"32GB" eMMC, Windows 10, and MS Updates

[RotherhamLad]

Hello,

I am trying to trouble-shoot a HP laptop which runs out of space every time Windows 10 needs an upgrade.

C-drive capacity reports as 27.8GB (29,945,312 bytes), and free space is currenty about 1.05GB. Free space varies very little, and is usually in the range 700MB to 1.3GB. (Windows folder alone takes up 24.5GB!)

There is very little software installed on the laptop (just Firefox and Anti-virus).

When Windows updates run, the C-drive fills, making the machine virtually un-useable. This usually takes a couple of days of "teasing" to sort out for the larger Win updates.

Has anyone out there experienced (and managed to get round!) this type of problem.

Any advice would be gratefully received!

Thanks in advance

[Riddle_Decipher · Accepted solution]

@RotherhamLad

Welcome to HP Forums, 

This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips, 

Thank you for posting your query, I'll be more than glad to help you out 🙂 

As I understand there's no disk space and updates have trouble installing into your PC,

Don't worry as I'll be glad to help, however, to provide an accurate resolution, I need a few more details: 

Did you attempt creating extra space by disabling unwanted programs such as hibernation from your PC?

If you haven't, Follow the below steps to resolve Low Disk Space issues: 

• Run the Disk Cleanup tool, and then at the bottom of the window that pops up, click on "Clean up system files". Check everything, hit OK, and let it run. You will free up several GB for sure. 

• Another thing to do is disable hibernate file. Run CMD as Administrator, and type the following: 

• powercfg hibernate off 

• Enjoy your extra space! 

For a related link on HP Forums: Click here (Though the header/title may be different, the steps will help resolve your concern). 

Resolving Low Disk Space Errors: Click here 

Let me know how that pans out

I hope you have a good day ahead,

And Feel free to ask any other queries as  well,

Considering, this forum has some of the best people in the world available and ready to help.

{If this resolved your concern, Click on "Accept as Solution" & the Purple Thumbs up}.

[mdklassen]

> When Windows updates run, the C-drive fills.

Into the input-area near the bottom-left corner of the screen, type:    C:\Windows\Installer    and press   ENTER.

This will open the Windows File Explorer.

All the '.msi' and '.msp' files are previously-downloaded updates that have been applied.

Those files will never been needed again.

Sort them into chronological order, and delete those files from the oldest, up to the last month or two.

Then, delete them from your Recycle Bin.

You should gain 2 or 3 GB.  On a 32 GB system, that's a good increase.

[RotherhamLad]

Thanks Riddle_Decipher.

I eventually managed to get enough free disk space by running Disk Clean-up, Clean-up System files, and finally moving install files (e.g. FireFox, Anti-Virus) to a USB drive and once the first windows update went through, the rest followed quite happily.

It eventually took me over 10 hours (split over 3 days!) to get things right.

I will be adding the Hibernate actions you have suggested to my trouble-shooting tool kit!

Kindest regards,

RotherhamLad

[RotherhamLad]

Thanks mdklassen.....

I freed space up (as detailed in my reply to Riddle_Decipher) but the one thing I TOTALLY forgot was the joys of hidden system folders.

Sorry I can't mark your reply as a Solution too, as this would also have been another approach I could have taken.

Will add your suggestion to my trouble-shooting tool kit too!

Kind regards,

RotherhamLad

[RayUser]

I wonder which bright spark at HP decided that 32gigs would be the way to go for the Stream ? Don't suppose you've employed Bill "640kb of memory is all you'll ever need" Gates moonlighting in there to earn a few extra bucks was it ?

For the sake of a few bucks more it could have had 4gb ram and at least a 64gb hard drive. As it is everyone is buying these and having to immediately upgrade them and risk damaging them in the process.

Note to HP Design Team- we aren't still running Windows XP out here in the real world !

[savvy2]

yah w10 dont fit now

and is  now an endless moving target OS>

at every major update, you  have like 40gigs there, 20 for windows, and 20 more for updates,

and you can (pro w10) resend an update, if it kills your PC, so effectively , 2 OS there,  yours and the BACKUP.

the bloat is on endless bloating run. how'd have thunk that? (sarc off)

on 32GB emmc.

and the chip is Solderball , down. there is no plug in cards. here

[Kunder]

This depends on how much trouble you want to go through.

Easiest to Hardest.......

1) You can completely stop Win10 updates. Yes, it CAN be done.

2) you can stop updates, AND run an external HDD as a D:\ drive, but you have to tinker with the BIOS and some settings. Your BIOS MUST be in LEGACY compatibility mode, and secure boot DISABLED.

3) BEST, but HARDEST. You can remove a SSD from the case, and mount it INSIDE the chassis, but you'll use up one of your USB 3.0 ports to do so. You'll need hot glue, a soldering iron, and solder, patience, and about an hours time. You (in theory) can run it as a boot drive also. Basically, you'll have an external, USB 3.0 SSD, inside your computer. It will now function like a normal laptop.

I just purchased an ax067nr to do the third option, and I have a Mushkin, 960gb SSD to sacrifice for the project. I just did the second option for a friend. They're VERY pleased with it now.

I don't know if option 3 would work with the Stream 11, because of internal space, However, it will work for the HP stream 14 (more space under the hood).

[Kunder]

There are actually a FEW solutions to this:

I have a model HP stream 14 ax067nr. You can upgrade the memory to 8gb, perhaps 16gb/RAM (it *IS* after all, a 5thGen processor). Mine has 8gb/RAM. You must use PC3L, NOT PC3 memory. Ram needs to be "low voltage". I know this, because I do this upgrade fairly frequently for my customers who own this machine.

There IS a way to install a SSD, into the Stream 14, however, IT'S TEDIOUS, and runs a high risk of failure if you're not *VERY* careful, because you have to disassemble the SSD, and patch the SSD's "innards" into one of the USB 3 ports, internally, and mount the "innards" internally. It's easier just to turn it into a Chromebook, than to do this.

Here are your options to give your HP Stream14 (ONLY!, This will not work, on the 11, or 13, as the memory is not upgradeable), a new life.

METHOD ONE!

First, do a factory refresh. If you can not, due to your eMMC drive being too full, You'll need "Unlocker" (free), and butcher up your O/S. It won't boot afterwards, however, Win10 needs at least 4gb of space to refresh. You can also kill the C: partition, with a number of 3rdParty programs.
Take the laptop apart (easy to do), remove the 4gb stick of ram, then install an 8gb stick of PC3L 12800s. Reboot, and "Restore" your drive.

Once restored, you'll need to do a few things.

Kill the swapfile. If you have 8gb< or better of RAM, most likely, you won't even need one.
Turn off "Hibernate". With 8gb/RAM, it will boot adequately fast.
Install an SDcard, that never gets removed... EVER.

Get a high quality, high speed, 32gb, or 64gb SDcard (recommend SanDisk, don't skimp here!).
You'll need an external HDD for doing backups. I use a Mushkin, 960gb SSD to store programs and such, via a USB 3 port. Not as fast as a SATA, but adequately fast. I have set these up with mechanical drives (7200RPM), and they're "adequate". A SSD is better.

Send your "personal" folders to the SDcard, or the external drive. IF you *NEED* a swapfile, send it to the external drive. If you do this, it will need to be plugged into the computer whenever it's on.
Send Windows Temporary files, and your browsers Temporary files, to the SDcard. This can be done from, Computer>Properties> Advanced System Settings>Environmental Variables. If you need details on how to do this, Let me know. I'll post a separate "How To".

Save your pics, video's, music, downloads, etc, either on the SDcard, or better yet, the external HDD.

However, to me, this method is akin to the computer needing a colostomy bag, but, it is the SUREST way to successfully, keep it useful.

Here's the big caveat for this method though. You NEED to completely shut off Windows 10 updates. YES, you *CAN* do this. I do it all the time, and it WORKS. You'll also need a way to turn them back on, if you want. I do this on all my Win10 machines, and have since day one of the "free" windows 10 upgrade, here at home. I have a Windows 10 machine, that hasn't updated ONCE, since I installed the original, free version, the day it was available (ongoing experiment).

Want to know how to do this? You'll have to "google" it, as I'm not sure if HP, or Microsmurf would take kindly to me posting the registry edits here. I already have two, "Cease and Desist" orders from Microsoft for things I did, to improve Windows.

THIS will make your Stream 14 much more useful, and even play a few games on it, if that's what you like.

METHOD TWO!

Turn it into a Chromebook. There are dozens of YouTube vids on how to do this. It's easy to do, and doesn't take much time.. This will work on ALL stream models, however the Stream 14, can be "future proofed" a bit, as the memory is upgradeable.

METHOD THREE!

Install a smaller version of LINUX, and have a decent Linux box. YouTube videos, apply here too.

There IS a fourth method as I mentioned earlier in my post, however you're better off just purchasing a new HP15 budget computer.

I do this, because the local WallyWorld here, does not properly advise customers, as to what the purpose of this nice, little machine actually is. People here are pretty computer illiterate (Weren't we all, at one time?), and they buy these machines, thinking they're getting a great deal on a fully, functioning laptop. Once they purchase, they have issues, because they weren't informed that it's supposed to be a light "upgrade" from a chromebook, and now, have no money to purchase a "real" computer.

I see this as a failure on the part of WalMart, as to how WalMart trains employees to PROPERLY inform their customers.

As a result, I have dealt with this issue, since the HP Stream was introduced. I also have some misgivings as to WHY HP felt it necessary, to develope a "computer", without at LEAST making it so memory on earlier machines (2gb... REALLY?), and storage could be increased. Adding SATA, or the ability to upgrade the eMMC storage would not have significantly increased the cost. That would've alleviated the problem. Actually DOING the upgrades, might be a little pricey, but it would still be less than the purchase of a new computer,  but that expense would be the customer responsibility.