Vista - Whats it doing with all my storage?

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scotlandrocks

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 19, 2006
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I'm curious, 12 GB or therabouts after initial install. My Vista install has swelled to around 40 GB. If I minus around 15 GB for any programs and games I have installed, whats it all being used for. Anyone else experiencing the same thing?
 
System Restore uses 15% of space by default. There is a method of changing how much space you want it to use. Run Disk Cleanup to remove temp files, etc.
 
Or a virus. NOD32 found one when I was using XP.

I chose to use about 5% of space because it sometimes comes in handy. Why Microsoft doesn't let you change it in Vista without using a command prompt is beyond me.
 
Volume shadow copy is used for a lot more than just system restores on Vista Ultimate. It does automatic snapshot versioning of files when they are changed, using up to the 15% space default.
 
digital_exhaust said:
I choose none.

Disable it.. it is nothing more than a great place for malware to hide itself.
Click to expand...

True, unless you have a relatively clean system and safe browsing habits to start with ;) You just have a LESSER chance of it happening.

To the OP: I've noticed the same thing... Vista seems to grow over time by itself. Quite honestly, I haven't used the same Vista system long enough to use it for any huge length of time to see if it stops or not, but I do know that cleaning cached files and such out does not help.
Not that big of deal if you have a large enough hard drive, but I have been unable to pinpoint exactly what causes it (And it is not System Restore as on the last system 'twas disabled).
 
It does for me. Sometimes it hangs when I try to close it, but that's it.
 
About once a month I turn system restore off and then back on. Turning if off will delete all the restore points. Then when you turn it back on it will create one new restore point. You can do the same thing in disk cleanup too. I used it just yesterday to bail me out of a botched video driver install.
 
nessus said:
Volume shadow copy is used for a lot more than just system restores on Vista Ultimate. It does automatic snapshot versioning of files when they are changed, using up to the 15% space default.
Click to expand...

Where do you shut that off? and if you do is it okay?

Also turning off system restore seems kinda like a good way to shoot yourself in the foot. Is there better options?
 
Glow said:
Where do you shut that off? and if you do is it okay?

Also turning off system restore seems kinda like a good way to shoot yourself in the foot. Is there better options?
Click to expand...

i think just lowering the space it takes up for system restores. a good idea is to just make a restore point when you install of the stuff you need/want to install. after you've done that you should be fine. maybe take it down to 1 or 2%.
 
markt435 said:
i think just lowering the space it takes up for system restores. a good idea is to just make a restore point when you install of the stuff you need/want to install. after you've done that you should be fine. maybe take it down to 1 or 2%.
Click to expand...

Okay so I'm curious then once you do this how do you get rid of the previous like 12% it was saving? I also see where system restore is and such but I dont see where you can lower the %. Where do I see this?
 
i think disk cleanup should get rid of the old entries. you do a clean up for all files on computer, then click the more options tab. you should see the system restore option there.

<nvm>

EDIT: actually ignore that second part...i have to look for it or maybe someone else can answer before i do lol

EDIT2: doesn't seem like you can...all you can do is clean up old restore points. i guess thats ok.
 
djnes said:
This morning is easy. Two of the exact same question.

http://windirstat.info/

That software will tell you what's using the space.
Click to expand...
Yep. See the response I posted to the other topic also:

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1031283428&postcount=13

The problem with this particular topic, though, is that it's so vague. scotlandrocks mentions:
..12 GB or therabouts after initial install. My Vista install has swelled to around 40 GB. If I minus around 15 GB for any programs and games I have installed, whats it all being used for...
Click to expand...
and it's sorta obvious that what's being referred to here isn't just the "Vista install" but instead the entire hard drive and usage activity!
 
i ran windirstat, I am referring to the Vista install as I said, my games and apps that i have installed take up approximately 15GB, everything else is windows. I understand that it will be system restore and volume shadow copy. Just never realised it would be so much.

Windirstat showed 19GB of unknown files on the drive thats a hell of a lot.
 
I know when I ran Disk Cleanup the other day there was a massive amount of THUMBNAILS cached (I cannot remember how much- but it was somewhere around 30GB).
 
system restore and volume shadow copy. Anyone know how to correctly limit these I dont see anywhere to put in the % for system restore
 
I know where the system restore settings are on XP. I'm not running vista.
Accessories => System Tools=> system restore.
Or right click your My Computer Icon and open system properties, and then select the system restore tab.
Once its open look for "system restore settings" in the lower left pain.
Click it to open another window. Select a drive and click the settings button
 
alphanumeric said:
I know where the system restore settings are on XP. I'm not running vista.
Accessories => System Tools=> system restore.
Or right click your My Computer Icon and open system properties, and then select the system restore tab.
Once its open look for "system restore settings" in the lower left pain.
Click it to open another window. Select a drive and click the settings button
Click to expand...

he's referring to vista. they changed it and it seems, at least from where i looked around, that you can't lower the size of the percentage it uses for restores. i looked in the help file to be sure and it stated that vista MAY use up to 15%. i guess its just up to you to clean up old restores and keep it tidy using disk cleanup.
 
thats what controls it

and that is a fucking nice link. thanks. i was using 22GB even after i did a disk cleanup :eek:. i set it down to 2GB
 
huh? Not sure I follow here. How do I get rid of the previously saved crap? Also is there any other ways to cut down on gobbled space from vista?
 
markt435 said:
thats what controls it

and that is a fucking nice link. thanks. i was using 22GB even after i did a disk cleanup :eek:. i set it down to 2GB
Click to expand...

I wonder if it will let you set it to zero. I guess I will try this when I get home. I just did a fresh install of Vista 64 on a 74GB raptor, installed a couple of games and applications and Im down to 20 GB free! I already disabled system restore and did disk clean up! Something is sucking it away!
 
techie81 said:
I wonder if it will let you set it to zero. I guess I will try this when I get home. I just did a fresh install of Vista 64 on a 74GB raptor, installed a couple of games and applications and Im down to 20 GB free! I already disabled system restore and did disk clean up! Something is sucking it away!
Click to expand...

I have the same problem. I am using a 74gb Raptor, and my Vista x64 install is about 2 months old. I have a few programs installed, and BF2 is the only game installed and I'm sitting at around 20gb free as well.

All of my larger files/music and everything else is on a separate drive.
 
So should 2GB be the key # here? Or would 1GB be enough?
 
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