Forum Discussion
How much space does Windows 11 Need?
I honestly am fairly new to Windows 11. I know it is one louder than Windows 10, but wondering how much disk space it requires. I have a fairly new HP r14-fq0070nr laptop I inherited from my Aunt. ...
I must be doing something wrong because my Windows installation is taking up almost 200 GB.
Don’t trust what Microsoft says; just get an SSD with at least 1 TB.
Windows 11 normally uses 25–30GB, so on a 57GB drive it fills up very fast. Your laptop storage is simply very small for Windows 11.
Try these quick fixes:
- Run Disk Cleanup
- Search “Disk Cleanup”
- Run as Administrator
- Clean:
- Windows Update files
- Temporary files
- Recycle Bin
- Disable hibernation
Open Command Prompt as Admin and run:
powercfg /hibernate off
This can free 4–8GB instantly.
- Remove HP bloatware
Go to:
Settings → Apps
Uninstall HP apps, trial antivirus, and games you don’t use.
- Turn on Storage Sense
Settings → Storage → Storage Sense - Use OneDrive “Online Only”
Don’t store large files locally.
Realistically, 57GB is too small for Windows 11 + Office updates. A 128GB SSD is the better long-term solution.
