Windows 10 with limited SSD storage space
Windows 10 with limited SSD storage space
Hello, I'm facing storage problems with my laptop. It has a 23GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. I installed Windows 10 on the SSD, and everything worked initially. I moved many files to the HDD but the SSD is now nearly full. Windows reports it uses about 13GB, which feels higher than before. Temporary files are around 2GB and two of them are inaccessible. I have a Hibernate file taking up significant space, and I want to transfer it to another drive. It seems all my personal files are gone. Can you suggest ways to reduce Windows' usage or move some data to the HDD? Also, is there a way to prevent the OS from writing unnecessary files to that drive? Thanks very much!
I’m unsure but I’d prefer to skip the expense unless I can find another way. The last time I checked, it was just the HDD.
currently windows doesn't fit into a 32 GB SSD properly. You mentioned 23 GB, but it seems your PC still has a recovery drive using about 5 GB of that space—actually around 29 GB. To free up space safely, you should format the SSD and remove all partitions, giving the whole drive to your system. You can move the page file to the hard disk as suggested. For more space, consider these steps: https://www.google.com/amp/s/winaero.com...ther-disk/ and https://www.windowscentral.com/how-reduc...our-pc?amp. The main issue is the small SSD size, which limits what you can install.
I believe giving up the SSD plan is the best option. I’ll transfer everything to the HDD once 1903 arrives. The system will run slower, but it should function properly. There are no recovery partitions left—I performed a clean install from a Windows ISO and didn’t receive any additional media. This machine was running Windows 8 at the time of purchase. Thank you for your time.
You can turn off hibernation to release storage space. If you're comfortable without it, you'll save room. To do this: Launch Command Prompt with admin rights. Run the command: powercfg /h off, which turns off hibernation. After running it, your hibernation.sys file should vanish. If not, restart and it should disappear. For extra savings, use the Windows Disk Cleanup tool. Open it, scan or load your files, then select "Cleanup System Files," choose the items you want to remove, and click OK. Also, delete contents in these locations: C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Temp (hide AppData), and C:\Windows\Temp. Use Ctrl+A then delete. Skip any files marked as unusable and confirm. Finally, clear your recycle bin to free up space overall.
I've completed some of this work already. I'll handle the remaining tasks. Concerning hibernation, would you prefer to move the file instead? If not, I'll turn it off. Thanks.
It can't be relocated. The bootloader requires access, which means it must reside on the first partition detected by the system. At this point, the operating system isn't active to perform advanced operations.
I evaluated the whole scenario, realizing you have a lot of options but are still constrained by the limited capacity of your EMMC SSD. You mentioned moving windows to the hard disk, though Windows 10 on a hard drive can be quite frustrating. Have you thought about replacing the hard disk with a budget 120GB SSD instead? You could even transfer it to an external enclosure if you need more storage. While keeping the laptop might seem cost-effective, this method offers significantly more space based on your needs. Once you’re done using it or selling it, you can simply remove the SSD and leave the 32GB EMMC drive behind—no money is wasted.