Guide: How to Get More Storage Without Deleting Anything for PC (2024)

How do I increase disk space without deleting files? If you wonder about this question, this place is right for you and here MiniTool will guide you on how to get more space on your computer without deleting anything in several useful ways. Now, let’s look through them one by one.

When you confront low disk space on your computer, the common way you may use is to free up disk space by using a disk cleanup tool to delete temporary files, uninstalling some apps, and disabling background apps. But you don’t always need to delete something to get disk space and next, let’s see how to get more storage without deleting anything.

Method 1: Use NTFS Drive Compression

In Windows, you can find a built-in compression feature that enables you to compress all the contents on an NTFS partition to decrease disk space used by all of the files and folders that are stored on that drive. You can compress individual files/folders or the entire drive.

But you should know that compression can bring a potential loss of performance. To know details on this feature, refer to the guide – Compress This Drive to Save Disk Space on PC: Everything to Know.

So, how to get more storage without deleting anything via this way? If you need, follow the guidelines here:

Step 1: In File Explorer, right-click on the drive you want to compress and choose Properties. Note that you had better not compress the C drive since it contains the Windows system and the compression could cause a poor system performance.

Step 2: Check the box of Compress this drive to save disk space and click Apply > OK.

If you want to compress a large folder or file, right-click on it choose Properties, click Advanced under General, and check Compress contents to save disk space.

Method 2: Disable System Restore

System Restore helps you create restore points to undo some system changes to restore it to the previous state in case of system accidents. But restore points can take up much disk space, so if you want to get more space on your computer without deleting anything, disabling System Restore can be an option.

See how to free up space without deleting anything by disabling System Restore:

Step 1: Type create a restore point into the search box, click the result, and open the System Protection tab.

Step 2: Click Configure, check Disable system protection, and save the change.

If you still need to use System Restore, you can also reduce that utility’s disk usage – directly drag the slider bar of Max Usage towards the left.

Method 3: Decrease Recycle Bin Size

Recycle Bin saves deleted files and if you delete much data including large files, Recycle Bin takes up much disk space. To free up disk space, some of you choose to directly delete these files to empty Recycle Bin. If you wonder about how to get more storage without deleting anything, reducing the size of Recycle Bin could be a good choice. In this way, your Recycle Bin won’t have too much data.

Step 1: Right-click on Recycle Bin to select Properties.

Step 2: Choose C drive and enter the maximum amount of allocated storage you want to reserve in Custom size. By default, the value is set to about 5% of the available space but you can reduce it.

Method 4: Create ZIP Archives for Storing Files

ZIP is an archive file format that takes up less storage space since it supports lossless data compression. So, if you wonder about how to get more storage without deleting anything on a PC, creating ZIP archives to store your files or folders is helpful to save disk space.

How can you create .zip folders? See these two related posts:

• How to Zip or Unzip Files on Windows 11 Using Native Compression?

Other Tips on How to Clear Storage Without Deleting Anything

In addition to these tips and tricks, you can take some other measures to free up disk space without deleting apps & others:

1. Convert your saved image files into the JPG format
2. Convert your saved video files into the MP4 format
3. Save files to a cloud storage service or an external hard drive
4. Move User Folder to another drive
5. Clone your hard drive to a bigger one for disk upgrade using MiniTool ShadowMaker