Getting Disk Full Errors in Google Chrome?

If you regularly use Google Chrome as your web browser, you should take a moment to read this.

Before reading any further, you should know that:  Google Chrome and Google Docs/Drive/Account are not the same thing.  Chrome is a program that allows you to read the information on the internet.  Without it or a program like it (Firefox/Internet Explorer), you wouldn't be able to visit websites and make sense of the information.  Your Google Account is just an account.  It gives you access to services or apps, and can be used on other web browsers.  This email will be addressing Google Chrome, the web browser.

In a nutshell:  When checking email or gathering online resources (CMAPP for example) Google Chrome downloads many files you open to your computer or your home directory, even if you didn't want a permanent copy.  Every time you've opened a schedule from administration, for example, Chrome probably saved it to a folder called "Downloads".

Why that is important:  You will start seeing "disk full" errors soon, if you open a lot of email attachments or open PDF's from the web regularly.  This happens because the "Downloads" folder is located on your profile, and our profiles have a limit on storage space.

How to prevent it:  Delete old files you've downloaded to make space and change Google Chrome settings so that the browser saves any newly downloaded files into a location of your choosing, so that you can more easily and actively monitor the files being kept on your profile.


First of all, let's see if it's a problem for you. 

• Open "My Documents" - a folder accessible from your desktop area
• Inside that folder, you should see a folder named "Downloads" - Open it
• If you see a lot of files in there, such as old CMAPP assessments or email attachments, you know that Google Chrome (and in some cases Firefox, if you use it) has been downloading files to that folder
• At this point, you could begin deleting the ones you don't need

Now, you can change your settings in Google Chrome, so that you have control over where files are kept.

• In a Chrome window, there are three lines in the upper right corner.  Click those to open a menu.
• Click "Settings"
• A new tab will open to the following location:  chrome://settings/
• Scroll Down and click "Show Advanced Settings..."
• Scroll Down until you see a section titled "Downloads"
• Check the box that reads "Ask where to save each file before downloading"
• That's the minimum and all you really need to do for this particular issue.  If you want to click "Change" and tell Google Chrome to always save to particular location other than that "Downloads" folder, you can do that.  However, it's not necessary.

Thanks to Joseph Briscoe for sharing!