How and why is Windows XP consuming all my HD space??

[Ronstang]

I'm a little confused here. It seems that XP keeps eating away at my hard drive space. I keep getting a low disk space error and I am prompted to free up disk space for the proper function of Windows XP. I had almost 1.5 gigs free on my C: drive when I loaded XP and the software I put on that drive. Now it continuously reports I have less than 50 megs and need to free up space. What is going on? Even after I delete what I can find it eats up that space in no time. I can't find anything to delete and I can't find where all the HD space is going. I thought this was a fluke until my mother called me this evening and asked me why she all of a sudden had no HD space on her C: drive and was unable to do anything in XP.

Does anyone have any ideas? I really need help here. My mother's and my machines are both becoming unusable and I have no understanding as to why. We delete all temp internet files and empty the recycle bin but to no avail. If we manage to gain a few hundred megs of space back XP eats it up almost immediately. This is crazy, and I was about to start to believe that MS had learned how to code.

Thanks

 

[Damascus]

Disable hibernation features and keep an eye on that swap file and limit its size if
required.

 

[Ronstang]

Thanks Damascus, where do I disable hibernation? I thought it was best to let Windows control the swap file. Should I set the swap file to some multiplier of my physical Ram? If so do you now what that multiplier is?

 

[Ronstang]

OK, I found out how to turn off hybernation but does XP not free up the diskspace it uses for hybernation when it wakes up?

 

[Valhalla1]

no it does not free the hard drive space.. it put a damn 760 something MB file in my C: drive.. what a POS! kiss that sh.it goodbye

 

[Ronstang]

Screw hibernation then, I'm tired of not being able to find what's eating my HD space. You would think that MS software could do something as simple as flush the toilet but I guess I'm expecting too much. MS continues to baffle me with their incompetence on what I consider to be such trivial and easy to implement details.

 

[corkyg]

XP has three things that can get out of control unless you step in and put limits on them.

1. The swap file.
2. The System Restore File
3. Temporary Internet files.

I brought these profligates under control and recovered almost 25% of my C drive.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

Did you shut off system restore? That will suck up space.

damn corky-g beat me to it

 

[Ronstang]

Thanks for the replies. Can someone suggest how I should set the swap file on my machine to keep it under control? One machine has 256megs of RAM and the other has 512. I have already turned off system restore and I was wondering if there is a way to flush temp internet files automatically?

 

[AnyMal]

Here are my two cents:

1. Do not turn off System Restore, this feature is very usefull and it saved my ass on more then one occasion. Instead, set it to create restore points at longer intervals, like once a week or bi-weekly. You may also choose the types of files to backup. Delete your old restore points on monthly basis, say whenever you defrag your disk. TIP: force System Restore to create restore points manually before any upgrade or new application installed. It may save you from major headache should somethng go wrong.

2. 512 MB provides sufficient amount of physical memory and swap file can be turned off. I use that amount of RAM as a rule of thumb. Set the size of swap file on the other system to 256 for a total of 512.

3. I am not aware of any way to delete Temp Intenet Files automatically, however you can control the amount of space allocated for such files. In IE choose Tools>Internet Options. Under Temporary Internet Files click Settings and use slide ruler to adjust disk space.

Hope this helps

 

[c0rv1d43]

I second the sentiment on not disabling System Restore. It's one of the best things about the OS, and it beats the daylights out of a simple ERD and registry hive backups like we used to use in WinNT.

I also suggest not trying to drive a Ferrari on a bicycle path, which is what you do when you install an OS like Windows 2000 or Windows XP on a 1.5 gigabyte partition.

It's probably a good idea to at least try the OS out the way the people who wrote it suggest using it before you start interfering with the way it operates by altering basic system configuration settings. My $.02.

- Collin