Insufficient disk space

[Schuyler Colfax]

When stuff like this comes up it makes me realize that I don't know shit when it comes to computers. But, anyway how do I get rid of it? It mostly comes up when I try to download certain programs. I have enough RAM and more than enough space on my hard drive, so what's the problem?

[Joviwan]

When stuff like this comes up it makes me realize that I don't know shit when it comes to computers. But, anyway how do I get rid of it? It mostly comes up when I try to download certain programs. I have enough RAM and more than enough space on my hard drive, so what's the problem?

...Well, clearly, you either DON'T have enough hard drive space, or something in windows things you don't have enough hard drive space. Have you checked how much space you have on your drive? Or was your comment just based on the size you know it to be?

[Stark]

It'd help if he mentioned which 'certain programs'.

[J]

Empty the recycle bin?

[Kurgan]

I'm not expert either, but it might be because the programs in question "need to" be able to use that much memory at a time when installed, and as such, it cannot be run without the message.

Usually if you're just running out of "virtual memory" (crap that gets cleaned up when you reboot windows) it shouldn't say that specific message.

[Laird]

He is out of hard drive space, plain and simple.

[Galvatron]

Download, install then run CCleaner. It'll free up some space.

[Uraniun235]

If you're trying to download .ISO images of DVDs, and your hard drive is formatted in FAT32, you may be running into the 4GB file size limit. (or is that 2GB? I can't remember.)

[fusion]

Try defragging which is in the properties window of the hard drive. It sounds like you have a fragmentation problem. You have plenty of space, but your files are all scattered over the hard drive. What defrag does is that it arranges your stuff so that you have an opening that is large enough to fit the files.

A hard drive is like a book shelf. Each file is a book. Try fitting a large book in a messy bookshelf without moving a single book at all. It does not work. Running defrag is akin to arranging books back into an orderly fashion; thus, there is space to fit the book.

[Vertigo1]

If you're trying to download .ISO images of DVDs, and your hard drive is formatted in FAT32, you may be running into the 4GB file size limit. (or is that 2GB? I can't remember.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAT32#FAT32

The maximum possible size for a file on a FAT32 volume is 4 GiB minus 1 Byte (232−1 bytes).

[phongn]

A hard drive is like a book shelf. Each file is a book. Try fitting a large book in a messy bookshelf without moving a single book at all. It does not work. Running defrag is akin to arranging books back into an orderly fashion; thus, there is space to fit the book.

That isn't how a hard drive works at all.

[Joviwan]

A hard drive is like a book shelf. Each file is a book. Try fitting a large book in a messy bookshelf without moving a single book at all. It does not work. Running defrag is akin to arranging books back into an orderly fashion; thus, there is space to fit the book.

That isn't how a hard drive works at all.

Yeah, I don't know what he's been smoking, but it's clearly pretty good stuff. Defragging doesn't free up any space you didn't already have, it just shifts things closer together, sector-per-sector, to increase read/write times and decrease wear on the needle. You can't squeeze any more information on a defragged drive than you could on a fragged drive.

As for the other things, it would be of great help if you told us what it was you were trying to install; like mentioned above, FAT32 can only handle up to certain size file types. If you delete everything with the recycle bin, empty that as well, because that's probably taking up a lot of space if that's the case.

[Vendetta]

The only thing I can think of that can cause this behaviour if you definitely have enough space is some old installers from the windows 95/98 era simply cannot recognise drives which are too large, and will claim not to have sufficient space to install. Compatibility mode may help, or you may be able to force the installer.

[Stark]

The only thing I can think of that can cause this behaviour if you definitely have enough space is some old installers from the windows 95/98 era simply cannot recognise drives which are too large, and will claim not to have sufficient space to install. Compatibility mode may help, or you may be able to force the installer.

This is what prompted my question. In my experience compat usually resolves it: I've only had a few apps fail to install and need to be kicked in the pants. Damn windows installer 3.4

[Schuyler Colfax]

Oh thanks, I almost forgot about this thread, I've been installing ET:QW (which is a bitch to do). I usually do Disk Cleanup and Disk Disk Defragment every now and then. I also empty my recycle bin all the time. I'll download the CCleaner when I get home today.

I'm not running out of Hard drive space because I have 46GB of free space left.

I was originally trying to install firefox 2 when I noticed this issue.

[Resinence]

A quote or screenshot of the error popup would be helpful... what you have given so far is pretty vague.

[Schuyler Colfax]

A quote or screenshot of the error popup would be helpful... what you have given so far is pretty vague.

I'll do it when I get home.

[Schuyler Colfax]

Hopefully this helps.

[Old Plympto]

Try redownloading the Firefox installer again and see if that "Space required: 0.0KB" is still there with the second installer.

[Schuyler Colfax]

Try redownloading the Firefox installer again and see if that "Space required: 0.0KB" is still there with the second installer.

Didn't work.