[Solved] Hard Drive or C Drive Filling Up for No Reason in Windows 10/8/7

By

Linda 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Is your hard drive full for no reason? You've got a low disk space warning on C drive, but there's nothing in it? Here are 8 solutions to fix the issue that Windows 10/8/7 says disk is full but there's nothing on it. Try them one by one until your problem is perfectly solved.

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Why is my hard drive full?

Many users have experienced issues with their hard drive filling up for no reason or the C drive filling up for no reason on Windows 10. When your hard drive is full, your computer may run slowly, and you won't be able to save new files or data.

At this point, you might be wondering: why is my hard drive or C: drive full for no reason? Possible culprits include:

• Too many applications or files saved on the disk.
• Inadequate disk space.
• Damaged file system on the hard drive.
• A large number of temporary and cached files.
• Virus or malware attacks.

Further Reading: How to Find Large Files on Windows 11, Hard Drive Shows Wrong Capacity

How can you fix the "disk space full, but no reason" issue on Windows 10 or Windows 7? Let's troubleshoot with the effective solutions from this guide.

8 Ways to Fix Windows 10/8/7 Full Hard Drive with No Files

The solutions below address the issue of a full C drive for no apparent reason, and they also apply to related searches such as "hard drive full but no files," "external hard drive full for no reason," or "C drive says full but there's nothing on my computer."

Fix 1: Empty the Windows Recycle Bin

Don't forget the Recycle Bin, which holds a lot of abandoned files. It takes up disk space until you empty it.

Step 1: Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon and select “Open.”

Step 2: Press Ctrl+F1 to open the Ribbon, and then choose the first option, Empty Recycle Bin.

In my case, Empty Trash freed up about 13 GB of disk space for me.

Fix 2: Check and fix disk errors, and extend the C drive

When the file system of the hard disk is corrupted, it may display incorrect capacity, leading to the C drive being full for no reason. You can use a hard drive repair tool - Partition Master, and fix bad sectors and file system errors via its "Check File System" feature.

Now, download this partition manager to check and fix the corrupted file system and resolve the issue of Windows 10 disk full but no files.

Check and fix disk errors:

Resize the C drive:

If you encounter low disk space on C drive or it shows full for no reason, you can try using Partition Master to freely help you easily expand C drive space on Windows 10.

Option 1: Extend the System C drive using unallocated space

1. Right-click on the System C drive and select "Resize/Move Partition." 2. Drag the end of the System partition to the unallocated space to add it to the C drive. Then click "OK." 3. Click "Execute Task" and "Apply" to perform the operation and extend the C drive.

Option 2: Extend System C Drive without Unallocated Space

1. Right-click on a large partition with sufficient free space on the system disk and select "Allocate Space." 2. In the "Allocate from (*) to" section, choose the system drive, then drag the end of the System C drive to the unallocated space. Click "OK" to confirm. 3. Click "Perform Tasks," which will list the pending operations. Then click "Apply" to save the changes and extend the C drive.

0:00-0:26 Extend the system drive using unallocated space; 0:27-0:58 Extend the system drive without unallocated space.

Solution 3: Check for virus issues

The space in use might not match the actual size of your files and folders due to something taking up disk space. First, suspect a virus or malware that was accidentally installed through an email link or another avenue. Run an antivirus software on your computer for a full disk scan to detect any suspicious programs. Uninstall and delete them immediately upon discovery. For those without antivirus, Kaspersky and Malwarebytes are reliable and helpful options.

If you prefer to use CMD to remove the virus from your hard drive or an external storage device, visit the dedicated article for a tutorial.

Fix 4: Show hidden files and folders, and clean up junk and large files

If your hard drive appears full but you can't see any files, try showing hidden files and folders to see if any hidden items are taking up space.

How to Show Hidden Files and Folders in Windows 10/8/7:

Step 1: Open Control Panel > Folder Options > click the View tab > check Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

Step 2: Go back to the problematic drive and see how much space is being taken up by hidden items. Delete any that are taking up too much room, if necessary.

While using your system or software, a lot of junk files are generated. You can use a free PC cleaner tool to safely get rid of junk files from the C drive, thus boosting your computer's performance.

Here's how to clean up system junk files from your hard drive:

Step 1: Download and install the AOMEI Partition Assistant Suite on your computer. Click the “Download PC Cleaner” button on the panel.

Step 2. Install the CleanGenius tool on your computer. First, go to “Clean” and click on “Scan.”

Step 3: CleanGenius will immediately scan for all unnecessary files, select system junk files and invalid entries, then click on “Clean” to clean your whole computer.

Step 4: Once the scan is complete, you'll see how many MB or GB of data it found. Tap “Finish” to complete the cleanup.

Fix 5: Delete temporary files

Is your C drive full for no reason? Are you getting low disk space warnings on your system drive? Then it's time to look at temporary files, which are usually leftovers like Windows installation files, update logs, and browser caches. Follow the steps below to clean up temporary files and fix the mystery of a full hard drive.

Step 1: Type %temp% in the Run box and press Enter.

Step 2: Press Ctrl+A to select all, and then press Delete. This will skip anything currently in use.

Delete the temporary folder

Conclusions

We've outlined eight practical ways for Windows users to free up disk space. By the time you finish reading this page, we hope you'll have seen some, if not all, of your disk space woes disappear – unless, of course, there's a problem with your hard drive that's causing abnormal consumption of space.

Read next: SSD Shows Wrong Size

By trying these solutions one by one, you can easily fix the “hard drive full for no reason” issue. Now, share this article to help more people.

Additional Tip: How to Solve the Problem of Mac Disk Space Filling Up for No Reason

Just like Windows users, Mac users sometimes find themselves running low on hard drive space. Is your Mac's storage almost full? Here are some tips to free up space:

• Store all files, photos, and information on iCloud instead of the local disk
• Use the "Optimize Storage" feature to automatically delete unnecessary files to save space
• Empty the trash and delete unwanted files
• Utilize the "Manage Storage" option to find and remove large files that are no longer needed
• Migrate files to an external storage device
• Manually delete application/browser caches and system junk files
• Delete backups of iOS devices
• Remove language packs
• ...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Unexplained Full Hard Disk or C Drive Issues

If you're experiencing a "C drive full" or "low disk space" issue on your computer, try the solutions above. For more answers, visit this page:

**1. Why is my Windows 10 hard drive filling up automatically?**

When your hard drive is full or getting filled up, the reasons can include virus or malware attacks, a damaged file system, and the generation of temporary files by the operating system while running Windows 10 or applications.

2. Why is my hard drive still full after I delete files?

Here's a list of possible reasons why your hard drive might still appear full after deleting files:

• The files that were deleted weren't very large, or they didn't take up much space on your hard drive.
• Deleted files are saved in the Recycle Bin and still take up space on your hard drive.
• Your computer has a virus or malware infection.
• You have hidden files on your hard drive.

Why does my C drive get full for no reason?

• Your operating system generates junk or temporary files.
• The Recycling Bin saves too many files and trash.
• Virus or malware infections.
• Every time you update to a new version of the OS, Windows creates a Windows.Old folder to save a copy of your previous system.