Lightweight Command-Line C Drive Cleanup

For remote maintenance or batch pushes, command line is easiest—script it and run in one go.

Common commands:

del /s /q %TEMP%\*
del /s /q C:\Windows\Temp\*
cleanmgr /sageset:1 & cleanmgr /sagerun:1
dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

• Pair del with forfiles /D -7 to filter by date and avoid deleting today’s files.
• cleanmgr: configure with /sageset, then automate with /sagerun; add to Task Scheduler.
• dism slims WinSxS; run as admin and expect longer runtime.
• Send logs to shared storage to trace batch failures.
• If AV is present, allowlist the script path to avoid blocks.

Package into .bat or PowerShell with exit-code checks so remote machines clean reliably.

PowerShell version

Get-ChildItem $env:TEMP -Recurse | Remove-Item -Force
Get-ChildItem C:\Windows\Temp -Recurse | Remove-Item -Force

• Pair with Start-Transcript to log for replay.
• Add to Task Scheduler for overnight runs—clean by morning.

Further reading

• How to One-Click Clean the C Drive with Tools
• Safe Removal of Windows Update Cache
• Post-Cleanup Reminders and Maintenance
• Data Protection Before C Drive Cleanup
• Settings to Avoid Accidental Deletion on C Drive