AOMEI Partition Assistant
How to Fix WinRAR Write Error There Is Not Enough Space on the Disk?
Extending drive space can fix the WinRAR write error there is not enough space on the disk error. There are also other practical methods can help to solve the problem.
By Irene / Updated on June 4, 2025
User case: WinRAR Write Error There Is Not Enough Space on the Disk
I am extracting an rar file which is 112 GB in size with its content being of 125 GB in size. When I try to extract this rar in my disk with 169 GB free space, winrar gives not enough disk space error after extracting 78%. How do I fix this?
- Question from Reddit
WinRAR is a Windows-based file compression tool that allows users to create and extract archive files, particularly in RAR and ZIP formats. It’s commonly used to shrink file sizes, making them easier to manage and helping to free up disk space.
Despite its usefulness, WinRAR can sometimes run into errors during the extraction process. Some common ones include messages like “checksum error”, “archive is in an unknown format or damaged”, or “extraction is taking too long.” In this article, we’ll specifically address the “Write Error: There Is Not Enough Space on the Disk” issue that some users encounter.
Based on extensive feedback from Reddit users, this error tends to happen most often when extracting files to the C drive. That’s because WinRAR temporarily unpacks the files in a temporary folder located on the C drive before transferring them to the final destination.
If your C drive is full or low on space, the temporary files might not fit, causing the extraction to fail. This problem can also arise if the destination drive itself doesn’t have enough available space. Additionally, other factors like a damaged hard drive, hidden files, or file paths that are too long can also lead to this disk space error during extraction.
How to fix There Is Not Enough Space on the Disk in WinRAR
If your WinRAR receives the There Is Not Enough Space on the Disk error message, you can refer to the following 6 methods to solve the problem.
Fix 1. Extend your drive space
If your C drive is low on space, file extraction may fail due to insufficient room for temporary files. This can also happen if the destination drive lacks free space. While built-in tools like Disk Management and DiskPart can extend partitions, they only work if the unallocated space is directly next to the target drive and support only NTFS, not FAT32. Or you can convert FAT32 to NTFS.
For more flexibility, use third-party software like AOMEI Partition Assistant. It lets you extend the C drive by merging unallocated space—regardless of its location—and even move partitions to make space adjacent. You can try the free demo version on Windows 10 for easy partition resizing.
AOMEI Partition AssistantThe Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer
Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant. Right-click the C drive and select "Advanced" > "Merge Partitions".
Step 2. Tick the unallocated space and click on "OK".
Step 3. Finally, click "Apply" to commit the pending operation.
You can complete the process in just three easy steps! In addition, there are two other effective ways to expand the C drive in Windows 11/10/8/7:
🌟Allocate Free Space lets you transfer unused space from one partition to another directly.
🌟Extend Partition Wizard guides you through increasing the size of your C drive step by step.
Below is a simple guide on how to use the Extend Partition Wizard.
Step 1. Run AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Click Tools > Extend Partition Wizard on the main interface.
Step 2. In the pop-up window, there are two choices. To expand system click Extend system partition and then click Next.
Step 3. Click the partition which you want to add free space from then click Next to continue.
Step 4. Right move the bar to decide the size of free space you need to add into C drive. Then click Next.
Step 5. Click Proceed to operate the task then you can extend C drive.
AOMEI Partition Assistant is available for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1/8, Windows 7, if you are Server users, AOMEI Partition Assistant Server is suitable for you.
Fix 2. Change the Temporary File Location of WinRAR
As mentioned earlier, WinRAR temporarily extracts files to the C drive before completing the process. If your C drive is running low on space, you can fix the “WinRAR there is not enough space on the disk” error by changing WinRAR’s temporary folder to another location.
Step 1. Run WinRAR to enter its main interface, click Options from the top ribbon menu, and select Settings.
Step 2. Select Paths from the left panel, click on Browse under the Folder for temporary files section, and select another location.
Step 3. Untick the box of Use only for removable disks, and click on OK to save the change. Then extract again and see if the “WinRAR can’t extract ISO not enough disk space” issue gets solved.
Fix 3. Run WinRAR as Administrator
Sometimes, the “WinRAR write error in the file probably this disk is full” problem just occurs due to insufficient access rights. In this case, you can run the tool with admin rights.
Step 1. Right-click the WinRAR shortcut or executable file and select Properties.
Step 2. Go to the Compatibility tab and select the box next to Run this program as an administrator.
Step 3. Click on Apply > OK to save the change. Then restart the software and see if you can extract ISO files without the error.
Fix 4. Extract the File to a Different Drive
A quick and easy fix for the “WinRAR not enough disk space to extract files” error is to extract the files to a different drive—particularly if the original destination drive doesn’t have enough free space.
Step 1. Right-click the “.rar” file and select Extract Files. In the General tab, select another drive from the right panel, and click New folder to create a folder in the target drive.
Step 2. Then you can rename the folder and click on OK to extract your files into the folder.
Fix 5. Repair the Corrupt Files
If your files are corrupted or damaged, you might run into the “WinRAR write error: there is not enough space on the disk” message. To resolve this, try downloading the file again or use WinRAR’s repair feature. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Open WinRAR to get its main interface, and click File > Open Archive from the top left corner.
Step 2. Select the corrupted file and click on Repair from the top menu. Alternatively, you can click on Tools and select Repair archive. Then the tool will prompt you to select a location to save the repaired archive. Click on Browse to select the location and click OK to start the repair.
Fix 6. Check the Disk Errors
If your hard drive has bad sectors, you might see the “WinRAR there is not enough space on the disk” error. To fix this, you can use the CHKDSK utility to detect and block off the damaged areas.
Step 1. Type cmd in the search bar, and then right-click the Command Prompt app and select Run as administrator from the context menu. Then click on Yes in the UAC window to open the utility.
Step 2. In the elevated Command Prompt window, type the following command and hit Enter. Here, you need to replace D with the drive letter of the target drive.
chkdsk D: /f /r
If you prefer a more visual way to check for bad sectors, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a great option. Its Disk Surface Test feature scans the entire disk and checks if hard drive is failing. Additionally, it can fix logical errors on your drive.
AOMEI Partition AssistantThe Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer
Conclusion
The WinRAR write error: there is not enough space on the disk issue is often caused by insufficient space on the C drive or the destination drive, especially during large file extractions. Thankfully, there are several effective solutions: extending your drive space with AOMEI Partition Assistant, changing WinRAR’s temporary file location, running the program as an administrator, extracting to another drive, repairing corrupted files, or checking for disk errors. By following these methods, you can resolve the error and successfully extract your files without interruption.
