5 Ways to Fix Disk Cleanup Stuck on Calculating in Windows 11

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Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Cancel, Restart Your PC, and Run the Disk Cleanup Again

Cancelling and restarting the Disk Cleanup process removes hiccups, causing it to get stuck in the calculating stage.

Step 1:Click theCancelbutton to terminate the running Disk Cleanup utility.

Step 2:Press theWindows + Xshortcut to open the Power User Menu, selectShut down or sign out, and clickRestart.

Step 3:Finally, press theWindows key, searchDisk Cleanup, and click to open it.

Fix 2: Delete Content From SoftwareDistribution Folder

The SoftwareDistribution folder houses Windows Update files. If they get corrupt, the Windows Update and Disk Cleanup process will fail. To fix it, delete its folder contents and retryopening Disk Cleanup.

Step 1:Press theWindows + E shortcutto open the File Explorer, open the drive containing Windows installation files (e.g. C drive), and select theWindowsfolder.

Step 2:Locate and open theSoftwareDistributionfolder.

Step 3:UseCtrl + Ato select all files and press theDeletekey on your keyboard to remove them. Then, reopen theDisk Cleanup utility.

Fix 3: Delete the Windows.old Folder

When you update Windows, its older version gets stored in the Windows.old folder to allow reversion. However, these files can create conflicts, leading to an indefinite calculating message in Disk Cleanup. Remove them manually to resolve the issue.

Step 1:OpenFile Explorerusing the Windows + E shortcut, select theWindows installation drive(e.g. C), and double-click theWindows.oldfolder.

Tip:If you can’t find the Windows.old folder,enable Hidden itemsfrom View > Show > Hidden items.

Step 2:Press theCtrl + A shortcutto select all files and subfolders, right-click, and selectDelete.

Fix 4: Manually Clear Temporary Windows Files

Excessive temporary files often cause problems when running utility programs such as Disk Cleanup. Remove them using the Run dialog to restore normalcy.

Step 1:Press theWindows + R shortcutto open the Run dialog, type%temp%, and hitEnterto open the folder containing all temporary files.

Step 2:Select all files using theCtrl + A shortcutand pressDeleteon your keyboard to remove them. Re-open the Disk Cleanup utility.

Fix 5: Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Lastly, run the built-inWindows Update troubleshooterto fix the Disk Cleanup stuck on calculating issue on Windows 11.

Step 1:OpenWindows Settingsusing the Windows + I shortcut, selectSystemfrom the sidebar, and clickTroubleshoot.

Step 2:SelectOther troubleshooters.

Step 3:ClickRunnext to Windows Update and wait a few seconds for Windows 11 to resolve the issue.

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Last updated on 15 July, 2024

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