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Solve : crushing my computer? |
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Answer» I am running xp, and i keep getting a message out of disk space or low. I think i would need to see if someone could give me step by step instructions on crushing my computer. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Susanstep 1: find large weight I have 539 Capacity, 505 GB used. and 353MB left. How is this possible? You have about 34Gb free. I assume that you have ≈35 GB left. If you have no programs that you are willing to uninstall and no data that you are willing to delete or archive, I think the simplest solution is an additional hard drive; you could also get a larger drive but you would have to re-install Windows, all programs and data. Windows XP has a file compression scheme that I do not recommend (simply because it is another source for corrupted data) but you may want to investigate it as a short term strategy: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307987. Best of LUCK!Susan When you say crushing, do you mean compressing ? If you use Windows Explorer, select drive C:\, right click and open properties, you will get a display that shows Used space and free space. NOW BE CAREFUL TO READ ALL I SAY BEFORE YOU CLICK ON ANYTHING. It also shows an option to "Compress drive to save disk space" BEFORE you you this, think about a large concrete block. If you use this it will try to do as requested. You may be lucky; You may have "Windows File Protection" demanding CDs to re-install invalid files; You may find you have taken the long route to the same result offered by fireballs, a dead P.C. I NEVER EVER compress my hard drive I periodically use disc cleanup, which includes the option to compress old files that have not been used in the last 30 days. Just once after launching disc cleanup, it took much longer than normal, and then Windows File Protection KICKED in and demanded installation CD's which I never had, and refused to access the folders where the original pre-installation stuff existed. Whilst all this was happening I then spotted that the option to "Compress drive to save disk space" had somehow been checked - I never checked it, but it had happened. Result - Computer between a rock and a hard place - computer lost. Fortunately I was able to restore a disc image captured the previous week, and I lost nothing other than emails and downloads during that week. Since then I never allow Disc Cleanup to compress old files unless I have just created a disc image in anticipation of disaster, and I always ensure that option to "Compress drive to save disk space" has NOT been checked. You may have data files etc that can be safely compressed, but compressing Windows System files is a good way to gain a lot of unhappy experience the hard way. Regards Alan what about a disk defrag? start>rt click my computer>manage>disk defragmenter? Quote from: h0w on August 24, 2008, 04:04:43 PM what about a disk defrag? With ≈6% free space, a defrag would take forever, if it will run. Besides, her issue is Free Space, not efficiency.First of all: Quote I have 539 Capacity, 505 GB used. and 353MB leftSay again? We can't speculate here...I would not recommend Disk Compression for any scenario... Alan i don't understand why you would post the instructions when you said yourself that you wouldn't use it either.Hmm, I vote for crushing it. It's easier and you'll get a lot more satisfaction out of it. Quote from: patio on August 25, 2008, 03:53:37 PM I would not recommend Disk Compression for any scenario... I did not wantonly post dangerous instructions I corrected SLIGHTLY INCORRECT information that could have led her to disaster. drmsucks advised *How much Free Space is on the drive? My Computer>right-click the hard drive>Properties That does not work for me on Windows XP Home with SP3. I can select the desk top short cut to MY Computer, and right click etc. gives system properties including control of System Restore and Automatic updates etc. If I launch "My Computer" it shows me immediately the size and free space of every drive. From here I can select My Computer and with that selected a right click etc. again gives me System restore etc. From here I can also select C:\ (or any other available drive) and with that selected a right click etc. shows for that drive the Used Space and the Free space. It also has this dangerous check box to compress the whole drive. I was very concerned that Susan might accidentally stumble across this, either from what she was already told, or perhaps by google searching, and that having stumbled across it she might think it was the answer to her needs - perhaps it is, but I thought I should warn of the dire consequences it could unleash. It has already bitten me hard when it somehow activated itself. Regards Alan Quote from: ALAN_BR on August 26, 2008, 09:24:07 AM Quote from: patio on August 25, 2008, 03:53:37 PMOkay, just to clear my name...Alan, the sequence given will work perfectly for you "on Windows XP Home with SP3" - you misunderstood my instructions: a) Start My Computer, b) then, right-click on the hard drive in which you are interested, c) then, left-click Properties; free space will be displayed. (Short version: My Computer>right-click the hard drive>Properties) There is nothing "incorrect" in my sequence, and, certainly nothing potentially "disastrous." (Btw, the reason that hdd info is displayed on your machine after invoking My Computer is because of your View selection; my way will work regardless of the View selection.)I would not recommend Disk Compression for any scenario... No one suggested that you "wantonly posted dangerous instructions." Rather, I think, the query was directed at your logic: a) don't ever do this, b) here's how to do it. I understand that you were simply trying to share your experience and help the OP avoid what was, for you, a potentially bad situation - but, I think that it is a stretch to suggest that my instructions for finding Free Space were somehow going to lead the OP in a dangerous DIRECTION. Quote from: CBMatt on August 25, 2008, 11:35:29 PM Hmm, I vote for crushing it. It's easier and you'll get a lot more satisfaction out of it. I vote for this option. |
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