Large Temp File when Loading a Huge Dataset

[jasonyu623]

Hi everyone,

I’m facing an issue and would appreciate any guidance. I have a large data source (around 340GB), consisting of over 8000 txt files. When I load this data into Power BI, it creates a large temporary file in the C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\Power BI Desktop folder on my C drive. This is quickly filling up my C drive and causing storage issues during the data load.

My questions are:

Is there a way to change the location of Power BI’s temporary files to another drive?
Or is expanding my C drive the only solution?

Thank you in advance for any advice!

[muhammad_786_1]

Hi @jasonyu623 

You can try this way to change the default system Temp folder location through Windows settings.

Right-click on This PC > Properties > Advanced system settings

Go to the Advanced tab and click on Environment Variables.

Locate the TEMP and TMP variables and change its path.

Restart your system to apply changes.

Best Regards,
Muhammad Yousaf

LinkedIn

[Singamshetty994]

Hi @jasonyu623 
 
There is no direct option to increase c drive capacity. you can  add ssd or hdd to expand your drive capacity. the other option is you can store it in cloud (preferably in fabric power bi).

If you found this information helpful please accept it as solution.Thank you in advance

[rajendraongole1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @jasonyu623 - If changing the TEMP directory isn’t possible or practical, expanding the C drive may be necessary, especially if Power BI and other applications are heavily using it. You can consider moving or uninstalling unnecessary applications and data from the C drive or reallocating space if your system allows.

or 

If you’re only working with incremental data changes in your 340GB data source, consider using Dataflows or Incremental Refresh in Power BI. These options allow you to load only new or updated records, significantly reducing the volume of data processed at once, which helps manage temporary file size.

any of this process works as expected. 

[FreemanZ]

hi @jasonyu623

check this:

https://datakuity.com/2022/11/14/reduce-disk-space-power-bi-desktop/