Drive space

[Janech1]

Over a year ago I purchased an hp envy 360 due to its size. I was so puzzled to see a warning that my laptop is full. When I tried to check storage, I realise that the drive changed from 1tb to 479gb. How can I reclaim my space? 

[Irfan_06]

Hi @Janech1,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to assist you.

The reduction in available storage on your HP ENVY x360 laptop could be caused by several factors. Let's go through some troubleshooting steps to help you identify and reclaim the missing storage space:

 

1. Check Disk Partitioning

• It's possible that your 1TB drive has been partitioned, and one of the partitions is not visible or allocated correctly.
• Steps:
  1. Press Win + X and select Disk Management.
  2. Look for unallocated space or additional partitions that might not be visible in File Explorer.
  3. If unallocated space exists, you can create a new partition or extend the existing one.

2. Check for Backup or System Reserved Space

• Windows may reserve space for system recovery or backups.
• Steps:
  1. Open Settings → System → Storage.
  2. Click on Show more categories and review the breakdown of used space.
  3. Check for large backups under System and Reserved or Other categories.

3. Check for Hidden Files or System Restore Points

• Hidden files or excessive system restore points may consume a significant amount of space.
• Steps:
  1. Open File Explorer, and enable hidden files:
     • Click on View → Show → Hidden items.
  2. Navigate to C:\ and review folder sizes.
  3. Delete old restore points:
     • Search for Create a restore point in the Start menu.
     • Select Configure and delete unnecessary restore points.

4. Run Disk Cleanup

• Disk Cleanup can remove temporary files, Windows update files, and other unnecessary data.
• Steps:
  1. Press Win + R, type cleanmgr, and press Enter.
  2. Select the drive and click OK.
  3. Click Clean up system files and review the space you can free up.

5. Check for Third-Party Partitions

• Some third-party tools or dual-boot setups may create partitions, consuming space.
• Check Disk Management for any unexpected partitions.

6. Check for Drive Issues

• If the drive has hardware issues, it might report reduced capacity.
• Steps:
  1. Open Command Prompt (Run as Administrator).
  2. Type chkdsk C: /f /r and press Enter to check and repair the disk.

7. Diagnostics and recovery

Perform an extensive system test to confirm if the hardware is working fine.

1) Shut down the computer.

2) Turn the computer back on again and repeatedly tap on the ESC until a Startup menu appears.  

3) Press F2 once.  

4) Go to the system test > extensive test

If the hardware is working fine. Click on this link to perform a recovery on your Laptop.  (Take a backup of the data before performing a recovery)

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a great day ahead!

Irwin6

HP Support