What is the size of your C:\Windows folder? Today mine is 6.60 GB and keep growing?

Question

Im using Windows XP, with most recent updates, 27035 files and 2686 folders. Is it normal?

Is it necessary to have so much files all the time? Are all these file needed in real-time when PC is running? Isn't it a reason many PCs become zombies because they have too many files?
Isn't possible to have a simpler Windows XP/Vista/7, maybe we call it Windows Light or something?

The size of the windows folder is taking too much space in my HD!

Come on IT people, this can be an interesting project, building an OS by using the only necessary Windows files. And sell it to Microsoft.

Answer 1

You can safely delete the Windows update backup files if you really need the space. These are there just in case if something goes wrong after a certain update is installed. If the computer has been running fine for a few days, there's no need to have them anymore. Goto folder options and enable show all system files. These folders will appear in blue and will have a $ sign in their name. You can use this tool to safely delete them. I've done so in the past.



http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2008/11/16/safely-remove-windows-xp-update-backup-files-to-free-up-hard-disk-space/



Use CCleaner to get rid of junk/unnecessary files.



http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

Answer 2

How often do you do basic maintenance on your PC? Do you run cleanmgr, chkdsk and defrag? It is not the O/S per se, it provides the tools (you could always schedule them) but rather the applications, web sites, etc. that you use. The developers are notorious for leaving lots of crap around.



About how this affects your performance, see my other response to your similar rant. It is not as much of an issue as you think because you don't spend much time in any of those folders.



Is it normal? I'd say you are doing good. Mine is 13.6 GB, 53 K files and 11 K folders - but then I have a lot of software and tools (professional developer /IT infrastructure architect). My laptop hard drive is only 93 GB and this has never caused any issues.



You can always look at the windows components you have installed and remove what you don't want. Reduce down the number of fonts you use. Reduce numbers of games and software you have installed.

Answer 3

Click Start - Run. In the box type %TEMP%

In the resulting explorer window, delete all files. If it tells you certain files can not be deleted, that's fine, that's programs using a temporary file right now. This cleans out your temp directory which can grow quite big over time.

Answer 4

extremely some the belongings you get carry of from the internet will bypass into that folder such as you pronounced, and likewise evaluate that each and all the updates you do on your workstation additionally bypass into that folder. So every time you do homestead windows replace or automatic updates or something, those records are being saved to the folder.

Answer 5

Yes as a IT we use LINUX- Microsofts enemy per se.One is called Puppy Linux OS and it runs on 50mb total! here is one site: http://linux.softpedia.com/get/System/Operating-Systems/Linux-Distributions/Puppy-Linux-1996.shtml

I have 8gb of Windows files. It has alot to do with MANY things. Your Interent Downloading Habits,Types or Program Affiliations etc that use WIndows Files. Its not the "Size" its really what are they doing when they are there that makes a difference..

Answer 6

Yeah I agree. Mine's at like 7.13 GB, 25,837 Files and 2841 Folders. So i suppose it is more or less.