highlighting them and pressing Delete. If you're using Microsoft Windows , you can also see our Windows steps for deleting downloads using Windows.

To clear the files in the Downloads folder for Microsoft Edge Legacy, follow these steps. To clear the files in the Downloads folder for Internet Explorer, follow these steps.