Solving the Issue of Unable to Shrink C Drive in Windows 11/10/8/7

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Sherly 

Last updated on May 7, 2024

Page content:

Many users reported that they can't shrink C drive and received a message “You can't shrink a volume to a location that's in use by a nonmovable file.” Our tool aims to fix this error and explain other reasons behind it. Let's get started.

4 Ways to Fix Can't Shrink C Drive Error

For this reason, in this part, we will offer you an effective solution to fix this error. Actually, the most direct and effective solution is to use a free third-party tool that allows you to shrink the C drive partition without any settings or changes.

Solution 1: Shrink C drive with free tool AOMEI Partition Assistant

• System Compatibility: Supports Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista
• Device Support: HDD/SSD/USB, SD cards, and other external hard drives
• Interface: Intuitive and Clear
• Ease of Use: Easy to grasp even for beginners

When you can't shrink C drive due to unmovable files or file system issues, don't worry. A third-party free software can help you partition the hard disk to overcome the limitation of Microsoft technology. tools Partition Master Free is reliable and able to shrink C partition/volume without closing unmovable files.

Download this free tool now to help shrink your C drive.

Step 1: Find and select the partition you want to shrink

In the Partition Manager, right-click on the partition you want to shrink and select “Resize/Move Partition.”

Step 2: Resize to Shrink the Partition

Resize the target partition by dragging its end with mouse to shrink the space.

You can also adjust the resize sliders to shrink the target partition. When you're done, click “OK” to continue.

Third step: Perform the action.

Click the Run Task button and click Apply to save all changes.

You can use the Partition Master tool to shrink your C drive to free up more space. However, this utility can do much more than that – it also allows you to:

• Resize C drive
• Clone Windows C drive
• Merge unallocated space to C drive
• Free up C drive space

You can download the tool and try to implement your goal following the links provided.

Solution 2: Disable Unmovable Files

"Disk Management" shows that the compressed size of drive C is limited by the hibernation file, page file, System Restore, and other immovable files. These files cannot be automatically moved by the built-in Windows 11/10 tool "Disk Management," so you need to manually disable the immovable files. Here's how:

Disable hibernation file:

Step 1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2: Type the command powercfg /hibernate off

This command will clear the hiberfil.sys file from the C drive.

Disable system protection:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R, type SystemPropertiesProtection.exe in the Run box, and press Enter.

Step 2: Click on the C drive and then select 'Turn off system protection' > 'Apply' > 'Yes'.

Step 3. Restart your computer.

If you're not comfortable with that process, it will be easier to use Repair Option 1.

You can watch this video (from YouTube user “Muradi Tutorial”) to learn more.

Disable the paging file:

Step 1: Type systempropertiesadvanced.exe in the Run dialog box. (To open the Run window, right-click the Windows icon and select Run.)

< strong >Step 2. Click on the "Advanced" tab. In the "Performance" section, click "Settings," then click "Advanced," and then click "Change."

Step 3: Choose “No paging file,” and then click “Set.”

Don't forget to share this guide with users who want to free up space on their C drive:

Fix 3: Convert FAT32 to NTFS

If the C drive is in FAT32 format, you can't shrink it, so converting FAT32 to NTFS is also a quick way to fix this error. Tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant can effectively help you convert FAT32 to NTFS without formatting, and no data will be lost in the process.

Step 1: Install and run Partition Master on your computer.

Step 2. In the Partition Manager, right-click on a FAT32 partition and choose "Advanced" -> "Convert to NTFS".

<Step 3> Click Proceed in the dialog box that appears.

Click the "Apply" button to start the process. Wait for it to finish.

You may also like the following:

Fix 4: Defragment your C drive and check for disk errors

To resolve the volume shrink issue in Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7, you can also perform disk defragmentation and check for disk errors. It's important to note that for this solution, you need to be logged in to your Windows account with an administrator account.

Tutorial 1: Defragment Your C Drive

First, defragment the C drive as instructed.

Step 1: Click on Start > File Explorer > This PC.

Step 2: Right-click on "Local Disk (C:)" and select Properties > Tools. In the Optimize and Defragment Drive section, click Optimize.

Step 3: In the Defragment and Optimize Drives window, select the C: drive and click on Analyze.

Finally, please wait for the process to complete.

Tip 2: Check for disk errors

After completing Guide 1, it's now time to check for disk errors on your C: drive. Let's begin by doing this:

Step 1: Right-click the C drive and select Properties > Tools > Check.

This will check for file system errors on the C drive. Just wait for it to finish.

Aside from partition management, Partition Master also allows you to check for file system errors and perform a surface test on the disk. You can use this tool if needed and click on the link to learn more.

Why Can't I Shrink C Drive Space?

There can be multiple reasons due to which Windows might not be able to shrink volume. Many users report, "I can't shrink C drive in Windows 11." To fix this issue, we need to understand the causes behind the inability to shrink the C drive error. Below are the primary reasons why you can't shrink a partition on a Windows computer:

• Immovable files located at the end of Drive C, such as the system hibernation file, page file, and System Volume Information folder used by System Restore. You cannot shrink the volume to where any immovable files are located.
• Insufficient space on Drive C, with an error message stating "There is not enough space available on the disk to complete this operation."
• High fragmentation on Drive C.
• File system errors that make the volume partition inaccessible or invisible.
• C drive formatted as FAT32, while shrinking requires it to be in NTFS format.

Any of the reasons above can lead to the “Can't shrink C drive” error. Read on as we fix this issue.

Conclusions

When Windows 11/10 Disk Management fails to shrink C drive due to unmovable files, lack of space, or file system corruption, you can disable these files and shrink it, but using a tool like Partition Master is a simpler option.

With its intuitive interface, this tool is easy to use even if you are not a computer savvy. You can shrink C drive and get unallocated space to create new partition or extend partition with only 3 simple steps.

Frequently Asked Questions on Unable to Shrink C Drive Space in UTF-8 Encoding

Here are some additional questions and answers you might want to know about shrinking the C drive to gain more unallocated space. You can check them out here:

Why is the "Compressed Volume" option grayed out?

The Shrink option will be disabled if the selected volume/partition doesn't have enough unallocated space. Or the partition you're working on is not an NTFS file system other than. For example, you can't shrink C drive if there are immovable files on it. So, you can make sure there is enough contiguous free space for operation or convert the partition to NTFS file system. You can delete some unnecessary files or uninstall unwanted programs to free up space, or shrink other partitions to get unallocated space.

**How to Shrink C Drive Space on Windows 10/11?**

While there are many tools like Disk Management or Diskpart that can help you shrink the C drive, it's recommended that you use Partition Assistant, due to its ease of use and fewer limitations from Microsoft. Here's how:

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, and right-click on the C drive.

Step 2: Choose Resize/Move, and specify the amount by which to shrink it.

Step 3: Click OK > Perform Action > Apply.

3. Why is my C drive suddenly full?

What causes C drive space to be used up? Typically, this is because your hard drive doesn't have enough disk space to store large amounts of data. If you're annoyed by the problem of a full C drive, it might be due to too many apps or files on it.