How to free up some disk space:
Take a look at CCleaner as a tool to remove Internet history info,
cookies, temp files, auto complete and other junk.
Note that when CCleaner is first installed most if not all the options
are checked which is far too aggressive. So I recommend unchecking
all the items listed in 'Applications' tab and in the 'Windows' tab
selectively place a check mark for only those options that are of some
value in increasing the amount of free space on your PC.
The 'Analyze' button allows you preview (without actually deleting)
what and how much hard drive space you will get back.
Also available is customization, see Options/Custom to add any
other/additional folders you want files deleted from.
http://www.ccleaner.com/
If you recently installed Windows XP Service Pack 3:
Look for an odd folder name which is located here
C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download\cf8ec753e88561d..........\
Note: the apparent random set of letter and number may vary from my
example above but whatever the name is, it will be more than
600MB in size and can be safely deleted.
You may also see a number of other folders or files located in the:
C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download\ directory
They also can be deleted.
You can also free up more disk space by reducing
the number of 'System Restore' points:
Select Start/Control Panel/System, then in the System Properties window
click on the System Restore tab.
Next select the drive letter where Windows is installed (usually C
,
Then click on the Setting button
Now in the Drive Settings window move the Disk space usage slider to the
left to reduce the amount of drive space System Restore points will use.
This will remove some of the older restore points and free up some space.
Disable Hibernation and delete hiberfil.sys file (If you have it enabled):
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/...sys-hibernation-file-in-windows-xp-and-vista/
and:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/getstarted/hibernate.mspx
and:
http://www.softwarepatch.com/tips/hiberfil-sys-xp.html
If you are using IE7 and then installed SP3 read the info below.
IE7 users will find the folders listed below on their hard drive:
$NtServicePackUninstallIDNMitigationAPIs$
$NtServicePackUninstallNLSDownlevelMapping$
They are needed to uninstall IE7. However, if you installed IE7 and
then installed XP SP3 you can no longer uninstall IE7 and these
folders can also be deleted.
Note: The recommended procedure before installing XP SP3 is to
uninstall IE7 or IE8, then install XP SP3. Now you still have the ability to
install and uninstall IE7 or IE8.
Next if you still need more space:
Remove the files used to uninstall updates to Windows
These folders and associated files in these folders are safe to remove,
however once deleted you will no longer be able to un-install a patch or
update that was associated with the deleted folder/files.
I would keep the most recent set (last two months just in case) of folders
and delete the older updates.
As a safety net I burned these folders to a CD before deleting them.
These files are located in the Windows folder and have folder names
like $NtUninstallKBXXXXXX$.
They are hidden folders so enable viewing of hidden files in Windows
Explorer.
Warning: One folder you should not delete is: $hf_mig$
Also See the following web pages on this issue:
http://www.pagestart.com/ntuninstall.html
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm
If you upgraded your PC from Windows 98 to Windows XP.
The $Win98UpdateUninstall$ can be deleted.
You can reduce the size of the Internet Explorer Disk Cache:
How and Why to Clear Your Cache:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/using/howto/customizing/clearcache.mspx
Just follow the instructions but instead of increasing the size
(as stated in the article) decrease it.
Finally: Check the Recycle Bin one more time and empty it
if necessary as some of those files you deleted in the steps
mentioned above may find there way into the recycle bin.
If you have more than one partition or drive then:
How to Change the Default Location of Mail and News Folders:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307971/en-us
Change the Default Location of the My Documents Folder
(Example: move it to the D drive)
See:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310147
Also:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/how_to_move_my_documents.htm
How to move the Spool folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q308666
MS Office: Move the Local Install Source (MSOCache) location
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825933
(See the section titled: Move LIS Cache folder to a new drive location)
Note: If your computer already had more than one hard drive or partition
when you installed MS Office, Office will place the MSOCache on the drive or
partition with the most available free space during the install process.
--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com
willshak said:
willshak said:
on 7/20/2009 10:20 AM (ET) Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote the
following:
In my Windows XP Home SP3 C:\Documents and Settings\, I have 3 user
profiles.
1. Administrator
2. All Users
3. My login user profile
What is 'All Users' used for? I am the only user of this computer
and am also the Administrator.
Can the profile 'All Users' be deleted, since no one else uses this
computer,
No. Don't even try.
or are there settings that I and Administrator need and are
not in the Administrator or my profiles?
Correct. It contains settings universal to all users on the
computer. It isn't hurting anything - leave it be.
Thanks, but if it could have been removed, I'd have another gig of
space on my C:\ drive. I have less than a gig there now.
I'll leave it be.
Do you mean you have less than 1GB of free space on your hard drive? If
so, you need to address this! How large is your hard drive? Do you have
an external hard drive?
It's an old Sony VAIO PCV-RX860 (old in computer years, that is) The HD is
listed as 80 gig with a C and D partition and was bought shortly after the
release of Windows XP.
According to 'My Computer', C: is 16.0 GB in size with 624 MB free.
D: is 58.5 GB in size with 28.9 GB left.
In the past, I have moved almost all Program files, My Documents, and
deleted programs I don't use anymore.
No new programs or apps are installed on the C: drive if they can be
installed on the D: drive.
I do have a USB external drive of 150 GB partitioned as I: and J:, but it
is just used as a safety backup. I had to have a Windows re-install 2
years ago and lost all on the C: drive, so I keep copies of the Documents
and settings, mail, unmovable C: drive programs, and other stuff from the
C: drive there.
I have cleaned up the stuff on C and reduced the system restore size to 1
MG as directed.
Also, you might want to consider purchasing a newer, large hard drive
(they are quite affordable and you can easily clone the contents of your
current one to the new one).
I do have a new internal Seagate HD waiting to be installed, but it is
beyond my skill and comfort level to clone the old drives to it.
I'll have to get it done by someone more knowledgeable.
