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How to Compress Drive to Save Disk Space in Windows 10
Learn how to boost your PC’s performance with drive compression
3 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Preserving storage space is something every user comes to terms with eventually. There are various ways to give your HDD that extra little space for normal functioning while keeping the files.
You candelete temporary filesand clean up redundant files, but there’s also a built-in compression tool that might come in handy in Windows 10.
Today, we made sure to explain everything you need to know about NTFS drive compression and how to utilize it to get some extra space. We encourage you to check the explanation below.
Is built-in NTFS drive compression worth using in Windows 10?
Well, yes and no. It all depends on what files you have on your drive and, to an even greater extent, what CPU power your PC packs.
But we’re going too fast, so let’s stick with the essentials first and then move to the procedure itself and whether you should use it or not.
The important thing to know about the built-in NTFS drive compression is that it can save up to 20% of the storage space in the system drive. On the other hand, it can slow down the file loading while accessing them.
This procedure is similar to compressing of ZIP files, just like WinRar or similar tools do to reduce storage loss. The system tool inspects all the files and reduces their size (when that’s a possibility) in the process. This is especially practical for data-based partitions, with a bunch of multimedia and text files.
Not so good for executables, as every accessed file first needs to get decompressed. Some files compress better while others will compress marginally and still require a delaying decompression.
This can take a toll on the processing power of your system and slow down execution. Especially if you tend to move files frequently as the “decompression – transfer – compression” procedure takes a lot of time and resources.
On the other hand, if you are in dire need of some extra space, it might work out as a nice transitional solution. And we say “transitional” for a reason. Taking into consideration how storage drives are rather affordable nowadays, adding extra storage shouldn’t be an issue.
When is this compression a viable solution? When you have lots of files and don’t access them frequently but want to keep them around. Then it’s more than welcome to compress them.
Compressing already compressed files won’t do much. Compressing a partition with game installations can slow down the execution and cause in-game issues.
Also, if your HDD is already old and slow, this isn’t the brightest idea, but it heavily depends on the CPU. If your CPU is top-notch, it’ll reduce the slowdowns substantially.
How can I compress disk space in Windows 10?
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Press theWindows Keyand typefile explorer, then click on the result. The File Explorer app will open.
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Right-click on the drive/partition you want to compress and openProperties.
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Check theCompress this drive to save disk spacebox and confirm changes by clickingOK.
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The compression procedure should commence.
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The compression has finished.
If you want to save space on your hard drive, then you should try out the built-in compression tool. You can select which disk partition you want to compress for this purpose.
After that, you should depend on the aforementioned conditions, salvage some extra storage space.
On that note, we can conclude this article. In case you have some additional information concerning the NTFS drive encryption, make sure to tell us in the comments section below.
More about the topics:Windows 10 Guides
Aleksandar Ognjanovic
Aleksandar’s main passion is technology. With a solid writing background, he is determined to bring the bleeding edge to the common user. With a keen eye, he always spots the next big thing surrounding Microsoft and the Windows OS.
Focused on Windows errors and how to solve them, he also writes about the OS’s latest features as well as its interface.
In his free time, he likes to read, listen to music, and enjoy the nature. Hiking is one of his newly found passions.
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Aleksandar Ognjanovic
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Coming from a solid background in PC building and software development, he’s a Windows 11 Privacy & Security expert.More about Vlad ›
