Free space is going down, not up!

Discussion in 'Windows XP Help and Support' started by IDGRAHAM, Jul 30, 2017.

  1. IDGRAHAM

    IDGRAHAM

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    My desktop is a Sony Vaio, with a partitioned hard-drive, of which C: is quite small, and I have had recurrent issues with lack of space on it. So I've finally got down to going through the Program Files and uninstalling things I no longer use. I got the free space up to within a whisker of 1GB - but then the process has reversed. Each of several further programs I've uninstalled has reduced the amount of free space - I'm now back down to 869 MB !
    I've kept an eye on both Recycle Bin and Recycler, and the issue/explanation is NOT that stuff is getting dumped in there and still counting. But I suspect that something similar must be happening elsewhere. I have rebooted, and that made no difference.

    Any thoughts or advice, please ?

    Many thanks

    Ian Graham
    Wales
    UK
     
    IDGRAHAM, Jul 30, 2017
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  2. IDGRAHAM

    Elizabeth23

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    windows requires at least 15 to 20 percent free space to operate properly, how much free space do you have??

    https://www.jam-software.de/customers/downloadTrial.php?article_no=80
    above is a good program to tell what is taking up space on your pc.

    besides getting rid of programs:

    run disk cleanup or better yet CCleaner
    run defragmenter or defraggler
    run scans with your antivirus and with malwarebytes free
    delete all system restore points except the last one by using disk cleanup (options page at bottom click on system restore)
    turn off hibernation
    run TFC

    how is it now??
    any errors in event viewer??
    also some programs have their own installer and some fragments may remain, do a search of your pc and see if some things have remained.
     
    Elizabeth23, Jul 30, 2017
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  3. IDGRAHAM

    IDGRAHAM

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    Hallo, Elizabeth, and thanks for your interest.
    All that you say is sound, and most of it is (a) part of my general practice and (b) stuff I've done today. But, with respect, what I was reporting and wondering about is a very specific 'reverse correlation' - I uninstalled 4 or 5 programmes one by one, and each time, the apparent effect was to decrease the amount of free space, not increase it.
     
    IDGRAHAM, Jul 30, 2017
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  4. IDGRAHAM

    Elizabeth23

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    If it is increasing, something else is increasing it, not the programs you deleted.

    did you use treesize??

    you need to know what is increasing specifically, Defraggler from piriform gives you the option to open the containing folder. this way if something is large it will show up in one of the columns and you can then see what is increasing.

    please check as I need more specifics to further help, :)
     
    Elizabeth23, Jul 30, 2017
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  5. IDGRAHAM

    IDGRAHAM

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    Hallo, again.
    I've been using Smart Defrag (which seems to have a side advantage that it will directly delete some files that Windows cavils at), and WinDirStat. I now have a free collar of 1.45 GB on a C: drive of nominal 18.6GB - which remains less than the ideal proportion, but will probably have to do for now. Ultimately, I'm going to have to reformat, but that's the sort of job always best done tomorrow......!
    My original question is now probably an 'academic' curiosity. I don't disagree with your comment "If it is increasing, something else is increasing it, not the programs you deleted", but my very strong impression at the time was that there was a direct correlation with the sequence of uninstalls - the reported free space fell in step with the uninstalls.

    Thanks again for your responses

    Sincerely

    Ian G
    Wales UK
     
    IDGRAHAM, Aug 1, 2017
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  6. IDGRAHAM

    Elizabeth23

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    okay, let me know if I can help further. :)
     
    Elizabeth23, Aug 1, 2017
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