FIX: Steam Saying Not Enough Disk Space? Quick Fixes!

Steam is one of the most promising gaming distribution platforms that is frequently being updated.

Despite the bug-fixing updates, glitches are common in Steam.

While trying to download a game, many of the users found Steam prompting ‘not enough disk space’ even if there is enough disk space.

If you are in the same boat, then here are the solutions to fix the problem easily.

What To Do If Steam Says Not Enough Disk Space?

Table of Contents

Before moving on to the solutions, make sure that you have enough disk space available. If you do not have it, follow this guide to clear up some disk space.

Now, perform the methods explained below when you do find not enough free disk space on Steam.

1) Restart Your Computer

Steam updates itself on a regular basis.

A fresh restart of Steam from scratch will implement all the updates.

So, when Steam prompts you there is not enough disk space, restart your PC.

After a fresh restart, if you see the same Steam message, delete if there is any downloading file.

2) Delete The Downloading File

Sometimes the Steam client may conflict with the file you are trying to install.

It may happen that the game is partially downloaded due to the error.

So, try to delete the downloaded file and run the game again.

To do that, exit Steam. Navigate to your Steam installation directory.

If you do not know the location, right-click on your Steam shortcut and click on the open file location.

Open the Steamapps folder.

Next, open the Downloading folder. Check if the file you were downloading is there. You can identify it with the application ID. Delete that folder.
Next, restart your computer and open Steam again. Check if this could fix the issue; otherwise, run Steam as an administrator.

3) Allow Administrative Privileges To Steam

Sometimes Steam may require administrative privileges to download certain game files.

So, run Steam as an administrator and see if this can fix the problem.

To do so, follow the steps given below:

Right-click on the Steam Desktop shortcut and open its Properties.

Go to the Compatibility tab and check the box for Run this program as administrator.

Click on the Apply button followed by OK to save the changes made.

If this does not solve the problem, clear the Steam download cache.

4) Clear Steam Cache

Whenever you download anything in Steam, it is stored in the Steam download cache.

These downloaded files are stored there until they are installed.

If some of these files are missing or get corrupted, then also you can get the error that Steam does not have enough disk space.

So, clear the Steam download cache and check if this helps. Follow the steps to do so:

Open Steam as an administrator.
Click on the Steam tab and choose Settings.

From Steam settings, open the Downloads tab.
Click on Clear Download cache. Confirm by clicking on the OK button.

Wait till the process is complete. Now close all the Steam-related processes from the task manager.

To do that, right-click on the Windows start button and select Task Manager.

Go to the Process tab and right-click on each Steam-related process.
Select the End task option.

Once terminated all the Steam-related tasks, restart Steam as an admin and check if the problem is solved. If not, then verify the Steam files.

5) Verify The Game Files

Many of the Steam game files are large.

During the downloading process, some of the data may get corrupted. As a result, you can see Steam does not have enough disk space error message.

So, verify the game files to cross-check if there is any missing and corrupted game file and fix it.

To do that, follow the steps given below:

Open Steam and go to the game library. Please right-click on the particular game and expand its Properties.

Then select Local Files and click on Verify the integrity of game files.

Finish the process and check if the problem is solved the problem.

6) Use Disk Cleanup

Check if there is not enough disk space using disk cleanup.

This way, you can free up some disk space quickly. To do so, follow the steps given below:

Type disk cleanup in the Windows search bar and select the top option.

Select the drive from where you want to clean all the junk files. Click on the OK button.

Next, click on the Clean-up system files option, and the clean-up process will start.

Wait till the scan completes. Once done, select the files you want to delete. Then click on OK.

7) Disable Firewall

A firewall can also interfere with Steam and cause such issues. So, if the above processes cannot fix the problem, disable Firewall.

To do that, follow the steps given below:

Type Windows Defender Firewall in the Search Menu and select the top option.
Click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off, as shown below.

Click on the radio buttons for both Private and Public settings to Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) option.

If you are using any other antivirus program, then you should also disable that for the time being.

But make sure to enable your antivirus or firewall protection soon after, as your system is vulnerable to threats without these.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

How much disk space does Steam require?

Steam needs at least 5GB of storage space.

Is 4 GB RAM enough for Steam?

Right now, 4 GB RAM is not enough for Steam. Old games, though, still run with 8GB RAM, but it’s recommended to have 8GB of RAM to play a much wider range of games.