Hard drive shows full

[Blair Wiley]

Properties shows the hard drive nearly full, but that
many files are not visible in Windows Explorer. Using the
Backup utility, I can see that System Volume Information
folder is the culprit. I have the hard drive in question
on another PC in the slave connector of an IDE cable
since the original PC won't boot.

Any idea how to get into the System Volume Information
folder to free up the majority of the hard disk space?

Thanks.

 

[T.C.]

Four options: You can either disable System Restore (right click My
Computer, left click Properties, click the System Restore tab, select the
option to Turn Off System Restore. Or, the second option is almost the same
as above. But instead of turning off System Restore, click the Settings
button on the System Restore tab, and then use the slider to lessen the
amount of space used by System Restore, which will decrease the number of
Restore Points. The third option is to click your Start Button/All
Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Clean Up, select the drive, click OK,
click the More Options tab, then click the Clean Up button under the heading
System Restore (this will delete all but the last System Restore Point).
Personally, I wouldn't do any of the above, because System Restore Points
have save me too many times. Option four is best: With bigger/faster hard
drives being so inexpensive these days (just bought one for about $100), and
most coming with free utilities for copying the hard drive you're replacing,
that's the best option. Because eventually you will need more hard drive
space even if you do any of the above temporary measures for gaining some
space.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Properties shows the hard drive nearly full, but that
many files are not visible in Windows Explorer. Using the
Backup utility, I can see that System Volume Information
folder is the culprit. I have the hard drive in question
on another PC in the slave connector of an IDE cable
since the original PC won't boot.

Any idea how to get into the System Volume Information
folder to free up the majority of the hard disk space?

The System Volume Information folder contains the System Restore points.
*Don't* try to do anything with this manually.

First use Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Disk
Cleanup and in More Options the button to reduce to just the most
recent Restore point. Then in System - System Restore, highlight the
drive, take Settings and reduce the space allowed. The minimum is 200MB
- I use 500 which covers about 10 days of points. The default of 12% of
the drive is too much on large drives

Then have Folder Options - View set to show Hidden files, and *not* Hide
Protected mode ones which will allow you to see a lot of files
previously hidden (including these - but again *don't* try to delete
them manually or the SR system may stop working)