I mainly play from a desktop, but I have a laptop I use sometimes if I have downtime at work.
Problem is it’s an older laptop and the HD is only 120G. I’m trying to update to SL and it’s telling me I’m out of disk space (about 110G is free and apparently WoW is larger than 110G now).
I thought I rem reading somewhere that WoW is only about 80-90G, but that it can somehow double-patch “some things” and make the file needlessly larger.
Is there anything I can do here? When I use that laptop, I generally just farm Galleon/Nalak, chat with the guild, stuff like that where I don’t really need a new machine. And even worse, the MB for this laptop is so old that 120G is the largest HD it will take. I can’t just buy a larger HD.
Is a new machine my only option?
It’s about 80GB now I think.
Are you trying to do a fresh install or is it already there and you’re trying to update it?
I’ve never done a fresh install. Always just patched on patch day (started using this laptop in… early MoP??)
A clean reinstall could be worth a shot. Just remove the whole thing and download it again. The launcher can do it from the options menu. Mine is only at 80GB.
But before you do take out your current WTF and Interface folders (under the _retail folder in WoW’s files). Then recopy them back over after the reinstall. That’ll keep all your addons and character settings as they are now.
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80gb with a clean install
I had to reinstall since the update wouldn’t work and I wasn’t paying attention for awhile but its over 60gb
79.9GB on my SSD, not including the Addons.
Awesome, thank you! I don’t think I’ve ever seen an option for “clean install” I’ll look for it.
Because this laptop is so old, I’ve been kinda in the market to upgrade. But it’s one of those things… the longer you can hold out, the better off you are. 
This will help a lot, thanks!!! 
You’re welcome! It doesn’t say clean reinstall, that’s just a phrase. Just uninstall the game normally then when it’s all gone you can click the Play button to install it again.
AHHHH you read my mind. I’m looking through all options going “wtf… there is no option to clean install here!”
lol thanks! Doing that now. p)
lol COMPUTERS!!
I uninstalled. Rebooted computer.
It’s telling me I have 109G free space (of 120G).
I click to install WoW and it says "estimating file size:
73.40 GB required
you have insufficient space
And the “INSTALL” button is greyed out. wtf??? Since when is 73 > 109???
You could also try running from an external drive. When i was in iraq in 2008 i had wow on and external ssd and i would plug it in at the computer labs and play.
Can you do that? I thought every thread I’ve ever read about that said it wasn’t worth the effort. Like the transfer speed of USB wasn’t fast enough to play.
Then again for what I do with my laptop, it might be good enough. I’ll keep it in mind, ty!
Gonna suggest a USB flash drive, plug a 15-20gig stick in there and move files off the SSD to the flash. Might give you the room you need.
Could be wrong, but the memory will need room for the unpacking of files, before clean up.