Windows XP - Delete over a gigabyte of unnecessary data

Windows XP needs about 500 times as much disk space as its grandfather Windows 3.1! This is justified given the size of the operating system. However, there are a few ways to free up a few hundred megabytes. You have nothing to fear - but first you must have performed the following tricks. Otherwise, most files will be restored immediately.

Switch off system restore completely
Empty the SFC folder

Once you have done this, you can continue:

Delete the help folder

If you no longer need the Windows XP help files, you can keep the 50 megabytes free for other applications or data.

1. Click one after the other on Start and select Workplace. A window appears with all the drives on your computer. Now double-click on the drive on which Windows XP is installed. Now open the folder and click with the right mouse button on the subfolder Help.

2. A context menu appears in which you can Delete and select with OK confirm.

Delete the driver backup folder

This folder contains all the driver files that are required if a device installation is due. Don't worry - your drivers will still work even after deletion. For a new installation, all you have to do is insert the Windows XP CD-ROM. However, this will also free up an additional 75MB.

1. Follow step one from the first tip to get to the Windows folder.

2. Click with the right mouse button on the folder Driver cache and go to Delete to banish it to the trash.

Empty the tempordner regularly

Windows or the installed programs often only store files that are needed for a short time in this folder and then delete them again. If this does not happen or if the PC crashes, the temp folder literally bloats. From a few to hundreds of megabytes can be wasted in this way. Make sure that you always do the following regularly:

1. Follow step one from the first tip to get to the Windows folder.

2. Double-click on the Temp folder. As soon as you can see the contents, press the CTRL+A at the same time. If you now click on Removal and press OK confirm the entire content will be deleted.

Delete the System Volume Information folder

This important system folder is protected by Windows like no other. You can't even open it. It contained over 1.5 GB of data on one of my test computers. This is how you delete it:

1. Click one after the other on Start and select Workplace . At the top, move the mouse pointer to Extras and finally on the button Folder options.

2. A new window appears. Now switch to the tab View. You will now see several options. Remove the tick in front of Hide protected system files and confirm the warning message with YES. If you now scroll further down with the scroll bar, you will discover an entry with the name Show all files and folderswhich you must select immediately. With a click on Ok you have made the System Volume Information folder visible.

3. Now double-click on the drive where Windows XP is located. You should now see the folder System Volume Information to see it. Click on it with the right mouse button and delete it. If it did not work, you must continue with step 4.

4. Click one after the other on Start > All programs > Accessories > Command prompt. You are now in classic DOS. Type as long as cd.. followed by ENTER until you can only see the following in the DOS window:

5. Now type the command and confirm with Enter. Instead of c:\> you should write the drive on which Windows XP is installed. The word USERNAME must be replaced by the name with which you have logged on to the computer. In my example, the command is as follows:

Now press ENTER. If everything went well, you will receive a message that the directory has been edited. If you have a user name with spaces, you must enclose it in quotation marks, e.g.

6. Now continue with step 3. Your hard disk now has plenty of room to breathe again.

NOTE FOR NEW PUBLICATION: This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and comes from the Windows Tweaks archive, which has been built up since the late 1990s.