Why is my OS so big?

[tgabe213]

I've got Vista Ultimate. Purchased a desktop from Dell a few weeks back. Came with a 320gig HD. I uninstalled a few of the crappy things it came with (not too much), installed Trend Micro, Adobe Web Standard, and a few other misc small things. My OS takes up 45GB!

I didn't think it was near that much. I just imaged it, formatted, and created a partition for my HD of 50GB (not knowing it was 45), and now I've only got about 3.5GB left.

A friend just built a new PC with Vista Ultimate and his is only 8 or 9 GB.

Um...

[TechieSooner]

Microsoft recommends (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirements.mspx) at least a 55GB hard drive with Vista Ultimate...
On Home Premium myself (Not even Ultimate with its extra stuff over Home Premium) and my Windows directory alone is 16GB.

I don't have a fresh install of Vista around here to check disk space usage...

[tgabe213]

Microsoft recommends (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirements.mspx) at least a 55GB hard drive with Vista Ultimate...
On Home Premium myself (Not even Ultimate with its extra stuff over Home Premium) and my Windows directory alone is 16GB.

I've had my computer for 2 week. Why is my OS 45GB. I don't think it was this big before. A friend installed Vista Ultimate 2 weeks ago on his computer, and that's only 8 or 9 gigs.

[tgabe213]

"System Protection" was enabled for | ! | C: OS (Missing). I disabled it, it disappeared from the list, and my OS is down to 15 gig.

[bbz_Ghost]

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1031705261#post1031705261

Read that post, and show me where just installing Vista Ultimate on your machine by itself it taking up 45GB of space, 'cause I'd love to have some proof to those wild space requirement claims. If that machine is using 45GB of space on the hard drive then obviously it's bloated beyond all reason (you did say it's a Dell, sooo...)

It's when people make this statement or something like it:

My OS takes up 45GB!

that I really find annoying more than most anything else said about Vista - aside from the FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, AND DOUBT stuff with DRM and the like. VISTA DOESN'T TAKE 45GB. Vista plus a shitload of extra software does, but not Vista alone.

But geez, come on, Vista isn't that large. Even a full install of Ultimate 32 bit is barely cracking 6GB of actual used space, I just proved that more or less with today's experiment I did in that thread linked above.

Geez... from the fryin' pan into the fire in almost no time flat. :)

[tgabe213]

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1031705261#post1031705261

Read that post, and show me where just installing Vista Ultimate on your machine by itself it taking up 45GB of space, 'cause I'd love to have some proof to those wild space requirement claims. If that machine is using 45GB of space on the hard drive then obviously it's bloated beyond all reason (you did say it's a Dell, sooo...)

It's when people make this statement or something like it:



that I really find annoying more than most anything else said about Vista - aside from the FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, AND DOUBT stuff with DRM and the like. VISTA DOESN'T TAKE 45GB. Vista plus a shitload of extra software does, but not Vista alone.

But geez, come on, Vista isn't that large. Even a full install of Ultimate 32 bit is barely cracking 6GB of actual used space, I just proved that more or less with today's experiment I did in that thread linked above. And you are probably looking *down* on me because I bought a Dell (subconsciously at least), and that I have no idea what I'm doing. I KNOW Vista doesn't take 45gig. I wanted to know why it would have been appearing that way.

Geez... from the fryin' pan into the fire in almost no time flat. :)

Quit your bitching. I am by no means a Vista hater. I was merely asking why it was taking up so much space. Before you had to go ahead and prove your 'point,' you should have read my post above yours to see what the issue was. You probably are looking *down* on me because I bought a Dell, so I must have no idea what I'm doing. I was merely asking why it was showing 45gigs, because I knew that was incorrect. Go make yourself feel better elsewhere.

[bbz_Ghost]

I'm on a nearly 6 year old Dell Precision Workstation 530MT, just sold a Dell Dimension e520 last week, sold a Dimension 9150 last month, owned 17 Dell laptops and a total of over 100 machines from Dell total in the past. Been using them for years, nothing wrong with the hardware or the OS - it's when they tack on all the crap bloatware that most people don't need, want, or will ever find a use for.

Most likely it's System Restore because every time something changes Vista just runs off and makes yet another restore point. I believe you discovered that for yourself, so now you're getting somewhere.

[heatlesssun]

A fresh install of Vista Ultimate 32bit will take about 8 - 9 GB. Now over time, it will eat much more with Desktop Search and System Restore turned on. Please don't turn off System Restore! This little puppy is very good at rolling back system changes after something goes wrong. Vista has a Disk Cleanup utility that you can run once a week or so that cleans up old restores, keeping the most current one.