How to remove Service Pack Restore Files in XP?

[Guest Head4Heigjts]

KB290402 tells us how to do this with Win2000. XP is a bit different and the

Registry key quoted is not quite the same. MS Support in US said due to

regional variations in XP, they wouldn't help because I'm in the UK. A

definitive answer would be most welcome! Thanks.

[Guest Shenan Stanley]

Re: How to remove Service Pack Restore Files in XP?

 

Head4Heigjts wrote:

> KB290402 tells us how to do this with Win2000. XP is a bit

> different and the Registry key quoted is not quite the same. MS

> Support in US said due to regional variations in XP, they wouldn't

> help because I'm in the UK. A definitive answer would be most

> welcome! Thanks.

 

In the future - if you feel your posting is relevant to more than one

newsgroup - please crosspost as opposed to multiposting. Both will get your

message in multiple newsgroups - but the multiposting can waste your time

and the time of those reading it. Crossposting helps ensure that responses

you get will be seen in all newsgroups. Crossposting is a benefit to you,

those reading it and quite possibly to those who search in the future with a

similar problem to yours.

 

Here is the answer I put in your other posting:

 

I believe I understand what you are asking. Not knowing your reasoning - I

will go with the assumption you are trying to cleanup/free up drive space

wasted by these update 'undo' files. Given that - some people might suggest

you not remove them or if you do - you archive them safely elsewhere - in

case it comes up you need to remove said update(s) in the future. That's up

to you.

 

If you are comfortable with the stability of your system, you can delete the

uninstall files for the patches that Windows XP has installed...

http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

 

You can run Disk Cleanup - built into Windows XP - to erase all but your

latest restore point and cleanup even more "loose files"..

 

How to use Disk Cleanup

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

 

You can turn off hibernation if it is on and you don't use it..

 

When you hibernate your computer, Windows saves the contents of the system's

memory to the hiberfil.sys file. As a result, the size of the hiberfil.sys

file will always equal the amount of physical memory in your system. If you

don't use the hibernate feature and want to recapture the space that Windows

uses for the hiberfil.sys file, perform the following steps:

 

- Start the Control Panel Power Options applet (go to Start, Settings,

Control Panel, and click Power Options).

- Select the Hibernate tab, clear the "Enable hibernation" check box, then

click OK; although you might think otherwise, selecting Never under the

"System hibernates" option on the Power Schemes tab doesn't delete the

hiberfil.sys file.

- Windows will remove the "System hibernates" option from the Power Schemes

tab and delete the hiberfil.sys file.

 

You can control how much space your System Restore can use...

 

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

2. Click the System Restore tab.

3. Highlight one of your drives (or C: if you only have one) and click on

the "Settings" button.

4. Change the percentage of disk space you wish to allow.. I suggest moving

the slider until you have just about 1GB (1024MB or close to that...)

5. Click OK.. Then Click OK again.

 

You can control how much space your Temporary Internet Files can utilize...

 

Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a

size between 64MB and 256MB..

 

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.

- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.

- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the

following:

- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)

- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to

something between 64MB and 256MB. (It may be MUCH larger right

now.)

- Click OK.

- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"

(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10

minutes or more.)

- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet

Explorer.

 

You can use an application that scans your system for log files and

temporary files and use that to get rid of those:

 

Ccleaner (Free!)

http://www.ccleaner.com/

 

Other ways to free up space..

 

SequoiaView

http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiaview/

 

DX Hog Hunt

http://www.dvxp.com/en/Downloads.aspx

 

JDiskReport

http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/index.html

 

Those can help you visually discover where all the space is being used.

 

If you are concerned over less than 5GB of space total at any given time

being freed up on your hard disk drive - then something is wrong and

you would be better off spending a little and putting in a drive that is

likely

3-8 times as large as what you have not and not concerning yourself over

such a small amount of space OR you seriously need to consider what you

really need on the system and what should be archived.

 

Basic housekeeping 101... - in an actual home, if your storage area gets

full - you either have to decide what you really should have in the storage

area and what could go or you have to find a new place to store stuff

that will accommodate everything you need. You don't walk into a

warehouse of cars, look at the filing cabinet in the corner where

you keep all the records for the cars and decide that if you move it out of

the warehouse - you will have more room for cars. ;-)

 

--

Shenan Stanley

MS-MVP

--

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html