Windows 11 was released in October 2021 and came with a whole pack of new features. With a better, cleaner design, gaming integration with Xbox, and made specifically for gamers, this new software has everything you could ever want for work, entertainment, and gaming.

So, what about the space this operating system requires to use it?

Installing Windows 11 could take a lot more from your computer than you realize if you don’t have enough free space, virtual memory, or the system requirements to run it properly.

But does Windows 11 need such a large space?

This article will disclose everything related to the hard disk space necessary to install Windows 11 with a fresh installation method. You will learn about advanced system settings that will let you improve your Windows 11 performance if you don’t have enough space.

When you install Windows 11 on your computer, you need to consider how much space Windows consumes and what requirements your PC must have to run it.

Here are the hardware and space requirements for Windows 11:

• CPU: 2 cores with at least 1 gigahertz (GHz).
• RAM: At least 4 GB of RAM.
• Storage: 64 GB of free space.
• Graphics card: Integrated or Compatible with DirectX 12 or later.
• Internet connection: Mandatory to make updates and ensure a clean and fresh installation.

Even though you can see that 64 GB of storage is required to install Windows 11 properly, the truth is that the space Windows uses is over 27 GB.

These extra space requirements are necessary to enable specific features you may need. So, 64 or even 70 GB are recommended as space requirements.

When going through the Installation of Windows 11, there are three editions you can use as an operating system for your computer.

Each one has a different install size and more or less pre-installed applications. It’s up to you to decide which edition you want.

Here you can see their differences and their size once installed.

Windows 11 Home Edition

The Home Edition requires 17.88 GB of space. Without the OneDrive synchronization, this requires at least 2-3 GB more.

This Windows version doesn’t have a lot of pre-installed apps. It’s perfect for people that only focus on studies and entertainment. You can add more features and applications via the Microsoft Store.

Windows 11 Professional Edition

In contrast, Windows 11 Pro Edition consumes 18 to 27 GB of space – if you make a clean install.

This is because this version has more features, such as themes and other customization options. You can also control the install size if you delete predetermined apps.

When you don’t have enough space left to install Windows 11, the first thought you may have is going to the tech store and getting a new drive. Then plug in your USB flash drive or SD cards and install the operating system.

You may be rushing!

There are still things you can do If you have a drive with too much information or one that doesn’t have enough space for today’s space requirements.

When you install Windows 11, new data is placed in your drive while another gets erased/moved. That’s why you need the extra space you could add if you want a clean Windows 11 installation.

Here are some things you could do to improve your storage space and prepare it for Windows 11 OS or future updates.

Previous Windows Installation

Depending on how much GB of space you have left, you may want to free some space before installing the Windows 11 ISO file on your computer.

To do so, you must:

• Press Windows and type Disk Cleanup. A small window will pop up showing the exact GB you can clean from temporary files like shaders, delivery optimization, and more. 
• Select them all and hit the OK button. You’ll get a confirmation window asking if you want to delete files.

The Disk Cleanup app also has the “Clean up system reserved files” option as an advanced setting in case you want to erase more than just a few temporary files. To do that, you must:

• Go to the disk cleanup and click “Clean up system files.”
• The program will start scanning. Wait until the new window opens and see what you can erase, such as Windows Updates and similar.
• And if you want to clean more, you can go to the More Options tab. Here you can delete programs, features, and system restore copies.

Once you have the disk space needed, you can start the Windows 11 install.

During Windows Installation

There’s not much you can do here to change the drive size for Windows 11. However, among the things you can do are:

• Not activating OneDrive and Out of the Box Experience features.
• Erase your system partition to ensure 0% of disk usage and make a Windows OS fresh install.

Keep in mind that when you don’t activate the experience features, you won’t be erasing them. They will still be there in case you want to use them, but they won’t create temporary files that could take up your space. As such, Windows 11 install download size will remain the same.

After Windows Installation

The moment to free space is after a fresh Windows installation. You have access to all features, everything is activated, and you can see which features you need and which you don’t.

Here are all your solutions:

Delete Old Windows Folders

When you make a Windows update – from Windows 10 to 11 – the old Windows folder is not overwritten by the new data. So, you will need to delete Windows' old system data to release more space. And believe us, it uses so much space you can’t imagine.

This is what you must do to find the folder:

• Open File Explorer and select the three dots on the top bar.
• When the menu opens, select Options.
• Go to the View Tab and find the Hidden Files and Folders section. Click “Show Hidden files, folders, or drives.
• Uncheck the box below that says “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).” 
• Make a confirmation and apply.

Now that you can see what’s hidden, go to the C drive and find the folder Windows.old. Click it and press Delete to send it to the trash can. Make sure you also erase it from the deleted files if you want to free space.

Disable Hibernation Mode

In case you didn’t know, when you put your computer in hibernation mode, all the data is stored under a hiberfil.sys file. This file could consume so much space that when you find it, you could save at least 15 GB of storage space.

So, to deactivate this mode, you will have to go to the Command Prompt and type down – or copy and paste the command “powercfg -h off” without the quote marks.

After this, you can check and see how many gigabytes you have available.

Control The Virtual Memory Available

You can use Virtual Memory to improve your RAM using the Pagefile functionality. The thing is that this Windows feature consumes storage when you use it.

Pagefile is necessary for proper Windows functionality, so we don’t recommend you deactivate it. But, what you can do is limit it.

Here’s how you do it:

• Press Windows and type Settings.
• Go to the System Tab and then find Advanced System Settings.
• The System Properties will open. In the Performance box, select Settings.
• In the new window, go to the Advanced Tab. Then, click on Change in the Virtual Memory box.
• Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.” 
• Go to Custom size and enter the minimum and maximum amount for your Pagefile.
• Click Set and then Ok.

After this, you should see storage improvement, and the space that was considered reserved storage will be available.

Disk Cleanup After Installing Windows 11

There’s not a fixed number of times that you should click disk cleanup to erase files and software you don’t use.

Cleaning your disk of useless programs that are only occupying space is the best thing you can do when you need to download updates or save important files.

Perhaps 27 GB is barely enough space in your computer to use Windows 11. But this OS needs extra space in case of

• Needing a new Windows 11 upgrade.
• Creating a virtual machine.
• Adding a new desktop room.
• Adding more tools from the Microsoft store to your Windows11 system.

Sufficient space might be required for each operation whether the PC meets – or not – the minimum requirements to run Windows 11.

Now that you have freed your drive, it’s time to get a Windows 11 license.

You can enter RoyalCDKeys and get your Microsoft Windows 11 license for a cheap price. Once you receive the serial code, you can install the operating system on your device and have a fresh install or switch your Windows 10 to the 11 edition.

During your installation process, you’ll get to add your Microsoft account and set up the rest of the features you need in your Windows 11 system.

The total GB of space required for a Windows 11 installation will vary depending on whether you are: 

• Upgrading from Windows 10.
• Making a clean Windows 10 installation.
• Choosing a version of Windows 11 – Home or Pro.
• Adding extra services.

In general, you will need up to 60 GB of space if you need important drive upgrades. You must keep reserved system files or create restore points for your OS.

Either way, make sure you have what Microsoft requires for a great software experience. Otherwise, your operating system could run slow, and you will have to purchase extra RAM or a new SSD/HDD to have additional storage space.