Squeeze More Usable Space From Your Hard Drive
October 23, 2008 – 5:55 am
I realize that hard drive space is getting cheaper and cheaper but it is still a good idea to do a little housekeeping to free up some space on your current hard drive. Here are a some simple ways to squeeze out a few extra megabytes of space.
Delete Windows Update Files
Once you update Windows and determine that everything functioning properly, you may want to consider deleting the old update files. The files are hidden from the normal view in Windows Explorer so you will have to change your view preferences so that Explorer will show the hidden files and folders. Here is how to do it:
Click Start->All Programs->Accessories->Windows Explorer->Tools->Folder Options->View->Hidden files and folders->Show hidden files and folders (click on radio button to active)
The update folders and files are stored in the C:\windows directory. Look for folders that start with $Nt. Just highlight and delete them all.
Reduce System Restore Space
You can free up some usable space by reducing the amount of space allocated to the system restore function. Here is how to do it:
Click Start->Right Click My Computer->Select Properties->Click on the System Restore tab. Reduce the amount of space allocated by moving the slider to a lesser number (or percentage). You may also have to clear the check from the box beside Turn Off System Restore.
Delete Restore Points
You can also free up some space by deleting all of the restore points except the last one. Here is how to do it:
Click Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Disk Cleanup (will calculate free space)->Select More Options->System Restore->Cleanup Button
Reduce Recycle Bin Storage
Finally, You can free up a little more space by reducing the amount of space allocated for use by the recycle bin. Here is how to do it:
Right Click on the recycle bin->Click Properties->Reduce the amount of space allocated by moving the slider to a lesser percentage.