Windows folder too big?!

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

One of our client PCs on XP has a Windows folder of size 29GB!!

We've narrowed it down to the offline files taking up so much space, but how
has this happened?? The PC is set up exactly the same as all the others, in
fact it is one of the newest computers.

Any ideas why this has happened?? Is it going to happen again after the
appropriate folder contents have been deleted??

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

It's just the C:\Windows dir. There's nothing unusual there, all the same
software as is on other computers etc (which is why I can't work out why this
has happened only to this machine)....

Just suddenly 'grew' to 29GB and so the computer was whinging it was low on
disk space (which is what alerted me to the problem).

It's fine again now the temporary folders have been cleared from within the
Windows directory, but it just doesn't seem right that a folder can suddenly
increase in size by about 27GB!?! (Especially as the user barely goes on the
internet etc...)

I'm just wondering if it's likely to happen again without warning - am I
going to be called persistently every few days to solve the problem....?

"WarOfGenesis" wrote:

> Lys,
>
> so you're client as a 29gb windows folder ??? are you talking about
> c:\windows? well it should'nt be it should be around 2gb at lest if the
> windows dir.
> may be there are programs which have been ghosted on the pc that the client
> does'nt need ??? which folder ??/ or is it the pc in general ?
>
>
> "Lys" wrote:
>
> > One of our client PCs on XP has a Windows folder of size 29GB!!
> >
> > We've narrowed it down to the offline files taking up so much space, but how
> > has this happened?? The PC is set up exactly the same as all the others, in
> > fact it is one of the newest computers.
> >
> > Any ideas why this has happened?? Is it going to happen again after the
> > appropriate folder contents have been deleted??

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Hmmmm.... well if it does happen repeatedly I suppose that's what I'll have
to do. Frustrating as it's a brand new machine!

Just intrigued really as to how it happened and how to prevent it!

Thanks, though )

"WarOfGenesis" wrote:

> Well Lys, theres not much you can do but if gets full then you'll need to go
> back and clear the temp folder. not unless you want to try and do a clean
> install of windows on the system.
>
> "Lys" wrote:
>
> > It's just the C:\Windows dir. There's nothing unusual there, all the same
> > software as is on other computers etc (which is why I can't work out why this
> > has happened only to this machine)....
> >
> > Just suddenly 'grew' to 29GB and so the computer was whinging it was low on
> > disk space (which is what alerted me to the problem).
> >
> > It's fine again now the temporary folders have been cleared from within the
> > Windows directory, but it just doesn't seem right that a folder can suddenly
> > increase in size by about 27GB!?! (Especially as the user barely goes on the
> > internet etc...)
> >
> > I'm just wondering if it's likely to happen again without warning - am I
> > going to be called persistently every few days to solve the problem....?
> >
> > "WarOfGenesis" wrote:
> >
> > > Lys,
> > >
> > > so you're client as a 29gb windows folder ??? are you talking about
> > > c:\windows? well it should'nt be it should be around 2gb at lest if the
> > > windows dir.
> > > may be there are programs which have been ghosted on the pc that the client
> > > does'nt need ??? which folder ??/ or is it the pc in general ?
> > >
> > >
> > > "Lys" wrote:
> > >
> > > > One of our client PCs on XP has a Windows folder of size 29GB!!
> > > >
> > > > We've narrowed it down to the offline files taking up so much space, but how
> > > > has this happened?? The PC is set up exactly the same as all the others, in
> > > > fact it is one of the newest computers.
> > > >
> > > > Any ideas why this has happened?? Is it going to happen again after the
> > > > appropriate folder contents have been deleted??

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

well if it was me i'll would just do a clean installation. lol... thats
it.... so then i'll have a good idea whats up.

"Lys" wrote:

> Thought you might like to know, it's happening again as we speak!! The
> Windows dir is just dramatically increasing in size.... the user isn't doing
> anything intensive, no surfing so it can't be temporary internet files...
>
> It's frustrating and confusing!! Anti-virus scan proved there's no viruses,
> System Restore is off.........
>
> No idea what's up!
>
> "WarOfGenesis" wrote:
>
> > Well Lys, theres not much you can do but if gets full then you'll need to go
> > back and clear the temp folder. not unless you want to try and do a clean
> > install of windows on the system.
> >
> > "Lys" wrote:
> >
> > > It's just the C:\Windows dir. There's nothing unusual there, all the same
> > > software as is on other computers etc (which is why I can't work out why this
> > > has happened only to this machine)....
> > >
> > > Just suddenly 'grew' to 29GB and so the computer was whinging it was low on
> > > disk space (which is what alerted me to the problem).
> > >
> > > It's fine again now the temporary folders have been cleared from within the
> > > Windows directory, but it just doesn't seem right that a folder can suddenly
> > > increase in size by about 27GB!?! (Especially as the user barely goes on the
> > > internet etc...)
> > >
> > > I'm just wondering if it's likely to happen again without warning - am I
> > > going to be called persistently every few days to solve the problem....?
> > >
> > > "WarOfGenesis" wrote:
> > >
> > > > Lys,
> > > >
> > > > so you're client as a 29gb windows folder ??? are you talking about
> > > > c:\windows? well it should'nt be it should be around 2gb at lest if the
> > > > windows dir.
> > > > may be there are programs which have been ghosted on the pc that the client
> > > > does'nt need ??? which folder ??/ or is it the pc in general ?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "Lys" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > One of our client PCs on XP has a Windows folder of size 29GB!!
> > > > >
> > > > > We've narrowed it down to the offline files taking up so much space, but how
> > > > > has this happened?? The PC is set up exactly the same as all the others, in
> > > > > fact it is one of the newest computers.
> > > > >
> > > > > Any ideas why this has happened?? Is it going to happen again after the
> > > > > appropriate folder contents have been deleted??

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

LOL, no Probs,

"Lys" wrote:

> Hm yes, it's becoming increasingly tempting... lol!
>
> I'll see how it is on Tuesday!
>
> Many thanks for your feedback.
>
> "WarOfGenesis" wrote:
>
> > well if it was me i'll would just do a clean installation. lol... thats
> > it.... so then i'll have a good idea whats up.
> >
> > "Lys" wrote:
> >
> > > Thought you might like to know, it's happening again as we speak!! The
> > > Windows dir is just dramatically increasing in size.... the user isn't doing
> > > anything intensive, no surfing so it can't be temporary internet files...
> > >
> > > It's frustrating and confusing!! Anti-virus scan proved there's no viruses,
> > > System Restore is off.........
> > >
> > > No idea what's up!
> > >
> > > "WarOfGenesis" wrote:
> > >
> > > > Well Lys, theres not much you can do but if gets full then you'll need to go
> > > > back and clear the temp folder. not unless you want to try and do a clean
> > > > install of windows on the system.
> > > >
> > > > "Lys" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > It's just the C:\Windows dir. There's nothing unusual there, all the same
> > > > > software as is on other computers etc (which is why I can't work out why this
> > > > > has happened only to this machine)....
> > > > >
> > > > > Just suddenly 'grew' to 29GB and so the computer was whinging it was low on
> > > > > disk space (which is what alerted me to the problem).
> > > > >
> > > > > It's fine again now the temporary folders have been cleared from within the
> > > > > Windows directory, but it just doesn't seem right that a folder can suddenly
> > > > > increase in size by about 27GB!?! (Especially as the user barely goes on the
> > > > > internet etc...)
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm just wondering if it's likely to happen again without warning - am I
> > > > > going to be called persistently every few days to solve the problem....?
> > > > >
> > > > > "WarOfGenesis" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Lys,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > so you're client as a 29gb windows folder ??? are you talking about
> > > > > > c:\windows? well it should'nt be it should be around 2gb at lest if the
> > > > > > windows dir.
> > > > > > may be there are programs which have been ghosted on the pc that the client
> > > > > > does'nt need ??? which folder ??/ or is it the pc in general ?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Lys" wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > One of our client PCs on XP has a Windows folder of size 29GB!!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > We've narrowed it down to the offline files taking up so much space, but how
> > > > > > > has this happened?? The PC is set up exactly the same as all the others, in
> > > > > > > fact it is one of the newest computers.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Any ideas why this has happened?? Is it going to happen again after the
> > > > > > > appropriate folder contents have been deleted??

Googlers,

Here is the solution for cleaning up a crowded Installer folder:

http://blogs.msdn.com/heaths/archiv...ed-patches.aspx

In case the page goes away; essentially you download the Windows Installer Cleanup Tool from Microsoft which comes with a command line utility called msizap.exe. After installing the tool, run:

C:\Program Files\Windows Installer Clean Up\msizap G

And it will automatically remove any .msp files that are not registered on your system. This process cleared over 6GB from a client's server system partition.

Thanks!