How to Fix “Not Enough Disk Space for Updates” in Windows 

Quick Tips

• Windows Updates need disk space to download and install properly, something you might not always have.
• You can remove apps and files yourself, or rely on utilities like Disk Clean-up or Storage Sense.
• If you have a storage device handy, you can also use it to temporarily hold Update files.

Updates are a frequent and necessary, if slightly annoying, part of the Windows 10 and 11 experience. It’s how your PC stays healthy and up to date after all. These updates, particularly major ones like 24H2, need plenty of disk space to download and install before cleaning things up. Too often, for a small hard drive, though, the space requirements are too much, and you’ll get the message “Not Enough Disk Space for Updates.” So what do you do?

In this article, we’ll show you five quick and easy methods for clearing up hard drive space in different ways when there’s not enough disk space for updates.

Not Enough Space for Updates – 5 Fixes to Try

No disk space? No problem. We’ve got five different ways to free up some space for your updates, from shuffling data to deleting it. There are, of course, other ways to get the job done (including third-party solutions), but we’re focusing on keeping it brief and easy.

Free Up Space With Apps & Features

“Apps & features” is a tool on Windows 10 and 11 that allows you to see what programs, apps, and tools you have currently installed and, importantly, how much space they’re occupying. This is a handy way to see what’s on your drive without having to hunt down various folders and shortcuts. Take a look at files that are too big, or you haven’t used in a while. If you see one you don’t need, simply click on it, then hit the “Uninstall” button.

Use Disk Cleanup

It’s not just apps and features taking up valuable hard drive space. Over time, your hard drive can become clogged with unused files, temporary data, and bits and pieces of information that have become mixed in during all the copying and pasting. While Windows takes care of defragging your PC automatically, you can free up some valuable space with the Disk Clean-up utility. Here’s how to use it:

Step 1. Type “Disk Clean-up” into your search bar and choose the utility when it pops up.

Step 2. Choose which drive you want to scan. Updates use your OS hard drive, so pick that.

Step 3. Let the utility scan your drive for information. Depending on the size and taken storage space taken, it may take a while.

Step 4. A new window will then pop up showing the different files the utility can delete. This won’t impact the running of your system. The two biggest are usually the Recycle Bin and the Temporary files. Check the ones you want to clear and press the “OK” button.

Step 5. The utility will clear these files. Try the update again after this.

Storage Sense

Windows also has a more user-friendly alternative to Disk Clean-up: Storage Sense. You can find this in your Settings, under “Storage.” Once there, you’ll see the overall disk space on your main hard drive and what’s taking up the most space. Enable the whole feature, and you can click on individual aspects of storage to remove. As with Disk Clean-up, you can click on what area you want to keep clean, but you can also enable it for everything.

Storage Sense will automatically delete unused files from your machine to keep space free. If you don’t mind having files that you aren’t using automatically disappear, then enable it.

Clear the Update Cache

Occasionally, Windows Updates fail, leaving files that take up a great deal of hard drive space. Even when they succeed, backups are stored. If you need to free space in a hurry, clear the Windows Update Cache:

Step 1. Open the Run dialog (Win + R) and type “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\” and press “OK.”

Step 2. Select all the files and folders and delete them. Press (Shift + Del) to skip sending them to the Recycle Bin. Windows will recreate these folders, but without the data.

Use External Devices as Storage

Windows Update also offers the chance to plug in external storage where the files can be temporarily stored. This option will pop up automatically, so if you have a spare drive available, opt to use it.