Laptop keeps running out of space every few minutes

It sounds like you're facing significant storage issues on your laptop, which can hinder updates and repairs. Here are some steps you can take to free up more space:

1. Disk Cleanup: Since you've already tried this, ensure you are using the option to clean up system files as well. This can help remove previous Windows installations and other unnecessary files.
   • To do this, right-click on the drive in File Explorer, select Properties, then click Disk Cleanup and choose Clean up system files.
2. Uninstall Unused Programs: Check your installed programs and uninstall any that you no longer use. You can do this through Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
3. Delete Old Restore Points: If you have System Restore enabled, older restore points can take up a lot of space. You can delete these through the System Properties settings.
4. Use the /StartComponentCleanup Command: You can use the DISM tool to clean up the component store. Open an elevated command prompt and run:

      Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
   

   This will remove superseded versions of components and can free up space.
5. Check for Large Files: Use tools like WinDirStat or TreeSize to find large files or folders that may be taking up space unnecessarily.
6. Temporary Files: Make sure to clear temporary files regularly. You can do this by typing %temp% in the Run dialog and deleting the files there.

If these steps do not resolve your issue, consider upgrading your storage or using an external drive for additional space.

References:

• Clean Up the WinSxS Folder
• Speed up a Windows 8.1 computer

As I said, I keep doing all of that, including using a USB drive, but keep having the same problem. I eveen try resetting the laptop about every couple of weeks, but a couple of days after that the space fills up again.

Hello,

Are you on Win10, or 11?

What's the total capacity of your C drive? And free space is only 2GB now?

Can you right click on Start button, go to Disk Management, and share a screenshot of this page please?

Also, just in case we might need this, do you have Msft 365 subscription?