Best Ways to Free Up Space in XP?

[Guest]

What are the best ways to free up HD space in XP besides of course deleting
stuff you don’t need (or using external HD for large video files)?

Example, I totally appreciate System Restore feature but should I really
leave it at default 12%?

I posted a question separately about deleting .tmp files but my objective is
larger than that as I would like to free up as much unnecessary HD space as
possible on this old yet nice notebook (30GB of which 5 GB is left). Yes I
have about 15-20 GB of music, video, photos that I’d like to keep on it if
possible.

-Many Thanks

 

[Guest]

Go
to:http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...roddocs/en-us/dm_mounted_drives.mspx?mfr=true For some info,also try:kb308666
and kb307886

 

[Ted Zieglar]

You really need a new hard drive. You're just putting off the inevitable
for another day.

If you're confident in your abilities to stay out of trouble (on a
computer, at least) you don't need to allocate 12% of your hard disk to
restore points. Three or 4% ought to be sufficient. OTOH, what you
really be doing is backing up to DVDs or an external hard drive, inwhich
case you could turn off System Restore altogether.

The Recycle Bin is also allocated a large amount of hard disk space. If
you're confident in your abilities to not delete files you really
shouldn't have deleted you can reduce the size of the Recycle Bin.

Finally, if you have a fast and reliable broadband connection you don't
need more then 15 - 20MB worth of disk space for Temporary Internet Files.

But really, you need an external hard disk for your music and videos.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

What are the best ways to free up HD space in XP besides of course
deleting stuff you don't need (or using external HD for large video
files)?

Example, I totally appreciate System Restore feature but should I
really leave it at default 12%?

No, the default is terrible. 12% is *way* more than mosr people need or can
make use of. Restore points more than a week or two old aren't much use,
because if you try to restore to to them, you end up getting many things out
of synch with each other. I recommend reducing the 12% default to whatever
percentage gives you 2GB or so.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Go
to:http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...roddocs/en-us/dm_mounted_drives.mspx?mfr=true

Congratulations, Andrew! You've outdone even yourself! You win the prize
for the non-sequitur of the day!

For some info,also try:kb308666 and kb307886

And you get bonus points for two extra non-sequiturs!

None of what you posted has anything to do with ANA's question.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

What are the best ways to free up HD space in XP besides of course deleting
stuff you don’t need (or using external HD for large video files)?

Example, I totally appreciate System Restore feature but should I really
leave it at default 12%?

I certainly wouldn't leave it that large. I keep mine set to 2%. I
also reduce the Recycle Bin from it's default of 10% down to 1%. Given
the size of today's hard drives, I just can't see wasting so much space.

Another potential space saver would be to reduce the size of your
Internet cache, which is also huge by default. I always reduce it to a
maximum of 50 Mb. In Internet Explorer, click Tools > Internet Options

General, Temporary Files > Settings.

Same for Java cache. Start > Control Panel > Java > Temporary Internet
Files > Settings.





--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

 

[Shenan Stanley]

What are the best ways to free up HD space in XP besides of course
deleting stuff you don't need (or using external HD for large video
files)?

Example, I totally appreciate System Restore feature but should I
really leave it at default 12%?

I posted a question separately about deleting .tmp files but my
objective is larger than that as I would like to free up as much
unnecessary HD space as possible on this old yet nice notebook
(30GB of which 5 GB is left). Yes I have about 15-20 GB of music,
video, photos that I'd like to keep on it if possible.

System restore - I'd put at about 5%.

You can keep the music/videos/photos - but know that is just wasted space
unless you use them often and know - either way - you should have external
backups of this stuff (external drive, CD or DVD or something).. Just in
case. You could use NTFS compression for such folders - but you will take a
penalty for it. You could even look for an inexpensive (relative)
replacement notebook HDD and swap it out with one twice the size of the one
you have.

Unless you use it - hibernation can be turned off and the space recovered.

TMP files, uninstall files for patches, applications you do not use,
compacting your Outlook Express databases, etc. That can help a little.

Any old/unused user profiles on there? What size is your temporary internet
files set to in internet explorer? Do you clean them out each time you
exit?

Find out what might be using the space..

Do you have hidden and system files visible?
How's your system restore settings?
Used Disk Cleanup?
Is hibernate turned on and do you use that feature?
Uninstalled unnecessary applications lately?

Other ways to free up space..

SequoiaView
http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiaview/

DX Hog Hunt
http://www.dvxp.com/en/Downloads.aspx

JDiskReport
http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/index.html

Those can help you visually discover where all the space is being used.

If you are comfortable with the stability of your system, you can delete the
uninstall files for the patches that Windows XP has installed..

http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

You can use an application that scans your system for log files and
temporary files and use that to get rid of those:

Ccleaner (Free!)
http://www.ccleaner.com/

You can run Disk Cleanup - built into Windows XP - to erase all but yuor
latest restore point and cleanup even more "loose files"..

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

You can turn off hibernation if it is on and you don't use it..

When you hibernate your computer, Windows saves the contents of the system's
memory to the hiberfil.sys file. As a result, the size of the hiberfil.sys
file will always equal the amount of physical memory in your system. If you
don't use the hibernate feature and want to recapture the space that Windows
uses for the hiberfil.sys file, perform the following steps:

- Start the Control Panel Power Options applet (go to Start, Settings,
Control Panel, and click Power Options).
- Select the Hibernate tab, clear the "Enable hibernation" check box, then
click OK; although you might think otherwise, selecting Never under the
"System hibernates" option on the Power Schemes tab doesn't delete the
hiberfil.sys file.
- Windows will remove the "System hibernates" option from the Power Schemes
tab and delete the hiberfil.sys file.

You can control how much space your System Restore can use...

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the System Restore tab.
3. Highlight one of your drives (or C: if you only have one) and click on
the "Settings" button.
4. Change the percentage of disk space you wish to allow.. I suggest 5% or
higher.
5. Click OK.. Then Click OK again.

 

[Guest]

Many Thanks, Ted yes I do in fact have a Maxtor One-Touch 160 GB external HD
for backup-I think your signature reminder is important. I wouldn’t want to
turn off System Restore altogether however particularly as this is a notebook
& may not be next to the external HD in case I would need it.

The other issue is this particular notebook (Inspiron 7000) was top of the
line 7 yrs ago (& cost ~$4200 but over 7 yrs is ~$600/yr to date) so it does
not have USB 2.0 unfortunately. Consequently files with high bit rates (e.g.
some video) bottleneck but I guess I could play MP3s & some lower bit rate
video off the external HD since the good speakers are connected to its
docking station anyway & free up some GBs there.

I lowered the System Restore to 6% or nearly 2GB.

IE cache I knew about from pcpitstop.com but I’ll check out Java cache.
I’ll check out those links Shenan thanks for all those ideas

I’m also considering replacing the HD again since the 15†LCD is still so
nice but I’m not sure as I’ll be buying another notebook soon (1st time Dell
sent it free 2x its original size as it had developed one bad sector just
before my 3 yr warranty end). I also have the Inspiron 8000 but it’s more
beat up & its hard drive even smaller as I never replaced it. I don’t have
this worry about my newer desktop XP-MCE HD.

I do appreciate the helpful replies people!