Change Low Disk Space Warning Threshold in Registry

Windows automatically alerts administrators and users when storage space on a drive drops below critical levels. This article explains how to locate and configure the specific Windows Registry settings—specifically the DiskSpaceThreshold and LowDiskSpaceMinimum values—to control the exact percentage and capacity limits that trigger low disk space warnings.

The Registry Path

The low disk space warning threshold is managed under the LanmanServer service parameters in the Windows Registry.

Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

Registry Values Controlling the Threshold

Two main DWORD (32-bit) values control the behavior of the disk space warning:

  1. DiskSpaceThreshold
    • Type: REG_DWORD
    • Function: Sets the percentage of free disk space remaining that triggers a low disk space event (Event ID 2013).
    • Default: 10 (representing 10% free space).
    • Range: 0 to 99 (Percentage).
  2. LowDiskSpaceMinimum
    • Type: REG_DWORD
    • Function: Sets the minimum free space in megabytes (MB) required before the warning is sent. This prevents warnings on very large drives where 10% may still equal hundreds of gigabytes of free space.
    • Default: Typically not set by default (system relies on percentage).

Step-by-Step Configuration

  1. Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  2. In the left navigation pane, go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters
  3. Check the right pane for DiskSpaceThreshold. If it does not exist:
    • Right-click an empty area, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it DiskSpaceThreshold.
  4. Double-click DiskSpaceThreshold.
  5. Under Base, select Decimal, then enter the desired percentage value (e.g., 5 for 5% free space). Click OK.
  6. (Optional) To define an absolute threshold in megabytes, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named LowDiskSpaceMinimum, set the base to Decimal, and enter the size limit in MB.
  7. Restart the computer or restart the Server service in services.msc for the changes to take effect.