If your computer is running low on space, Windows 11 has a handy feature called Storage Sense that can help free up space by deleting temporary files automatically. In this guide, we’ll show you how to turn on or off the part of Storage Sense that cleans up temporary files.

What is Storage Sense? It’s a built-in tool in Windows 11 (and Windows 10) that helps keep your PC tidy by:

• Deleting temporary files you don’t need
• Emptying the Recycle Bin after a set time
• Cleaning files in your Downloads folder after a while

By default, Storage Sense is turned off. But you can turn it on so it runs when your disk space is low and removes temporary files you don’t need.

How to Enable or Disable Temporary File Cleanup Using Group Policy Editor

The easiest way for some users to control this feature is through the Local Group Policy Editor. Here’s how:

1. Click the Start button and type Edit group policy, then press Enter.
2. In the window that opens, follow this path on the left side:
   
   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Storage Sense
   
3. On the right, find Allow Storage Sense Temporary Files cleanup and double-click it.
4. Choose one of these options:
   • Not Configured – Leaves it as default (Storage Sense can be turned on or off by users).
   • Enabled – Storage Sense will delete temporary files automatically and users won’t be able to turn this off.
   • Disabled – Storage Sense won’t delete temporary files and users can’t turn it on.
5. Click OK to save your changes.
6. Restart your computer to make sure the changes take effect.

How to Turn On or Off Temporary File Cleanup Using Registry Editor

If you prefer or need to use the Windows Registry to change this setting, here’s how:

1. Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Start menu search and running it as administrator.
2. Navigate to this folder:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsStorageSense
   
3. Look for a value called AllowStorageSenseTemporaryFilesCleanup in the right pane.
   • If it exists, double-click it and set the number to:
     • 0 to turn off temporary file cleanup
     • 1 to turn on the cleanup
   • If it doesn’t exist:
     1. Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
     2. Name it AllowStorageSenseTemporaryFilesCleanup.
     3. Double-click it and set the value to 0 to disable, or 1 to enable.
4. Close Registry Editor and restart your PC.

Summary

• Storage Sense helps keep your PC clean by removing temporary files automatically.
• You can turn on or off its temporary file cleanup feature using either the Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor.
• Be careful when changing these settings and always back up important files before making changes.

If you want to learn more about Storage Sense or how to open these tools, you can visit this detailed guide on Storage Sense.