SP2 Grabs 2 Gigs from my boot dirive! Where did it go?

[js]

I Just installed XP SP2 and it seems to be running OK except, I ended
up with 2 gigabytes missing in my root (C:\) drive! This is the NTFS
file system.

Using either MyComputer or 'Dir/a/s' from the Pommand Prompt reports
that I have 1.71 Gigabytes free of a total of 7.81 gigabytes total on
the C:\ drive.

I only feel slightly better that the Disk Management Utility (from
Computer Management) thinks I have 3.71 Gigabytes free out of 7.81
Gigabytes total.

Looking all the files and directories on C:\ with the windows explorer
and adding them up I get 3.71 gigs free.

Has SP2 seriously munched my NTFS file system?
Got a Fix?

Josef

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

See if the following article helps:

"The hard disk space requirements for Windows XP Service Pack 2"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;837783

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

I Just installed XP SP2 and it seems to be running OK except, I ended
up with 2 gigabytes missing in my root (C:\) drive! This is the NTFS
file system.

Using either MyComputer or 'Dir/a/s' from the Pommand Prompt reports
that I have 1.71 Gigabytes free of a total of 7.81 gigabytes total on
the C:\ drive.

I only feel slightly better that the Disk Management Utility (from
Computer Management) thinks I have 3.71 Gigabytes free out of 7.81
Gigabytes total.

Looking all the files and directories on C:\ with the windows explorer
and adding them up I get 3.71 gigs free.

Has SP2 seriously munched my NTFS file system?
Got a Fix?

Hi

Stop and start System Restore to regain some space (but you
will lose your current Restore points).

Also, you should clean out this folder now and then (WU5's
temporary download folder):

%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\

(%windir% is typically C:\Windows)


If you are sure you don't need to uninstall SP2, you can delete
the %windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\ folder.

(%windir% is typically C:\Windows)

Alternatively (for the $NtServicePackUninstall$ folder):

If you make a backup of the folder to e.g. a CD, you can put it
back if you need to uninstall SP2. After restoring the backup,
run %windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
to start the process.


If you see %windir%\$NTUninstall* folders which dates back to your
SP1 installation, you can delete those. They are not removed by the
SP2 installation in case you want/need to go back to SP1 (and then
be able to uninstall the hotfixes in case you need to).

The following folders should be safe to delete:

%windir%\$xpsp1hfm$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallQ<some#>$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallKB<some#>$\

 

[js]

Torgeir Solves Missing Disk Gig Problem!! See Below.
Torgeir, was this a lucky guess?

Hi

Stop and start System Restore to regain some space (but you
will lose your current Restore points).

Also, you should clean out this folder now and then (WU5's
temporary download folder):

%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\

(%windir% is typically C:\Windows)


If you are sure you don't need to uninstall SP2, you can delete
the %windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\ folder.

(%windir% is typically C:\Windows)

Alternatively (for the $NtServicePackUninstall$ folder):

If you make a backup of the folder to e.g. a CD, you can put it
back if you need to uninstall SP2. After restoring the backup,
run %windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
to start the process.


If you see %windir%\$NTUninstall* folders which dates back to your
SP1 installation, you can delete those. They are not removed by the
SP2 installation in case you want/need to go back to SP1 (and then
be able to uninstall the hotfixes in case you need to).

The following folders should be safe to delete:

%windir%\$xpsp1hfm$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallQ<some#>$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallKB<some#>$\

Torgeir,

Great fix. I got back all my missing disk space plus some!
So, just how do you guys figure out all this stuff?

flipping system restore on and off then setting on restore point

got me 1.5 Gigs back (as measured by either MyComputer or

'Dir/a/s' from the Command Prompt).

Cleaning out the folder:
%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\ got me another 0.55 Gigs.

Moving three $NtUninstall directories to another partition got me 0.21
Gigabytes extra.

None of the three:
%windir%\$xpsp1hfm$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallQ<some#>$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallKB<some#>$\
existed.

Thanks,

Josef

 

[js]

Torgeir Solves Missing Disk Gig Problem!! See Below.
Torgeir, was this a lucky guess?


Torgeir,

Great fix. I got back all my missing disk space plus some!
So, just how do you guys figure out all this stuff?

flipping system restore on and off then setting on restore point

got me 1.5 Gigs back (as measured by either MyComputer or

'Dir/a/s' from the Command Prompt).

Cleaning out the folder:
%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\ got me another 0.55 Gigs.

Moving three $NtUninstall directories to another partition got me 0.21
Gigabytes extra.

None of the three:
%windir%\$xpsp1hfm$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallQ<some#>$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallKB<some#>$\
existed.

Thanks,

Josef

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

The System Restore space gain may be only temporary depending your
system Restore Settings.
See this link for more about system Restore:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/newsgroups/faqsrwxp.mspx

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

Torgeir Solves Missing Disk Gig Problem!! See Below.
Torgeir, was this a lucky guess?

Not really. Having installed SP2 numerous time since December
last year (beta testing of SP2) have learned me where the
megabytes goes

 

[Stephen Corazza]

Can the Service Pack folder be deleted from the windows directory?

Thanks

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

Can the Service Pack folder be deleted from the windows directory?

Hi

You should not delete the %windir%\ServicePackFiles\ folder, it is
used by the system if it needs to repair files or if you install
additional OS components.

(%windir% is typically C:\Windows)

 

[Donald McDaniel]

Torgeir Solves Missing Disk Gig Problem!! See Below.
Torgeir, was this a lucky guess?


Torgeir,

Great fix. I got back all my missing disk space plus some!
So, just how do you guys figure out all this stuff?

flipping system restore on and off then setting on restore point

got me 1.5 Gigs back (as measured by either MyComputer or

'Dir/a/s' from the Command Prompt).

Cleaning out the folder:
%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\ got me another 0.55 Gigs.

Moving three $NtUninstall directories to another partition got me 0.21
Gigabytes extra.

None of the three:
%windir%\$xpsp1hfm$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallQ<some#>$\
%windir%\$NtUninstallKB<some#>$\
existed.

Thanks,

Josef

Purchasing a newer HD of at least 40gb in size will give you at least
32gb free.

Let's face it: Windows XP was not manufactured with 10gig hard drives
in mind. IN this day and age, 40gb (or more) is more reasonable.
80gb would only cost you a meal at the local bistro. More is better
in this instance.

Donald L McDaniel
Keep the thread intact
Post reply to original newsgroup
=======================================================

 

[Vodum]

There's a shareware tool called Update Cleanup that makes it easy to delete these $NtUninstallKB folders and clean up the related Registry entries at the same time. It frees up alot of hard disk space. Although it is not free, you are given a lengthy free trial which is more than enough time for you to clean up these folders.

You can find a copy at:

http://shareware.us/update.htm

I've used it for several months now and it seems to work fine.