Why Does Steam Say I Have No Disk Space [Reasons & Solutions]?

Steam is a widely used platform with significant presence in the gaming industry. Nevertheless, it is not immune to annoying bugs, with one of the most frequent issues being related to "low disk space". In this article, we will delve into the reasons behind this problem and present the top six solutions to address it.

Why Does Steam Say I Have No Disk Space? When Steam displays a message indicating that you have no disk space, it means that your computer's hard drive or SSD (Solid State Drive) doesn't have enough available storage to accommodate the installation or update of a game or other software. Here are several reasons why this might happen and some potential solutions: 1. **Actual Lack of Disk Space**: The most straightforward reason is that your drive is genuinely full. Check how much free space is left on your drive by right-clicking on the drive in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), and selecting "Properties" or "Get Info," respectively. 2. **Temporary Files**: Your system may be holding onto temporary files from previous installations, updates, or downloads. Clearing these can free up space. You can use built-in tools like Windows' Disk Cleanup or third-party software for this purpose. 3. **Game Cache Files**: Steam stores cache files for games, which can take up space. Go to Steam > Library, right-click on a game, select "Properties," then navigate to the "Local Files" tab and click "Verify integrity of game files." This process may delete unnecessary cache files. 4. **In-Progress Downloads**: If a download is in progress, it may temporarily occupy significant space. Pause or cancel any ongoing downloads to free up space. 5. **Update Size Miscalculation**: Occasionally, Steam might incorrectly estimate the size required for an update. Try restarting Steam and checking if the issue persists. 6. **Fragmented Drive**: A fragmented hard drive can make it appear as if there's no space, even when there is. Run a disk defragmentation tool (Windows) or use the built-in optimization tool on newer versions of Windows or macOS. 7. **Other Programs Consuming Space**: Other software or large files on your system could be taking up space. Review your installed programs and remove any unnecessary ones. 8. **Move Steam Library**: By default, Steam installs games in the Steam library folder. If you're running out of space, you can create a new library on a different drive and move games there. To do this, right-click on the Steam Library, select "Add Library Folder," and choose a new location. Once you've identified the issue and freed up space, restart Steam, and try installing or updating the game again. If the problem continues, consider reaching out to Steam support for further assistance.

Receiving a notification about no disk space from Steam can be concerning, as it threatens the safety of your crucial gaming data. Let's explore the reasons behind this issue:

• Completely or almost full disk
• Underlying cache issues
• Gaming installation issues
• Steam disk write error

Given all these issues, how can we fix them? Next, let's explore the solutions that can assist you.

Further Reading: Install Windows on Steam Deck

How to Solve No Disk Space Issue on Steam - 6 Solutions

In this section, we will discuss the solutions step by step; if you follow them diligently, you will resolve all the issues.

Solution 1: Restart Steam and your PC

If your Steam service is not functioning as well as it used to, try closing it and then restarting it. If the issues persist, proceed with restarting your computer to address the Steam problem. Here are some straightforward steps to restart your PC: 1. Save any unsaved work and close all open applications. 2. Click on the "Start" button or press the Windows key on your keyboard. 3. In the search bar, type "shutdown" or "restart." 4. Select "Restart" from the options that appear. 5. Wait for your PC to shut down completely, and then press the power button to turn it back on. 6. Once your computer has restarted, launch Steam again to check if the issue has been resolved.

Step 1. Access the "Start Menu" from the bottom left corner of your screen.

Step 2. Now, click on the "Power" button, and from the Power menu, select the "Restart" option. Your PC will then restart.

How to Fix Steam Not Enough Disk Space Error [Updated]

When encountering the Steam not enough disk space error, what should we do? How can we resolve this issue? Relax, as below, you'll discover how to free up disk space on Steam and directly expand your partition using third-party free software.

Fix 2: Verify the Integrity of Game Files

When you download your game files through Steam, it has a feature to check the integrity of the game files. This ensures that all necessary files are present and prevents issues caused by incomplete downloads. To verify the integrity of your game files, follow these straightforward steps:

Step 1. After launching your Steam software, click on the "Library" menu at the top, select the game of your choice, right-click on it, and then select "Properties."

Step 2. Next, click on "Local Files" from the options available on the left panel. Then, find and press the "Verify integrity of game files" button.

Fix 3: Clear Download Cache

When you download games, a significant amount of unnecessary or excessive data is often downloaded alongside, which accumulates in the cache memory. Therefore, it's crucial to regularly clear your cache to ensure improved processing speed for your Steam. To清理下载的缓存, follow these steps:

Step 1. Launch Steam on your device and select "Steam" from the navigation bar at the top.

Step 2. Proceed by selecting "Settings" from the dropdown menu. Next, navigate to the "Downloads" option from the left-hand menu, and then click on the "CLEAR DOWNLOAD CACHE" button on the right-side screen.

Fix 4: Extend the Partition using Partition Master Tools

When all your data is stored and downloaded on a single drive location, it can become cluttered and challenging to manage effectively. Additionally, the system's performance may suffer due to the increased load on one spot. To address these issues, expanding the partition size is a wise solution, and tools like Partition Master can assist you in this process.

Here is why:

Notable Features of Partition Master Tool:

• Resize or extend partitions on Windows 10/11 to optimize disk space utilization.
• Clone the system or hard drive to upgrade disks without re-installing Windows.
• Convert an MBR system disk to GPT for Windows 11 upgrade compatibility.
• Provide one-click AI-driven intelligent space allocation.

Straightforward Instructions for Extending a Partition

Tools Partition Master is a simple and user-friendly platform. To utilize its drive partitioning feature, follow these clear and easy steps: 1. Launch the Tools Partition Master application on your computer. 2. The main interface will display a list of all available hard drives connected to your system. Identify the drive you wish to partition. 3. Right-click on the target drive and select "Partition" or "Create Partition" from the context menu. 4. In the partition window that appears, you can choose the size for the new partition by adjusting the sliders or entering a specific value in the provided field. 5. You may also decide whether you want the new partition to be primary, logical, or extended, depending on your needs. 6. Click on "Apply" or "OK" to confirm your settings and start the partition process. 7. The software will then prompt you to review the changes before executing them. Make sure everything is correct and click "Execute" or "Start." 8. The partitioning process will begin, and it may take some time, especially if the drive is large. Do not interrupt the process. 9. Once completed, the Tools Partition Master will notify you, and you can then safely close the application or proceed with further management tasks. Remember to backup important data before making any changes to your disk partitions, as errors can potentially lead to data loss.

Step 1. Locate the Target Partition.

Go to Partition Manager and locate the target partition, then select "Resize/Move".

Step 2. Extend the Target Partition.

Slide the partition panel right or left to add the unallocated space into your current partition, and then click "OK" to confirm.

Additional Option: Obtain Space from Another Drive

If there isn't enough unallocated space on your disk, right-click on a large partition with sufficient free space and select "Allocate Space".

Then select the target partition that you want to extend at the Allocate space to column.

Step 3. Execute Operations to Extend Partition.

Drag the dots of the target partition into the unallocated space and click "OK".

Click the "Execute Task" button and then click "Apply" to save all the changes.

If you find this helpful, download our tool Partition Master now!

Fix 5: Check for Hard Drive Errors

Your hard drive or external hard drive slow and unresponsive could be caused by corrupted files, excessive load, or even virus infections. By checking for hard drive errors, you can regain optimal performance. To check and optimize your hard drive, follow these reliable steps:

Step 1. Double-click on File Explorer and select the drive where you have installed your Steam Client to clean it of errors. Right-click on the selected drive and choose "Properties."

Step 2. A window will open where you need to select the "Tools" option. Click on the "Check" button. Following this, hit the "Scan drive" button to initiate the scanning process, which will enable you to detect any issues with the problematic drive.

See Also:

Fix 6: Run Disk Cleanup

Your disk might be overloaded with unnecessary files that are taking up space and causing speed issues for Steam, along with troublesome glitches. Thus, it's advisable to erase your data securely to ensure it can't be recovered, which can help resolve various issues. Follow these steps for disk cleanup:

Step 1. Right-click on your C:/ Drive, select "Properties" from the context menu, and a Properties window will appear.

Step 2. Press the "Disk Cleanup" button, and a new window will appear. To access all system files, click on the "Clean up system files" button. Then, select the files you wish to delete. Finally, hit the "OK" button to remove the chosen data.

Conclusion

Disk space issues are quite common and can happen to anyone while using the Steam gaming platform. Several factors contribute to these issues, and sometimes it's due to user error, whereas other times, hidden aspects are the root cause. If Steam is telling you that you have no disk space, it can be frustrating, but it's not the end of the world. There are ways to address and resolve this issue.

With Partition Master tools, you can efficiently optimize your disk space and boost performance by extending partitions. This makes managing large amounts of data effortless and helps resolve various disk writing errors and malfunctions.

"Why Does Steam Say I Have No Disk Space?" FAQs

Although we have comprehensively covered the reasons and remedies for lack of disk space issues on Steam, many users still have additional questions. To address these inquiries, we have provided answers to some essential questions that you should also be aware of:

1. How to free up disk space on Steam for Windows 10?

There are several solutions to address the issue of insufficient memory or disk space on Windows 10. These can include disk cleanup, clearing downloaded cache, partitioning the drive, and removing unnecessary games that are merely taking up space. Here's one method to clear the cache of your Steam client:

Step 1. Access the settings of your Steam client and select the "Download" option from the left side of the settings window.

Step 2. After that, click on the "CLEAR DOWNLOAD CACHE" button to clear the Steam cache.

2. Why is Steam using so much disk space?

The most common reason is excessive game downloads, which cause Steam to occupy a significant amount of space on your drive. Additionally, you need to install updates or add new mods, continually eating into the available free space.

3. Does uninstalling Steam games free up disk space? Yes, uninstalling Steam games does free up disk space. When you uninstall a game from Steam, it removes the game's files and data from your computer, which in turn liberates the storage space occupied by those files. This can be particularly useful if you're running low on disk space and need to make room for other games or programs.

Indeed, when you uninstall applications, you won't encounter the issue of why is my storage always full, and you'll have more disk space available for additional games.