Hey everyone! I could really use some help figuring out how to free up space on my laptop. I recently got this HP Laptop 14-dq0xxx model back in November after my last one broke down, and I went for the cheapest option since finals were coming up. Now, I'm running into issues because it won't let me install updates due to a lack of storage. I mainly use it for college stuff and some light gaming, but it seems like there are about 20 GB of installed apps and another 20 GB tied up for Windows functions, which feels a bit much considering it only has 57 GB total! I haven't added much myself, so I'm not sure where all that space is going. Does anyone have tips on what apps I can uninstall or other ways to clear storage? I really need to make this work!
5 Answers
If you really are down to 64 GB, it’s super tight for Windows. First, try going through your installed apps and removing anything you don’t need. Windows has a tool for disk cleanup—right-click on your C drive and select that. It'll help clear out temporary files and updates. I also recommend downloading Patch Cleaner to get rid of orphaned files that might be taking up space.
Yeah, I'm sorry to be blunt, but you might've made a bit of a mistake getting such a small laptop. Many of those budget models only come with 64 GB of eMMC storage, which isn't great for Windows 10 or 11. If your storage is soldered to the motherboard, upgrading is tricky, and you may need a better laptop in the long run. Look into that before sinking too much time into it!
I looked up your laptop model and found that the smallest storage option is actually 128 GB. It’d be best to search for 'Disk Management' in Windows to check what your total storage is really at. Sometimes, manufacturers quote different sizes based on what's formatted and available.
Good news! I found the manual for your laptop; you can actually upgrade the storage if you're willing to do a bit of DIY. It looks like you can install a PCIe SSD, and there are options for larger drives available for a decent price. Just make sure to check the manual for instructions on how to do it!
So, let me get this right: I can buy one of these SSDs and replace the drive myself? Can I get one similar to this? [SSD Image](https://preview.redd.it/sn4cfz6ubknf1.jpeg?width=1073&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=590585ef85787e6a82727955fe61fe09408f4e50)
Are there really laptops being made with less than 128 GB these days? That's wild! You might want to check your specifications again to see if you only have 64 GB. If you're not sure, posting a Disk Management screenshot would really help!
Here's the [Disk Management screenshot](https://imgur.com/a/e5ON8U2) I found.
I checked, and here it is: [Disk Management](https://imgur.com/a/e5ON8U2)!