Freeing up Disk Space?

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

For a few months now, I've kept getting alerts that my laptop is very low on free disk space. I'm at a loss to figure out what the problem is. I always clear my temporary files out at least once a week, I defragment probably once a month as necessary to keep things running smoothly, I don't download a bunch of crap... I clear my event logs of anything unimportant (which is a vast chunk of it), something I'd probably never done with my last computer. I've always made sure to clean out any IM logs saved in my history, maybe every two weeks... All of these things I've been doing more frequently now in order to keep that annoying message from popping up in the corner of my screen.

I've never had this problem with any computer before, and I had this one for a solid year with no problems. Sometime in the last four to six months though, this started occurring and I have no idea what is taking up so much space.

The only real thing I've started doing differently in that time frame is chatting on skype. Is there a place on my computer where it is logging all those group chats and I just can't find it to delete it? I've looked and found nothing, but I know that if I were to click the "view chat history" button in any of those chats, I'd be able to see everything from the moment I walked into it. Is that saved on my computer somewhere, and if so how can I find it? I doubt it's taking up a few dozen gigs of space, but if it's there I'd like to clean it out and at least get SOME space back...

At the moment I have 1.17 GB free of 105 GB total. Any ideas?

[Bougainvillea]

I would call customer service

[Sugaree]

I'd ask the Geek Squad at Best Buy or maybe call some type of customer support from the maker of your laptop. This might help.

[Aηdy]

Chat logs take up no real space at all. Are you running windows vista? It's common for vista to use huge amounts of space for system restore.

I suggest you download and run CCleaner (clicky) (http://www.ccleaner.com/download/downloading) and let that scan your computer for crap to delete.

When you let me know what operating system you use, I can help further :)

[Mzor203]

How often do you empty your recycle bin? It seems silly to ask, but I once found I had about 30 GB of crap in there...

Also, go to your control panel, and click the 'Add/Remove programs' button. Search down the list and remove any programs that you never use. It may be a bit tedious, but it helps.

For Skype, go to Tools -> Option, then click on 'IM and SMS', and click the 'Show Advanced Options Button.'

In there there will be this:

http://i32.tinypic.com/i6fqfc.jpg

Click teh button. :)

[caramela_boy]

Go to START then RUN insert this %temp% aln folder will pop up then SELECT ALL files and click DELETE this is files you where open before and sistem make copy u will have more free space...

Go to START then ALL PROGRAMS then ACCESSORIES and then to SISTEM TOOLS and use DISC CLEANUP and then just folow program (next, yes....)

If you run VISTA (i dont know how this work on XP go to MY COMPUTER > click RIGHT CLIC ON VOLUME C and then PROPERTIS go to GENERAL > DISK CLEAN UP (all files if ask something) > MORE OPTINS > SISTEM RES. AND SHADOW COPYES > CLEAN UP this will free spase for about 500mb-2gb its copyes that windows make usualy and they dont use for enything...

and to speed up your sistem a little use defregment tool (start>all programs>accessories>sistem tools)

TRUST ME THIS WORK! :D

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

Chat logs take up no real space at all. Are you running windows vista? It's common for vista to use huge amounts of space for system restore.

I suggest you download and run CCleaner (clicky) (http://www.ccleaner.com/download/downloading) and let that scan your computer for crap to delete.

When you let me know what operating system you use, I can help further :)


Yes, I'm using Vista. I'll download CCleaner and see how that works, thanks. :)
--

Rex - I empty my recycle bin pretty much any time I notice that it has stuff in it, so pretty often. Like I said, I clean everything out really often these days, I'm paranoid about using up space. xP

As for Skype... how did I not find that before? Haha.

EDIT: After doing all that, and deciphering caramela's post in order to clear out shadow copies, I have a total of 11.7 GB free now. Somehow I had always sort of assume that that would be covered in the general clean-up, but I guess not. xP The little status bar in My Computer that shows how much free space you have is now blue instead of red. It makes me happy. :)

[ShatteredWings]

You could have spywear or dormant viruses how often do you do scans for thoes?

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

Norton does quick scans in the background about once a week, and scans pretty much everything I download before it will let me open it. It's sort of like a parent checking my Halloween candy for evidence of tampering before I can eat it. xP

[Antares]

If it says not enough disk space then your hard drive must be getting full. It did that a lot on my old comp.

I was going to suggest the same thing, downloading CCleaner. Make sure you read through the options though because you might accidentally delete some program files that you don't want to delete :P

Also, maybe even you download CCleaner, search Disk Cleanup in the search thingy under the start button and run it. It should automatically make your computer feel better :P

If not, then do CCleaner.

Good luck :D

[Aηdy]

I'm on Windows 7, but the setup on Vista is pretty much the same I think.

First click on start (windows icon), then rich click on computer and click properties. Now on the left column you should have an option for advanced system settings. Open that and click the system protection tab. Now make sure that your C: drive is selected in the box and click on configure. You should now see a box with a slider bar for max usage. Mine is set at 1% because I have a 1TB hard drive. Yours will quite likely be a lot higher. If you set it to 3%, this will still give system restore 3gb of space instead of 12gb it often allows itself.

Now before applying settings, press delete, then apply. Then press create.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a102/muckingfuppet/91737841.png

I hope that makes some sort of sense! I had to do it on my laptop as it was using 12gb of space.

[shanno06]

Ok. Beleive me: Deleting Temp files and im logs and txt files in general will free up very little disk space.

Maybe try this:
1.Open up add or remove programs in control panel.
2.Get a ruthless mind on yourself and say 2 yourself im going to delete any programs i havent used in the last 6mnths to year.
3.scroll down through the list and delete unused programs.

Then go into my documents and do the same.
Check your "My Videos" folder.
I do a lot of video converting/editing/burning and that folder in my computer is the largest in memory.

Try and get rid of as much as possible in that folder.

Alternative:
Buy an external hardrive.

500gb for €59.99 www.peats.com

Hope this Helps

[Brandon639]

If worst comes to worst, you can always do a clean install. Back everything up and just reinstall the operating system. On any PC I use, I do this about once every 6 Months to a year. Just keeps things running smoothly. It might be a little hassle, but its worth it. It would also get rid of any viruses or spyware that you might have.