Disk Cleanup "Churns"

[Ken]

I am trying to run disk cleanup on my 80GB system hard
drive. Each time I start, I get the dialog box telling
me that Disk Cleanup is calculating how much space I will
be able to free on (C It also indicated that it
is "Scanning : Compress old files." This will continue
for several hours with no apparent progress, and no hard
disk noise, but if I summon the task manager, it
indicates that the CPU is 100% busy, with cleanmgr.exe
using most of the resources.

If I click the cancel button on the dialog box, the
dialog box goes away, but the task manager still shows
cleanmgr.exe running and hogging the CPU.
The system is not frozen, just exceedingly slow until I
reboot.

Not an emergency, but I would like to clean the trash of
my hard drive.

I think I must have a registry flag set, but don't know
how to find and fix it.

Any ideas?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Try the following web sites for troubleshooting suggestions:

Visit http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm and scroll
down to Line #48. In the right-hand window, click on
"Disk Cleanup - Compress Old Files Freezes"

Simply click on Kelly's fix, download the registry fix, then run it.
(Note: Disable your antivirus program before running the repair script)

[Courtesy of Kelly Theriot, MS-MVP]


Applicable Microsoft Knowledge Base Article:

Disk Cleanup Tool Stops Responding While Compressing Old Files
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;812248

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


|I am trying to run disk cleanup on my 80GB system hard
| drive. Each time I start, I get the dialog box telling
| me that Disk Cleanup is calculating how much space I will
| be able to free on (C It also indicated that it
| is "Scanning : Compress old files." This will continue
| for several hours with no apparent progress, and no hard
| disk noise, but if I summon the task manager, it
| indicates that the CPU is 100% busy, with cleanmgr.exe
| using most of the resources.
|
| If I click the cancel button on the dialog box, the
| dialog box goes away, but the task manager still shows
| cleanmgr.exe running and hogging the CPU.
| The system is not frozen, just exceedingly slow until I
| reboot.
|
| Not an emergency, but I would like to clean the trash of
| my hard drive.
|
| I think I must have a registry flag set, but don't know
| how to find and fix it.
|
| Any ideas?

 

[Patti MacLeod]

Hi Ken,

See if the information in this MSKB article (Disk Cleanup Tool Stops
Responding While Compressing Old Files) is helpful in resolving the problem:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=812248


Regards,

 

[Ken]

Thanks to both Patti and Carey. I took Carey's approach
because it seemed safer to me than directly editing my
registry (although that's probably exactly what the
Kellys-Korner solution did) I have already applied the
fix and have finished cleaning my disk.

Thanks again.

Ken

 

[Patti MacLeod]

You're welcome

Yes, the Kellys-Korner solution is the registry edit that is in the link
that I posted.


Regards,