How to Fix Windows Error «Low disk space» or «There is not enough space on disk»
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Author:
Vladimir Artiukh
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Editor:
Oleg Afonin
Read this article to find out how to fix Windows error “Low disk space” or “There is not enough space on disk”, when there are no files on such disk at all.
- Why such errors occur and how to eliminate them
- Formatting the disk
- How to recover data from a faulty disk
- Conclusion
- Questions and answers
- Comments
When you try to download a file to your computer, the operating system warns you that the disk is full. However, when you take a closer look, you don’t see any large files you could remove, or sometimes the disk appears to have no files at all.
The roots of this error are related to system files, hidden files, file system issues, or cache. It may appear on both HDDs and SSDs, and it can quickly develop into a more serious problem involving loss of important files. If you don’t fix it immediately, you risk losing valuable information from your hard disk.
In this article, we will explore a few methods to help you fix this problem. We’ll also consider possible ways to recover files after such errors.
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Why such errors occur and how to eliminate them
For starters, let’s find out why a hard disk can get low on space, and how to fix it.
| Cause | Description | Elimination method |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden or system files | There may be some hidden or system files on the disk which take up too much space. | Open the Explorer settings, enable showing hidden files, and delete unnecessary system files carefully. |
| Windows Recycle Bin | Deleted files can remain in the Recycle Bin and therefore take up disk space. | Empty the Recycle Bin to gain more space. |
| Downloaded program files, temporary files, cache | Programs often create temporary files and cache that may take quite a lot of space. | Clean temporary files with the integrated Disk Cleanup tool or delete them manually. |
| File system errors | File system errors may result in incorrect representation of available disk space. | Run a disk scan with the chkdsk command or use Windows recovery tools. |
| Temp folder | System and user temporary files can be accumulated in the Temp folder. | Remove the contents of the Temp folder manually or with a cleanup tool. |
| System restore points | The operating system saves restore points which also take up disk space. | Delete old restore points in the system settings. |
| Windows reserved storage | Windows reserves space for updates and system needs. | Disable reserved storage in the system settings if possible. |
| Shadow copies of files | Shadow copies of files can take a lot of disk space. | Delete unnecessary shadow copies using the command vssadmin or the system settings. |
| Viruses and malware | Some viruses may fill the disk with junk files or use the disk space for their needs. | Run an antivirus scan and delete detected threat. |
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Cause 1. Hidden or system files
Hidden files can take up disk space even if you don’t see them. The same applies to unnecessary system files which have remained from previous updates or system processes since they don’t always get removed automatically.
To check the system and hidden contents on the disk, open the Explorer, go to the faulty disk, and enable showing hidden and system files.
To do it, go to View – Show – and check the box for Hidden items.
As you do it, you will see hidden and system files that may take up a lot of space. To free up some disk space, delete the items you no longer need.
Be careful with deleting system files – this may affect the work of the operating system.
Cause 2. Windows Recycle Bin
When a file is deleted, it ends up in the Recycle Bin before getting removed for good. This option enables you to restore accidentally deleted files. However, with more and more deleted files piling up, the Recycle Bin can grow too large. If you don’t have a habit of checking the Bin, go there and empty it..
Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and click Empty Recycle Bin. When it’s done, you’ll get more disk space.
Cause 3.Downloaded program files, temporary files, cache
Another method to fix Windows error “Low disk space” or “There is not enough space on disk” – check the disk with the help of system utilities.
For example, to use the disk cleanup tool. It will help you to remove unnecessary files quickly and free up some disk space.
Click on Start and search for Disk Cleanup.
Now select the disk you want to clean up and click ОК.
After that, choose file types to delete. They may include downloaded program files, temporary files, cache, and Recycle Bin items.
Also, there is an extra option below – Clean up system files. It will help you remove unnecessary cached files and system updates.
There are lots of third-party apps capable of removing all sorts of junk files from your hard disk.
Cause 4. File system errors
Another factor that can trigger this problem – file system errors which interfere with displaying the storage volume correctly. To repair them, use another system utility – chkdsk.
Launch the command prompt as administrator and run this command:
chkdsk X: /f /r
Here, specify the drive letter for the faulty disk.
Now just wait until the scan is over and the errors are fixed.
Cause 5. Temp folder
One more thing behind these errors can be data stored in the Temp folder. These can be cleaned manually.
To do it, open the Explorer and type the following in the address bar - %temp%. Now delete al the files located in this folder.
In addition, follow the path C:\Windows\Temp and delete files from this folder as well.
Cause 6. System restore points
If the system protection feature is enabled on your PC, Windows creates special system restore points. Sometimes, such restore points take up too much disk space.
To check it, right-click on This PC, Properties - System protection.
Select the faulty disk and click Configure.
Reduce the amount of space allocated for restore points, or delete some points which are too old. This will let you free up some disk space.
Cause 7. Windows reserved storage
If your local disk is still low on space but there are no files that can be deleted, you should check how much space is used for reserved storage.
Windows allocates a portion of disk space to improve performance and install system updates correctly.
To see how much disk space the operating system has reserved, open Start - Settings - Storage.
Click on Show more categories below.
Now open System & reserved.
As you can see, there is no option to restrict the amount of reserved storage. However, you can reduce it by removing additional components. In the Settings window, navigate to Optional features. This is where you can remove all extra system features which you think you don’t really need.
Cause 8. Shadow copies of files
Another thing that can take up your precious disk space is shadow copies.
To check them, launch the command prompt as administrator and run this command:
vssadmin list shadowstorage
If a considerable portion of space is occupied, it can be reduced. Here is the command to use:
vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=F: /on=F: /maxsize=10%
Here, specify the drive letter for the faulty disk.
Cause 9. Viruses and malware
It never hurts to check your computer for viruses. Some of them can create hidden files which then consume your disk space.
Run a system scan with the integrated antivirus tool - Windows Defender.
Open the Explorer, then hold down the Shift key and right-click on the faulty disk. Choose Scan with Microsoft Defender.
To run a full scan, click Cancel, and then go to scan options to select Offline scan. This option will allow you to remove even those viruses which are difficult to eliminate. As a result, the computer will restart, and the off-line scan will begin.
Make sure that your disk doesn’t contain files with suspicious names. Delete them from the disk if possible.
Formatting the disk
And if none of the methods helped you to fix the error, your last option is to format the disk.
Before you proceed, make sure you have backed up all important data, since formatting operations affect all of the disk contents.
To start the formatting process, right-click on the Start menu and select Disk Management. Then right-click on the necessary disk and select Format.
Make sure that you have checked the box for the option Perform a quick format, then click ОК.
If your problem is related to the system disk, the formatting process could be more complicated. In such cases, you have to reinstall the operating system. During the installation, you’ll be able to remove the existing volumes and create new ones.
Before reinstalling the system, remember to back up all important data, since it can be lost in the process.
If any data ever gets lost, there’s Hetman Partition Recovery to help you.
How to recover data from a faulty disk
Any further steps you may have to take while fixing the disk issues might result in loss of data - and that’s why we strongly advise you to get all valuable files from that disk before you go about fixing the errors. What is more, you should never skip this step if your disk is already unstable. If its condition gets even worse, there’s a risk of losing literally everything you store on that disk.
For this purpose, there’s a suitable utility called Hetman Partition Recovery - a file recovery tool that will help you save your files from the disk which is low on space.
Download, install and start the program. Select the disk where the error “Low disk space” or “There is not enough space on disk” occurs, right-click on it - Open.
After that, choose the scan type - Fast scan or Full analysis. For this scenario, a Fast scan is enough - and it also takes less time while reducing the disk load. As a result, the tool will scan the disk quickly and display all of its contents.
Now go to the folder containing the files to be restored, select the items you need and click Recovery.
Choose where to save the files.
For safety reasons, we recommend saving them to another physical disk.
Choose the disk and folder, and click Recovery again. When the recovery process is over, you will find the files in the folder you have chosen.
If the files were deleted or erased by the operating system, and the program can’t find them with the Fast scan, then go for Full analysis.
To do it, go back to the main window, right-click on the disk and choose - Analyze again - Full analysis.
Choose the file system and click Next. This time, the scan will take longer, so be patient.
After that, open the folder where the lost files were stored, and recover them.
Also, this tool enables you to create a disk image, which is very useful if the actual physical disk is damaged. To reduce the disk load, create a disk image, and then use the image for all recovery operations.
To do it, select the required disk and click on Save Disk.
When the image is ready, you’ll be able to upload it into the recovery tool and run all recovery operations as if it were the physical disk in question.
To do it, click on Mount Disk, and give the path to the image file. Then it will appear on the list of disks.
To scan it, right-click on the disk - Open, select the scan type and wait until it’s over, then recover the files you need.
Conclusion
Summing up, the Windows errors “Low disk space” or “There is not enough space on disk” can be related to a number of issues, but if you try the methods described in this article, you’ll be able to fix them.
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