Hello,
I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
scratch.
With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over 4.2
GB
Is that normal?
Why is it so big?
Jack

Sounds about right, if you check add/remove - windows components - there
maybe some items you dont require.
Its large because thats the nature of the beast

"Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
news:ON4pCm%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
> scratch.
> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over
> 4.2 GB
> Is that normal?
> Why is it so big?
> Jack
>

Jack,

My Windows XP Home/SP3 is 5.48 Gig.

Remember, bigger is always better. And you can't have enough "more"?

Milt

"Jack" wrote:

> Hello,
> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
> scratch.
> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over 4.2
> GB
> Is that normal?
> Why is it so big?
> Jack
>
>
>

"Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
news:ON4pCm%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
> scratch.
> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over
> 4.2 GB
> Is that normal?
> Why is it so big?
> Jack

Media Center edition, 6.39 GB, 38020 files, 2819 folders,
a few days after installing SP3, nothing else added.
I'd look on 4.2GB as a remarkable reduction

Jack wrote:
> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from
> the scratch.
> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is
> over 4.2 GB
> Is that normal?
> Why is it so big?

Depends on what you have going on - what you installed originally, etc.

I currently have a Virtual Box machine with the following installed:

- Windows XP Professional w/SP3
- 7-Zip 4.57
- Adobe Flash Player ActiveX
- Adobe Flash Player Plugin
- Adobe Shockwave Player 11
- Alt-Tab Task Switcher Powertoy for Windows XP
- AVG Free 8.0
- CmdHere Powertoy For Windows XP
- Foxit Reader
- ImgBurn
- Java(TM) 6 Update 6
- Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
- Microsoft Compression Client Pack 1.0 for Windows XP
- Microsoft Silverlight
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
- Mozilla Firefox (2.0.0.14)
- Mozilla Thunderbird (2.0.0.12)
- OpenOffice.org 2.4
- Paint.NET v3.30
- PDFCreator
- QuickTime
- Real Alternative 1.8.0
- Shockwave Director 11.0
- Tweak UI
- Windows Internet Explorer 7
- Windows Media Player 11

It takes up a total of 3.95 GB (4,250,427,392 bytes) of space - including
everything you see.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

On Mon, 12 May 2008 00:34:55 -0400, "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote:

> Hello,
> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
> scratch.
> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over 4.2
> GB
> Is that normal?
> Why is it so big?


Everybody's system is different, and there is no "normal,"

But yes, that's well within the typical range of sizes.

Considering that you can buy a 160GB drive for under $50 US these
days, what you call "so big" is about $1.25 worth of disk space. Not
much at all.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

"Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
news:ON4pCm%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
> scratch.
> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over
> 4.2 GB
> Is that normal?
> Why is it so big?
> Jack
>
It takes a lot of code to get a windowing operating system to function.
Jim

Hello and pardon mty butting in but...if I may ask 2 small questions:

1. How can I measure my WinXP home ed.?
2. What's "SP3"? Is itpart of Windows Security patches much like the
"SP2"?

Thanks so much! Adela (a nubie)

"Anthony Buckland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
> news:ON4pCm%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hello,
>> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
>> scratch.
>> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over
>> 4.2 GB
>> Is that normal?
>> Why is it so big?
>> Jack
>
> Media Center edition, 6.39 GB, 38020 files, 2819 folders,
> a few days after installing SP3, nothing else added.
> I'd look on 4.2GB as a remarkable reduction
>

If you mean how big is your Windows folder, then open My Computer,
doubleclick on C: and find the Windows folder. Right click on the Windows
folder and choose Properties. It may take a while for the final number to
show since it calculates on the fly but don't be surprised if it 2 to 4GB.

SP3 stands for service pack three. It is a general upgrade for XP and
unless you know of some reason not to upgrade to SP3 you should go ahead and
do so in the near future. There is no hurry and there will be many replies
to your post, some saying it is the worst thing on earth and others saying
it is the greatest thing since sliced bread and everything in between.

SP3 is available now by going to Windows Updates and checking for new
updates. It will not be an automatic update for another three months or so.
Like I said, there is no hurry. One way to learn about it is to begin
following SP3 subjects in this newsgroup.

No matter what you do about SP3, you should read the Release Notes to see
what it is all about and what it can do and not do for you. You can
download the release notes at
https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...displaylang=en

If you upgrade now and have a problem you can get free Microsoft support for
SP3 at
https://support.microsoft.com/oas/de...3&gprid=522131



"Adela" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:O6%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello and pardon mty butting in but...if I may ask 2 small questions:
>
> 1. How can I measure my WinXP home ed.?
> 2. What's "SP3"? Is itpart of Windows Security patches much like the
> "SP2"?
>
> Thanks so much! Adela (a nubie)
>
> "Anthony Buckland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
>> news:ON4pCm%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Hello,
>>> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
>>> scratch.
>>> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over
>>> 4.2 GB
>>> Is that normal?
>>> Why is it so big?
>>> Jack
>>
>> Media Center edition, 6.39 GB, 38020 files, 2819 folders,
>> a few days after installing SP3, nothing else added.
>> I'd look on 4.2GB as a remarkable reduction
>>
>
>

I have to smile a little at this thread because I am sitting here looking at
a Windows folder on my Vista Ultimate x64 system that would almost not fit
on a 20GB drive. 18.7GB containing 76,920 files in 16,799 subfolders.

That is part of the sticker shock some folks get when considering migrating
to Vista. Doesn't faze me but I can see why some react as though it were a
bad thing.

It does put the size of my Windows folder (6.3GB) on my XP Pro SP3 system
into perspective, though.

"Ken Blake, MVP" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Mon, 12 May 2008 00:34:55 -0400, "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> I have just finished installation of Windows XP PRO from the
>> scratch.
>> With all the updates including SP3 the size of \Windows folder is over
>> 4.2
>> GB
>> Is that normal?
>> Why is it so big?
>
>
> Everybody's system is different, and there is no "normal,"
>
> But yes, that's well within the typical range of sizes.
>
> Considering that you can buy a 160GB drive for under $50 US these
> days, what you call "so big" is about $1.25 worth of disk space. Not
> much at all.
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup