When a Dell laptop says it is low on space, Dell's article lists the symptoms (a low disk space error, a disk-full error, being unable to install important Windows updates) and the built-in tools: Disk Cleanup, which deletes temporary files and other unimportant data including Windows Error Reporting files, previous Windows installations and temporary Windows installation files; Disk Cleanup's clean-up of System Restore and Shadow Copies, which removes older restore points except the latest; and Storage Sense, which deletes temporary files from the system drive and other drives. Choose the C: drive, tick what you want removed and confirm. Dell's thin laptops use soldered SSDs sized at purchase, so free space matters more than on models with a second drive slot.
Differential
Likely causes of “Dell laptops storage is full or nearly full”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Temporary files and old Windows installs
What separates it The C drive is nearly full after updates because of temporary files and old Windows installs
How to confirm Dell lists Windows Error Reporting files, previous Windows installations and temporary installation files that Disk Cleanup removes
- 2
System Restore points and shadow copies
What separates it The drive is full and restore points take gigabytes
How to confirm Dell's article shows how to delete older restore points except the most recent
- 3
Downloads, videos and app caches
What separates it A few big folders dominate the drive because of downloads, videos and app caches
How to confirm Open Settings, System, Storage and sort by size; delete or move big files to an external drive
- 4
A small soldered SSD
What separates it The drive fills up again within a few weeks of a cleanup and the warnings return
How to confirm Thin Dell laptops cannot add a drive; use an external SSD or cloud storage
- 5
Not enough room for an update
What separates it Windows Update fails or says it needs space because there is not enough room for an update
How to confirm Free space first, and see the update page for the next step
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which Dell laptop you have, its drive size and free space on C:
- The largest categories in Settings, System, Storage
- Whether Storage Sense is on and whether OneDrive or another cloud sync is running
- The exact low disk message that Windows shows
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedSee what fills the drive
ReversibleSee what fills the drive, in Settings, System, Storage, and note the largest categories, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Run Disk Cleanup
ReversibleSearch for Disk Cleanup, choose C:, tick temporary files, Windows Error Reporting files and previous installations, and confirm.
Clean up system files
ReversibleClean up system files, by choosing Clean up system files in Disk Cleanup, to include Windows Update leftovers.
Delete older restore points
ReversibleIn Disk Cleanup, More Options, System Restore and Shadow Copies, Clean up, which keeps the most recent restore point.
Turn on Storage Sense
ReversibleTurn on Storage Sense, in Settings, System, Storage, Storage Sense, and run it now, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Move big files
ReversibleCopy videos and project folders to an external drive, check them, then delete the originals.
Restart and check
ReversibleRestart and check, by restarting and confirming that free space has risen before updating, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Drives by line
- Most thin Dell laptops have a single M.2 or soldered SSD chosen at purchase. Latitude 5450 and Alienware m16 R2 are more serviceable than the XPS 13; check the model's manual.
- What to clear first
- Temporary files, previous Windows installations and restore points, then big downloads, following Dell's order.
- Repair cost
- Freeing space costs nothing. A larger drive at an independent shop is $99 to $179 per BadgerLayer's 2026 PC repair guide, and data recovery from a failed drive starts at $149, per BadgerLayer's 2026 laptop repair guide.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models XPS 14 9440, XPS 16 9640, Inspiron 14 5440, Inspiron 16 5640, Latitude 5450, Latitude 7450, R2.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If space is not freed after Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense, run hardware diagnostics on the drive and contact Dell Support
- !If the drive shows errors in diagnostics, back up and contact Dell
- !If you keep running out of space, plan an external SSD or cloud storage, since some Dell models cannot take a bigger drive
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Symptoms, Disk Cleanup, System Restore and Shadow Copies, Storage Sense.
Update failures that low disk space can cause.
Slowness and low space.
The XPS premium laptop line.
The Latitude business laptop line.
Exact questions
Common questions
Should I compress the drive?+
No. Compressing the whole drive slows access. Use Disk Cleanup, Storage Sense and moving large files, as Dell's article describes.
What does Disk Cleanup remove?+
Dell lists system-created Windows Error Reporting files, previous Windows installations and temporary Windows installation files, among others.
Is deleting restore points safe?+
Dell's article deletes older restore points but keeps the most recent one. You lose the ability to roll back to the deleted ones.
Can I add a second drive to an XPS 13?+
Check your model's manual. Thin XPS models are built around one SSD chosen at purchase, so an external drive or cloud storage is the usual overflow; Latitude and Alienware models may allow a bigger drive.
Why does an update need free space?+
Windows downloads and unpacks the update. Dell lists low disk space among the causes of failing to install updates.
Will cleaning fix a slow laptop?+
It can, if the drive was nearly full. Dell's slow-computer article lists disk fragmentation and background programs among the other causes.
Where do I move files to?+
An external SSD on a USB-C port, or a cloud service. Check the files open before deleting the originals.