FIX: Windows 10 Updates ‘Low disk space warning’ Recovery drive by Bas Wijdenes

Why am I seeing Low disk space warnings while my OS Disk has enough free space?

Lately I see a lot of messages on various forums of users who have seen the error message Low disk space warning since the April updates. And that while the system drive has enough disk space.

In short, your recovery partition accidentally received a drive letter that makes Windows see it as a normal system drive. The Recovery partition is always only 500 MB and that’s why you’re getting the error messages. This should never appear in the explorer.


Let’s hide the Recovery partition again.

Below I explain briefly how you can solve this in a short step-by-step guide. I’ve also created a tutorial with screenshots for the less techies among us. Both steps are the same solution.


Fixing Low disk space warning for techies.

  • Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
  • Type in Diskpart.
  • Type in List Volume.
  • You now see all volumes that have a drive letter. Check the number for the letter with the Low disk space warning.
  • Type in Select Volume NUMBER.
  • Type in remove letter=E, where E is the drive letter with the warnings.

You have now deleted the letter and Windows will no longer see your Recovery partition as a system drive.

In the picture below I have executed all the steps in Command Prompt. Just keep in mind that my Recovery did not have a letter. For you it should be exactly the same only then the Recovery partition has a drive letter.

The steps to fix Low disk space warning.
The steps to fix Low disk space warning.

The same steps to fix Low disk space warning, but then in the GUI.

Before we start with this tutorial. I am not 100% sure if this works. Unfortunately I can not test it myself, but the steps we are going to do now are the same steps as above but then in the GUI.
If they do not work, please let me know. Then I extend the Command Prompt with diskpart steps.

 Windows 10 Updates 'Low disk space warning' Recovery drive
Windows 10 Updates ‘Low disk space warning’ Recovery drive.

Go to start and search for diskmanagement.msc.
Or press CTRL + R at the same time and type in diskmanagement.msc.

 Windows 10 Updates 'Low disk space warning' Recovery drive
Windows 10 Updates ‘Low disk space warning’ Recovery drive.

In Disk management you can see a disk called Recovery.
Right-click on the recovery disk. This has the same drive letter as in the Low disk space warning message.Click on Change Drive Letter and Paths…
Instead of changing the drive letter, we remove the drive letter.
Click on Remove.

 Windows 10 Updates 'Low disk space warning' Recovery drive
Windows 10 Updates ‘Low disk space warning’ Recovery drive.

You shouldn’t see the yellow exclamation mark in the explorer anymore and you shouldn’t be getting the message Low disk space warning anymore.


Recap

As I mentioned above. It may be that the second tutorial in which we solve the problem with the GUI does not necessarily have to be the solution.
Can you please indicate below whether it works or not? Then I will change the tutorial.

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Bas Wijdenes

My name is Bas Wijdenes and I work as a PowerShell DevOps Engineer. In my spare time I write about interesting stuff that I encounter during my work.

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