How to Disable Low Disk Space Warning in Windows 11/10

Published by Nyau Wai Hoe - Updated on

When Windows 10 or Windows 11 detects that any of your hard drives are low on disk space, it will display a low disk space warning popup at the bottom right side of your desktop screen. This taskbar balloon notification can sometimes minimize your full-screen apps or games just to inform you of the low disk space warning.

By default, Windows 10 and Windows 11 check your disk space every 10 minutes. When the operating system detects low disk space on any hard drive, it will send you a low disk space warning pop-up notification. If the disk space remains low, the warning will be displayed every 10 minutes.

It can become annoying when the warning pops up too frequently, especially if you are already aware of it and don’t care about the drive being low on disk space. This tutorial will show you how to disable or turn off low disk space warnings in both Windows 11 and 10.

Low disk space warning Windows 10

Understanding disk space management in Windows

Before diving into disabling the low disk space warnings, it is essential to understand how disk space management works in Windows. Windows uses disk space to store system files, applications, documents, and other user-generated data. Proper disk space management is crucial for the smooth operation of your computer, as low disk space can lead to decreased system performance and stability.

Windows provides several built-in tools to help you manage your disk space, such as Disk Cleanup, Storage Sense, and Disk Management. These tools can help you remove unnecessary files, optimize storage settings, and manage partitions to ensure your computer runs efficiently.

Turn off low disk space warning in Windows

The most recommended solution is to, of course, clean up some disk space on the full hard drive, after which the low disk space warning would stop appearing. If you prefer to disable the warning instead, here’s a quick workaround using the registry editor.

Since we are going to edit the registry settings, we highly recommend you create a system restore point or backup the entire registry before making any changes. To backup the registry and disable the low disk space warning, follow the steps below.

  1. Go to the start menu or Windows search. Search for “regedit” and open it.
  2. To backup the registry, in the registry editor, click on File from the menu. Then, select Export. Under export range at the bottom, select All. Browse to a folder of your choice, name it backup.reg, then click Save.Backup registry
  3. To turn off low disk space warnings in Windows 10 and Windows 11, in the registry editor, navigate to the following folder:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  4. From the right pane, double-click on the NoLowDiskSpaceChecks DWORD entry. Enter 1 in the value data field.Disable low disk space warning
  5. If the DWORD doesn’t exist in the folder, create it by right-clicking anywhere in the right pane. Select New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it NoLowDiskSpaceChecks and enter 1 for value data.turn off windows low disk space warning
  6. Click OK. This should disable low disk space warnings in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Close the registry editor and restart your PC.

When the registry value is set to 1, Windows will stop checking the disk and, therefore, won’t send you any warnings when your drive is low on disk space. However, it will still warn you when you are pasting a large file over, and there is insufficient disk space for the file.

Can I disable warning only for a specific drive

Unfortunately, there is currently no way to turn off low disk space warnings for a specific drive in Windows 10 or Windows 11. When the registry value mentioned above is set to 1, it will stop disk space checks for all drives, including external drives such as USB flash drives.

If you prefer to clean up your disk instead, you may want to read: Windows needs more space for Widows 10, or use a tool like CCleaner to clear up junk files from your computer.

Alternative methods for managing disk space and low disk space warnings

While disabling low disk space warnings may be a quick fix, it’s essential to be aware of your disk space usage to avoid potential issues with your computer’s performance. Here are some alternative methods for managing disk space and low disk space warnings:

Use Storage Sense in Windows 10 and 11

Storage Sense is a built-in feature in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that can automatically free up disk space by deleting temporary files and other unnecessary data. To enable Storage Sense, follow these steps:

  • Open Settings by clicking on the Start button and selecting the gear icon.
  • Click on “System,” then “Storage.”
  • Toggle the “Storage Sense” switch to “On.”
  • Click on “Configure Storage Sense or run it now” to adjust the settings according to your preferences.

Uninstall unused applications

Removing unused applications can help free up significant amounts of disk space. To uninstall applications, follow these steps:

  • Open Settings by clicking on the Start button and selecting the gear icon.
  • Click on “Apps,” then “Apps & features.”
  • Scroll through the list of installed applications, and click on the ones you no longer need. Then, click “Uninstall.”

Move files to external storage

Consider investing in an external hard drive or cloud storage solution to move large files or infrequently accessed data off your computer’s internal hard drive. This will free up valuable disk space and help you avoid low disk space warnings.

Use disk cleanup utility

The Disk Cleanup utility is a built-in Windows tool that can help you free up disk space by removing temporary files, system files, and other unnecessary data. To access Disk Cleanup, follow these steps:

  • Press the Windows key + S to open the search bar.
  • Type “Disk Cleanup” and open the utility.
  • Select the drive you want to clean up and click “OK.”
  • Check the boxes for the file types you want to delete and click “OK” again to start the cleanup process.

Regularly monitor disk space usage

Develop a habit of periodically checking your disk space usage to ensure you have enough storage available for new files and applications. This can be done quickly by opening File Explorer and clicking on “This PC” to view the disk space usage for each drive.

By using these alternative methods for managing disk space, you can maintain your computer’s performance and avoid the need to disable low disk space warnings altogether.

Categories: Windows 10Windows 11

Nyau Wai Hoe
Nyau Wai Hoe is the Founder and Chief Editor of WindowsDigitals.com. With a degree in software engineering and over 12 years of experience in the tech support industry, Nyau has established himself as an expert in the field, with a primary focus on the Microsoft Windows operating system. As a tech enthusiast, he loves exploring new technologies and leveraging them to solve real-life problems.

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