system volume information? What is it?

following my earlier post reference unusual amounts of hard disk space being
used......................................I have partitioned a 300gb HDD so
that C has 240GB and D has the remainder.
C is reporting that I have used 200GB but this cannot be so as I only have
operating system and a few progs and pics plus about 16gb music so where has
all the used space come from?

I probably have only used about 50gb max. I cannot find any file/folder that
has excessive amounts of data. How do I rectify this?

I have subsequently found a file called System volume information and it is
taking up 159gb of hard disk space but if I try to view the file there seems
to be nothing in it...what do I do to release all of this hard drive space?

T5 wrote:
> following my earlier post reference unusual amounts of hard disk space
> being used......................................I have partitioned a
> 300gb HDD so that C has 240GB and D has the remainder.
> C is reporting that I have used 200GB but this cannot be so as I only have
> operating system and a few progs and pics plus about 16gb music so where
> has
> all the used space come from?
>
> I probably have only used about 50gb max. I cannot find any file/folder
> that
> has excessive amounts of data. How do I rectify this?
>
> I have subsequently found a file called System volume information and it
> is taking up 159gb of hard disk space but if I try to view the file
> there seems to be nothing in it...what do I do to release all of this
> hard drive space?
>
>


The System Volume Information is the folder in which Vista's System
Restore feature stores information used to recover from errors. By
default, Vista sets aside a minimum of 300 Mb to a maximum of 15% of the
partition's size for storing System Volume Information. Sadly, this
maximum size cannot be adjusted, as it could with WinXP.

If you don't want to use System Restore, simply turn off the System
Restore feature and reboot. This will delete all of your Restore Points.


--

Bruce Chambers

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~ Denis Diderot

If you boot to Safe Mode (F8 on restart) you will log on as the default
'administrator' account. This will let you access the folder.

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Mark L. Ferguson

..

"T5" <> wrote in message
news:88EB20CA-34A1-46D9-84DC-...
> following my earlier post reference unusual amounts of hard disk space
> being used......................................I have partitioned a 300gb
> HDD so that C has 240GB and D has the remainder.
> C is reporting that I have used 200GB but this cannot be so as I only have
> operating system and a few progs and pics plus about 16gb music so where
> has
> all the used space come from?
>
> I probably have only used about 50gb max. I cannot find any file/folder
> that
> has excessive amounts of data. How do I rectify this?
>
> I have subsequently found a file called System volume information and it
> is taking up 159gb of hard disk space but if I try to view the file there
> seems to be nothing in it...what do I do to release all of this hard drive
> space?
>
>

T5

You need to set a custom size for the System Restore component.

You can do this from a command prompt. Go to Start and type cmd.exe in
the search Box. In the results, right click the cmd.exe and select 'Run As
Administrator' from the menu.

Type the following command:

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=10GB

(Make sure to enter the command exactly as shown, including the spaces)

Press Enter.

This will set the maximum size for System Restore for the C: drive to 10GB,
which is plenty for a 240GB partition.

Next, you need to clear that System Volume Information folder.

Go to Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools. Click 'System Restore'.
In the System Restore dialog, click the link to 'System Protection'.

In the System Protection dialog, remove the check mark from the C: Drive.
This will turn System Restore 'off' for that drive. Click Apply/OK. Reboot
the computer.

The System Volume Information folder should now be empty.

Follow the steps to open System Protection again and place the check mark
back in the Crive. Click Apply. Click the Create Button and create a new
Restore Point for that drive.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"T5" <> wrote in message
news:88EB20CA-34A1-46D9-84DC-...
> following my earlier post reference unusual amounts of hard disk space
> being used......................................I have partitioned a 300gb
> HDD so that C has 240GB and D has the remainder.
> C is reporting that I have used 200GB but this cannot be so as I only have
> operating system and a few progs and pics plus about 16gb music so where
> has
> all the used space come from?
>
> I probably have only used about 50gb max. I cannot find any file/folder
> that
> has excessive amounts of data. How do I rectify this?
>
> I have subsequently found a file called System volume information and it
> is taking up 159gb of hard disk space but if I try to view the file there
> seems to be nothing in it...what do I do to release all of this hard drive
> space?
>
>