problem with low disk space

A warning keeps saying that I have low disk space. Free or paid programs should I take?

 

Not clear on the question. Also, a little more info on your system would be helpful. Manufacturer, OS, how big is your hard drive, motherboard info . . . that kind of thing.

However, some general suggestions If running a Windows OS (XP or above):

-You can download a free program called CCleaner right here at Major Geeks and it can clear out some temp files, etc. which will free up some space. Sometime over a GB the first time it is used.

-If your computer is running properly, you can delete all but the most recent restore point from System Restore which can free up a lot of space.

-Go into ADD/REMOVE Programs, and search what is listed . . . if there are programs there that you no longer need, or rarely or never used, remove them. If any programs are ones you have purchased and may need in the future, make sure you still have the installation files and serial numbers to reinstall them if needed.

-If you can burn CD's or DVD's, consider burning your photos, videos, and other files to disks to free up hard drive space.

 

I am a huge fan of CCleaner, but if you are really running low on disk space, I don't recommend you download any program - yet! Why download a program that takes up more space when you are already critically low on space?

Instead, I recommend purging the hard drives of clutter with Windows Disk Cleanup which is already on your system (that link is for W7/8, but Vista and XP have it too).

Then, as suggested, go through your Control Panel applet to uninstall programs you don't use. If unsure what something is, leave it.

Then, after you have freed up some space, you can install CCleaner.

As for System Restore, Disk Cleanup has the option to remove all but the most recent restore point but it should be noted that is not necessary as System Restore will automatically reduce its footprint when free disk space becomes low, to the point of totally disabling itself if free disk space becomes critical. CCleaner lets you hand pick which older points to keep or remove.

Having said all that, everything above is likely just temporary measures. Assuming no malware activity (make sure your system is current and free of malware), and you don't have a runaway log file consuming massive amounts of disk space (not likely if system is otherwise working fine), then that warning is really a call for you to buy more disk space, or at the very least, follow Spad's suggestion to move off large photo, video and music files to a DVD.