I'm using Windows 11 on my OMEN laptop and recently faced a huge drop in available storage. I had to uninstall Red Dead Redemption 2 because I lost about 60GB of space without explanation. After that, I downloaded Nightreign, which saved me some space, but then when I opened Counter-Strike the next day, I got a notification saying I had no space left! I checked and found I only had 21 MB remaining! This has me feeling really stressed. Can this issue be caused by malware? I don't visit sketchy websites, and I've already checked for duplicate files. What can I do?
3 Answers
If you’re still having issues, a clean install of Windows might be the best option. Just make sure you don’t format your drive first; instead, do a fresh install, so you don’t lose critical files. And if you see big folders taking up space, ask for help before deleting anything, as it could be important.
Try using a program like WizTree to identify large files taking up space. Sometimes game shader caches can consume a lot of storage, so keep that in mind when you clear disk space. You might need to rebuild those caches later, but it can help free up some room immediately.
Yeah, I think the shader cache can be a real pain. Just take care when deleting stuff you’re not sure about!
If you think you might have malware, it’s good to check for it. I recommend using reliable malware removal tools for a thorough scan. Also, be careful when making changes to your BIOS or disk setup; it might lead to data loss. Always back up your files first!
WizTree helped me too! I was skeptical at first because I had other programs that didn’t show me anything, but it revealed a ton of space that I thought was gone. Definitely give it a try!