How to Find Which Apps Take Up the Most Storage in Windows 11

When your system drive (C:) begins flashing red with low disk space warnings, operating system performance suffers. Windows updates can fail to download, virtual memory paging slows down, and high-performance games may stutter. While temporary files and browser caches consume a few gigabytes, installed applications, video editors, 3D modelling suites, and modern gaming titles often occupy tens or hundreds of gigabytes each.

Windows 11 includes an integrated storage audit dashboard that catalogs every installed desktop program and Microsoft Store app, allowing you to sort software by disk footprint and reclaim drive capacity quickly.

Auditing Storage by Application Size in Windows 11 Settings

Follow these steps to generate a descending list of your heaviest software:

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app in Windows 11.
2. Ensure System is selected on the left menu, then click Storage on the right pane.
3. Under the Storage usage breakdown for your local drive, click Installed apps.
4. At the top of the applications list, locate the Sort by drop-down menu (defaulted to Name).
5. Click the menu and select Size (Large to small).

Windows 11 instantly reorders your entire application catalogue, placing the most storage-intensive programs at the very top of your screen alongside their exact disk usage in gigabytes.

Moving Large Apps to a Secondary Drive

For Microsoft Store apps and certain modern games, you do not need to uninstall the software if you maintain an external SSD or secondary hard drive:

1. Click the More options button (the three horizontal dots ...) next to the target application in the list.
2. If supported, click Move.
3. Select your secondary drive (such as D: or E:) from the drop-down menu and click Move.

Windows migrates the application binaries to the alternate drive while preserving all your shortcuts, settings, and user data.

Uninstalling Unwanted Storage Consumers

If an app is no longer needed, click the three dots ... next to its name and select Uninstall. Confirm the removal prompt to completely purge the program binaries from your system partition.