Not Enough Disk Space But There Is Plenty on Windows 11/10: 9 Fixes

Why is My PC Saying Storage Full When It's Not?

The issue of not enough disk space but there is plenty in Windows 11 is surprisingly common. This confusing error can appear out of nowhere, causing Windows updates to fail, program installations to fail, and slowing down the system. So, what does not enough disk space mean?

"Not enough disk space" means your computer's storage drive (usually the C: drive) doesn't have sufficient free space to complete a task, such as installing software, saving files, downloading updates, or running certain applications. Even if you think there's plenty of space available, the system may still throw this warning due to a few hidden causes. Here's what might be causing this issue:

• A large amount of temporary files or hidden files
• Corrupted sectors or file system errors
• Disk quota limits
• Page file issues
• Fragmented Files

But don't worry. Let's walk through this guide to learn how to fix Windows 11/10 says not enough free space but there is plenty with ease.

How to Solve Not Enough Disk Space but There is Plenty on Windows 11/10

If you are looking for solutions to not enough disk space but there is plenty on Windows 10/11, here are 9 tips for you.

Method 1. Run Disk Cleanup

Disk Cleanup remains one of the simplest and most effective tools to free up space and resolve false disk usage warnings. Here is how to free up disk space on Windows 11 with Disk Cleanup:

Step 1. Press Windows + S and type Disk Cleanup, then click on the application to open it.

Step 2. Select the drive that contains the low disk space error and click OK.

Step 3. Select file types to delete (e.g., Temporary Files, Recycle Bin) and click "OK".

Step 4. To reclaim more space, you can open Disk Cleanup again and click Clean up system files.

Method 2. Free up Disk Space with Storage Sense

Windows 11 comes with a built-in utility called Storage Sense, which helps you automate the cleanup operations to fix low disk space in Windows 11.

Step 1. Open Windows Settings > System > Storage in turn. Then, turn on Storage Sense.

Step 2. Click on Configure Storage Sense to customize settings.

Step 3. Set preferences for file deletion and click Clean now to initiate.

Method 3. Check Disk Errors

Corrupted file structures or disk errors can cause Windows to misreport space. Fortunately, the built-in Check Disk utility can fix this.

Step 1. Open File Explorer, right-click on the drive, and select Properties.

Step 2. Navigate to the Tools tab and click Check under Error checking.

Step 3. Click on Scan drive to start the disk scanning.

Or, you can run the chkdsk C: /f /r /x command to scan for bad sectors, repair corrupted file systems, and reclaim lost clusters and misreported space.

Method 4. Repair Corrupted System Files

If critical system files are damaged, storage readings can become unreliable. In such a case, you could run the System File Checker to repair Windows 10/11 for system file corruption.

Step 1. Run the Open Command Prompt as an admin.

Step 2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

Step 3. Wait for the scan to complete and follow any on-screen instructions.

Method 5. Adjust Virtual Memory

Virtual memory (also called paging file) uses part of your hard disk space as memory. If not configured correctly, the size of your virtual memory can take up a large portion of your hard disk space. You could run the following steps to modify virtual memory settings to optimize disk usage and fix not enough disk space but there is plenty on Windows 11 or 10.

Step 1. Press Windows + R, type sysdm.cpl to open the System Properties Windows.

Step 2. Go to the Advanced tab, and click on Settings under Performance.

Step 3. Then, move to the Advanced tab again, and hit Change.

Step 4. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size, select the target drive, choose Custom size, and set :

• Initial size: equal to your RAM (in MB)
• Maximum size: 1.5x to 2x your RAM (in MB)

Step 5. Click Set, then OK, and reboot your computer to see if the Windows 11 not enough disk space but there is plenty problem is solved.

Method 6. Disable Disk Quotas

Quotas can place hard limits on how much space each user can use, even when the drive itself has ample storage. To turn off quotas:

Step 1. Open File Explorer, right-click on the drive with space error, and select Properties.

Step 2. Go to the Quota tab, and click Show Quota Settings. Then, uncheck Enable quota management.

Step 3. Click OK to apply changes.

Method 7. Defragment Disk

Defragmenting disk helps to reorganize fragmented data, improving the hard drive storage efficiency and cleaning up hard drive. To perform this, follow these steps:

Step 1. Type and search Defrag in the Windows search box, and select Defragment and Optimize Drives.

Step 2. Select the hard drive you want to defrag, and click on Optimize.

Method 8. Change Your Default Storage Settings

Sometimes, the Windows 10 not enough disk space but there is plenty error occurs when you install an application to a disk with insufficient space, but there are a lot of space on another disk. Here you can change your Windows default storage settings:

Step 1. Navigate to Settings > System > Storage, then go to More Storage Settings.

Step 2. Click on the Change where the new content is saved button.

Step 3. On the next page, change the default storage location of the needed categories, like New apps will save to. After that, click on Apply.

Method 9. Reset or Reinstall Windows 11

If all else fails and the error persists, resetting or reinstalling Windows might be necessary. If you don't know how to reset or reinstall Windows 11 or Windows 10 safely, we recommend that you seek professional help.

Bonus: Backup Your Windows 11 before Resetting or Reinstalling

Before making any major changes to your computer, like reinstalling Windows, it is always advised to back up your important data in advance. The all-in-one free Windows backup solution - AOMEI Backupper Standard is what you need.

To backup data on your Windows 11 computer, like backing up the Windows 11 system, download and run the free AOMEI Backupper Standard software, click on Backup > System Backup to save the backup image to the desired location easily.

Conclusion

You could try the solutions on this page to fix the problem of not enough disk space but there is plenty on Windows 11. If you fainally decide to reinstall the system, don't forget to back up important files in advance using the free AOMEI Backupper Standard software.

Besides, this software also provides you with other powerful features. For instance, you can use it for data migration across disks, like moving files from C drive to D drive, upgrade hard drive to a larger SSD with one click, etc. Why not give it a shot?