Large System32 and SysWOW64 Folders (>15GB ea.)

[Matchlighter]

I hope I am in the correct section of the forum (I am going under the Maintenance part). I have recently noticed that my system drive does not have as much free space as it should. I installed Folder Size and found that my Windows folder was 54GB. Further digging showed that System32 and SysWOW64 were more than 15GB each. :shock: Folder Size shows me that my computer is taking seemingly random files and folders on my computer (not just the C: Drive) and copying them to both

System32/config/systemprofile/AppData/Local/Safe mirror
and
SysWOW64/config/systemprofile/AppData/Local/Safe mirror

From what I can tell, the files selected are from random locations (Desktop, AppData, a folder on my X: drive, etc.). Some of the files and folders retain their original name while others are similar to "$RGVUNNF.xps". How can I reclaim this lost space and prevent it from doing this in the future? Can I safely delete the 'Safe mirror' folder?

Thanks in advance!
Ethan

 

[logicearth]

They are hardlinks, they are not taking as much space as you think they are.

 

[SIW2]

I don't have them on my machine.

Are you using some kind of file backup app.?

 

[Matchlighter]

They are hardlinks, they are not taking as much space as you think they are.

So Folder Size is lying? Which apparently it is. But only by 15GB instead of 30GB. Explorer shows that the files aren't in the System32 directory, but in both explorer and Folder Size, the files are in the SysWOW64 Directory. Both Explorer and Folder Size say 15GB in that directory.

 

[SIW2]

LogicEarth was trying to explain what hardlinks are about.

I am not sure that is what you have there.

Did you see my previous post?

 

[Matchlighter]

I don't have them on my machine.

Are you using some kind of file backup app.?

Explorer doesn't show the one in System32. So, Folder Size lied about that one, but explorer and FS show the directory and files in the SysWOW64 folder.

 

[Matchlighter]

The ones in SysWOW64 are definitely not Hardlinks. I have Link Shell Extension installed. It would tell me if they were Hardlinks.

 

[SIW2]

Are you using some kind of file backup app.?

 

[Matchlighter]

Are you using some kind of file backup app.?

Yes, I am. I use Cobian backup. From a quick glance, it appears that all the files are from the backup directories. But, Cobian is not set to back up to the SysWOW64/... directory. Also, the total of the backup is much more than 15GB.

 

[SIW2]

I would hazard a guess Cobian is storing backups there - no idea why, I don't use it.

Try the Cobian Forum, perhaps.

You might be better using Karen's Replicator.

 

[Matchlighter]

If it is, I don't get why it is naming them weird names or only taking certain files. However, I never understood that in the first place. Would you say that it is safe to delete them?

 

[SIW2]

I would delete them .


It might not help much - they will probably reappear - unless you stop whatever is creating them.

This for example :

http://www.cobiansoft.com/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=3745

 

[Matchlighter]

Great, that was exactly what I needed. Thanks for doing my research for me. Apparently, Cobian has a feature that creates a copy of files that will be deleted in a mirror back-up. I only do mirrors about once a year, so that is why I haven't noticed the problem before.