What are the best folders to choose for compressing?

[ju.c]

Which folders are best suited for compression?
You know, when you right-click a folder, select
Properties, Advanced, and check the box "Compress
contents to save disk space"

For example, I would guess that C:\WINDOWS\Installer
is a good choice.


A good read, but lacking:

Should I Use Windows File Compression?
http://www.lockergnome.com/windows/2006/07/04/should-i-use-windows-file-compression/


ju.c

 

[Gerry]

Files you rarely need to access. Some files compress more than others.
Large not small files.

If your drive is formatted as NTFS another potential gain arises with
your operating system on your C drive. In the Windows Directory of
your C partition you will have some Uninstall folders in your Windows
folder typically: $NtServicePackUninstall$ and $NtUninstallKB282010$
etc. These files may be compressed or not compressed. If compressed
the text of the folder name appears in blue characters. If not
compressed you can compress them. Right click on each folder and
select Properties, General, Advanced and check the box before Compress
contents to save Disk Space. On the General Tab you can see the amount
gained by deducting the size on disk from the size. Folder
compression is only an option on a NTFS formatted drive / partition.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Bob I]

No they are just compressed and the Blue inicates as such.

 

[Gerry]

"Compress drive to save disk space". This not the same as file
compression. You do not want to compress the drive.

The compression referred to in Disk CleanUp is file compression.
Unchecking the option does not decompress those files compressed
previously.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Smirnoff]

Thanks, I understand that.

What I wanted to know is, as I have not selected either option to
compress (Drive or Disk Cleanup) and have not done so for years, why do
the uninstall files still show up in blue. Is it because they are
downloaded as compressed files? I assume that SP3 has overwritten files
that may have been compressed by Disk Cleanup many moons ago.

 

[ju.c]

Thanks everybody, but I'm looking for specific folders that are good candidates for compression,
like:

C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Installations
C:\WINDOWS\inf
C:\WINDOWS\Installer
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache


ju.c

 

[Gerry]

Smirnoff

I have not got a complete answer to your question. What I have
discovered is that there is more than one factor coming into play.

Some files are compressed because they have not been accessed within the
time setting within Disk CleanUp. On my computer I have it set to 50
days. However, I have some folders where the contents are compressed
and created within the last 50 days so these have not been compressed as
a result of running Disk CleanUp. The files are Uninstall files created
when an update is installed using Windows Update. Originally these files
were not compressed but some years ago I decided to compress these
files. This can be done by placing the cursor on the folder, right
clicking and selecting Properties, Advanced, and checking the box before
"Compress Contents to Save disk space". What has me puzzled is that it
is some time since I manually used file compression and I have folders
created last week which are compressed and are not themselves contents
of a compressed folder.

I have no more time to research further so I must leave it there.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Swifty]

What I wanted to know is, as I have not selected either option to
compress (Drive or Disk Cleanup) and have not done so for years, why do
the uninstall files still show up in blue.

At a guess, the program that installed the fixes, and thus created the
uninstall folder, realised that the chances of your needing those files
was minuscule, that if you *did* need them, it would only take a few
seconds extra to uncompress them, and in the meantime you'd welcome the
extra free space on your drive. I know I do. I routinely compress all
of my backup files.

 

[Smirnoff]

At a guess, the program that installed the fixes, and thus created the
uninstall folder, realised that the chances of your needing those
files was minuscule, that if you *did* need them, it would only take a
few seconds extra to uncompress them, and in the meantime you'd
welcome the extra free space on your drive. I know I do. I routinely
compress all of my backup files.

Yes, I'm beginning to think that they are downloaded as compressed
files.

 

[Swifty]

Yes, I'm beginning to think that they are downloaded as compressed
files.

What's downloaded doesn't end up in the uninstall folders; it is what
gets replaced that ends up there (so you can put it back if you uninstall).

However, it would also make sense if the downloaded files were
compressed, as that might save some network bandwidth. I'd be just a
little concerned, however, that an additional uncompress stage would be
one more place where things could go wrong, and when dealing with
operating system executable files, you really need to eliminate any
possibility of error.

Mind, the compress/uncompress algorithms must be pretty well debugged by
now... imagine the mayhem if there were any errors (shudder).

 

[Twayne]

What's downloaded doesn't end up in the uninstall folders; it is what
gets replaced that ends up there (so you can put it back if you
uninstall).
However, it would also make sense if the downloaded files were
compressed, as that might save some network bandwidth. I'd be just a
little concerned, however, that an additional uncompress stage would
be one more place where things could go wrong, and when dealing with
operating system executable files, you really need to eliminate any
possibility of error.

Mind, the compress/uncompress algorithms must be pretty well debugged
by now... imagine the mayhem if there were any errors (shudder).

Actually, unless you tell it not to, windows will compress seldom used
files anyway, including the uninstall files. Mine are all compressed
along with several other files; and windows did it, not me.

 

[Leonard Grey]

"Actually, unless you tell it not to, windows will compress seldom used
files anyway, including the uninstall files."

That's not quite correct. The uninstall folders for Microsoft updates
are downloaded as compressed archives. Windows XP only compresses seldom
used files if you ask the Disk Cleanup Wizard to do that.

 

[Twayne]

"Actually, unless you tell it not to, windows will compress seldom

used files anyway, including the uninstall files."

That's not quite correct. The uninstall folders for Microsoft updates
are downloaded as compressed archives. Windows XP only compresses
seldom used files if you ask the Disk Cleanup Wizard to do that.

Hmm, Didn't know that about the updates uninstalls being compressed when
they were created; could very well be.

You're right about Disk Cleanup having an option to compress files; but
somehow there is/are another way/s it occurs. I've noted it happening
multiple times that previously uncompressed files became compressed but
I can't back that up with anything to prove it; it's just a memory since
it didn't matter to me other than as a "huh" when it happened.

I'm not arguing with you; you are right in what you say. As a matter of
curiousity though I thought I'd post this to see if it triggered anyone
else's memory. I'm sure it wasn't just pipe dreams<g>. Then again...

Cheers,

Twayne