XP Home w/ bloated System Volume Information folder

[FijiJohn]

I was trying to figure out what happended to all the space on the partition where I keep my backups (on my 2nd HD). I finally traced it to the System Volume Information Folder - which is weighing in today at 19.6GB!!!

Norton Disk Doctor says all is happy and healthy. (Sure.)

How can I get back the space I need for more backups? Can I just delete that folder?

This is on a system with XP Home OS.

(This partition was recently resized with PM 7 in case that makes a difference.)

[BipolarBill]

If you don't mind losing System Restore functionality, you can shut it off in System properties and then empty the folder. That's your system backup for when (not if) you hose the system with bad software, hardware or a dumb mistake.

Do you feel lucky? :cool:

[FijiJohn]

With all the drive failures I have had recently all I feel is UNlucky! :)

However, this drive is where I keep my Retrospect backups - and I trust those more than XP's restore function. (But maybe I shouldn't??) :confused:

[FijiJohn]

Now that you mention it (i.e., XP's restore function), that drive was set to use a maximum of 12% for Restore info. It was using 50% however.

I don't mind 12% but that SHOULD be the limit. I wonder why it was not??? :confused:

[BipolarBill]

Disable it, reboot and delete the folder(s). Set the percentage to 25% for each drive when you re-enable it. You can also disable it for the backup drive. Take a look around.

Frankly, XP is so good that you most likely will never need System Restore. XP has a wonderful Repair function when booting from the CD that can save your bacon too. Backups in your case are for hard drive failures...remember that.

If you upgraded another OS, XP may have your old OS scrunched up in there and is not counting it toward your total.

[FijiJohn]

I took the Systen Volume Information folder apart and it had three(!) copies of the old Retropsect archive (at 6+GB each). That's really about all that was in there.

I did originally try to 'upgrade' from ME to XP but it was a disaster. In the end I did a clean install and re-installed ALL my apps one by one, uggh. There about 25 that I regularly use. Thankfully I had almost all the CDs and #s handy. Then, of course, I had to hunt down several patches to make them work under XP.

[BipolarBill]

Here's mine: