[Aushin]

For months now, I've been struggling with an incredibly limited amount of disk space (just over 1 GB left). Wondering what was on my computer taking up all this space, I ran the diagnostic program WinDirStat. Out of my 55 GB hard drive, WinDirStat calculated that I was using only 13 GB of its space. So, in a nutshell, my C drive is missing 40 GB of unused memory. I'm praying that you all know some way to remedy this. Thanks for reading. If I've posted this in the wrong forum, just let me know and I'll repost elsewhere.

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Click start, my documents, click tools, folder options, view, put the dot in show hidden files and folders, click apply, close my documents

Click start, click my computer, right click local disc C, click explore, right click each folder, click properties, give them a minute to show size and also size on disc

Add those up, also look for any folders which show bigger than they should, right click those, click explore

Run disc clean up, click more options, click clean up restore points, check the drive space

[Retired Tech]

Click start, my documents, click tools, folder options, view, put the dot in show hidden files and folders, click apply, close my documents

Click start, click my computer, right click local disc C, click explore, right click each folder, click properties, give them a minute to show size and also size on disc

Add those up, also look for any folders which show bigger than they should, right click those, click explore

Run disc clean up, click more options, click clean up restore points, check the drive space

[Aushin]

Just did all of that. Still the same deal. 13 when added up, 53 according to the comp. My SVI folder only has the most recent restore in it (just over 40 MB taken up). And according to the defragmentation program, it will free up just 400 MB if I compress the disk.

[Retired Tech]

Which are the biggest folders after windows and programme files, right click those, click open, have you got any almost transparent files / folders

[Aushin]

Yes all of the hidden folders are visible (transparently). Stuff like System Volume Info and Recycler and so forth.

Biggest folders:

C:\Documents and Settings (911 MB)
C:\Drivers (106 MB)
C:\I386 (477 MB)
C:\IBMSHARE (1.15 GB)
C:\Program Files (5.18 GB)
C:\WINDOWS (3.24 GB)

Other than that I have a 200 MB SNES emulation folder and the rest of the folders make up the 800 MB

[Retired Tech]

Have you got Norton protected recycle bin

Prefetch is clickable for more information

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, (all files will highlight), right click any file, click delete, confirm

Click start then all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up

Reboot

Click start then all programmes, accessories, system tools to run defragmenter

Download, install and run Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run Tune Up disc clean up

Run Tune Up registry clean up

Disable the anti virus programme then click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, the screen will lose colour during the process which can take a few minutes and then needs a reboot

Check the anti virus programme is running

Those will have cleared the drive of obsolete software errors

These are suggestions for making the most of the free trial

Click optimize and improve then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot.

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

[Aushin]

working on the list of things you just gave me. No I don't have Norton Recycle Bin, but I used to have Norton. I uninstalled it long ago because it just kept getting in the way of things.

[Retired Tech]

Click run it now to check Norton has been uninstalled

http://service1.syma...n...v=&osv_lvl=

[Aushin]

Ran it. Norton is fully uninstalled. Space remains the same. Going to finish off that list above.

[Aushin]

The defragger is telling me that I need at least 15% free space to run it properly and that I only have 2%. It then asks if I should run it anyway. Should I?

[Retired Tech]

No, if you already ran disc clean up, more options, clean up restore points

Click start, help and support, undo changes with system restore, system restore settings, if it is set at 12%, set it to 4% click apply, then run disc clean up, more options, clean up restore points

See what defragger says then

[Aushin]

Same thing. I had recently turned off the restore because of the lack of space. Whatever's hogging my memory, it's not restore points.

[Aushin]

going to sleep as it is 4:15 AM here. thanks for all the help so far. that tuneup program is great (fixed over 1000 registry errors!)

see you tomorrow

[Retired Tech]

OK

[Aushin]

Alright, bumping the topic. Did everything I saw on the list Keith gave me, but I'm still in the same predicament.