A question about size in C:

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Osaban, Oct 11, 2014.

  1. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    I have recently re-installed Windows Vista on one of my computers from the original DVD. The purpose was to create an image of Vista only, without any programs. Now the size on disk of the Windows installation overall is 20 GB, but C: shows as having 44 GB. Why 24 GB extra? Likewise on my Win 8 computer I have 117 GB on C: but when I add up everything, it's about 91 GB, which means 26 GB extra. Is it normal? Can anyone explain, sorry if it's something obvious....
     
  2. ronjor

    ronjor Global Moderator

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  3. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    Windows typically reserves some extra space, quite a bit actually, for System Restore. It's possible that this might explain the difference. The space is reserved, but not used until many restore points are done and so on.
     
  4. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    Thank you Ron for the interesting read. Kerodo you are perfectly right, as I haven't used System Restore for ages (I prefer to restore an image) I completely forgot it's size can be significant, but even taking hidden files and System Restore into account the numbers don't seem to match perfectly... Although it satisfies my curiosity, and it seems to be normal for Windows... Thanks
     
  5. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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    Page File could be huge like 15-20GB. Also the hibernate function takes GBs of space if I remember.
     
  6. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    Mine is about 8 GB + 10 GB Sys. Restore + 4 GB hidden files, it's already 22 GB which basically covers almost all the gap... I didn't realize all these functions were taking so much space...
     
  7. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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  8. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    Thanks Brian, quite a nifty application... Just hiberfile.sys + pagefile.sys = 14 GB!
     
  9. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Osaban, I installed Vista into my test computer a few days ago. The partition is 20 GB with 7.5 GB used. There is no System Restore or Hibernation file. Pagefile is 1.5 GB.
     
  10. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    As a matter of fact I've just reduced my Vista only re-install from 44 GB to 22 GB which means backup and restore within 7 minutes...
     
  11. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Osaban, we both have fresh Vista installs but you have 22 GB of used space and I have 7.5 GB. I wonder where we differ. Here is my breakdown from Treesize...

    Windows.........7.2 GB
    Program Files....0.5
    Users..............0.3
    ProgramData....0.03
    Boot...............0.01
    System Vol Inf...0.0
    pagefile.sys.....1834 MB
     
  12. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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    AFAIK most software that creates system backup automatically skips files like pagefile and hiberfile. There is no point in backing up those files.
     
  13. MrBrian

    MrBrian Registered Member

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  14. TairikuOkami

    TairikuOkami Registered Member

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    Nice article. If you doubt your HDD usage, just check disk management. I use Treesize as well, but obviously it does not show it properly either.
     

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  15. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    I really don't know why we have these huge differences, this is a real straight install of Vista Ultimate from its original DVD installer...
     

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  16. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    That is weird. I've never seen a large install like yours. My fresh Vista install....

    1.PNG 2.PNG
     
  17. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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    Ime for one difference is the Page File. I think Windows depending on RAM installed doubles that for Page File. So 1GB Ram = 2GB Page File, 4GB Ram = 8GB Page File. Afair anyways.
     
  18. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    How about 32 bit vs 64 bit? Maybe that would make a difference? Should be that much though....
     
  19. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Mine is 32-Bit.

    I noticed Osaban has some non Windows appearing files...

    lupusave-DEATHWISH.2fs (2.0 GB)
    LibreOfc-3.3.1_en_US_sfs4.sfs

    Osaban's Windows folder is over twice the size of mine. Even after two years of use, my Win8 Windows folder is only the size of Osaban's.
     
  20. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    Hmmm... when I had Vista x64, I remember it took up quite a large amount of space also. I know it was no way near 7GB or anything like that. More like 20+. Not sure why though, it's a bit of a mystery. But mine was 64 bit.. not 32.
     
  21. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Vista Home Premium SP2 64-bit was installed. Used space was 10.8 GB.
     
  22. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    Well, Lupussave and Libre Office are about 2GB which are the settings for starting Puppy Linux Live CD within 1 minute. When I installed Vista, MS automatically collected material from the old installation as "Windows old" that might be useful. I have deleted all "Windows old" but kept the Linux material, clearly we are talking about more than 2 GB differences.
    Attached is a treesize screenshot of only the Windows folder, where one can see that the folder winsxs is 10 GB compared to Brian's 3.3 GB... By the way my Vista is 32 bit and Ultimate...
     

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    Last edited: Oct 13, 2014
  23. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Osaban, mine was a fresh install, not an upgrade. Your large winsxs folder suggests Windows Updates. I don't have any. I don't have Microsoft.NET or a hiberfil.sys either so the differences are adding up.

    You probably have over a GB of temp files that could be deleted from....

    C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
     
  24. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

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    Brian, it was a fresh install too, and you are right I've updated Vista completely, it took almost 4 hours... Hence I wanted to have quickly an image not to waste time again just in case... A quick search on the Internet has shown that the notorious winsxs (Windows Side-by-Side) ranges on average between 10- 18 GB, and can be shrunk by using some tools already included in Vista. So, it all seems clear now, from my understanding you have a Vista install without updates and no SP1 and SP2. Why do you keep Vista without updates?
    http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tr...winsxs-folder-with-vsp1clnexe-and-compclnexe/
    I'm not going to reduce winsxs, my hard drive has plenty of room, I was only concerned about the discrepancies in the reported figures. My Win8 winsxs is 12 GB...
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2014
  25. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Osaban,

    I don't intend to "use" the Vista OS. It was just a multi-booting/image/restore exercise. On that test computer I have 32 and 64-bit versions of WinXP, Ubuntu, Vista, Mint, Win7, Win8 and Win10. Also DOS and WinPEs.

    Edit... WinSxS in my two year old Win8 OS is 6 GB. I like small OS used space. Faster backup/restore. I can restore a Win8 image in my main computer in just under two minutes.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2014
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