How big is your windows folder?


Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
yeah, i know this thread hasn't been added to in over a week, but i've just discovered the joys of ntfs compression :D

360MB, for all intents and purposes.

Sweet, that is really getting down there :p

Can you tell a differance in speed now? Or is it the same?

The 168mb one I posted, was actualy NT 4 with SP6a :blush:

in all honesty, things do seem to be working better. it's really hard to tell on a 2.53GHz machine, though.

i just wish i could get the actual size down. for some reason, i can't remember how i got down to ~460MB last time :( i figure that with the compression, i could be down to almost 300MB or less, if i could get rid of all the stuff i got rid of last time (and yeah, i've deleted everything i usually delete)

  • 4 weeks later...
in all honesty, things do seem to be working better. it's really hard to tell on a 2.53GHz machine, though.

i just wish i could get the actual size down. for some reason, i can't remember how i got down to ~460MB last time :( i figure that with the compression, i could be down to almost 300MB or less, if i could get rid of all the stuff i got rid of last time (and yeah, i've deleted everything i usually delete)

You have VS.net installed? That takes up a lot of space in the windows folder :(

I've gone through the first 8 pages of this thread. Would someone kindly post a summary of what should be safe to delete from the windows folder?

Mine is currently at 1.7 gigs. I'd like to get it down to around a gig without crashing my computer lol.

Thanks a bunch. :)

From shen:

*cut and pasted from another forum i moderate*

here's what i wipe out (but keep backed up on cd):

c:\windows\cursors\

c:\windows\downloaded installations\

c:\windows\driver cache\i386\

c:\windows\help\

c:\windows\inf\

c:\windows\installer\

c:\windows\media\

c:\windows\registeredpackages\

c:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386\

c:\windows\system32\dllcache\

c:\windows\system32\reinstallbackups\

c:\windows\system32\restore\

c:\windows\system32\usmt\

c:\program files\msn

c:\program files\netmeeting\

c:\windows\$Uninstall----$

the $uninstall----$ folders are used whenever you want to uninstall a windows update. i don't see any point in keeping them.

also, go through the start menu and find things you don't want (stuff in the Accessories folder) - find the programs those shortcuts link to and delete as necessary.

notes:

1) keep the directories - just delete/move the files inside

2) do this after you've installed *all* hardware, including webcams and virtual cd-rom drives, and updated all service packs/ updates.

i find little things here and there, but that's normally the stuff i go through and wipe out right after a fresh install.

I have deleted all that, and my computer is as stable as ever :p

All of this also applys to 2k if the folders exist ;)

nickg78, i would not delete those folders. it is true that they CAN be deleted, and windows will work just fine, but without the inf folder, you can't add any hardware to the computer, even some USB devices. the media folder contains all those sounds you hear in windows. and the cursors folder holds all the different cursors you can use. you could simply delete the ones you never use, but they are very small files and will yield little disk space when deleted.

From shen:
*cut and pasted from another forum i moderate*

here's what i wipe out (but keep backed up on cd):

c:\windows\cursors\

c:\windows\downloaded installations\

c:\windows\driver cache\i386\

c:\windows\help\

c:\windows\inf\

c:\windows\installer\

c:\windows\media\

c:\windows\registeredpackages\

c:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386\

c:\windows\system32\dllcache\

c:\windows\system32\reinstallbackups\

c:\windows\system32\restore\

c:\windows\system32\usmt\

c:\program files\msn

c:\program files\netmeeting\

c:\windows\$Uninstall----$

the $uninstall----$ folders are used whenever you want to uninstall a windows update. i don't see any point in keeping them.

also, go through the start menu and find things you don't want (stuff in the Accessories folder) - find the programs those shortcuts link to and delete as necessary.

notes:

1) keep the directories - just delete/move the files inside

2) do this after you've installed *all* hardware, including webcams and virtual cd-rom drives, and updated all service packs/ updates.

i find little things here and there, but that's normally the stuff i go through and wipe out right after a fresh install.

I have deleted all that, and my computer is as stable as ever :p

All of this also applys to 2k if the folders exist ;)

or you can just simply use add/remove programs!

  • 3 weeks later...
nickg78, i would not delete those folders. it is true that they CAN be deleted, and windows will work just fine, but without the inf folder, you can't add any hardware to the computer, even some USB devices. the media folder contains all those sounds you hear in windows. and the cursors folder holds all the different cursors you can use. you could simply delete the ones you never use, but they are very small files and will yield little disk space when deleted.

If you delete the inf folder, you can still install any new hardware and USB devices, you will just need to locate the divers manualy :p

Personal, I just delete all the mdm*.* (modem dirvers, about 27mb) because I know I am never going to be installing a modem in my computer, and if I did I would use the drivers it came with :p

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Wow, imagine you dump hundreds of hours into completing things and unlocking stuff and you lose it all. Back in the day when cheats were built into games, you could at least unlock things again that way without spending hundreds of hours again. But those days are long gone for some reason as no one builds cheats into games anymore. So it's even more painful that studio that's on its 6th installment **** it up so badly.
    • Spotify finally removes the disco ball app icon in the latest update by Ivan Jenic Image: Spotify Spotify has just released an update that removes its now infamous disco ball icon. The update reverts the app icon to the familiar flat green logo after weeks of mixed reactions online. The icon arrived on May 13 as part of the company's 20th anniversary celebration and was always intended to be temporary, though Spotify only confirmed that after the backlash started. The disco ball took the internet by storm, as the reception was split. A vocal group of users called it ugly and disorienting, with some iOS users noting that the 3D glowing effect made the app look like it was stuck mid-update. On the other end, the icon picked up a following of its own. Its retro, three-dimensional look immediately stood out against the flat, minimalist aesthetic that has dominated app design for years. It even started a small movement, spawning what people started calling "discomorphism," a mashup of disco and skeuomorphism. Other brands started posting disco ball versions of their own logos, probably in an effort to ride the wave of memes that flooded the internet during late May. Spotify has had a turbulent relationship with its user base lately. Besides the disco ball icon, which certainly wasn't appreciated by everyone, the company has also received backlash for its willingness to include AI-generated music on its platform. On May 17, Spotify promised the old icon would return “in a few weeks.” And now it looks like that time has finally arrived. So, whether you liked the disco ball or it made you uncomfortable, it’s now gone for good. The next time you update the Spotify app on your phone, the old, flat-design icon will return.
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      slackerzz earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Year In
      highriskpaym earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      highriskpaym earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      highriskpaym earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      FBSPL earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      519
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      197
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      157
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      84
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      75
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!