How to Fix Insufficient Disk Space Error on Microsoft Word

Do you see an insufficient disk space error on Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word files are usually small and won’t even reach 1GB in size. Even if you are adding tons of media to your file, you should not run into storage issues unless you are dealing with hundreds of documents. 

However, there have been complaints from users who encounter an ‘insufficient disk space’ error while working with Microsoft Word. 

Most of the time, the problem occurs while saving their documents. However, there are also instances when the insufficient disk space error randomly occurs or while creating a new document. 

Usually, this problem occurs when Microsoft Word doesn’t have permission to access your storage drive. 

On the other hand, it can also be due to third-party apps and corrupted software. 

Today, we will show you how to fix the ‘insufficient disk space’ error on Microsoft Word. 

Let’s get started!

1. Restart Your PC. 

When your run into error messages in Microsoft Word, the first thing you should do is restart your computer. This should reload Word’s resources and eliminate temporary errors in the process. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. First, press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start Menu. 
2. After that, access the Power Options tab. 
3. Lastly, choose Restart and wait for your system to reboot. 

Go back to Microsoft Word afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Check Your Storage Drive. 

While this is unlikely, you can try confirming if your computer still has enough storage to accommodate your files. Although Windows will inform you once you are low on storage, there are instances when your hard drive gets full without warning. 

Simply head to File Explorer > This PC and confirm if your storage drive still has room for MS Word documents. 

3. Delete Unwanted Files. 

If you are running low on storage, you can try decluttering your computer and removing unused files, old screenshots, and redundant media files. This way, you can free up system storage and make room for new documents. 

On the other hand, you can also consider uninstalling unused applications on your computer. Head to Control Panel > Uninstall a Program and identify the apps and software you are not using anymore. 

Once done, go back to MS Word to check if the error still occurs.

4. Run Microsoft Word As Admin. 

Microsoft Word might not have permission to access your storage, which triggers the ‘insufficient disk space’ error. To avoid issues, run Microsoft Word as administrator to bypass restrictions. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. On your desktop, locate Microsoft Word and right-click on it. 
2. Next, choose the Properties option. 
3. After that, go to the Compatibility tab and enable the ‘Run this Program as an Administrator’ option. 
4. Lastly, click OK to save the changes. 

Relaunch Microsoft Word and check if you can now save your work or create new documents. 

5. Update Microsoft Word. 

The version of MS Word you are using might have an underlying issue that causes storage problems. To rule this out, try updating Microsoft Word to the latest version to patch bugs and errors. 

Here’s how you can update Microsoft Word: 

1. First, go to File > Accounts. 
2. After that, click on Update Options. 
3. Lastly, choose Update Now and follow the prompts. 

Go back to MS Word and check if the problem is solved. 

6. Update Windows. 

If updating MS Word was not enough, you can try updating your operating system as well. This way, you can ensure that there are no problems within your system that causes storage errors on apps. 

See the steps below to update Windows: 

1. Access Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys on your keyboard. 
2. Next, go to Update & Security. 
3. Finally, click on Windows Update and choose the Check for Updates option. 

Restart your computer to apply the changes and see if you can now save your files and create new documents. 

7. Store Your File on External Drive. 

If none of the solutions above worked, you can try storing your files on an external drive in the meantime. Microsoft might already be aware of the issue and should roll out an update in the future. 

If you need to use Microsoft Word, we suggest using an external drive to save your files until the issue gets patched.

That brings us to the end of our guide for fixing the ‘insufficient disk space’ error on Microsoft Word. If you have questions, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂