Guest plfrench Posted August 31, 2007 Posted August 31, 2007 I had the big crash about a year ago and had to rebuild everything from scratch. At the time, I put all old files in a 13GB file called [Old Data]. I am afraid to delete it from my C drive due to the scary warning that some program may need one of those files. Is there a way to find out if any of my prorams or the system actually uses any of those old files? -- PLF
Guest JS Posted August 31, 2007 Posted August 31, 2007 Re: Identifying files that are in use by system and/or programs Assuming that you meant to say that you placed these files in a folder and not a "file" then here are two ways: 1) Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder named 'Old Data' and in the Explorer menu bar select View, Chose Details and check the box named 'Date Accessed'. This will display the last time the file was accessed. If any of the files have been accessed recently you know they are needed. 2) Burn the files to DVDs (to be safe use the Verify option) and then delete the files from your hard disk. If you need them you can always copy one or more of the files back from the DVDs you created. JS "plfrench" <plfrench@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:84E25A0D-CD41-4897-B004-6CAD66B66FDC@microsoft.com... >I had the big crash about a year ago and had to rebuild everything from > scratch. At the time, I put all old files in a 13GB file called [Old > Data]. I > am afraid to delete it from my C drive due to the scary warning that some > program may need one of those files. Is there a way to find out if any of > my > prorams or the system actually uses any of those old files? > -- > PLF
Guest Plato Posted September 2, 2007 Posted September 2, 2007 Re: Identifying files that are in use by system and/or programs =?Utf-8?B?cGxmcmVuY2g=?= wrote: > > I had the big crash about a year ago and had to rebuild everything from > scratch. At the time, I put all old files in a 13GB file called [Old Data]. I > am afraid to delete it from my C drive due to the scary warning that some > program may need one of those files. Is there a way to find out if any of my > prorams or the system actually uses any of those old files? Leave it be. -- http://www.bootdisk.com/
Guest dobey Posted September 2, 2007 Posted September 2, 2007 Re: Identifying files that are in use by system and/or programs "Plato" <|@|.|> wrote in message news:46da4afe$4$267$bb4e3ad8@newscene.com... > =?Utf-8?B?cGxmcmVuY2g=?= wrote: >> >> I had the big crash about a year ago and had to rebuild everything from >> scratch. At the time, I put all old files in a 13GB file called [Old >> Data]. I >> am afraid to delete it from my C drive due to the scary warning that some >> program may need one of those files. Is there a way to find out if any of >> my >> prorams or the system actually uses any of those old files? > > Leave it be. > > -- > http://www.bootdisk.com/ > What's the exact message? If you know it's old data, and you created it there shouldn't be a problem. Sometimes windows gives a warning that deleting an exe file may affect something, but usually it's because a shortcut has been created. Is this 13GB file an archive, or a directory filled with your old files?
Guest plfrench Posted September 2, 2007 Posted September 2, 2007 Re: Identifying files that are in use by system and/or programs When I ask to display 'date accessed," it treats that request as an access and shows [old data] directory as accedssed Today - so not much help. If I ask to display last time modified, nothing has been modified for a year. Is that good evidence or not? thank you for your help -- PLF "JS" wrote: > Assuming that you meant to say that you placed these files in a folder and > not a "file" then here are two ways: > 1) Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder named 'Old Data' and in the > Explorer menu bar select View, Chose Details and check the box named 'Date > Accessed'. This will display the last time the file was accessed. If any of > the files have been accessed recently you know they are needed. > > 2) Burn the files to DVDs (to be safe use the Verify option) and then delete > the files from your hard disk. If you need them you can always copy one or > more of the files back from the DVDs you created. > > JS > > "plfrench" <plfrench@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:84E25A0D-CD41-4897-B004-6CAD66B66FDC@microsoft.com... > >I had the big crash about a year ago and had to rebuild everything from > > scratch. At the time, I put all old files in a 13GB file called [Old > > Data]. I > > am afraid to delete it from my C drive due to the scary warning that some > > program may need one of those files. Is there a way to find out if any of > > my > > prorams or the system actually uses any of those old files? > > -- > > PLF > > >
Guest plfrench Posted September 2, 2007 Posted September 2, 2007 Re: Identifying files that are in use by system and/or programs It is a directory of the files on C before I did the re-install. -- PLF "dobey" wrote: > > "Plato" <|@|.|> wrote in message > news:46da4afe$4$267$bb4e3ad8@newscene.com... > > =?Utf-8?B?cGxmcmVuY2g=?= wrote: > >> > >> I had the big crash about a year ago and had to rebuild everything from > >> scratch. At the time, I put all old files in a 13GB file called [Old > >> Data]. I > >> am afraid to delete it from my C drive due to the scary warning that some > >> program may need one of those files. Is there a way to find out if any of > >> my > >> prorams or the system actually uses any of those old files? > > > > Leave it be. > > > > -- > > http://www.bootdisk.com/ > > > > What's the exact message? > > If you know it's old data, and you created it there shouldn't be a problem. > Sometimes windows gives a warning that deleting an exe file may affect > something, but usually it's because a shortcut has been created. > > Is this 13GB file an archive, or a directory filled with your old files? > > >
Guest JS Posted September 2, 2007 Posted September 2, 2007 Re: Identifying files that are in use by system and/or programs I did not mean to imply the directory but the 'date accessed' for the actual files contained in the directory. JS "plfrench" <plfrench@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:928BCD6B-9621-494B-9643-E97EBC981E0E@microsoft.com... > When I ask to display 'date accessed," it treats that request as an access > and shows [old data] directory as accedssed Today - so not much help. If I > ask to display last time modified, nothing has been modified for a year. > Is > that good evidence or not? thank you for your help > -- > PLF > > > "JS" wrote: > >> Assuming that you meant to say that you placed these files in a folder >> and >> not a "file" then here are two ways: >> 1) Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder named 'Old Data' and in >> the >> Explorer menu bar select View, Chose Details and check the box named >> 'Date >> Accessed'. This will display the last time the file was accessed. If any >> of >> the files have been accessed recently you know they are needed. >> >> 2) Burn the files to DVDs (to be safe use the Verify option) and then >> delete >> the files from your hard disk. If you need them you can always copy one >> or >> more of the files back from the DVDs you created. >> >> JS >> >> "plfrench" <plfrench@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:84E25A0D-CD41-4897-B004-6CAD66B66FDC@microsoft.com... >> >I had the big crash about a year ago and had to rebuild everything from >> > scratch. At the time, I put all old files in a 13GB file called [Old >> > Data]. I >> > am afraid to delete it from my C drive due to the scary warning that >> > some >> > program may need one of those files. Is there a way to find out if any >> > of >> > my >> > prorams or the system actually uses any of those old files? >> > -- >> > PLF >> >> >>
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