How to fix Not Enough Storage is Available to Process this Command?

For certain commands to be executed correctly, there has to be an adequate amount of free memory on the Windows machine. This is why, due to low memory allocation and other problems, you may experience the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error message. This error normally shows up on Windows Server operating systems, but users of Windows 10 and other versions of the OS are not exempted, as they can encounter the error as well.

According to Microsoft, a low IRPStackSize value, which is set in the Windows registry, is the main reason for the problem. So, this means making changes to the Windows registry can solve the problem. However, you should know that there are other possible causes of the error, and if the registry method doesn’t work, we’ll show you other solutions you can try.

Apply a registry tweak

The first method to solving the issue is to increase the IRPStackSize using the Windows registry. The registry is the main way to do this, and this fix has proven successful for many users. The method is effective because a low IRPStackSize value is one of the main reasons for the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error message. We’ll show you how to apply this tweak.

Before you proceed, note that that the Windows registry is one of the most sensitive areas in the OS. The slightest mistake could lead to changes that could cause different error messages to pop up when you try to do other things with your computer. As a result, it’s advisable that you make a backup of your registry. To do this:

1. Press the Win+R combo to open the Run dialog box, type regedit into the text box and then hit the Enter key. This will open the Registry Editor.
2. Once in the Registry Editor, click File in the upper-left corner and then select Export.
3. In the Export Registry File window, go to the Export Range section and then select All. After this, type the name of the file, choose a location and then click the Save button.

That’s it. You’ve backed up your registry and can apply the tweak. If anything goes wrong, you can simply restore the Windows registry by opening the Registry Editor, clicking File and selecting import.

Now let’s walk you through the procedure involved in increasing the IRPStackSize value in the Windows registry:

1. Go to the left pane of the Registry Editor program.
2. Expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder.
3. Locate SYSTEM and expand it as well.
4. Navigate to CurrentControlSet and open it.
5. Find the Services folder and click it to expand.
6. Now scroll to LanmanServer, open it and then click Parameters.

Once you select Parameters, a number of DWORDs will appear on the right pane.

7. What you have to do now is locate the IRPStackSize DWORD and double click it.

If you don’t find it there, you don’t need to be alarmed; you can create a new one. All you have to do is right-click the blank space on the right pane, hover your mouse over New and choose DWORD (32-bit Value) in the extended menu (you have to use the 32-bit Value whether you’re running 64-bit or 32-bit Windows). Once done, change the name of the new DWORD to IRPStackSize.

8. After double-clicking the IRPStackSize DWORD, input a higher value in the Value Data text box. In hexadecimal, the range of values is 0x1 to 0xC which is 1 to 12 in decimal. So, you can choose a higher value by first selecting Hexadecimal or Decimal under Base beside the Value Data text box.

Increase the value of the IRPStackSize DWORD again if you continue to see the error message.

Repair system files using DISM

You could possibly be facing the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error message because a third-party application may have tampered with Windows files. This is where the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) comes in handy. This built-in command-line utility is used to service and repair Windows images which include Windows Setup, Windows PE, and Windows Recovery Environment, and it can help solve the issue you’re facing.

You’ll be making serious changes to your system by using this utility, so it’s recommended that you create a restore point in case you want to go back later.

Now follow these steps to run DISM:

1. Open the search box beside the Start button and then type in command prompt. In the results, right-click Command Prompt and then choose Run as Administrator. Click Yes in the User Account Control pop-up.
2. Once the elevated Command Prompt comes up, type the command line below and then hit the Enter key:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Note the spaces in between.

Now, you have to let the utility do its job. Once the command executes successfully, reboot your computer and check to see if the error persists.

If you continue to see the error, then you may need to run the /StartComponentCleanup command. To do this, open the elevated Command Prompt again using the instructions in step 1, and then type the command line below:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Hit Enter once you’ve typed it and check for the error again.

Delete temporary files in the Temp folder

Memory might be cluttered up due to a pile of temporary files that should have all been long deleted. These files are created by Windows and other programs, most times as temporary backups and other times to execute certain tasks. Sometimes, they remain after Windows or certain programs are done with them and they’re not needed again, taking up a significant amount of space. This could be the reason for the error message. To solve this problem, you can simply go straight to the temporary folder and delete all the files in it or use the disk cleanup utility. We’ll show you how to free up space using both options:

Manually clearing the temp folder:

Note that the temp folder is normally hidden, so to make it visible, open File Explorer (Win+E), click View in the Upper part of the window, click Options and then select Change Folder and Search Options. In the Folder Options window, go to the View tab and select the “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” option under Hidden Files and Folders.

Another point to note is that clearing the temp folder could cause problems, especially when there are files that are currently in use. Therefore, it’s important that you back up the folder in case anything goes wrong.

Follow these steps to locate the temp folder:

1. Press the Windows and R keys on your keyboard simultaneously to open the Run dialog.
2. Type “%temp%” (without the quotes) into the dialog box and then hit Enter or click Ok.

You can now copy all the files to an external storage device as backup.

3. Now, press the Ctrl and A keys together to select every single file in the folder and then press the Delete key or right-click and select Delete.

You can also navigate to the Temp folder via File Explorer. Simply go to the Windows folder on drive (C:), or the drive where you have Windows installed, and navigate to the Temp folder (it should be visible since you changed the Hidden Files and Folders setting above) and delete its contents.

Once you’ve completed these steps, reboot your computer and check if the problem is still there. This solution should help you make the “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error message disappear.

Another great and simple way you can clear out junk and unneeded files that are on your drive is using Auslogics BoostSpeed. This program is designed to run regular scans on your computer, detect files that aren’t needed and are just cluttering your memory, and delete them. This means that you don’t have to bother looking for the Temp folder manually and deleting files that you may not need. The program also removes corrupt and problematic registry entries to make your computer run smoothly. That’s not all, you’ll also have the sensitive data stored on your hard drive protected by the software.

Using the Disk Cleanup tool:

Disk Cleanup is a valuable tool that can help you see how much space your temporary files are taking up, and it also allows you to choose which type of temporary file you want to delete. Follow the steps below to get rid of temporary files using the Disk Cleanup tool:

1. Click the search box next to the Start button, type control panel and then click Control Panel.
2. Once the Control Panel window launches, click System and Security.
3. In the next window, scroll down and click Administrative Tools.
4. In the folder that pops up, locate the Disk Cleanup shortcut and double-click it.

A mini-window will pop-up asking you to select the drive you want to clean up. The default drive is normally (C:). Once you select a drive, the tool will analyze the temporary files on the drive and then the Disk Cleanup window will open.

5. Now, check the boxes beside the file types that you want to get rid of and then click Ok.

Once done, restart your computer and check for the error.

Concluding

The “Not enough storage is available to process this command” error message shouldn’t be the end of what you’re doing and you don’t need to get all riled up. With the solutions detailed above, you should be able to make the problem go away. You can let us know if you’re facing other issues in the comments section below and we’ll be happy to assist you!