A cluttered drive is a slow drive. When your SSD or HDD nears capacity, the operating system struggles to manage temporary files and swap space, leading to significant system lag. Most users assume they need a bigger drive, but the reality is that system logs, browser caches, and redundant installers are often the true culprits.
Start by using built-in tools like 'Disk Cleanup' on Windows or 'Optimized Storage' on Mac. These tools are designed to safely remove temporary files that the OS no longer needs. However, the real gains come from manual auditing. Look into your 'Downloads' folder—most items there are installers or documents you've already read. Moving these to a dedicated archive or simply deleting them can free up tens of gigabytes instantly.
Adopting a minimalist approach to storage means only keeping what is active. Use cloud storage for long-term cold archives and keep your local machine lean. This not only improves performance but also makes your backup process significantly faster. A clean machine is a fast machine, and you don't need to spend a dime to achieve it.