Adventures in cleaning the C: drive (XP)

E

enderlicious

Posts: 55   +0
So I've had some issues, partly because my C: drive got clogged up. So, sharing what I've done (and where I've got some questions) on things I'm getting rid of, that Disk Cleanup doesn't automatically do:

Deleted these (but haven't emptied the trash):

3.25M C:\Documents and Settings\primary\.thumbnails\normal
XXXX C:\Documents and Settings\primary\.thumbnails\fail
I expect these two will regenerate with use

C:\Documents and Settings\primary\Favorites

5.61M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\DrWatson
Saved this elsewhere, don't recall using the software

12.8M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Apple\Installer Cache
26.6M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Apple Computer\Installer Cache
Figure these are just detritus left-over from installing stuff

702M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\INFECTED
These are just quarantined items, I really do need a way to lock them up so they can't activate and save them elsewhere, in case when I go back thru archives there is something I wanted from the files...
Right now, just dumped onto another partition. Avira may just grab them back (but I found others from a prior cleaning spree, so perhaps not?)

3.83M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\LOGFILES
(2.39M) Left these (unfortunately, they're the bulk of the space): avesvc, avguard, sched, setup
Archived: dated ones (eg: AVSCAN-20120502-051015-33CE6F2E) and updates (eg: Upd-2012-11-13-04-15-31)

??? C:\WINDOWS\ie8updates
Already deleted



Any reason I can't remove these (a number of these have a blue name/font, what does that mean)?

151M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\TEMP

C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB2691442$
I've got a whole bunch of these, which look like service pack uninstallers - also, they're in blue...

747M C:\WINDOWS\$hf_mig$
This also looks like a service pack uninstall

72.9M C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download
This also looks like a service pack uninstall
(hmm, this one got cleaned up when I ran the suggestion given to me by jobeard: runas /user:administrator cleanmgr)

C:\WINDOWS\Temp
Has a file: AskSLib.dll
(also cleanmgr deleted)

217M C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\Local Settings\temp
Has a bunch of these: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0-KB2656369_20120413_173054578-Msi0

C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRVSTORE

Anyone know what these are for?

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Windows Genuine Advantage

21.1M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup

38.4M C:\WINDOWS\pchealth

C:\WINDOWS\PeerNet

37.1M C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS

9.03M C:\WINDOWS\system32\CatRoot
Has files like: KB960225 (security catalog)
5.56M C:\WINDOWS\system32\CatRoot2
Has files: edb.chk, tmp.edb

C:\WINDOWS\system32\1033
I have a bunch of empty XXXX folders like this, however this one has a file: dwintl.dll (MS Application Error Reporting)

Not planning on removing this, but it (and everything in it) is blue (why? what's it mean?)?

C:\WINDOWS\ie8
 
The \path\names\inblue tell you that directory is compressed.
This is great for archives and seldomly used files, but really impact your performance if this is done to a dir with *.EXE or *.DLL files
 
Hmm, well I didn't compress them.
It's been done to stuff that's in my Windows directory - any comments on if I should undo it? Or, anything else in there that I could also compress (and how? 7zip, perhaps)? :D
Other thoughts on those things that I might be able to get rid of? What else was cleanmgr s'posed to do?
 
Cleanmgr will enable [x] Compress infrequent files when a system is crammed full and very low on free space.
The option was shown and if you didn't want that choice, you were free to remove the [x].

The approach I use when working with a low free space system is
  1. toggle OFF and then back ON the system protection feature to discard old Restore Points (also reduce the size allowed)
  2. uninstall anything never or seldomly used
  3. manually delete old files I am willing to discard
  4. delete all browser history & cookies
  5. THEN run cleanmgr
I'll respond to your list of file - -
 
enderlicious said:
*** YOU'RE APPARENTLY RUNNING XP, as Vista & Win/7 have a different userprofile location ***
Deleted these (but haven't emptied the trash):

3.25M C:\Documents and Settings\primary\.thumbnails\normal
XXXX C:\Documents and Settings\primary\.thumbnails\fail
I expect these two will regenerate with use [believe this are application specific, not system related]

C:\Documents and Settings\primary\Favorites [ believe these are IE related, as Opera & firefox store them elsewhere]

5.61M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\DrWatson
Saved this elsewhere, don't recall using the software [you can delete these]

12.8M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Apple\Installer Cache
26.6M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Apple Computer\Installer Cache
Figure these are just detritus left-over from installing stuff [ may impact Control -> Programs -> uninstall ]

702M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\INFECTED
These are just quarantined items, I really do need a way to lock them up so they can't activate and save them elsewhere, in case when I go back thru archives there is something I wanted from the files...
Right now, just dumped onto another partition. Avira may just grab them back (but I found others from a prior cleaning spree, so perhaps not?) [ if infected you should never recover from them]

3.83M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\LOGFILES
(2.39M) Left these (unfortunately, they're the bulk of the space): avesvc, avguard, sched, setup
Archived: dated ones (eg: AVSCAN-20120502-051015-33CE6F2E) and updates (eg: Upd-2012-11-13-04-15-31) [delete]


Any reason I can't remove these (a number of these have a blue name/font, what does that mean)?

151M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\TEMP

C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB2691442$
I've got a whole bunch of these, which look like service pack uninstallers - also, they're in blue...
[these are Hot Fixes from MS; if your an ADMIN you should be able to, but understand, once deleted you can't uninstall specific fixes]

747M C:\WINDOWS\$hf_mig$
This also looks like a service pack uninstall [LEAVE ALONE]

72.9M C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download
This also looks like a service pack uninstall
(hmm, this one got cleaned up when I ran the suggestion given to me by jobeard: runas /user:administrator cleanmgr)

C:\WINDOWS\Temp
Has a file: AskSLib.dll
(also cleanmgr deleted)

217M C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\Local Settings\temp
Has a bunch of these: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0-KB2656369_20120413_173054578-Msi0
[LEAVE ALONE]

C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRVSTORE [LEAVE ALONE]

Anyone know what these are for?

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Windows Genuine Advantage
[ online verification your system is not pirated - - windows update will not run w/o]

21.1M C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup

38.4M C:\WINDOWS\pchealth

C:\WINDOWS\PeerNet

37.1M C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS

9.03M C:\WINDOWS\system32\CatRoot [LEAVE ALONE]
Has files like: KB960225 (security catalog)
5.56M C:\WINDOWS\system32\CatRoot2
Has files: edb.chk, tmp.edb

C:\WINDOWS\system32\1033 [these are the language specific files]
I have a bunch of empty XXXX folders like this, however this one has a file: dwintl.dll (MS Application Error Reporting)

Not planning on removing this, but it (and everything in it) is blue (why? what's it mean?)?

C:\WINDOWS\ie8
Click to expand...
 
I thought the parens in my subject posting stated that I was running XP. Sorry that wasn't clearer.

Wow, thanks much for the heads up on Windows Genuine Advantage.

Re: infected files: I wasn't planning to 'recover' from them, but I was thinking about going into them (they're mostly html files, I'm guessing) and snagging the information from them, eg: text, images and/or links (ie: not code).

Is there any reason I'd want to uninstall an update, after I've been running them awhile without problems? Assuming I could get my restore points working and stuff, why couldn't I just delete these, and if I needed to uninstall, just restore from an older restore point?

And, one of the biggies: AntiVir Desktop\TEMP - you had no comment on?
 
jobeard said:
Cleanmgr will enable [x] Compress infrequent files when a system is crammed full and very low on free space.
The option was shown and if you didn't want that choice, you were free to remove the [x].
Click to expand...

I didn't get any options. I got a dos-screen, said something like running, then flashed the s,s,failure,s and closed on me. But, yeah, I don't recall seeing the blue things prior to that (wasn't looking too hard), so I guess it could've been the program which did that.

How do you toggle the system protection feature?
 
enderlicious said:
I thought the parens in my subject posting stated that I was running XP. Sorry that wasn't clearer.

Wow, thanks much for the heads up on Windows Genuine Advantage.

Re: infected files: I wasn't planning to 'recover' from them, but I was thinking about going into them (they're mostly html files, I'm guessing) and snagging the information from them, eg: text, images and/or links (ie: not code).

Is there any reason I'd want to uninstall an update, after I've been running them awhile without problems?
Click to expand...
unknown - - it has occurred that a new KB is in conflict with an older one and the fix required an uninstall.
on a low free space system I would delete'm
Assuming I could get my restore points working and stuff, why couldn't I just delete these, and if I needed to uninstall, just restore from an older restore point?
Click to expand...
that SHOULD be true, but understand; Restore Points only cover system settings and drivers, nothing from \Program Files or user %userprofile%
And, one of the biggies: AntiVir Desktop\TEMP - you had no comment on?
Click to expand...
trying to be cautious - - I'm using Avast! and can't vouch for contents of AntiVir Desktop\TEMP\* Consider however the name TEMP - - things therein should be non-critical and recoverable *IF* needed by a reinstall.
 
enderlicious said:
How do you toggle the system protection feature?
Click to expand...
right-click My Computer->Properties
[I've been on Win/7 almost a year now, so the XP is pure memory ...]
The Performance has an Advanced button and inside that is enable/disable System Protection.
SET A NEW LIMIT (say 50mb) and THEN disable. Let it finish. Make sure you only ENABLE again on the C: drive and the limit is the 50mb.
 
enderlicious said:
I don't recall seeing the blue things prior to that (wasn't looking too hard), so I guess it could've been the program which did that.
Click to expand...
COMPRESSION is a normal property for every folder. Cleanmgr does an intelligent guess based upon folder size and age.

To set/reset this attribute right-click Folder->Properties->General Tab->Advanced Button
you can set [x] or reset [ ] Compression
 
Hey, I'm not complaining. Just trying to figure out how to do it better. So, my guess is to repeat in the content portion :)

Thanks for your help.

Still curious on if there's a way to figure out how much space an update is going to suck down, and if I can re-get an update that I 'cancel'ed.

Gonna post a new thread on Prefetch... since I ran across that when I was doing the compilation of the sticky on optimizing windows speed...
 
enderlicious said:
Still curious on if there's a way to figure out how much space an update is going to suck down, and if I can re-get an update that I 'cancel'ed.
Click to expand...
Got to go thru the KB lookup to see the download size
Gonna post a new thread on Prefetch... since I ran across that when I was doing the compilation of the sticky on optimizing windows speed...
Click to expand...
Prefetch is a software means to speedup loading programs from \Program Files and has nothing to do with Windows Udates
 
Not directly it doesn't. Except that cleaning out the Prefetch will get you some space on your C: drive, lack of which is impeding my updates from functioning...

Saw it mentioned in the cleanup sticky note at the top of this forum, did a little investigating - and wrote that post (which has now disappeared?).

Kinda related, kinda not - just thought I'd mention it, since I was working in those areas anyways.
 
Yeah, what Cobalt006 said. Also, by going thru things (got rid of large quarantined files from Avira), and some other things (compressed files, using method shown on other thread), I got enough space in my C: that I felt like risking the updates again (didn't figure out how to see how much space they were going to suck up). Crossed fingers, and went for it, and that's all working.

Of course, still no luck on figuring out my other problems.... and making new ones :)
 
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