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10 Tech How-To

How to Turn Off Low Disk Space Warning on Windows 11

Guide 10-31505 · Updated · Step by step

This guide shows you how to disable the persistent low disk space notification that Windows 11 displays when a drive fills up. You’ll need to be signed in with an administrator account, as the fix involves editing the Windows Registry.

What You’ll Need

  • A Windows 11 PC with an administrator account.
  • The drive letter (e.g., C:) for which you want to disable the warning.

Step-by-Step

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes if the User Account Control prompt appears.
  3. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following path by pasting it into the address bar and pressing Enter:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  4. If the Explorer key does not exist, right-click on Policies, select New > Key, and name it Explorer.
  5. With the Explorer key selected, right-click on the empty space on the right side. Choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  6. Name the new value NoLowDiskSpaceChecks and press Enter.
  7. Double-click the newly created NoLowDiskSpaceChecks value.
  8. In the Value data field, change the number from 0 to 1.
  9. Ensure the Base is set to Hexadecimal (it is by default), then click OK.
  10. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the change to take effect.

Common Mistakes

  • Editing the wrong registry hive: Using HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE instead of HKEY_CURRENT_USER will not apply the setting to your user account reliably.
  • Creating a Key instead of a DWORD: Right-clicking the wrong folder and creating a new Key rather than a DWORD value will not work.
  • Typing the value name incorrectly: The name must be exactly NoLowDiskSpaceChecks; any typo will be ignored by Windows.
  • Forgetting to restart: The change will not take effect until you restart Explorer or the entire PC.

Tips

  • Before editing the registry, create a restore point (search for “Create a restore point” in the Start menu) so you can revert if something goes wrong.
  • This warning is a helpful safety feature. Only disable it if you are actively managing your disk space or using a drive that is intentionally kept full, such as a dedicated backup or media drive.
  • To re-enable the warning later, simply return to the same registry location and change the NoLowDiskSpaceChecks value back to 0, or delete the value entirely.

Troubleshooting

If the warning still appears after following the steps, first verify the registry path and value name are exactly as described. Double-check that you are looking at HKEY_CURRENT_USER, not HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. If the path is correct, confirm the value data is 1, not 0. If you still see the notification, try restarting Windows Explorer instead of the full PC: open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find “Windows Explorer” in the Processes list, right-click it, and select Restart. The system tray will disappear briefly and then return. If the issue persists, ensure your Windows is fully updated, as some older builds had bugs with this registry policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this disable all disk space warnings?

Yes, this registry setting disables the low disk space notification for all drives on your system for the current user. It does not affect other error messages, such as “Disk Full” when you try to write a file.

Is it safe to disable the low disk space warning?

It is generally safe, but it removes a useful reminder. If you forget to manage your disk space, you may run out of storage unexpectedly, which can cause programs to crash or Windows updates to fail.

Does this work on Windows 10 as well?

Yes, this exact registry key works on Windows 10 and earlier versions of Windows. The steps are identical.

What if I want to disable the warning for only one drive?

The built-in registry method applies to all drives. To target a single drive, you would need third-party disk management software; there is no native Windows setting for per-drive low space alerts.

Can I do this without restarting my computer?

Yes, you can restart Windows Explorer via Task Manager instead of a full reboot. This achieves the same effect and is faster.

Will this free up any actual disk space?

No, this setting only hides the notification. It does not delete files or change how much free space you have. You still need to clean up files manually or use Disk Cleanup.

Related

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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