Windows 11 keeps compressing files in the C: drive? How do I stop Windows from automatically compressing files? This problem usually happens when your PC is running out of disk space. In this tutorial we’ll show you 4 methods to disable file compression in Windows 11 / 10.
Method 1: Disable File Compression Using Group Policy
Open Local Group Policy Editor and browse to: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Filesystem\NTFS. On the right pane, double-click the policy “Do not allow compression on all NTFS volumes“.
Select the Enabled option. Click Apply and then OK.
Reboot your computer to make the changes take effect. The next time you try to enable file compression, you’ll get the error message “Compression is disabled for this volume“.
Method 2: Disable File Compression Using Registry Editor
Open Registry Editor and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies. In the right pane, right-click the blank area and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the newly-created DWORD NtfsDisableCompression, and then change its value data to 1 for turning off automatic file compression.
Close Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes.
Method 3: Disable File Compression Using Command Prompt
Open the Command Prompt as administrator and then run this command to disable file compression:
fsutil behavior set disablecompression 1
A reboot is required for this change to take effect. Whenever you need to enable file compression again, execute the following command:
fsutil behavior set disablecompression 0
Method 4: Uncompress Your Files in File Explorer
Right-click a compressed folder or file in File Explorer, and then select Properties from the context menu.
Under the General tab, click the Advanced button.
In the Advanced Attributes dialog, uncheck the box which says “Compress content to save disk space“. Click OK.
When you’re back to the Properties dialog, click Apply. A pop-up will appear, and you can choose “Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files” and click OK.
After uncompressing, two blue arrows will no longer show up in the icons of your folders or files.