What Does "Compress This Drive to Save Space" Mean?

The "Compress this drive to save space" feature in Windows is designed to increase the available storage space by reducing the size of files on the selected drive. When enabled, this option automatically applies compression to both new and existing data on the chosen disk or partition, allowing files to take up less space while remaining accessible to the user without any need for manual decompression.

How Disk Compression Works

The compression algorithm operates by compressing files as they are written to the drive and decompressing them as they are read. This process is seamless for the user; however, it can slightly slow down file access, especially on computers with lower processing power. For modern systems with adequate resources, this impact is minimal and often unnoticeable.

When to Use Disk Compression

Limited Disk Space: If the disk is nearly full, compression can help free up additional space.
Infrequently Accessed Files: For files that are rarely used, compression is an excellent option as any access delay will be less noticeable.
No External Storage Options: If you lack external drives or cloud storage for data transfer, compression is a good alternative for local space saving.

Drawbacks of Using Disk Compression

Disk compression may not be ideal in every case. For example, large files such as games or applications may experience slower access times. Additionally, compression increases processor load because it requires CPU power to compress and decompress files during use.

How to Enable Disk Compression

To enable this feature in Windows:

Open "File Explorer" and locate the drive you want to compress.
Right-click on the drive and select "Properties."
In the opened window, check the box for "Compress this drive to save space."
Click "Apply" and confirm your choice.

Windows will then start compressing files on the selected drive. Depending on the amount of data and system performance, this process may take some time.