"Low disk space error on Windows 11 - How to fix it? Your guide is here."

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Disk space, also referred to as disk storage or storage capacity, refers to the logical space available for storing data and installing apps on internal hard drives/SSDs, external hard drives, USBs, and the like. You can use various methods to check total disk space in Windows 11. When you run out of storage space, you'll receive a warning message indicating that your drive is running low on disk space.

So, how do you fix this issue? Well, we've got you covered here with guidance on resolving it in the latest Windows 11. If you've already upgraded to Windows 11, follow these solutions.

If you're using Windows 10 or earlier, try the following solutions to fix low disk space issues.

How to Fix Insufficient Disk Space on Windows 11 - 5 Methods

What should you do when your computer shows a low disk space warning on Windows 11?

First, stop using the disk and avoid saving any new files to it. Second, get rid of the error on your computer in a reliable way.

To simplify the process, we have compiled five tested and proven methods that can help resolve the 'Windows 11 low disk space' error:

#1. Expand the disk space to add more storage capacity
#2. Free up disk space
#3. Clean up temporary files
#4. Move installed applications to another drive
#5. Move files to cloud storage/external hard drive

In addition to the five standard methods outlined above, you can try these additional tricks to free up disk space:

• Clean up junk files and large files
• Empty the Recycle Bin
• Delete duplicate files
• Run an antivirus software

You might also be interested in:

How to Reallocate Disk Space Without Losing Data

In addition to the above solutions, it's also crucial to make the most of the hard drive space on your computer. For a detailed guide, refer to this page for assistance.

Editor's suggestion: Among the 5 methods below, we recommend trying Method 1 first for a quick and harmless solution to this error.

Method 1: Expand disk space by adding more storage.

Duration: 1-3 minutes.

Tool: Partition Manager Software - AOMEI Partition Assistant Tool

Partition Master Tool allows you to flexibly add more storage space to expand the target disk. You have two options for addressing this issue:

#1. One-click adjustment to move unallocated space to the target disk.

The “1-Click Resize” feature in Partition Assistant lets you easily move unallocated space on your disk and add it to your target drive. You can even add unallocated space from other drives to your target volume, even if it's not contiguous.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Go to Disk Management, hover the mouse over the drive with insufficient disk space, and then click "Resize in one click."

When there is not enough space and the partition shows as read-only, Partition Master will give a warning of insufficient disk space and offer an option to “Resize with one click.”

Click OK to automatically extend the partition.

The partition wizard will intelligently resize the partition to fix the low space issue, just click "OK" to proceed.

If Smart Resize does not meet your needs, you can click Manual Resize to manually expand the partition. Click OK to continue.

Step 3: Perform the operations to extend the partition with insufficient disk space.

Click the "Execute Task" button in the top right corner and save all changes by clicking "Apply."

Next up, just translate this into American English:

#2. Allocate free space to the target drive.

The “Allocate Disk Space” feature in Partition Master enables you to allocate free space from one partition to the target drive flexibly. Here's how:

Step 1: Locate the target partition

Enter the “Partition Manager” and find the target partition, then choose “Resize/Move Partition”.

Select the partition to extend.

Step 2: Extend the target partition

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

Select another disk to allocate space from

Extra option: Get space from another drive

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

Then, in the “Allocate to” section, select the partition you want to expand.

Step 3: Perform the operation to extend the 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 changes.

Method 2: Free up space with Storage Sense

Duration: 3-5 minutes

Tool: Storage Sense – a built-in Windows utility.

Storage Sense is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that continues to work in Windows 11. It lets you free up hard drive space by removing unnecessary files, emptying the recycle bin, and cleaning up content on other disks.

When dealing with low disk space issues, you can utilize this tool for assistance:

Step 1: Click the "Start" button and select "Settings".

Step 2: Go to Settings > System > Storage > Turn on Storage Sense.

Step 3: Check disk space usage.

See what's taking up space

Here, you can manually inspect each section and clean up the relevant content manually.

Alternatively, you can enable the automatic cleanup feature of Storage Sense on the next screen.

Step 4. Click the right-facing arrow next to “Storage Sense,” and choose which files you want to automatically delete from your target disk drive.

Step 5: Select “Configure Storage Sense,” check the box under “Temporary Files,” and enable “Automatically free up space for me.”

Step 6: Choose when you want Storage Sense to run, and how often you want it to delete files from your Recycle Bin, et cetera.

Next up, just translate this sentence into American English:

Windows 11 will automatically start cleaning up files based on these settings.

Please read:

Next up, we just need the American English translation:

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Method 3: Use the Disk Cleanup tool to clear temporary files.

Duration: 2-5 minutes.

Tool: Disk Cleanup - A built-in utility in Windows

"Disk Cleanup" is another built-in Windows tool you can use to free up disk space. It allows you to delete temporary files, system files, and some files downloaded online.

Here's how to use Disk Cleanup to free up disk space:

Step 1: Press Windows key + S, type Disk Cleanup, and select it from the list.

Step 2: Select the disk with “insufficient disk space” error and click “OK” to continue.

Select the drive that's showing the "low disk space" error for the space freeing operation:

Step 3: Check the boxes next to the file types you want to delete. Tap OK to confirm.

It can scan and remove programs that have been downloaded, temporary Internet files, thumbnails, and the Recycle Bin, among other things, from your target disk.

Method 4: Move apps installed on the C drive to another drive

Duration: 2-5 minutes

Tool: Application Transfer Tool - Todo PCTrans

On most Windows computers, installed apps, programs, and software take up a significant amount of storage space on the system disk. Having a tool that can move installed software and programs from the C drive to another drive would free up a lot of storage space on the operating system disk.

How to do that? Professional app migration tools, such as Todo PCTrans, can help. Here are the steps to fix the low disk space issue on C drive by moving installed programs:

Method 5: Move the File to the Cloud/External Hard Drive

Duration: 5-30 minutes

Tool: File backup utility or cloud backup application

The last method to fix the 'Not enough disk space' error on Windows 11 is to back up and move your files to the cloud or an external hard drive. You can manually copy and paste files or upload large ones to a cloud drive.

Utility file backup software can perform both tasks and take up very little storage space in doing so.

Step 1. To start the backup, tap on “Choose Backup.”

Step 2. There are four backup types: Files, Disks, System, and Mail. Click on Files.

Create File Backup Step 2

File Backup

Step 4: Choose a location to save your backup, as indicated on the screen.

Click Options to set a password for encrypted backups under Backup Options, then click Backup Schedule to specify when you want the backup to start, based on certain events. You can also select additional options to customize the backup process according to your needs.

Step 5: The backup can be stored on a local drive, the tool's online service, or a NAS.

Step 6: Todo Backup lets you back up your data to a third-party cloud drive as well as its own.

If you want to back up to a third-party cloud drive, choose “Local Disk,” scroll down, add “Cloud Device,” and then add and sign in to your account.

You can also choose to back up to cloud storage. Register an AOMEI account and then click "AOMEI Cloud" to log in.

Step 7. Click Backup Now to start the backup process. When it's done, the backup job appears as a card on the left pane. Right-click the backup job for further processing.

Once the backup is complete, you can delete the large files from your drive. This should get rid of the “Disk Space Low” error.

The "Windows 11 low disk space" issue can be resolved, and you can now follow these steps to remove it from your computer:

On this page, we've gathered five effective methods, complete with detailed steps, to help you get rid of the "low disk space" error on your Windows 11 computer.

Aside from the fixes mentioned, here are some tips to prevent this issue from occurring on your computer:

1. Ensure sufficient storage space is available and maintained on the target disk drive.

2. Regularly delete and clean up temporary files, Recycle Bin, and unnecessary large files from the disk.

3. Migrate installed programs to a non-system drive.

4. Back up your files to an external or cloud drive.

Lastly, proper disk space allocation is key to avoiding “low disk space” or “disk space running out” errors, and Partition Master makes it easy with just a few clicks.

In a nutshell, the “Not enough disk space” error on Windows 11 isn't complicated, and you can fix it yourself. Get rid of it from your PC right now by following the methods above.