Running out of space on C:. What to do?

As some of you may remember, I stuck an extra 120GB drive in my comp some time ago to handle all extra files, because I had run out of space on my original 40GB drive. But now, thanks to me installing too many programs, etc, I'm running out of space on C drive. It's at 75MB at the moment

I just want to get rid of it totally, and transfer all my program files onto a new drive, but I don't even know if this is possible. Is it? Is it tricky?
Any help would be appreciated!

reply to post by watch_the_rocks


If you want to just copy all the files from your old hd to the new one, you will need a ghosting program such as Norton Ghost or X Copy. I don't particularly recommend doing this, however. Over time your computer builds up a "cyber sludge" of file fragments and other data. Although your programs should work just fine on the new hd, there might be some quarky things if they are not reinstalled from scratch.

If you just have a lot of large media files to transfer, I would first hook up the new drive, set it as the master drive, and partition and install your OS as desired. When you boot up, your computer should recognize the new drive as the main drive, and you will be able to simply transfer files from the old drive to the new one.

Yeah, that sounds a bit too complicated for me.
My best option might be just to get a new big drive, then strip C: of everything I can. That should last until I get a new computer, some time down the track.
Thanks, though. Sounds like you know your stuff.

uninstall some apps and reinstall them on the 2nd drive, move your "my documents" folder to the 2nd drive. you can right click the icon and change the location there. it should even prompt you to move your files for you. if you keep a lot of music, pics, etc in "my docs" that will help quite a bit.

As suggested get a second 500GB HD and use it only for "My Documents", backup and media. 120 GB HD that you have right now should be plenty big for your operating system and installed programs.

Heck a 500 GB HD can be purchased for around $100 so it's not cost prohibitive.

Not saying you don't, but do you really use all the applications you have installed on your drives?

I know if I haven't used a piece of software in a year, it doesn't make it onto my computer - I uninstall it.

Also, consider doing the same with data and documents that you hardly use.
Try saving photos that don't mean a whole lot to you onto CD's and only load them when you actually need them. The same can be done with MP3's, Mpegs, etc.

Just a consideration.

Other tips,

1. Move your c:\i386 folder to the D drive. If Windows ever asks for these files, point it there. Thats 1 GB in some cases.

2. Check c:\ for hiberfil.sys. If you have one disable hibernation. It some times finds its way on, on desktops. You dont need it and in most cases it matchs the memory amount.

3. Make sure your pagfile.sys matchs your memory. Let windows manage it. Right click my computer, properties, advanced tab, click settings under peformance, advanced tab, change button under virtual memory, choose system managed and click ok. Forgoten fiddling can leave this file biger than it should be.

Originally posted by Cyprex
Other tips,

1. Move your c:\i386 folder to the D drive. If Windows ever asks for these files, point it there. Thats 1 GB in some cases.

2. Check c:\ for hiberfil.sys. If you have one disable hibernation. It some times finds its way on, on desktops. You dont need it and in most cases it matchs the memory amount.

3. Make sure your pagfile.sys matchs your memory. Let windows manage it. Right click my computer, properties, advanced tab, click settings under peformance, advanced tab, change button under virtual memory, choose system managed and click ok. Forgoten fiddling can leave this file biger than it should be.

I would take this advice... And then the post about installing onto a new drive... If you get a new 500Gig, disconnect the drives you have now, then install the new drive, install OS onto the new drive... Then shutdown and install the other 2 drives when the system is off, windows will boot and you can do whatever you want with the other 2 disks... Copy what you need off them and then format them... You'll have another 200 gig's to save to...

You can compress the disks too if you want to save space, but with a 500gig that shouldn't be necessary... I have 3 250gig's SATA2 on RAID 0, each drive has 16mb cache, quite fast considering the drives are rather inexpensive... Basically uses all three drives as if they were one, reading from each at the same time, more or less tripling the speed of access... You could also do this if you wanted, save some money on a drive... Get 2 250gig and run them on RAID 0, then install OS etc. etc. Would be faster than a single 500gig drive too...

Get more hard drive space if you can. I have over 300GB, and I could use more technically.

Here's how I do it:

I have one large IDE drive for file and back ups. It's partitioned in two. 100/200. The 200 is for files I don't care about, and the 100 is a back up for important files.

My other drive has the important files on it also. This is a SATA drive so it's faster. I keep my windows operating system on it. That way everything runs faster and smoother.

When it starts to fill up, or bogged down, I do the only thing a man can do: Reformat.

Perhaps it's a bit nerdy, but I love reformatting. It's perhaps one of my favorite things. It's like a fresh start.

Then I just copy any important files back onto my SATA drive, and I'm in business.

How do you people do it? I mean, I have to actually double check my drive to remember how much space I have and its only 40Gb, and I am barely using half of it and this computer is 5 years old. Now I've collected much data and software over those years, so why is my drive not being filled up and you guys have these humongosorous drives and can fill up 300Gb?

Is your closets at home packed floor to ceiling with stuff as well?

Thats just hilarious in my book.

reply to post by ben91069


Gaming, media, and misc. software my friend. Nothing else to say really.



[edit on 26-4-2008 by Sublime620]

Originally posted by Sublime620
reply to post by ben91069

 

Gaming, media, and misc. software my friend. Nothing else to say really.

Sounds like people with many computer "needs". Someone should start a thread about how much storage is enough to satisfy anyone.

reply to post by ben91069


I think I'd be satisfied with a terabyte. By the time I filled it up, the drive would need a format anyway.

Originally posted by Sublime620
reply to post by ben91069

 

I think I'd be satisfied with a terabyte. By the time I filled it up, the drive would need a format anyway.

But then you'd need another Tb to transfer your files to while you format so you don't "lose" anything!

See it gets better and better.

reply to post by ben91069


Meh, I can lose a lot of the stuff when I reformat. Much of it can be reinstalled, or re-downloaded/uploaded.

My must have files are under 2GB at the time. I can fit that on my flash drive.

You know this gives me an idea. If someone were had the resources to just invent a really large computer with no holds barred on what it could do and just have everyone in the world buy a terminal that connects to it and you just buy a portion of the total data for a time, like renting billed monthly.

A computer with everything and enough storage for everyone.

Okay thats too much for me, good night!