The 'windows' directory on the system drive is 13.8 gig big.
It's a real pain in the bum because I have my system drive partitioned off to 20 gig, so I am constantly running out of space.
I know I can ditch some unnecessary elements from windows to free up a little space, but I'm wondering if such a large size is due maybe to remnants of the copy of XP I had before I upgraded, or maybe its normal and I need to lose the partition?
To be honest 14 GB does not seem excessively large the actual size of the windows directory will be dependent, of course, on what you have installed programs wise.
I normally allocate around 60 - 80 GB for a windows OS to give breathing room
The minimums stated on the box are exactly that - minimums
Computer Type: PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number: ChillBlast - Custom to my design OS: Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release and Release Preview] CPU: Ryzen 9 5950X, 3.8 - 5.2 MHz Motherboard: Asus Prime X570-Pro Memory: 64GB [2 x 32GB] DDR4 3200MHz Graphics Card: 4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 Ti Sound Card: On-board SPDIF to 5.1 System + HDMI [5.1 system] Monitor(s) Displays: 32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV Screen Resolution: 2 x 3840 x 2160 @60Hz Keyboard: Logitech Wireless MX Keys & K400 + others Mouse: Logitech Wireless MX Master 3S PSU: NZXT C750 80 PLUS Gold 750W Modular PSU Case: Workstation Case [Matt Black] Cooling: NZXT Kraken X63 280mm CPU Cooler +2x Quiet Case fans Hard Drives: 1TB M2 SSD OS, 500GB Fast Access SSD, 2 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 4TB, 10TB NAS Internet Speed: 920 MB Down 50 MB Up Browser: Chrome (always run latest Non-Beta) Antivirus: BitDefender Total Security Pro Other Info: Also run ...
Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
Samsung 10.2" tablet
Blackview TAB 8 4G Android Tablet c/w Keyboard
Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
Wacom Expresskeys Remote
Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
Shuttle Pro v2 Control
Computer Type: Laptop System Manufacturer/Model Number: Dell XPS 17 10750H OS: Windows 11 Pro x64 Latest RP CPU: Intel I7 10750H 5.0GHz Motherboard: Dell XPS Memory: 32GB [2x16GB] DDR4 2933 MHz Graphics Card: nVidia GTX1650Ti 4 GB GDDR6 Sound Card: Stock [Realtek] 4 Speaker Monitor(s) Displays: 17" IPS UHD+ Infinity Edge Touchscreen Screen Resolution: 3840 x 2400 Keyboard: Backlit + Various Logitech Mouse: Stock Track Pad + Logitech MX Trackball PSU: Stock Case: Stock XPS Aluminium & Carbon Fibre Cooling: Stock - Active Fan Control Hard Drives: 2TB M2 NVMe, 4TB External + various 500GB & 1TB External NVMe (also have access to spinner HDD from Internet Speed: 72 MB Down 18MB Up Browser: Chrome Other Info: Also run ...
Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
10.2" tablet
Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
Wacom Expresskeys Remote
Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
10TB NAS
Sorry, I should have pointed out that i have installed practically nothing short of a browser and a media player, I install games and programs on another drive....
My window folder is 14.6 gb. So not unusual. By the time you install programs there isn't much room left for the pagefile and restore points.
Personally I wouldn't install Vista or Seven on any less than a 40 gig partition and 60 or 80 would be better. Mine is 100 gb and all of my personal files are on a separate partition.
Due to the way that Windows 7 uses virtualisation to operate it may well be that your space usage will be a lot smaller than stated in real terms.
If you check the size of the WinSXS folder you will normally see a size of many GB when in reality this folder is quite small
This folder contains hard links, (like shortcuts), which point to .dll files at other locations on the system, including remotely installed items.
Unfortunately the file managers designed for windows including explorer see these files as real files with there actual size so a 1kb shortcut to a 100mb .dll will show a size of 100MB !
The only way to see the actual space usage is by means of a low level tool outside of windows (eg. a bootable disk tool).
My windows folder shows as a 16GB folder in an install of approx 40gGB including programs but not data if that helps to put your system into context, of this WinSXS is about 6GB - this is a 64 bit install so will be larger than a 32 bit due to the WOW64 overhead
Computer Type: PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number: ChillBlast - Custom to my design OS: Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release and Release Preview] CPU: Ryzen 9 5950X, 3.8 - 5.2 MHz Motherboard: Asus Prime X570-Pro Memory: 64GB [2 x 32GB] DDR4 3200MHz Graphics Card: 4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 Ti Sound Card: On-board SPDIF to 5.1 System + HDMI [5.1 system] Monitor(s) Displays: 32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV Screen Resolution: 2 x 3840 x 2160 @60Hz Keyboard: Logitech Wireless MX Keys & K400 + others Mouse: Logitech Wireless MX Master 3S PSU: NZXT C750 80 PLUS Gold 750W Modular PSU Case: Workstation Case [Matt Black] Cooling: NZXT Kraken X63 280mm CPU Cooler +2x Quiet Case fans Hard Drives: 1TB M2 SSD OS, 500GB Fast Access SSD, 2 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 4TB, 10TB NAS Internet Speed: 920 MB Down 50 MB Up Browser: Chrome (always run latest Non-Beta) Antivirus: BitDefender Total Security Pro Other Info: Also run ...
Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
Samsung 10.2" tablet
Blackview TAB 8 4G Android Tablet c/w Keyboard
Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
Wacom Expresskeys Remote
Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
Shuttle Pro v2 Control
Computer Type: Laptop System Manufacturer/Model Number: Dell XPS 17 10750H OS: Windows 11 Pro x64 Latest RP CPU: Intel I7 10750H 5.0GHz Motherboard: Dell XPS Memory: 32GB [2x16GB] DDR4 2933 MHz Graphics Card: nVidia GTX1650Ti 4 GB GDDR6 Sound Card: Stock [Realtek] 4 Speaker Monitor(s) Displays: 17" IPS UHD+ Infinity Edge Touchscreen Screen Resolution: 3840 x 2400 Keyboard: Backlit + Various Logitech Mouse: Stock Track Pad + Logitech MX Trackball PSU: Stock Case: Stock XPS Aluminium & Carbon Fibre Cooling: Stock - Active Fan Control Hard Drives: 2TB M2 NVMe, 4TB External + various 500GB & 1TB External NVMe (also have access to spinner HDD from Internet Speed: 72 MB Down 18MB Up Browser: Chrome Other Info: Also run ...
Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
10.2" tablet
Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
Wacom Expresskeys Remote
Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
10TB NAS
Computer Type: PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number: Custom built, several laptops HP/ASUS OS: Linux CENTOS 7 / various Windows OS'es and servers CPU: Intel i7 Intel i5 Memory: 8GB, 16GB Graphics Card: On Motherboard Sound Card: Realtek HD audio Monitor(s) Displays: Apple Cinema display, Samsung LCD Screen Resolution: 1920 X 1080 Mouse: Toshiba wireless laser Hard Drives: 4 X 1TB SATA Internet Speed: > 20MB up
System Manufacturer/Model Number: Self Build 64bit OS: Vista Ult64, Win7600 CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2400 MHz 64bit OS Motherboard: Asus P5E3 Deluxe WiFi @p 64 bit OS Memory: 4096 MB DDR3-SDRAM Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 3870 Series x2 Crossfired Sound Card: Realtek on board Monitor(s) Displays: Samsung SyncMaster - 23 inches Screen Resolution: 1680x1050 pixels at 60 Hz in True Colors Keyboard: Wireless Mouse: Wireless PSU: Cooler Master 1000w Case: Cooler Master Cosmos 1000. Cooling: Fans and fresh air, Hard Drives: Hitachi (250 GB)/Samsung 750 GB. /Barracuda 160 GB.
My Book 1 TB external.. Internet Speed: Never fast enough Other Info: I use a Magnum.