Microsoft raises Windows 10 min storage requirement to 32GB

by Mark Tyson on 30 April 2019, 11:11

Tags: Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Windows 10

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Microsoft is upping the minimum storage requirements for Windows devices to 32GB. This move comes into effect from the arrival of the Windows 10 May 2109 (1903) Update, reports ZDNet. The new minimum storage capacity rule applies to devices sporting either 32-bit or 64-bit Windows. Previously Microsoft set a minimum of 16GB storage, which proved quite a tricky proposition for owners of such devices wishing to update their OS, or install many apps, or store much data offline.

Microsoft doesn't explain the change to Windows 10's minimum storage requirements. However, alongside the introduction of Windows 10 1903 we will find Microsoft's 'reserved storage' quota implemented. This is Microsoft reserving about 7GB of your disk space so that future updates can be delivered and installed smoothly.

Microsoft's Storage Sense utility will manage the reserved space on your Windows system and automatically remove temporary files. There will be some user options to check and manage this reserved space too.

The Windows 10 May 2109 (1903) Update isn't checking for free space ahead of its initialisation, reports ZDNet. Thus Microsoft has warned its Insiders to manually check they have sufficient free space before installing, and to shift files to other drives or external storage if need be. Last week we saw reports that the Windows 10 May 2019 Update wasn't exactly friendly to external storage though - it was failing to install on machines with attached USB storage or SD storage devices…

Previously we have seen various Microsoft initiatives to avoid wasted storage space. In 2015 it evolved WIMBOOT and its real-time compression for the popular tablet market at that time, and as recently as a year ago we saw rumours of a Windows 10 SKU dubbed Windows 10 Lean which would cut the complete Windows 10 install payload by 2GB. Perhaps, with the collapse of flash memory pricing, Microsoft may think efforts to debloat Windows are a bit of a waste of its resources.



HEXUS Forums :: 8 Comments

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128Gb feels so little these days for a computer running Windows, let alone 32Gb!
And especially if that is your only drive.
darcotech
128Gb feels so little these days for a computer running Windows, let alone 32Gb!
And especially if that is your only drive.
I had up until recently when my son broke it a 7" tablet running Windows 10 on 32Gb. It did a pretty decent job of it too. It was only £40 and that was years ago I purchased it… I was always managing files on it! However I do agree its pretty tight. I'm currently running Win 10 on a 64Gb SSD in my main PC and it just isn't enough for a real PC!
Be nice if the store didnt install all the crap you didnt want out of the box as well, or have they finally done something about it OOTB??
Guess that means I'll be moving my Lenovo Yoga to Ubuntu. It only has a 64GB eMMC for a drive.
simonpreston
Guess that means I'll be moving my Lenovo Yoga to Ubuntu. It only has a 64GB eMMC for a drive.

ZzzZzz. Just move and get it done already.

Windows 10 should have ALWAYS had a minimum of 64Gb. You install Win10, leave everything on, then as soon as the latest build appears you're already hitting 32Gb. Madness. Even 64Gb is tight but… blame the cheap oems.

I'm using 51.1Gb with a heck of a lot of stuff installed.