How to Fix "Local Disk D Almost Full" Issue in Windows 11/10/8/7 [Step-by-Step Guide]

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Last updated on May 10, 2024

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On this page, you can learn about seven solutions to fix the issue of "Local Disk D is almost full" and understand :

Is it because the D drive is almost full and can't store files? Don't worry, this article will show you how to free up space on the D drive to get more capacity, and it offers seven methods. But first, let's understand why the local Disk D might be almost full.

Why is my local disk D almost full?

Even though hard drive capacities have been growing at an astonishing rate, we still manage to fill them up quickly, and running out of space on Drive D: can affect our daily usage in the following ways:

• The computer is running slowly.
• I can't store more large files/data on it.

Caption: "Insufficient disk space on drive D:"

But, what is taking up space on your Windows 7/8/10/11 hard drive? Common culprits for a full D drive include:

• Insufficient D Drive Space: The current capacity might not meet all demands, hence the need to expand the D drive.
• Large Files/Applications: If you store games or a large number of high-definition movies, this could also cause your D drive to become full.
• Hidden Files: Multiple hidden files can also occupy your space without your knowledge.

Now that we know the reasons, let's look at how to fix it. Read on to learn seven efficient ways to free up D drive space.

Read more: Free up disk space on Windows 8

7 Ways to Fix Local Disk D Almost Full Issue

As we install more games and apps on our D drive, we need more and more disk space, and it's easy for this drive to fill up. This article provides seven ways to free up space. Here are your options:

• Solution 1. Extend the D Drive
• Solution 2. Transfer Large Files
• Solution 3. Uninstall Unnecessary Apps
• Solution 4. Delete Unnecessary Files
• Solution 5. Show Hidden Files to Delete
• Solution 6. Run Disk Cleanup to Remove Temporary Files
• Solution 7. Format the D Drive

This article will walk you through seven solutions, so don't worry – let's start with the first one.

Solution 1: Extend the D drive

Here, a professional third-party tool called Partition Master Professional can help you expand Drive D:. This tool can get the space from other disks or unallocated space to perform this operation, which is the most effective way to solve the "Local Disk D is almost full" issue. Partition Master supports all Windows versions, and with its prompts and intuitive interface, you can easily gain more space.

So download it now, and try it out according to the instructions.

Step 1: Identify the Target Partition

Please go to “Partition Manager”, find the target partition and choose “Resize/Move Partition”.

Step 2: Extend the Target Partition

Drag the partition panel right or left to add unallocated space to the current partition, and then click “OK” to confirm.

Extra option: Get space from another drive

If there isn't enough unallocated space, right-click a large partition with enough room and select “Allocate Space.”

In the Allocate space to column, select the partition you want to extend.

Select another disk to release space from

Step 3: Perform the operation - Extend the logical partition

Drag the partition you want to move into the unallocated space, and then click “OK”.

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

It's not just about expanding your hard drive. AOMEI Partition Assistant has many other features. Let's dive in. AOMEI Partition Assistant is a versatile disk management tool for all Windows users, tackling various disk partition issues. Download it to give yourself a hand.

The features of the "Partition Master" tool:

• Merge C and D drives
• Create or delete partitions
• Merge/Split/Resize partitions
• Add unallocated space to D drive
• Extend C drive to fix "C drive is full" issue
• Shrink or extend Windows 10 partition

Fix 2: Transfer large files

You can also move large files from the D drive to another disk to free up space. But how can you move large files from one disk to another? A professional PC transfer tool, like Todo PCTrans, can help you efficiently transfer large files and programs from the D drive to another disk. Let's learn how to use it for assistance.

Step 1: Create a backup image of the source hard drive

Run Todo PCTrans on your Windows computer. Switch to the “Backup & Restore” mode, and click “Start.”

Hover the mouse over "Data Backup," and click "Next." Later, confirm the default file name and file path, or you can customize them as you wish.

Next, select the items you want to transfer to the other hard drive. Todo PCTrans allows users to back up various file types, including applications, personal data, and user accounts. To transfer files from one disk to another, uncheck "Applications" and "Accounts," hover over "Files," then click "Edit."

Select the file to create the hard drive image:

Here, you need to select the files from the source drive. Expand the drive, then you can selectively choose the files you need, and click "Finish". Finally, click "Backup". Wait for the process to complete.

Step 2. Restore the files to the target drive

Launch Todo PCTrans, and select the transfer method as before. This time, choose "Data Recovery," then hit "Next."

Select the existing backup file to restore from the displayed list, or browse to the exact location of the backup file, then click “Restore.”

Go back to the “File” menu and click “Edit.” Your backups should be listed here. Click on the pencil icon to set the destination, which will be your other hard drive, and confirm the change. Once that's done, click “Finish,” and then click “Restore.” Wait for the transfer to complete.

Solution 3: Uninstall unnecessary apps

If you have some programs installed on your D drive that you no longer need, you can uninstall them to free up space on the D drive.

First, search for “Control Panel” and choose “Programs.”

Click “Programs and Features,” and then select any programs you no longer need and click “Uninstall.”

Step 3. Repeat this process to remove any other unwanted applications.

Solution 4: Remove Unnecessary Files Before proceeding with this step, make sure you have backed up all important data, as this will permanently delete selected files. 1. Open Finder. 2. In the sidebar, select "Computer" or your Mac's hard drive. 3. Navigate to the folder containing the unnecessary files. 4. Press the Command (⌘) key and click on each file you want to delete to select multiple files. Alternatively, you can press the Shift key to select a contiguous series of files. 5. Once you've selected the files, drag them to the Trash, or press the Delete key on your keyboard. 6. Empty the Trash: Click the Trash icon and choose "Empty Trash." You can also use the Command + Shift + Delete keyboard shortcut. 7. If you encounter files that won't delete, you may need to restart your computer in Recovery Mode and use Disk Utility to repair the drive. Please note that deleting large files and old, unused applications can effectively free up storage space. Regularly performing this task helps keep your Mac running smoothly.

If you store a lot of big files, movies, music, or other videos on Drive D, it will fill up quickly. You should regularly delete unnecessary files to free up space on Drive D.

Step 1: Click on "This PC" and then find the D drive.

Step two: Go to the D drive, right-click on the files you don't need, and select "Delete."

Fix 5: Show Hidden Files

Hidden files take up disk space on Disk D, but they won't show on the disk. We only need to make hidden files on Disk D visible and then delete unnecessary hidden files to free up more or clean up hard drive space.

Step 1: Click on "This PC", then open the D drive, and find the "View" option.

Step 2: Select “Show” and click “Hidden Items.”

The third step is to identify what is unnecessary and eliminate it.

Solution 6: Run Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files

Windows comes with several tools to help users keep their computers and hard drives clean. One such utility is Disk Cleanup, which allows users to delete unnecessary temporary files. Follow these steps to delete your temp files.

Step 1: Click "This PC" and then select the D drive.

Step 2: Right-click on it, select "Properties," and then click "Disk Cleanup." As shown in the image below, we'll use drive C: for this example.

Step 3: Find the files you want to get rid of, right-click on them, and choose “Delete.”

Fix 7: Format Drive D

When there's not enough space on Drive D: but you can't find many files, you can format it to make it new. tools Partition Master also helps you to safely format or reformat a hard drive. Now, download it and follow the guide below to format Drive D:.

Step 1: Right-click on the hard drive partition and select the "Format" option.

(2) In the new window, assign a volume label, file system, and cluster size for the disk partition, then click "OK".

Step 3: You'll see a warning prompt; click "Yes" to proceed.

4. Click the "Run 1 Task" button, then click "Apply" to start formatting the hard drive partition.

Conclusions

This article offers 7 solutions to help you fix the “Local Disk D almost full” issue and free up more space on Drive D. Among these solutions, extending the partition is the most effective way to get more space. The tool Partition Master can move unallocated space to Drive D or other disks to expand the hard drive. By the way, if you have further issues with hard disk space, keep reading.

You may also like the following content:

"Local Disk D is almost full" FAQ

Do you know how to fix the "Local Disk D is almost full" error now? This part lists three issues that might help you resolve this problem.

How do I free up space on my local Disk D?

You can free up space on Drive D by following these steps:

• Extend your D drive.
• Delete large or hidden files.
• Uninstall unnecessary apps.
• Move larger files to another hard drive.
• Run Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files.

2. How can I increase the storage space on Drive D?

You can allocate space from another drive to Drive D using Partition Master. Alternatively, if there's unallocated space next to Drive D, you can extend it using Disk Management.

Why does my disk show full when it actually isn't?

Viruses on the hard drive can cause issues. Also, hidden files on the target disk can take up your disk space.