Windows 7 after clean install takes up 183gb of space? Whaaaa?

GratefulDean · 28 Feb 2011

TL;DR Why is my C drive showing, after a clean install, that I have used over 180gb of space?

Hi,

Every 6-8 months my system becomes slow, quirky, things stop working or it lazily boots up so I reinstall Windows 7. I have come to enjoy the process as it keeps me honest, running a neat, easily backed up system with a quick install and at the end of it I get what feels like a new computer. I keep a Google Doc with links to my important programs and the software keys. I transfer my music and pics off the laptop regularly so it rarely has more than a few gigs of these on board so the process has become rather painless. For this latest install I put the Chrome and TrendMicro installers on a thumbdrive so I could install each without needing to go online except, once installed, to activate.

I digress...

This time around I was thinking of setting up a dual boot with Ubuntu 10.10. So, as I'm checking out my disk deciding on partition sizes I see that I have, with a brand new, utterly clean install, used up 183gb of my hard drive.

How is this possible?

I was under the impression Win7 needed 20GB for install, and as I run light in terms of programs, iTunes, Word, Excel, Trend Micro, Chrome, DropBox, Sketchup, Skype and various drivers for peripherals I could get away with a 35GB partition for Win7. But 183GB doesn’t seem right.

What am I missing?

Thanks,
Dean

P.S. While I have you, and I do plan on posting this in a more appropriate place, I have a question. The best set up for the install is, I think, a +/- 35g partition for WIn7, a +/- 35g partition for Ubuntu and a third, separate, data partition with files, music pics that both Win7 and Ubuntu can access. I’m not sure what it is called in Ubuntu but in Windows it would be the “Libraries”. I am not exactly sure how to do this or even if this is the correct way to go. If I do this, what is the process to have Win7 deposit and look for these files “Libraries” on said partition?

Thanks,
Dean

DianaD 74 · 28 Feb 2011

I dont know why 7 is taking up so much space. Perhaps you're not formatting the boot drive 100% before installing the new version.

One thing I can advise is that you get a good imaging program such as Acronis True Image Complete hard disk recovery solution, backup, drive copy, clone and image computer software.
It allows you to make an exact mirror image of your hard drive so you will no longer have to constantly re-install windows every 6 to 8 months, that's just ridiculous to be re-installing windows so often.

I'd imagine you know it can take weeks or more to get all your programs re installed and your settings back the way you prefer them.
You will need an external hard drive to store the backups ...although you can use a CD/DVD writer to hold the images, an external drive is much faster and much easier and not a lot of $$$.

I use Acronis to make backups to a USB-2 external drive about once a month.
If there's a massive meltdown or serious slow down/problem.. or worse, A Hard Drive Failure... you can be back up and running in a matter minutes...Exactly as it was at the time you made your last image.

I don't think anybody here that has properly used an imaging program will disagree with what I've posted...It's a life saver.

Theres a free imaging program called Backula Bacula, the Open Source, Enterprise ready, Network Backup Tool for Linux, Unix, and Windows
I've never used it but I've heard great reviews about it.

Do yourself a favor and look into imaging your hard drive every few weeks or so.

I have a couple of XP machines at home that have been running without a fresh install in over 5 years thanks to Acronis True Image.
I just got win 7 a while ago and have made 4 backups so far.

One major problem and I simply load Acronis and I'm back up and running within 30 minutes or so.

Good luck
D.

Orbital Shark · 28 Feb 2011

Hi,

Have a look at Method 2 of the following tutorial and see if it helps

System Protection Restore Points - Delete

You'll be surprised how much space unwanted restore points can take up.

Also, CCleaner can also show what's taking up all your space regarding temporary files.

OS

HQuest · 28 Feb 2011

I saw my HD being almost eaten up entirely by Windows, right after it was installed. Turned out it was Bitlocker encrypting the disc. The space was freed when encryption was done.

Are you running Bitlocker by any chance?

GratefulDean · 28 Feb 2011

HQuest said:

I saw my HD being almost eaten up entirely by Windows, right after it was installed. Turned out it was Bitlocker encrypting the disc. The space was freed when encryption was done.

Are you running Bitlocker by any chance?

No, I'm not sure what that is.

Edit: isn't Bitlocker only available on Home Premium?

GratefulDean · 28 Feb 2011

DianaD 74 said:

One thing I can advise is that you get a good imaging program such as Acronis True Image

D.

Thanks, I've run Acronis before but a while a go I ran out of back up space on my ExtHD's. That was when I started this process. I've actually gotten it down to a science so that the process takes less than an hour. I've figured out the few programs I use and have all the info down in such a way it takes no time to reinstall everything. What I like about this, more than Acronis, is that it really keeps my system unburdened by the various apps I try out then stop using.

I am planning, hopefully sooner than later, to pick up a 3TB network drive so my wife and I can have a single primary data drive, freeing up our 1tb drives for system back up.

Thanks for the response,
Dean

SixStringJammin · 28 Feb 2011

If you keep reinstalling Windows 7, I wager you might have more than a few 'windows.old' folders hanging around - and they can take up a lot of space. Unless you need anything from them, get rid of them! @Experts: am I right? I don't want to give the poster duff advice. :)

GratefulDean · 28 Feb 2011

SixStringJammin said:

If you keep reinstalling Windows 7, I wager you might have more than a few 'windows.old' folders hanging around - and they can take up a lot of space. Unless you need anything from them, get rid of them! @Experts: am I right? I don't want to give the poster duff advice. :)

Dude, I bet that's it!

So, after some calculating the 3 .old files come to 44.5 gigs. That's a start. I'm still long by about 140gb.

GratefulDean · 01 Mar 2011

Orbital Shark said:

Hi,

Have a look at Method 2 of the following tutorial and see if it helps

System Protection Restore Points - Delete

You'll be surprised how much space unwanted restore points can take up.

Also, CCleaner can also show what's taking up all your space regarding temporary files.

OS

Thanks,

I only have 8gb reserved for restore points after that I believe they are deleted.

I think what I needed to do was boot from the win7 install disk and format the drive at each install. That may also help with the system getting gummed up so quickly.

I've been clearing space on one of my externals to image the c drive after I get this figured out. It is a task I have not been looking forward to.

Thanks,
Dean

Bare Foot Kid · 01 Mar 2011

Hello Dean.

Here's the best way to get a real clean install.

Information

I would suggest, after you have copied out or made back-ups of the data you need to save to external media, use Step One of this tutorial at the link below to do a wipe (secure erase) to the entire Hard Disk Drive, running this "clean all" then using the outline in Step Two #2 to create/format and mark Active a single 100GB partition using diskpart will get you the best possible space to do a clean install of Windows 7 to; you can always extend the Windows partition to include the remaining unallocated space on the HDD / SSD or create additional partitions after the installation completes if you choose.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version