Why is Windows 7 eating up my hard drive space?

Anonymous

I'm having a repeat of an old problem with disappearing disk space. Previously I was told to use Treesize Free to determine where the issue was, but I finally had to have a technician re-install Windows 7. Ever since then I've periodically run Treesize Free scans for the purpose of comparison so I'll discern any unusual changes.

Now that the problem is recurring, my Treesize Free scan indicates the major changes from one period to the next are actually the Windows files, rather than any documents I save or programs I install. I can't figure why Windows would simply grow and get so large as to make my disk unusable.

This computer has a small 80GB hard drive. Below is a breakdown of scan results over the past months. I've usually recorded the 4 biggest items and then opened their sub-folders.

C:\	63545.7	64763.9	65369	68179.1	70034.9	76777.3	77058.1
Users	37121.8	38379.7	34735.6	40946.6	36257.4	34577.5	32255.2
Windows	15620.8	15551.5	15263.4	15753.7	17128.7	24616.3	27655.1
Program Files	4305	4352.9	4398.9	4483.1	5069	4840.7	5169

You can see where as this has got worse, Users files have shrunk as we've deleted stuff, and Windows has grown rapidly. Can this be prevented or repaired without another re-install?

EDIT:

Sorry my chart lost it's formatting, but you're looking at 7 entries across, and the scans were done in MB rather than GB.

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Anonymous

Your problem is mentioned when I search with Google. Are you using Explorer PRO:

http://www.cloudberrylab.com/amazon-s3-explorer-pro-cloudfront-IAM.aspx

They may relate to something you are downloading like video?

Download and install cCleaner. A better programme than Disk CleanUp is cCleaner. cCleaner comes with a Registry tool. Do not use this tool as like any registry cleaner it can lead to the creation of very difficult to resolve system errors.

http://www.ccleaner.com/download

1.9. When you open cCleaner you will see four large icons to the left of the window. These are Cleaner, Registry, Tools, and Options. For routine maintenance you would normally access Cleaner (this is not the Registry Cleaner mentioned later). When using for the first time you can just accept the default settings.

1.10. Some comments on settings. On my computer I do not have boxes before Saved Passwords selected. In a less secure environment you might check this option and set cCleaner to automatically run on starting the computer. You may also not want to check boxes before Start Menu Shortcuts, Desktop Shortcuts and Autocomplete Form History. You need to check the boxes to suit your requirements. Getting options wrong first time causes irritants not disasters.

1.11. The second icon you see when you open cCleaner is Registry. One reservation many experienced users have regarding cCleaner is that it comes with a Registry Cleaner. This tool should not be used. Using a Registry Cleaner, however good it is, provides negligible benefits and there is always the risk of creating insoluble system errors, which can only be resolved by reinstalling the operating system and all that entails. You avoid any possible problems by not clicking on the Registry icon.

1.12 The third icon you see when you open cCleaner is Tools. If you click on this icon it gives you access to further routine maintenance options. The first two tools are Uninstall and Startup. I do not use these Tools, preferring to use other software options. The third Tool is System Restore, which is covered in the next paragraph. The fourth tool is Drive Wiper and you will find comments on this Tool later

1.13 Removing System Restore points can be important if you have limited free disk space. The ability to remove them is one of the Tools options. You can selectively remove those created at less important times. This makes it easier to hold restore points for longer periods without retaining large unwanted files, which the inflexible approach adopted by Disk CleanUp fails to offer.

1.14. You cannot remove the latest restore point using Disk CleanUp or cCleaner. If the latest restore point contains malware you can turn off and then turn system restore back on. This has the disadvantage that all restore points are removed when you may wish to retain older restore points that are not infected. The way to get round this problem is to create a new restore point when you are satisfied your computer is free of malware and then remove the infected restore point.

1.15. In normal circumstances you most likely will rarely need to use Driver Wiper. However, there are some situations like if you were giving the computer to someone else, then the Tool might be useful. Please note that Drive Wiper, when opened, generates a warning message, which should not be dismissed lightly. Using Drive Wiper for the wrong reason could have serious consequences!

1.16. The fourth icon is labelled Options. A lot of configuration options are available there. You can set cCleaner to run when you boot but remember this will slow the boot. Another setting enables you to include / exclude cookies. Yet another enables named files to be excluded.

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40 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-01-06T01:22:58+00:00

+1

@ Tone

To avoid confusion do stick with this thread . It's your thread, and can run as long as necessary.
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Anonymous

2013-01-05T20:24:48+00:00

No fight that I can see! The length of the thread is not causing any problems! I am sure Boss agrees.
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Anonymous

2013-01-05T17:36:52+00:00

My apologies if I've caused a fight or argument between my helpers.

You're correct that the original issue revolved around the fact that Windows was consuming a disproportionate amount of space, even as other things were reducing due to change of our usage pattern.

I probably won't be posting back here until after I've worked through all the other details suggested by Gerry. And if someone thinks 26 answers makes this thread too long, I'll start a new thread if I have difficulty implementing any of the points.
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Anonymous

2013-01-05T08:25:39+00:00

Yep ! I agree with you Gerry. There are too many of us who don't understand that not everyone

wants, needs, or has enough money to upgrade.

I did mention in my first post that my actual Windows install is only 21.6 GB.

All my other software only comes to another 11GB (not counting games), so yes, most of the

HDD space is consumed by data which for many is music and photos that can be stored on DVD.

However, none of this was factored into the OP which was focused on the idea that Windows

was consuming HDD space, rather than new data.

Still - In the long run, and taking into account the good possibility an 80GB HDD is getting on in

hours, there is an inevitability on the horizon, so it would be a good idea to prepare for that time.

One good thing to have on hand would be Crystal Disk Info.

I was actually still running my wife's machine on an 80GB HDD (primary) until very recently.

Crystal Disk Info had a yellow flag for one part of the drive for six months or more before other symptoms started which made me decide on a move to yet another "old" drive before drive failure and bigger headaches .

Yes re-installing, or imaging can be a challenge, but best to learn how to do it before disk failure.

I reckon those who come to forums are generally prepared to learn, and face a reasonable challenge.

Others, like my sister-in-law (who lives in another country, btw) wouldn't come within a search bar

of the Windows forums. She just goes to the local repair guy and says -

'fix it, and don't bother even trying to explain anything to me' ( a genuine paraphrase from last time I saw her ) .

.
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