Downloads and streaming cache
Torrent clients can scatter payloads across default, temporary, and per-torrent folders. Streaming applications can keep a separate cache. The important distinction is whether the data is your downloaded file or something the application can recreate.
Scan the drive and look under Review to Free Up Space in the Overview pane. SizeTrend reads available local configuration and state for Deluge, qBittorrent, uTorrent Web, and uTorrent Classic, then relates the recorded download folders to the scanned tree.
This is more useful than checking one Downloads folder because a client can use separate completed, incomplete, temporary, or per-torrent paths.
A completed movie, archive, installer, or dataset is not cache merely because a torrent client downloaded it. It may be the only local copy, and removing it can stop seeding.
Expand the Overview row and inspect the files. Decide whether the torrent and its payload are still needed before changing anything in the client.
Deluge, qBittorrent, and uTorrent can remove a torrent while either keeping or deleting its downloaded data. Use that choice instead of deleting random payload files in Explorer, especially while the torrent is active.
Deleting only the file can leave a broken torrent entry. Removing only the torrent can leave the large payload behind. Review both parts of the client's confirmation.
Stremio stores downloaded streaming pieces in its configured cache folder. That data is normally recreated as content is streamed again, but it may be in use while Stremio is running.
Close Stremio and use its cache setting when available. If you review the folder manually, verify that it is the configured cache and not a separate media library.
A temporary download can be large because it is nearly complete. Its file name or extension may not look like the final content yet. Check the client state before assuming an old partial file is abandoned.
Pausing a torrent does not make its data disposable. If you intend to resume it, let the client retain the pieces and metadata it needs.
After the client finishes removing data, refresh the SizeTrend scan. A remaining large row may point to another configured folder, a completed payload that was intentionally kept, or data owned by a different client.
For Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and iCloud, use the separate cloud-storage guide. Synced files have different deletion and online-only rules from torrent downloads.
Remove the torrent and the data deliberately.
The client knows whether a file is active, seeding, incomplete, or safe to detach.