[winxp] GUIDE: Making your windows folder smaller!

[Long]

My system32 folder is just 1gig >_<

[Evolution]

mines 1.05 GB in size, but 797 MB on disk, the windows directory that is.

[Valkyre]

Excellent guide, thanks! :happy:

[Bold_Fortune]

I have a fairly extensive list I've been compiling for the past couple of years. Deleting files is really a hobby for me. I've attached it for your viewing. This list is not for everyone; just me. But maybe it can answer a few things for people who have always been interested in this topic of discussion.

[dacris2000]

:yes: Thanks to these guides, I've made my smallest XP installation to date.

See attached screenshot.

[lj300]

cool, thnx

[futb0l]

this is a nice guide... hopefully it won't stuff up my pc :cool:

[iron2000]

Bold_Fortune, does deleting the Default User and Network Services affect login-type PCs?

[Bold_Fortune]

Bold_Fortune, does deleting the Default User and Network Services affect login-type PCs?

Not to my knowledge. I don't login, so I couldn't really say for sure. I run a single-user PC. It would seem to me, though, that "All Users" would be more important for that.

The only thing I can say is to backup, and then give it a try.

What I laid out in my list of files I delete list works for me. I know that deleting everything on that list won't work for everyone.

I do know that for most people I know who delete any of these folders you asked about, Default User is the first to go. Network Service I have to take as its name implies...if your computer is on a network of computers.

I'm far from an expert with computers. My file deleting is all trial and error. This topic is generally a put off by the experts. Why I have know idea. Most responses I get from experts on forums goes something like, "With the size of hardrives today, why bother deleting files?"

Funny, though, after getting to know one of these experts better, I discovered that even though he wasn't a professed proponent of deleting files, he himself always deletes the Default User folder.

[NewLungs27]

Thanks!

[diego]

nice work ! :)

greetings

[capoguy]

Go around from deleting by moving and compressing:

Copy ServicePackFiles, Driver Cache, RegisteredPackages and DLLCache to your slowest hard drive (thus making greate use of it) or anywher You like and change all the paths in registry. For DLLCache You have to add the key manually:

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Key: Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Name: SFCDllCacheDir

Data Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ

Value: Path

Reboot and delete those folders from theire original locations.

For other folders mentioned in this thread use compressing couse there would be too much registry editing for INF-folder for example.

[engmike8]

got mine down to 396 megs. :D its blazin fast!

[Bold_Fortune]

A friend and I were playing around on another site one day. These were the results of our goofing with deleting files:

2McAbre:

Windows Directory (all files and sub-folders)?

(2855) Files (96) Folders. 361MB

System32 Folder?

(1968) Files (96) Folders. 228MB

Bold:

Windows Directory (all files and sub-folders)?

(2304) Files (144) Folders. 419MB Size on disk

System32 Folder?

(1881) Files (72) Folders. 305MB Size on disk

I could have gone further with this, but it really takes a lot of time and thought once I get into deleting individual system32 dlls and exe and other files, as i don't have what I usually delete cataloged. 2McAbre is one of those "real" pros when it come to computing. He could beat me hands down on his worst day.

Oh, plus I think 2Mcabre cheats, and uses file compression on old files...lol.

[iron2000]

I can't delete some files(one example is the MSAgent files).

Is this caused by WFP or do I have to delete them in safe mode?

[Liquid]

use safe mode when ur doing this stuff

[ToastGodSupreme]

has anyone had any problems running gpedit.msc or secpol.msc (in your run box)?

I'm trying to figure out if something in this guide has fubared it or something else. :)

[Bold_Fortune]

This is a nifty little utility I use to help me decern many individual files my system doesn't use. It's small, and free. http://kanadepro.com/findunusedfiles/

To give you an example. Right at this moment I am working out of a drive image I had saved shortly after installing XP. I haven't deleted very many files from at all. Find Unused Files shows me 5,782 files which have not been used in the last 100 days, which take up 433.77MB of space.

When you run Find Unused files you'll get an error. This error only tells you that it cannot access System Volume Information. Just click no and proceed with "View the Report".

You can't just walk in there and start deleting every file you see. (You can actually delete files from within the utility and send them to the recycle bin.) Many files it shows are actually used by your system. Like the hal.dll. You delete the hal.dll and your system won't restart.

I just use this utility as a pointer, so to speak. I still want to know what exactly each individual file is before I delete it.

[Guest Beh]

real useful and nice post thanks..

[iron2000]

After using safe mode, I got the WiNDOWS folder down to 1.46GB.

(nothing compared to you guys)

I deleted all the pnf but after restart or installing stuff some came back.

Is there a list of inf the PC will surely use?

[Bold_Fortune]

After using safe mode, I got the WiNDOWS folder down to 1.46GB.

(nothing compared to you guys)

I deleted all the pnf but after restart or installing stuff some came back.

Is there a list of inf the PC will surely use?

The use of an inf file will depend on your particular use of your computer. For example, if you never go into Disk Cleanup, you won't need the info files that are required to access Disk Cleanup.

Try this. Maybe this can explain it to you better by seeing what happens. Delete, or save to another location, all the .PNF file in the inf folder. Now access Disk Cleanup. Then look inside your inf folder again. You will now see some new .PNF files created buy the inf files that Disk Cleanup used when you accessed it.

A .PNF file is created when the inf file is used. It's sort of like a cache file.

[Echilon]

Bold_fortune, i'm geting a 404

[Bold_Fortune]

Bold_fortune, i'm geting a 404

I can't help you with that 404. I'm sorry. My computer knowledge is very limited. I'm not a pro or an expert. Matter-of-fact, most pros and experts would know right off that I'm really just a novice...which I am...because it would show to them without me saying much.

Some things I delete aren't going to work for you. I only know they work for me.

It's very important to backup your system before you do start deleting system files.

The really weird thing about tweaking your system, deleting files, or even making certain changes to the interface is, that everyone's system reacts differently. It's really weird. I've even heard it said that regarding your own installations, that no two installations are exactly the same.

For example. I know of 525 DLLS in my system32 folder that I always delete. But for some reason, with this particular installation, I can't delete them all without something going wrong. So I have to go through them and find out what the problem is. (Not looking forward to that.)

Good Luck, buddy.

[Oblivion]

Nice Utility, Thanks :)

[DrunkenMaster]

Wow! Thanks a lot!

I've been able to reduce my WinNT folder in Windows 2000 SP4 is now 443 MB. I've easily removed over 80 MB of files. This makes imaging the HDD and putting it all on one CD so much easier.