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General discussion

What occupys hard disk?

Dec 9, 2009 1:01AM PST

Hello all:

I just bought a HP laptop installed with window7 home premium. At the beginning, the size of OS is about 30G.(It means That HP installed many Adverts)

To my surprise, After two weeks the size of C: becomes 60G. Why the used space is becoming so big? What occupys the space of the hard disk? --Zhao

Discussion is locked

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Simplified Reason
Dec 9, 2009 1:07AM PST

You computer continually stores information as you use it. By doing so it can quickly "reference" files that you have created rather than having to create them all over again. For example the first time you visit a website your computer has to download all the images in order to view them. Copies of these photos are cached so that next time you go to that same website, the images are already available.

This is a very basic explanation and there are plenty of people who can explain this in much greater detail, but that is why in a nutshell.

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How recover to normal size?
Dec 9, 2009 10:55AM PST

Hi Jeff:

What is the way to recover the size of the OS partition to normal size. It is now really too big. --Zhao

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Not internet data
Dec 9, 2009 11:03PM PST

Temporary internet files usually don't take up more than 1GB, depending on your cache settings. The fact that your disk usage doubled in a matter of weeks in definately unusual. I suggest you chech through your drive and gauge what folders are using how much space. Folder of interest include WINDOWS and Program Files.

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Re: used space
Dec 9, 2009 11:08PM PST

The usual tools to research this are:
- TREESIZE FREE (free download)
- cacls command to be able to peek inside System Volume Information folder (treesize doesn't see that)
- Windows Explorer to look at individual files
- Control Panel>Folder options to enable showing hidden and system files and folders
- chkdsk for statistics

Some details might be different in Windows 7.

Kees

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Activities
Dec 10, 2009 3:30AM PST

What activities have you been doing over the past few weeks? Have you added any programs or downloaded content from the internet?

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disk clean up
Dec 10, 2009 7:12AM PST
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disc clean-up is routine job.
Dec 10, 2009 12:15PM PST

I often do disc clean up, it is my routine work. But disc clean-up never clean waste files up to 1G. Now it expanded 30G, strange! --Zhao