Users have reported that Steam occasionally displays a “Not enough disk space” error message when attempting to update PC games. For example, a user’s Reddit post says, “Baldur’s Gate 3 has some updates, and first I don’t have enough space, but after I moved some games to other disks, I have more than enough free space, but Steam repeatedly says ‘NOT ENOUGH DISK SPACE.“‘ Thus, this error can occur when there is enough storage space for a game update. This is how you can fix the Steam “Not enough disk space” error.
Free Up Drive Storage Space
Even if it seems there is enough storage space when the Steam “Not enough disk space” error occurs, try freeing up some more space. Sometimes a game may need more free space than the size of the game update specified. So, try uninstalling some software and apps with a removal method outlined on this Microsoft page.
5 Ways to Fix the Steam “Not Enough Disk Space” Error on Windows PCs
Give Steam Admin Rights
The Steam “Not enough disk space” error can potentially occur because of insufficient permissions for the gaming client. Setting Steam to start with admin rights will address this possible cause. You can give Steam elevated permissions like this:
- Click your desktop shortcut for Steam with the right button on your mouse to select Properties.
- Select Compatibility and the Run this program as an administrator checkbox inside that tab.
The Run this program as an administrator checkbox
- To save the compatibility options, click on Apply.
- Select the OK option for exiting the window.
Clear the Download Cache for Steam
Clearing the download cache is a fix for the Steam “Not enough disk space” error. Some users confirm that it works. It’s also an easy troubleshooting method to apply because Steam includes an option for clearing the cache. The Clear download cache page on Steam’s site tells you how users can apply this possible fix.
The Clear Cache button
Select the Repair Library Option
There might be issues with the Steam library folder, causing the “Not enough disk space” error. Steam includes a repair option in its library to apply this possible fix. This is how you can select the Repair Library option in Steam:
- Open the Steam gaming client.
- Next, click the Steam menu.
- Select Settings from the menu.
- Click the Storage tab on the left of the Steam Settings window.
- Select the drive that includes your games in the drop-down menu, if not selected by default.
- Click the menu button with three dots on it and select Repair Library.
The Repair Library option
Verify the Integrity of Games
Some users have also fixed the Steam “Not enough disk space” error by verifying the files for affected games that they can’t update. Applying this possible fix might repair corrupted game files, causing the update error to occur. Go through the steps outlined on Steam’s verification page to apply this potential solution.
The Verify integrity of game files option
Other Possible Ways to Fix the Steam “Not Enough Disk Space” Error
If the Steam “Not enough disk space” persists, there are a few other potential fixes for it that might be worth trying. Try applying these additional potential remedies:
- Add Steam to the allowed apps for Windows Defender Firewall (or a third-party alternative).
- Right-click your hard drive icon in File Explorer to select Properties > Tools > Check for running a drive scan.
- Make all files within the Steam installation folder rewritable by executing an attrib -r /S *.* command. To do that, you’ll need to open Steam’s folder within the Command Prompt, cd c:/program files (x86)/Steam, command (adjust for your installation path), and then input attrib -r /S *.*.
Applying the potential fixes for the Steam “Not enough disk space” error covered here has resolved that gaming issue for many users. One of the troubleshooting methods above might also fix the same Steam gaming error on your PC. You can also ask Valve’s help service for more possible fixes by clicking Steam Client > Client Crashes > Contact, from this support page.
