5 Best Fixes for Not Enough Space To Update Windows 10

Windows update errors can come in many forms. Not being able to install updates on Windows 10 because of insufficient disk space is one of them. But, first thing’s first –

A Brief on Why Windows 10 Updates Are Important?

Windows updates are important for many reasons and which is why it is advisable to fetch updates as and when they appear. Microsoft regularly rolls out updates so that your Windows computer is protected from malicious attacks. These updates also help patch any security vulnerabilities that might be present on applications on your computer. At the same time, these updates also open your doors to new features as well. And, how can we forget, if you want to earnestly upgrade your Windows 10 to Windows 11, the update is critical for you.

How To Fix Not Enough Disk Space To Install Windows 10 Updates?

– Clean Your Disk Drive

When there is not enough space for Windows 10 update, you can expand the space by cleaning your C:/ Drive. For this mission, you can take the help of Disk Cleanup. Here are the steps to do the same – 

1. Start by typing Disk Cleanup in the Windows search and click on Open 

2. Select C:/ Drive, if not already selected, and click on OK

3. When the Disk Cleanup pops up, click on Clean up system files 

4. Select files you want to delete and click on OK

– Move Files From (C:) Drive To Other Drives

In case there are some large files that you can move from C Drive to other drives such as D, E, F, and others, try and do that. Many users have been able to solve the problem of not being able to install Windows 10 updates by doing this. 

– Empty Recycle Bin

Sometimes instead of opting for the shift + delete option to permanently delete files, we delete files and send them to the Recycle Bin so that we can review and remove them later. So, if you are running low on space and are unable to fetch that important Windows 10 update because of this reason, it’s time to quickly review those Recycle Bin files and delete them once and for all. In case, you later realize that there were files you shouldn’t have deleted, worry not! Here is how you can recover deleted files from Recycle Bin.

– Get Rid of Large Unwanted Files and Programs

You don’t need all applications on your computer, do you? And, the same goes for several GBs of large files which might just be sitting on your drive for no reason and feeding on your precious storage space. 

Isn’t it best that you get rid of them especially when there is not enough disk space to install Windows 10 Updates? However, manually reviewing such applications and files can be a tedious and time-consuming process. You can, therefore, take help from third-party tools. For example, to remove unwanted programs from your computer you can choose from amongst some of the best uninstaller software for Windows 10. 

To  analyze large unwanted files, you can use a tool like Disk Analyzer Pro. This tool is a specialist in revealing your hard disk’s contents in an organized fashion. Not only in a situation when you are running low on space to fetch Windows 10 Updates, even if otherwise you want to organize files, but Disk Analyzer Pro can also be a great tool to have by your side. 

How To Use Disk Analyzer Pro? 

1. Download, run and install Disk Analyzer Pro

2. Select the drive you wish to scan and click on the Start Scan button 

3. Double-click on the category to view the files that reside inside. As you can see from the screenshot you can even go ahead and select Big files as well

4. In the Windows that ensues, you will be able to see a comprehensive list of all the files and now you can easily analyze, open, delete, move or do other things

– Extend C Drive

Even after you have removed all unwanted files and programs and if still there is not enough disk space to update Windows 10, you can extend C Drive provided there is adjacent unallocated storage space. If not, you will find the notion greyed out. Here are the steps to do the same –

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box 

2. Type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter 

3. Right-click on the (C:) drive 

4. Click on Extend Volume 

5. Follow the on-screen instruction 

– Free Up Disk Space Using Settings

There is yet another way to quickly get rid of temporary files and files in recycle bin. To your surprise, you can free up tons of space and subsequently be able to download Windows 10 updates. To do that – 

1. Open Settings 

2. Click on Storage from the left-hand side 

3. From the right-hand side, you can select items and free up space

Wrapping Up

We hope that by using the methods above you now have enough disk space to install Windows 10 updates. We’d love to know which of the above methods was able to free up disk space for you in the comments section below. For more such tricks and other Windows how-to’s, keep reading WeTheGeek.