But mobile users with limited storage certainly will, especially given the storage on many mobile devices is near impossible to replace or upgrade. Most desktop and laptop users will not find the size requirement an issue. However, the Windows update permanently reserves 7GB of disk space to ensure future updates can complete without fault. Previously, an update would have to wait until there was enough space on the host device to download and install. The drastic increase in size relates to an alteration to the Windows 10 update process. Microsoft used the update to increase the Windows 10 installation size from 16GB for 32-bit and 20GB for 64-bit to 32GB for both versions. The Windows update brought some unwelcome news. A user with a single 64GB hard drive installed on a tablet is unlikely to feel the same. The operating system is installed on the SSD, so it boots quicker than Usain Bolt leaping out of the blocks, but I also have the extra space needed for any recovery backups. I have a 1TB hard drive and a 500GB NVMe SSD installed in my laptop.

That said, it does come down to user preference. For example, while it made sense to remove features such as default recovery image creation for mobile devices (while also boosting boot time by a few seconds), those using laptops or desktops would probably have preferred this to remain intact. However, some of the cutbacks weren't instant hits with desktop and laptop users. Despite Windows 10 arriving with a healthy smattering of new features, the onus was working with limited capacity mobile devices. The development period between the two operating systems gave Microsoft time to streamline aspects of the code, make the transition, and introduce new features to keep the operating system footprint down. That status has long since changed, but more on that in a moment. How Much Space Does Windows 10 Need?Īt launch, Windows 10 was smaller than its predecessor, Windows 8. Let's look at how you can keep your Windows 10 installation to a minimum.

Windows 10 pro 64 bit free product key