Windows 7 usb tools

Question

Hello,

I have an old Windows 7 laptop with 500GB on the disk drive and 5GB of ram.

The Windows partition is showing 300GB of space taken up.  Does this sound right.  Program (& x86 programs) take up 100GB total

Window says there is 910MB of free space.

I tried to run the scan under tools - and it said it would schedule it at next start up.  I restarted the computer - and it did not run.

There is no option to run it 'now'.

I was hoping to load some tools on to a USB key then do a scan before boot up...

Or anyone have other suggestions on how to tackle this?

Thanks,

Veepo

Answer 1

When you say that the "Windows partition" is taking up 300 GB, do you mean that C:\Windows is 300 GB or do you mean that you have other partitions (e.g., D:, E:, etc.) on the hard drive? 

• If the latter, what is in those partitions and what size are they?  A laptop is likely to have a partition on the hard drive that contains the computer manufacturer's recovery software, but I would be surprised if such a partition was 200 GB in size.
• If the former, 300 GB is way too big for the C:\Windows directory.

Download TreeSize Free:  https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free

Run it "as administrator" (if the shortcut doesn't say "Administrator," then right-click the shortcut and select "Run as administrator")

What command did you use to run your scan?

100 GB for Program Files and Program Files (x86) sounds like you have far too many application programs installed, but TreeSize Free will help you narrow down exactly what is taking up the space.

Check out C:\Windows\Temp.  If this folder is full of files with names following the pattern "cab_XXXX_X", generally 100 MB each, you're suffering from a known bug.  See this article for an explanation and a method of fixing it:  https://www.computerworld.com/article/3112358/windows-7-log-file-compression-bug-can-fill-up-your-hard-drive.html

If you don't have the "cab file bug" and running TreeSize doesn't suggest to you what you need to delete, post the names of the 5 or 10 folders (or files) that take up the most space.

Answer 2

If you are going to work in the Registry you do it manually.

Which means that you are the one who has to know what you are doing there as one mistake can make your system inoperable.

And if you do work in it, you should always back it up first.

That is why I give this advice:

I do not recommend that you use any Registry Cleaners, Optimizers, Driver Updaters, Tune -Up utilities, etc.

They may do more harm to your operating system than any good that they claim to be able to do.

Read through this about upgrading to 10:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-update/windows-81-to-10/333c32a9-4844-40e7-8099-afe82a7765c5

Cheers.

Answer 3

Hi Bill,

Thanks for a lot of info!

Why did you say not to use the registry cleaner for CC?  it remove the wrong stuff, or inserts stuff?

I used  Windirstat from Sourceforge eventually.  Why Windows does not have a utility for this already built in is mind boggling.

The Temp directory had about 50GB of .cab files, some over 2GB, so I removed them.  My expectation is, if needed, they will restore.

Also yes, the CBS logs - remove all the ones up to 2019...they went back to 2015 - about 100GB restored.  After a reboot it stay that way.

Not sure if a 4GB RAM system is worth upgrading to W10.  I think the laptop is from 2011.  But still going.  The physical shape of it is good, huge screen. Tough.

Answer 4

Use this free Program to see what is taking up the space.

https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/

Here is how to understand Treesize Screenshots:

http://www.jam-software.com/treesize\_free/screenshots.shtml

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Also check to see how much space System Restore is using:

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/335-system-protection-change-disk-space-usage.html

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Tips to free up drive space on your PC > Applies to: Windows 7/Windows 8.1

https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/17421/windows-free-up-drive-space

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You can clean up your Hard Drive using these two methods.

"Delete files using Disk Cleanup"

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/delete-files-using-disk-cleanup#delete-files-using-disk-cleanup=windows-7

Disk Cleanup Wizard addon lets users delete outdated Windows ...

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Using the Free CCleaner Program:

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Under NO condition use the Registry cleaning Option in CCleaner

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And download, install, update and scan your System with the free version of Malwarebytes AntiMalware:

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes\_free

And Norton Backup, if you are using Norton, can do strange things with filling up Hard Drive space.

Cheers.

Answer 5

I tried to run the scan under tools - and it said it would schedule it at next start up.

To illustrate your problem, please open the Disk Manager (diskmgmt.msc), then use snippingtool.exe to take a snapshot of the Disk Manager frame. Save the snapshot to your desktop, then attach it to your reply.

What "scan" are you thinking of?