C Drive-simple query

I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc clear up is
activated but the disc remains full.

Please can someone advise how I go about identifying which areas take up the
most space so I can consider deleting appropriate files to make more space.

Any help appreciated & sorry for such a basic question !

Regards

Kimpton
--
kimpton

look for

My Documents full of docs that arent required
downloaded movie and audio files
Installed programs that arent used
Images saved as .bmp instead of .jpg

Clearout 'Temporary internet files"

--
-
Adaware http://www.lavasoft.de
spybot http://www.safer-networking.org
AVG free antivirus http://www.grisoft.com
Etrust/Vet/CA.online Antivirus scan
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
Super Antispyware http://www.superantispyware.com/
Panda online AntiVirus scan http://www.activescan.com
Panda online AntiSpyware Scan
http://www.pandasoftware.com/virus_info/spyware/test/
Catalog of removal tools (1)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/download/utilities/
Catalog of removal tools (2)
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/n...aspx?CID=40387
Trouble Shooting guide to Windows http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/
Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts file
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
Cool Web Shredder http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/
links provided as a courtesy, read all instructions on the pages before
use
Grateful thanks to the authors/webmasters
_
"Kimpton" wrote in message
...
I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc clear up is
activated but the disc remains full.

Please can someone advise how I go about identifying which areas take up
the
most space so I can consider deleting appropriate files to make more
space.

Any help appreciated & sorry for such a basic question !

Regards

Kimpton
--
kimpton

"Kimpton" wrote in message
...

I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc clear up is
activated but the disc remains full.

Disk Cleanup cannot automatically eliminate
junk files e.g. your income tax data for 2002,
drafts of letters you will never send, old music
or graphics files you have forgtten about, etc.
But your situation would be different if your
full hard drive were 2 Gb or 20 or 100: you did not say.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

=?Utf-8?B?S2ltcHRvbg==?=
wrote in
:

I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc
clear up is
activated but the disc remains full.

Please can someone advise how I go about identifying which
areas take up the most space so I can consider deleting
appropriate files to make more space.

Any help appreciated & sorry for such a basic question !

Regards

Kimpton

"Scanner" from
http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/
The tiny "button painter" program is fantastic also, although
quite a different kettle of fish.

Kimpton wrote:
| I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc clear up is
| activated but the disc remains full.
|
| Please can someone advise how I go about identifying which areas take
| up the most space so I can consider deleting appropriate files to
| make more space.
|
| Any help appreciated & sorry for such a basic question !
|
| Regards
|
| Kimpton

In addition to AlmostBob's suggestions, try these DOS deletes...

(1) Boot to DOS
(Hold CTRL as you boot for the Startup Menu,
& select "Command Prompt Only" from it.)

(2) DEL C:\Windows\Win386.swp
DEL C:\Win386.swp

That is the swap file. It may be in either location,
& it will create again at boot, possibly smaller.

(3) DELTREE C:\Windows\Temp\ /y
DELTREE C:\Temp\ /y

CAREFUL with DELTREE. It will delete the full contents of the
folder
specified. Temp may be in either location & may be deleted, if not
in the midst of an install that uses it. It could be a lot of waste
matter has accumulated in there.

(4) DELTREE C:\Windows\Tempor~1\ /y
DELTREE C:\WINDOWS\Locals~1\Tempor~1\ /y

These are your Temporary Internet Files, hopefully in one of
those locations. They will begin to grow again, as you browse
the NET. It's size is controllable by the slider & input box under
the "Control Panel, Internet Options, Settings button". Mine is
set for 200 MB there. Many say to go smaller-- say, 40 MB.

To pursue Phillipson's comment...

(1) "START button, Run, MSInfo32". Use CTRL-Mouse to highlight relevant
info & the Edit menu to Copy it...

Windows-managed swap file on drive C (6458MB free)
Available space on drive C: 6458MB of 7979MB (FAT32)
Available space on drive D: 6232MB of 7979MB (FAT32)
Available space on drive E: 773MB of 2792MB (FAT32)
Available space on drive F: 7979MB of 7979MB (FAT32)
Available space on drive G: 7786MB of 7979MB (FAT32)
Available space on drive H: 7620MB of 7979MB (FAT32)
Available space on drive I: 6174MB of 6174MB (FAT32)

(2)
(a) "START button, Programs, MS-DOS Prompt"
(b) FDISK /Status
(c) Use the "MARK", outline text with mouse, "COPY" button to
post the results.

C:\FDISK /Status
Disk Drv Mbytes Free Usage
1 19092 8298 57%
C: 7996
E: 2798
2 38169 100% Full drive
D: 7996 One partition
F: 7996
G: 7996
H: 7996
I: 6187

"PCR" wrote in
:

Kimpton wrote:
| I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc
| clear up is activated but the disc remains full.
|
| Please can someone advise how I go about identifying which
| areas take up the most space so I can consider deleting
| appropriate files to make more space.

SNIP

I suppose it will be interpreted as extremely offensive,
aggressive, hostile, and ill-mannered by all and sundry for me
to point out that I was the /only/ one out of the four FUppers
who actually answered the OP's question instead of telling him
what "they think" is taking up all his space... let alone
suggesting deleting directories which *might* well contain stuff
that is important to him... in DOS no less.

Of course, a real file manager would also almost instantly (with
the click of ONE key) show exactly how much space all currently
visible directories occupy.

But of course, I am not helpful, I'm just a sarcastic jerk.
Oops... DID I SAY A BAD WORD? Am I being "devilish" again?

AFA swap file, that was actually a good suggestion, but in 95
and 98 it is best to set a permanently-sized swap file on
another partition, about 2-3 times the amount of RAM the machine
has. I KNOW there are many different opinions on this, but I
have been doing this on my 95 and 98 machines forever and it
works just great. There MAY be a better way, but I have not
found one - and I looked and experimented for several years
before settling on this solution.

"thanatoid" wrote in message
...
| "PCR" wrote in
| :
|
| Kimpton wrote:
| | I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc
| | clear up is activated but the disc remains full.
| |
| | Please can someone advise how I go about identifying which
| | areas take up the most space so I can consider deleting
| | appropriate files to make more space.
|
| SNIP
|
| I suppose it will be interpreted as extremely offensive,
| aggressive, hostile, and ill-mannered by all and sundry for me
| to point out that I was the /only/ one

Thanatoid! Just post your suggestion & let others decide which is best!
Only if you find a danger or serious flaw should you comment on the
others!

| out of the four FUppers
| who actually answered the OP's question instead of telling him
| what "they think" is taking up all his space...

AlmostBob & I named some very likely candidates. It should also be said
C:\WINDOWS\CLEANMGR.EXE, itself, may be the problem. It isn't the best
tool to use to do these deletes, I've read here at this NG. But it
usually doesn't get as bad as Kimpton reports.

| let alone
| suggesting deleting directories which *might* well contain stuff
| that is important to him... in DOS no less.

Temporary Internet Files will grow again & are expendable.

Some users have a ton of useless, accumulated stuff in TEMP. These are
files that were placed there temporarily during an install. Fine, look
through it first, maybe at the .log &/or .txt files! But, after a fresh
boot, all installs are done. And all .logs/.txts really belong in the
folder the app was install to-- somewhere in Program Files. Also, virus
checkers may put a permanent file in there. It will do so again when
needed.

Naturally, if you have actually installed something into TEMP, there
might be a Registry connection to it. Those, you need to un/re-install
elsewhere. Finally, I even saw a poster who had system files in there,
perhaps it was the Temporary Internet Files in there. That shouldn't be!
Well, to be certain, is C:\Windows\TEMP or C:\TEMP mentioned in any
of these Registry keys...?...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\She
ll Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Use
r Shell Folders

| Of course, a real file manager would also almost instantly (with
| the click of ONE key) show exactly how much space all currently
| visible directories occupy.

Make do with what OP already has!

| But of course, I am not helpful, I'm just a sarcastic jerk.
| Oops... DID I SAY A BAD WORD? Am I being "devilish" again?

Yep-- as defined in "Webster's New World Dictionary of the American
Language" (copyright page long lost)...
4. a person who is sprightly, mischievious, energetic, etc.

....DON'T make me move you UP to...!...
3. a wicked or malevolent person.

You're getting closer!

| AFA swap file, that was actually a good suggestion, but in 95
| and 98 it is best to set a permanently-sized swap file on
| another partition, about 2-3 times the amount of RAM the machine
| has. I KNOW there are many different opinions on this, but I
| have been doing this on my 95 and 98 machines forever and it
| works just great. There MAY be a better way, but I have not
| found one - and I looked and experimented for several years
| before settling on this solution.

You will put Harper & Harper into their graves with advice like that!
And they'll come back out after you...!...

A very respectable name-- it was Harper, MVP (&/or Martell, MVP)--
has SAID: Under certain circumstances, perhaps rare, there can be a
serious crash, IF a maximum is set for the Swap File, and there is no
telling how big it may wish to grow. HE HAS SEEN IT, with his own eyes.
(Now, he is blind.) So, forget about the 2.5x usable RAM rule. (He now
sits at his keyboard, day & night, waiting to pounce, should anyone
suggest using it.) I didn't do it long! I couldn't bear the sight of
nearly a GB worth of Win386.swp, (although it seemed to function well, &
I do have a book that suggests it).

On Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:54:07 -0400, "PCR"
"thanatoid" wrote in message
| "PCR" wrote in
| Kimpton wrote:

OK, I'll bite...

| | I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc
| | clear up is activated but the disc remains full.

| | Please can someone advise how I go about identifying which
| | areas take up the most space so I can consider deleting
| | appropriate files to make more space.

Not wanting to be called a FUpper by thanatoid, let's start by
answering this question...

Win98 is based on the FATxx file system, which means that all normal
data use will be visible. But first, you have to bash Windows
Explorer into shape; set it to show all files (include hidden ones)
and I'd get it to show file name extensions and full paths too. Also,
turn off "View As Web Page"; it's utterly useless and creates risk,
tho exploitation of that risk has been rare (e.g. Redlof).

Once you can actually see all files, you can start checking subtrees
to see how much each subtree is taking up (by "subtree", I mean a
folder or drive letter with everything inside that location).
Right-click the drive or folder, click Properties; then you'd see the
bytes within files, plus bytes of storage used to hold them.

BTW, the above will work even if files are still hidden. The reason
you want to un-hide files is so you can see them when this subtree
size tests points to where you should be looking for large files.

That is how you can "identify which areas take up the most space".


Whether you should delete material there, is another matter.

Any unused Windows programs that take too much space should be
uninstalled via Add/Remove programs, not simply deleted. Doing so
will free space held by extrra files dropped outside the program's
subtree, clean up registry references, file associations and UI
elements, and keep shared code library ("DLL") use counts up to date.

When it comes to your own data and downloads, no 3rd-party tool can
make that call for you. You can sort files by date, or Find files
older than date X and larger than size Y, but you decide what to chop.

JPG, GIF, AVI, MPG, MP3, ZIP files and many downloaded .EXE
installation files are already compressed, so applying .ZIP
compression will only help reduce slack space occupied by numerous
small files when they are gathered into one archive. All other
material can be archived before deleting the originals, so as to save
space while still being able to "undo".

First, look for lost space outside the data space, i.e. lost cluster
chains that no longer exist as files, but still take space. Eyeball
to see if you need them, else delete.

Then go for the "free lunch"; clear web cache and Temp files, and set
Internet Explorer to use a smaller size cache (e.g. 20M).

Once you free some space, you can do some things that can reclaim
space, but require space to do so; compacting of mailboxes. Your
email app is probably your largest database, and like many indexed
databases, there will be wasted space where "deleted" material is left
in inaccessible form so as to maintain validity of the index. When
you compact these mailboxes, you re-build the index and the lost space
is freed up. Clear the Trash and compact that, then do the smallest
mailboxes first, so there's the maximum free space to do the big ones.

Temporary Internet Files will grow again & are expendable.

Limit the size of the cache, and do so within each user profile.

Some users have a ton of useless, accumulated stuff in TEMP. These are
files that were placed there temporarily during an install. Fine, look
through it first, maybe at the .log &/or .txt files! But, after a fresh
boot, all installs are done.

Not always the case, unfortunately. I often find these remaining in
place, as well as directories full of stuff from archives that were
opened. WinZip will warn you such material may be left behind under
some circumstances, but not if there's a bad exit.

In fact, bad exits are worth talking about...
- you run low on free C: space
- PC crashes, so you bad-exit from Windows
- this leaves files lying around in Temp
- so now you have less free space on C:
- repeat from top with increasing frequency until dead

Naturally, if you have actually installed something into TEMP, there
might be a Registry connection to it.

You'd have to be a bit dumb to install something to Temp, although
malware is quite likely to operate from there. So registry pointers
to code in Temp should be considered with suspicion.

| Of course, a real file manager would also almost instantly (with
| the click of ONE key) show exactly how much space all currently
| visible directories occupy.

It takes quite a long time to build this information, so I'm glad
Windows Explorer doesn't do this on the fly (i.e. no-click). I don't
find the operations of select-all, rt-click, Properties to be too bad.

| AFA swap file, that was actually a good suggestion, but in 95
| and 98 it is best to set a permanently-sized swap file on
| another partition, about 2-3 times the amount of RAM the machine
| has. I KNOW there are many different opinions on this

Yes, there are, and it also varies with OS.

Win9x really does use the swap file purely for RAM overflow, so it is
the size of your job that should determine size, not the size of RAM.

That's why you can expect a scorful response to "X times RAM size",
because the more RAM you have for a given task load, the LESS swap
file you would need.

Best way to judge this is to use System Monitor, Swap File In Use.
That's the only really meaningful "memory" metric, because it is only
in *using* the swap file that performance pain is felt!

There's a case to be made for setting a minimum swap file size, so
that the swap file is not fragmented (disable then create the swap
file after a defrag, so free space is consolidated). But I would not
set a maximum size, as there's not much point.

Windows 9x will pre-allocate extra swap space that it may not need,
which may be suppressed if a maximum is set. But if more memory
(RAM+swap) is needed, the PC will crash if no more is available - and
that means bad exit, uncleared temp files, file system damage and lost
cluster chains, and loss of disk space.

So I'd set the minimum size to the amount of swap I think I'll need.
If I guessed right, the result will be the same as if I specified a
maximum. But if I was wrong, the swap will extend at the expense of
some speed, rather than crashing and eating the file system.


I mentioned YMMV with OS, when it comes to swap file policy. NT-based
OSs such as XP call this the page file, and they use it for purposes
other than RAM overflow. Some of these uses (hot-swapping memory
contexts for fast user switching, or dumping all RAM contents after a
crash) do require the page file to be large enough to swalllow all of
the RAM, and that's where you'd hear "X times RAM size" again.

The original source of "X times RAM size" was OSs like UNIX, Novell,
etc. and I have no idea how they work. It doesn't make sense in
Win9x, and a permanently oversize swap file will drop performance by
increasing head travel from FAT to newly-created Temp files.


Actually, I haven't seen gains that make it worth my while to change
swap settings in Win9x - I just let Windows manage it. This may be
because I partition into logical volumes and I de-bulk C:, which I
keep small - so that the maximum head travel is always constrained.

In XP, it's a different story. Unlike Win9x, XP does fix minimum and
maximum page file size, just as Win3.yuk was best set to do.

XP uses the same "X times size of RAM" rule, which gets really, really
silly. An XP system with 128M RAM is magically able to carry tasks in
only 128M + 192M, whereas a system with 1G needs 1G + 1.5G... so if
you want to reduce page file use, then install less RAM? Absurd.

I don't use fast user switching and I disable large memory dumps on
crash, and that removes the need for page file to be tailored on the
size of physical RAM. I know that if XP likes 256M to run OK and 512M
to run well, it's going to need a LOT more than 192M page file with
only 128M RAM - so I usually set the minimum and maximum to 512M,
irrespective of whether the PC has 128M, 256M or 512M RAM.

Over 512M, I ask myself why there's so much RAM. If the tasks are
massive, I leave things as they are; else I shrink page file to 512M
or the minimum that XP automatically suggests, and cap this as max.

So far I've not seen a 512M+ PC crash or complain about low memory. I
always see XP complain about low memory (suggesting that I should
increase the page file) on systems with 128M RAM.



------------ ----- --- -- - - - -
Drugs are usually safe. Inject? (Y/n)
------------ ----- --- -- - - - -

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)"
wrote in
:

On Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:54:07 -0400, "PCR"
"thanatoid" wrote in message
| "PCR" wrote in
| Kimpton wrote:

OK, I'll bite...

| | I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst
| | disc clear up is activated but the disc remains full.

| | Please can someone advise how I go about identifying
| | which areas take up the most space so I can consider
| | deleting appropriate files to make more space.

Here comes yet another non-answer to a simple question...

Not wanting to be called a FUpper by thanatoid, let's
start by answering this question...

In case you think it means something else, it means follow-
upper.

Win98 is based on the FATxx file system, which means that
all normal data use will be visible. But first, you have
to bash Windows Explorer into shape; set it to show all
files (include hidden ones) and I'd get it to show file
name extensions and full paths too. Also, turn off "View
As Web Page"; it's utterly useless and creates risk, tho
exploitation of that risk has been rare (e.g. Redlof).

Wow, an actual valid recommendation from an MVP regarding that
pathetic excuse for a file manager! Congratulations for having
some integrity!

Once you can actually see all files, you can start checking
subtrees to see how much each subtree is taking up (by
"subtree", I mean a folder or drive letter with everything
inside that location). Right-click the drive or folder,
click Properties; then you'd see the bytes within files,
plus bytes of storage used to hold them.

Oh yes, that is SO much easier than installing an under-200K
free program which tells you all that about any or all drives on
your system almost instantly.

Oh I forgot, NO non-MS programs may be used on a MS OS, or it
will cease to be the ultra-safe, ultra-stable and ultra-
efficient OS that is has always been. It's ALL the OTHER guys'
fault!

Strange how such a wonderful OS STILL can't print directory
contents... I guess we are just fools to think we need them once
in a while!

When it comes to your own data and downloads, no 3rd-party
tool can make that call for you.

Here you go again. What "call"? READ THE QUESTION AGAIN.

"Identifying which areas take up the most space so I can
consider
deleting appropriate files to make more space"!

I don't see him asking for your help in telling him what to
delete, regardless of how clairvoyant and/or good at using MS
spyware you guys may be, he just wants to know HOW TO FIND OUT
WHAT TAKES UP MOST SPACE.

You can sort files by
date, or Find files older than date X and larger than size
Y, but you decide what to chop.

No kidding.

SNIP

| Of course, a real file manager would also almost
| instantly (with the click of ONE key) show exactly how
| much space all currently visible directories occupy.

It takes quite a long time to build this information, so
I'm glad Windows Explorer doesn't do this on the fly (i.e.
no-click). I don't find the operations of select-all,
rt-click, Properties to be too bad.

Are you guys FORBIDDEN by Microsoft to ever try, use, let alone
recommend 3rd party software or are you just seriously judgment
and logic-impaired?

SNIP

The original source of "X times RAM size" was OSs like
UNIX, Novell, etc. and I have no idea how they work. It
doesn't make sense in Win9x, and a permanently oversize
swap file will drop performance by increasing head travel
from FAT to newly-created Temp files.

Interesting. So if I have a partition which only has the swap
file on it, I use a swap file defragger, and I have 50 MB's of
stuff in it at the moment, whether there remains 50 or 300 MB's
of free swap-drive space will affect the amount of head travel
the HD has to do? Good one.

Actually, I haven't seen gains that make it worth my while
to change swap settings in Win9x - I just let Windows
manage it.

AMEN. (Short laughter break.)

This may be because I partition into logical
volumes and I de-bulk C:, which I keep small - so that the
maximum head travel is always constrained.

Basics. Congratulations on no "fear of partitions", so common
these days.

In XP, it's a different story. Unlike Win9x, XP does fix
minimum and maximum page file size, just as Win3.yuk was
best set to do.

Check the name of this group. We already know you know
everything about Windows.

What's really amusing is that it is quite obvious that the OP is
apparently either not one to thank his repliers, or that he has
not been to the group since he asked the question.

Still, the valiant struggle in arguing about nothing, including
totally irrelevant information, and EVERYTHING except simply
answering a "simple question" goes on...

On Sat, 9 Sep 2006 11:52:02 -0700, Kimpton
put finger to keyboard and
composed:

I keep getting messages that "disc is full".Whilst disc clear up is
activated but the disc remains full.

Please can someone advise how I go about identifying which areas take up the
most space so I can consider deleting appropriate files to make more space.

Any help appreciated & sorry for such a basic question !

Regards

Kimpton

From a DOS prompt, type ...

dir c:\ /s /o-s %temp%\filelist.txt

It might take a while but eventually you will have a complete list of
your files sorted by largest first. This list will be in your TEMP
directory.

If you wish to ignore files smaller than 100K, then type ...

dir c:\ /s /o-s | find /v " " %temp%\filelist.txt

^^^^^^^^ 8 spaces

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.