Your computer's operating system (i.e., Windows, MacOS) needs at least 15-20GB of free space to function properly. If your hard drive has less than this, you'll likely start to encounter some problems. For example, you may start seeing OneDrive sync errors or have trouble installing new applications. This article covers some steps you can follow to free up space on your hard drive.
Determine how much free space you have
The first step is to determine how much free space you have. In you use a PC, you can do this by opening File Explorer and then clicking This PC from the left navigation pane. If the bar under the C: drive is red, you will definitely want to follow the steps below to free up some space on your hard drive.
If you use a Mac, you can check your hard disk space by clicking the Apple logo and then selecting System Settings > General > About.
Clean up your Downloads folder
Over time, the Downloads folder can fill up with files that you've downloaded from the web (or email attachments). You should check this folder from time to time and delete files that you no longer need. On a PC, just open File Explorer and then navigate to your Downloads folder.
If you use a Mac, click Go and then select Downloads to open your Downloads folder.
Free up space in OneDrive
OneDrive includes a feature called Files On-Demand which helps you access all the files in your cloud storage without having to download them and use storage space on your computer. While this feature is enabled by default, local copies of your files are still downloaded and saved to your computer when you open and interact with files from OneDrive. Over time, this can eat up valuable storage space on your hard drive. Fortunately, OneDrive includes a "Free up space" tool that can be used to clear the local copies of these files. On a PC, just open File Explorer, right-click on your OneDrive folder and choose the Free up space option.
If you use a Mac, click Go and then select OneDrive to open your OneDrive folder in Finder. Then, right-click the OneDrive folder and choose the Free up space option.
Please Note: It may take some time for the free up space tool to complete. Once completed, repeat the steps in the first section ("Determine how much free space you have") to see how much free space you have available.