# Win Clean > Safely analyze and clean Windows C: drive space by mapping storage distribution, inspecting the user profile, ranking cleanup candidates with size and recency signals, discussing user-directory candidates, and deleting only approved targets. - Skill: `askairo/win-clean` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add askairo/win-clean` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/askairo/win-clean/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: askairo (https://skillmd.com/u/askairo) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/askairo/win-clean --- # Win Clean Use this skill when the user asks to understand or clean Windows disk space, especially `C:`. Start with a read-only storage analysis. Clean known low-risk caches in safe mode; discuss other user-directory candidates with the user before deleting them. ## Goals - Show before/after free and used space. - Map the main C: consumers, including root files and top-level directories. - Analyze `C:\Users` and the active user profile, including hidden folders and `AppData`. - Rank cleanup candidates by size, data type, and recency signals. - Separate rebuildable caches from configuration, development environments, and personal data. - Use an exact-target plan and user choice before removing non-trivial user data. ## Safety Rules - Validate every destructive target as an exact path before deletion. Never use a broad root, unresolved variable, or recursive wildcard as the deletion target. - Do not delete from personal data folders by default: `Desktop`, `Documents`, `Pictures`, `Videos`, and `Downloads`. Aggregate their sizes without listing filenames unless the user asks for that detail. - Do not delete app install trees by default: `C:\Program Files`, `C:\Program Files (x86)`, or `C:\ProgramData` except a specifically identified cache subpath. - Never manually delete inside `C:\Windows\WinSxS`. - Keep Codex runtime and cache untouched unless the user explicitly includes them. - Treat `LastWriteTime` as supporting evidence only. `LastAccessTime` may be disabled or unreliable, and an old timestamp does not prove that a directory is unused. Do not delete a directory solely because it has not changed recently. - Before changing app data, check whether the related process is running. Ask the user to close it or skip locked files; do not force-close an app with possible unsaved work. - Prefer moving to a recoverable location when practical. If permanent deletion is authorized and used, report that it does not go to the Recycle Bin. - For each delete operation, tolerate in-use files and report exact skipped paths. ## Default Workflow (Safe Mode) 1. **Baseline and distribution (read-only)** - Read free and used space for `C:`. - Measure the main top-level directories: `C:\Users`, `C:\Windows`, `C:\Program Files`, `C:\Program Files (x86)`, and `C:\ProgramData`. - Measure large root files such as `pagefile.sys`, `hiberfil.sys`, and `swapfile.sys`. - Explain that apparent `WinSxS` size can overstate reclaimable space because of hard links. 2. **User-profile analysis (read-only)** - Enumerate profiles under `C:\Users` and identify the active profile without assuming a fixed username. - Measure the active profile's hidden directories and normal directories separately. - Break down `AppData\Local`, `AppData\Roaming`, and `AppData\LocalLow`, then rank their largest immediate children. - For each likely candidate, report size, file count when useful, newest file time, and counts of files changed in the last 30/90/180/365 days. Use these as review signals, not proof of usage. - Do not enumerate filenames from personal folders in the default report. Check running processes before proposing app-data deletion. 3. **Classify and discuss candidates** - Present a compact table with: path, size, category, recency signal, likely impact, and proposed action. - **Known rebuildable caches:** user temp, Windows temp, Windows update download cache, Delivery Optimization cache, NVIDIA App update artifacts, `CrashDumps`, `*-updater`, and `npm-cache` when present. These may be cleaned in safe mode after the baseline. - **Review before deletion:** browser profiles, IDE system/cache directories, app caches, stale logs, and old version directories. Explain what will be rebuilt or lost. - **Protect by default:** configuration and plugin directories, app binaries, developer toolchains such as Rust/Maven/NuGet/Gradle stores, project files, and personal data. Require the user's choice for these. - If a candidate is old but has no reliable usage evidence, label it `needs review` rather than `unused`. 4. **Plan and approval boundary** - After the user selects candidates, list the exact paths, estimated reclaimable space, expected side effects, and whether the operation is recoverable. - Execute known low-risk cache cleanup without a second prompt in safe mode. For any other user-directory path, obtain explicit approval for that exact path or category immediately before deletion. 5. **Execute and verify** - Clean approved targets, preferably their contents while retaining the parent directory when an application expects it. - Run `Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup`. If it returns error 740 or is blocked by pending actions, report the condition and advise an elevated prompt or restart; do not retry destructively. - Re-read C: free/used space, rescan affected paths, and report recovered space, locked files, skipped items, and remaining major consumers. ## Mode Switch ### `safe` (default) - Always perform the distribution and user-profile analysis first. - Clean only the known rebuildable caches listed above automatically. - Do not delete personal data, configuration, plugins, developer stores, or directories selected only by age. - Do not change hibernation settings or purge Codex/developer caches unless the user explicitly asks for those targets. ### `aggressive` (explicit user request only) - Includes safe-mode analysis and cleanup. - Still requires clear confirmation of each higher-impact category before execution. - May include hibernation removal, developer-cache cleanup, stale logs, or stale directories when the user approves the exact targets and impact. ## Optional Actions (Explicit Confirmation Required) - Disable hibernation to remove `hiberfil.sys`: `powercfg /h off`. This disables Hibernate and Fast Startup. - Clear developer caches such as `C:\Users\\.m2\repository`, `C:\Users\\.nuget\packages`, `C:\Users\\.gradle\caches`, Rust registry caches, npm/Yarn/uv caches, or IDE system directories. State whether the data will be redownloaded or rebuilt. - Remove old large logs while keeping active logs. - Remove stale empty directories only after validating ownership, age, and that no installed app or project refers to them. Age alone is insufficient. ## Output Format Return a compact report with: - `Before`: free/used GB - `Distribution`: largest C: directories and root files - `User profile`: largest hidden/AppData and normal directories - `Candidates`: category, evidence, estimated reclaim, and proposed action - `Actions`: exact cleaned paths and notes on failures/in-use files - `After`: free/used GB - `Recovered`: total GB gained - `Skipped`: protected, uncertain, or locked items - `Next`: optional targets awaiting user choice ## Notes - Configuration, plugins, caches, logs, and local history may live in different `AppData` subtrees; inspect the application-specific layout before classifying a path. - A directory's apparent size can differ from reclaimable space because of hard links, sparse files, junctions, or files held open by a process. - Prefer repeatable, explainable cleanup over one-off deletion based on a timestamp alone.