C partition cleanup before acronis backup

[BleepingCrazy]

hi folks,

I've installed new drivers for my audio hardware (pro external card) and I noticed that ALL of the previous versions are stored here:
C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository

I took ownership and deleted the older ones for this device, while keeping the previous one used...just in case. The FileRepository folder currently weighs in at 1.5gb

Is windows using this FileRepository frequently or can I delete its contents entirely?

I use Ccleaner to clean out the general cache, etc. But are there some main places that I can delete stuff that I know I don't need anymore?

Adobe MediaCache was another culprit....that was 1.2gb of old stuff for example (Deleted), but I'm just asking about win7 default places at the moment.

thanks for any advice.

 

[surfasb]

It depends. Some programs depend on access to previous versions of drivers for backwards compatibility. Some devices aren't that way. There is no list because no one has really bothered to take the ridiculous amount of time to test all those drivers with all programs and say, "Ok this is what you need."

It is best that you at least make a backup of whatever you delete. I've seen someone do what you did and lose USB functionality on their system....

 

[BleepingCrazy]

yep, i backed those up just in case (still have them on an external HDD). I have an acronis backup of the C partition from last week also...so all's good. Just thinking of ways to reduce the actual backup size (while not screwing the system as you mentioned)...so far so good.

 

[Tepid]

The only things that I know are safe to delete before doing an acronis image....

I run Acronis from BartPE, it's perfect... because I can fully get rid of many things you can't otherwise..

Dump all filels from all Temp Folders, Temp Inet Folders, History folders, Cookies, etc.
You can safely dump the files from Prefetch folder
Hiberfile.sys
Pagefile.sys

If there are other folders for Apps that you can get rid of cause you don't need them, then by all means do so. The smaller you can make the image the better.

I then run Defraggler on the C: drive from BartPE
Then make my image.

The reason I don't go any farther than that, is cause i don't know what will get recreated and what will not.

 

[BleepingCrazy]

Hey Tepid, thats pretty much 100% my current routine (except for the BartPE...I haven't used that yet, and I don't use hibernate, so the file doesn't exsist)...just trying to dig really deep into some large folders.

Like this one I found (although its adobe):
C:\Users\SteveJobs\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Common\Media Cache

I'll do some more digging...