Solved: Uninstalled Games Still Taking Up Disk Space

Sherly updated on Dec 07, 2023 to PC Transfer | How-to Articles

Why are the uninstalled games still taking up disk space? And how to fix this issue? This article focuses on this issue and gives one efficient tool to remove this error.

Overview of How to fix uninstalled games still taking up disk space:

⚙️Complex Level Low, Beginners
⏱️Duration 2-5 minutes
🎯Applies to Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11
🧰Tools
  • A Windows PC/laptop
  • EaseUS Todo PCTrans
🔢Ways

Way 1. Cleanup the Large Files Related to the Games

Way 2. Uninstall Games Correctly

Many users report that they uninstalled games, but no available disk space increased. EaseUS focuses on this issue and gives efficient methods to repair this error, but first, let's learn why this issue occurs.

How to Fix Uninstalled Games Still Taking Up Disk Space - 2 Ways

To clean up the related data files of the uninstalled game and re-uninstall the game, we recommend using an all-in-one third-party software - EaseUS Todo PCTrans. It stands out after our tests among multiple reliable file-cleaning software. 

In this part, you will learn two guides to clean up the large junk files related to your games and uninstall the target game permanently. Now, let's start.

Guide 1. Cleanup the Large Files Related to the Games

When you uninstalled the game, some files and data related to the game still exist on your hard disk. So, what can EaseUS Todo PCTrans do to help with this situation? Its "large file cleanup" feature can help you find and clean up all useless large files with one click.

It will scan your HDD/SSD automatically and locate useless files. Besides, it's easy to use and works well on all Windows versions. Clicking the button, download this tool, and follow the guide to try:

Step 1. Open EaseUS Todo PCTrans on your computer. Click "Large File Cleanup" > click "Start" button to go on. (It supports move or delete large files to free up more disk space, and you can also try to move the default folders to another drive.)

 

Step 2. Then choose the hard drive you want to scan.

Step 3. When the scan completes, files larger than 20M will be listed. Selected the unwanted files as you need. Be careful not to mistakenly delete files that affect the normal operation of your computer or software. We also provide recommendations for deletion after the scanning is complete in "Large File Cleanup". 

Step 4. Click the "Delete" button and confirm the delete operation again. You can regularly use this tool to remove useless large files to free up more disk space. If you have more space on other drive, choose "Move" to move large files.

Don't forget to share this tutorial to help more of your friends get rid of this issue and get back their disk storage efficiently:

 

Guide 2. Uninstall Games Correctly

EaseUS Todo PCTrans has the "App Management" feature, which can help you uninstall your apps, including the games. This feature easily removes unnecessary apps to save disk space for you. 

To get more space on your disk, follow the guide below to remove the target game correctly from your hard disk:

Step 1. Choose App Management, Click "Start" to securely uninstall your apps and repair your damaged apps. 

Step 2. All of apps installed on your PC, choose the selected one you want to uninstall or repair. (If your uninstall process fails, you can click the small triangle icon and select "Delete".)

Step 3. Click "Uninstall". (If you want to repair apps, click the icon right behind "Uninstall" and choose "Repair".)

After following the two guides, check if the uninstalled games still occupy your disk space. Besides, EaseUS Todo PCTrans can do a lot to save or free up disk space for you, such as:

To manage your games and transfer them easily between drives or PCs, download this tool and try it.

Why Are Uninstalled Games Still Taking Up Disk Space

Here are two real cases, and it doesn't matter if you are experiencing a similar issue. Here in this part, we'll uncover the reasons of why you uninstalled games but they are still taking up space on your PC:

User case 1:

I've had the Shadow of War randomly uninstall on me overnight. I saw that it was still installed on my control panel, but on my Steam library, it said it was uninstalled. So I decided to uninstall and reinstall, but for some odd reason, my hard drive space is still missing 67 GB, which is huge for me because I have a small SSD that I use to get by. - From Steam

User case 2:

I recently tried to uninstall a game from the Apps and Features section of the Storage settings of Windows, but after I hit Uninstall, the game still appeared to be taking up space as the 'space free' never changed. I know I should have just uninstalled directly from Steam from the start, in hindsight, to save myself the trouble, but does anyone know where I could look to possibly get back that space? - From Reddit

Why Uninstalled Games Are Still Taking Up Space

From the cases above, it's not difficult to see many users are facing the same issue: "Uninstalled games are still taking up disk space." 

Many users choose to install games on SSDs, providing a better gaming experience. SSDs always have a smaller capacity, so users choose to uninstall games to free up disk space. Then, they met the error.

Two situations may cause an uninstalled game still take up disk space, as follows:

  • 1️⃣You have successfully uninstalled the game, but the game data and other related files are still on the disk and have not been cleaned up. These files take up much of your disk space and prevent you from installing new games. 
  • 2️⃣You failed to uninstall the game. It may be because the game is running or for other reasons. Try uninstalling again or restarting your computer.

For these two different situations, we will give two corresponding solutions. But before trying a solution, restart your device and try it. Regardless, a reboot is always useful.

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Conclusion

Games are one of the most popular apps, but they can also be one of the biggest space hogs. If you're like many gamers, you've probably found yourself running low on storage space and want to get more space possible by offloading games. Unfortunately, chances are you will encounter the error that uninstalled games are still taking up space on your hard drive. This article introduces you to two effective methods to remove this error. EaseUS Todo PCTrans easily manages the storage location of games and transfers games between computers/hard drives to help you free up space.

Besides, it can move large files from one drive to another or from one PC to another. If you also like this tool, share this article to let more people know about this versatile tool.

 

Fix Uninstalled Games Still Taking Up Disk Space FAQs

Do you know how to uninstall games now completely? If you have any questions about this, check the questions and answers below.

1. Why is my hard drive still full after deleting files?

Deleting files does not increase available disk space. When a target file is deleted, the space used on the disk is not reclaimed until the file is deleted. To fix errors without losing data, you can back up your important data in advance and then format the corresponding disk to get as much free space as possible.

2. Why are uninstalled Steam games still taking up space?

That's because users need to restart to add/remove programs in Windows successfully. So, what you need to do is restart your PC.

3. Will uninstalling games free up disk space?

Of course, in theory, you will get the corresponding free disk space after deleting the application. However, there are exceptions. For example, other related files or cached data may still take up your disk space. Therefore, you will also need to delete these associated large files to gain more free disk space.