windirstat running out of space C: drive

[westwood339]

My bosses computer has a very strange folder structure on his c: drive
He's down to his last gig of space but I cant tell what is occupying all of it. He doesn't have lots of pictures on his desktop or the normal libraries/picture folder locations nor video and music files. He runs his computer mainly for vector cutting products.

Running windirstat revealed the following:
pic1
pic2

his C drive has 100's of folders with strange and odd names in the root. we run kaspersky religiously and have not encountered a virus recently. I don't know if he downloaded something through his email. Can I start removing files indicated by windirstat? If so which ones, I don't want to delete something important but at the same time I'd like to figure out what's creating and taking up all this space.

any help would be appreciated.
windows7 home premium 32bit

 

[Ranger4]

Most of the files are located in the Curtis sub directory, which is under Users. It's showing over 30 GB, so you need to get rid of some of those files if possible.

An alternative would be to install another hard drive or use a USB hard drive & copy a lot of those files that are not required very often, onto it.

Is the computer shown in your System Specs the one you are asking about or is the problem computer a different one. If it's different could you provide some specs on it.

 

[Megahertz07]

Don't use external links to images.
To post an image, Go Advanced - Manage Attachments - Browse - Upload

Do a Disk cleanup: %windir%\system32\cleanmgr.exe

You have a lot of 00.. folders that are empty. Delete them all.

As your C: disk is small:

- You can delete the files on C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. They were used to update and now useless.
- How big is the space for restore points? Make it smaller.

1)Move Virtual Memory to HDD
Computer-Properties-Advanced system settings
Performance settings - Advanced - Change
- C: None
- D: Custom sise: Max & Min = 16384- Set (make 2x memory size)

2)Startup and Recovery
Make diretory D:\System\Memory Dumps
Make diretory D:\System\Memory Dumps\Mini
Make diretory D:\System\Temp

Computer-Properties-Advanced system settings
Startup and Recovery settings

Small memory dump
Small Dump file: D:\System\Memory Dumps\Mini

Kernel memory dump
Dump file: D:\System\Memory Dumps

OK (Ingnore alert)

Environment Variables
Up Window
Temp - D:\System\Temp
TMP - D:\System\Temp
Down Window
Temp - D:\System\Temp
TMP - D:\System\Temp

3)Reboot

- Create D:\Program Files and install on it Antivirus, antimalware, antispyware and very large programs.

 

[RolandJS]

"...He runs his computer mainly for vector cutting products..."
If I understand Clients From Hell's web site's numerous graphic freelancers' letters -- vectoring can often be a big complex operation! Be careful in what is deleted, many programs have zero-byte folders - until such programs are engaged and working.

 

[Layback Bear]

I would not delete any folders. A program might need them later.
I also suggest not to delete anything until you research what it is and what it is used for.
If you need more hard drive or ssd space just get a bigger one.

Jack

 

[westwood339]

thanks for the reply.
The problem computer 'curtis' is different. It has the below specs.

Computer type PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model Number custom build
OS windows 7 ultimate x32
CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
Motherboard ASUS P5NSLI
Memory 8GB DDR2 pc2-6400
Graphics Card nvidia geoforce gs7900
Hard Drives 2 300GB Seagate SATA2 NTFS
Antivirus Kaspersky
Browser Mozilla,Chrome, IE

I've backed up all his working files and pictures which he keeps well organized. They are in a separate partition from the OS and applications installed on the C: drive. The vector cutting files are from a program called flexisign and each of the computers for sales have this program installed and I'm fairly familiar to the files that are used by it. Thing is none of the other computers that use this vector program has a file structure like his C: drive so I'm not sure what to back up from there. The actual work files are in a diff location. I just don't have a clue what's created all these folders in the root of his C: drive.

Most of the files are located in the Curtis sub directory, which is under Users. It's showing over 30 GB, so you need to get rid of some of those files if possible.

An alternative would be to install another hard drive or use a USB hard drive & copy a lot of those files that are not required very often, onto it.

Is the computer shown in your System Specs the one you are asking about or is the problem computer a different one. If it's different could you provide some specs on it.

 

[westwood339]

Thanks very much for the instructions. Will go through and do what I can.

'00.. folders that are empty...' could these have been created by malware or a virus? these are not present on any of the other office computers that are running similar software as his.

what is the purpose of 'Move Virtual Memory to HDD' and is it a necessary windows function?

'Make diretory D:\System\Memory Dumps...' are these also necessary functions for windows to run properly? Initially after installing all the software that he needed his C: drive had about 30gn to spare. His data files were stored in a diff partition (D: drive) and this would leave the C: with room. I'm just puzzled what application created all these folders in the C: root.

Don't use external links to images.
To post an image, Go Advanced - Manage Attachments - Browse - Upload

Do a Disk cleanup: %windir%\system32\cleanmgr.exe

You have a lot of 00.. folders that are empty. Delete them all.

As your C: disk is small:

- You can delete the files on C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. They were used to update and now useless.
- How big is the space for restore points? Make it smaller.

1)Move Virtual Memory to HDD
Computer-Properties-Advanced system settings
Performance settings - Advanced - Change
- C: None
- D: Custom sise: Max & Min = 16384- Set (make 2x memory size)

2)Startup and Recovery
Make diretory D:\System\Memory Dumps
Make diretory D:\System\Memory Dumps\Mini
Make diretory D:\System\Temp

Computer-Properties-Advanced system settings
Startup and Recovery settings

Small memory dump
Small Dump file: D:\System\Memory Dumps\Mini

Kernel memory dump
Dump file: D:\System\Memory Dumps

OK (Ingnore alert)

Environment Variables
Up Window
Temp - D:\System\Temp
TMP - D:\System\Temp
Down Window
Temp - D:\System\Temp
TMP - D:\System\Temp

3)Reboot

- Create D:\Program Files and install on it Antivirus, antimalware, antispyware and very large programs.

 

[westwood339]

Yes thanks. I've never seen any of the other computers running the same vector program as his create zero byte folders in the C: root and have it stay there, so that's why I find his computer structure to be so odd.

"...He runs his computer mainly for vector cutting products..."
If I understand Clients From Hell's web site's numerous graphic freelancers' letters -- vectoring can often be a big complex operation! Be careful in what is deleted, many programs have zero-byte folders - until such programs are engaged and working.