Windows 10: Windows 10 upgrades using external hard drive

I have been able to carve out 2.56GB storage on my internal hard drive. I have now attached a 1TB external hard drive. When clicking on Windows 10 update I still get error message: Updates are available, but we temporarily need some space to install. Remove some things you don't need right now and we'll try again." What do I do now?

 

1) Open disk management > expand all columns so that you can view the full contents of each row > post an image into the thread>
Take Screenshot in Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials

2) Download and install the mini partition wizard (free edition) and post an image into the thread:
MiniTool Partition Wizard | Best partition magic alternative for Windows PC and Server

 

If you are about to update W10 to the FCU why do you still have a windows.old folder ?

Delete it. That will give you plenty of space.

(If that is what you mean by "the latest windows updates)

And are your specs correct, you only have a 29 GB drive for windows ?

Time for a Samsung 960 EVO 250GB *Smile or a 960 PRO 256GB

 

As requested, here is my disk management status:

 

Bottom line, you need a bigger drive for windows. That is if it`s possible on this particular laptop, which uses a EMMC or Embedded Multi Media Card.

With that 29GB drive, this problem will just keep happening.


http://store.hp.com/us/en/mdp/laptop...7--1#!&tab=vao

 

And MiniTool Partition Wizard screen:

 

These are some Microsoft upgrade guides:
Windows 10 System Requirements Specifications | Microsoft
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...10-upgrade-faq
Windows 10 edition upgrade (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

 

zbook, what did my two screen captures tell you about my situation?

 

The drive that currently has Windows is too small.
This is the Microsoft requirement for an upgrade:
Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS 20 GB for 64-bit OS

 

Windy, let`s start back at your original post.

What exactly do you mean by latest upgrades, what exactly are you talking about. Are you talking about everyday updates or are you trying to install the latest version of W10 ?

And the part about using an external drive, updates are to be installed with the operating system, not an external drive.

So I would just forget about that type of thinking.

 

In the left lower corner search type: winver and post into the thread the Windows version and build.

It is recommended that you use a larger drive as nearly every 6 months there is a major upgrade.

Windows can be setup so that Windows is on one drive and the applications and files including user files are on another drive.
Move your Windows 10 libraries to a separate drive or partition | PCWorld

So if you don't have other attractive options at this time you could save all of the files on another drive and clean install the latest version of windows to the small drive. Then you can consider better long term options so that you have more flexibility.

Clean Install Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

 

My current version is: 1511 OS Build 10586.1106
Earlier in this thread, a professional user advised me that I would be able to do upgrades with an external drive. So I bought a new external drive based upon that recommendation. Are you sure there isn't any way to use this new drive for my upgrades?

 

The comment on using the external drive for Windows I was not able to find in the thread.
Can you find it?
If so you may be able to ask how they planned to configure it in that fashion.

The Windows operating system can be on one drive and the applications and files can be on another drive.
For an upgrade you will need free space on the partitions. That is where the drive size is having problems.
You could use compression and get marginal improvement.
Compress or Uncompress Windows 10 with Compact OS General Tips Tutorials
You could download and install tree and see the size consumption of the files.
TreeSize Free - Quickly Scan Directory Sizes and Find Space Hogs

After Windows 1511 there were upgrades to 1607 then 1703 and now 1709.
What was done during each of these upgrades and what is happening now?

Longer term strategy would be to get a larger internal drive.
If this is not an option now then consider saving files to an external drive.
Then clean install windows 10 version 1709 on the internal drive and setting up windows so that applications and files go to the external drive.

 

Post #3

But the suggestion was not to install windows on an external drive, it was suggested to use it to update windows, as I said the updates need to be on C, not anywhere else.

This laptop is designed to be used, that`s it. The drive is too small to be doing W10 upgrades. It costs $200 and has a EMMC

That`s it, end of story.


http://store.hp.com/us/en/mdp/laptop...7--1#!&tab=vao

 

Thanks for your comments AddRam, and others. I guess I am not understanding the difference between an installation and an update.
To "improve" my current version of 1511 OS Build 10586.1106, is it necessary to do an installation, as opposed to an update?