I have a 0 dB, fanless system that uses a lone SSD for everything. I just upgraded the SSD in it. After imaging from my original system, I decided I'd run Windows Update and Install SP3 for XP, and all the latest security updates. To my shock, the Windows directory bulged from 2.9 GB to 4.4 GB, a 50% increase in size!

Does anyone know if this is normal, or if something has gone wrong with my update? How are people running SP3 on netbooks wiht small 4 GB and 8 GB drives?

(Sorry if this is OT, but the issue only comes up becuase of my need for dead silence.)

EDIT - I made a mistake with my numbers - it was my whole drive that went from 2.9 to 4.4 GB. The WINDOWS directory went from 1.5 GB to 3.0 GB, even after I removed the $Uninstall$ directory. What did I do to double the size of my OS?

If all works, its safe to remove all directories beginning with $
Also I believe that SP3 installation file is hidden somewhere in /Windows
delete that one also.

Keep an eye on your Windows 'Temp' folder too, I tend to delete everything in there periodically.

If system restore is enabled you have a HUGE penalty with a service pack install.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947311

Even without system restore the SP install will eat more space.

You are better off to format the drive and reinstall the OS from a cd that has XP SP3 baked in to the installer. Either find one that already has it or make a slipstream cd yourself. http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/xp ... stream.asp is one of many sites that would tell you how to do it.

I have used nLite and it is quite easy to use:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS- ... Lite.shtml

More info on my system: System Restore was, and is, turned off. No virtual memory pagefile either. Also, the OS disk space size is still doubled AFTER I deleted all the $ntuninstall ...$' directories.

There is a 567 MB directory named \WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\

Am I safe to delete that directory? (Although that still leaves me with a 65% - 1 GB - increase!)


I really didn't want to do a fresh install, as I have so many configured utilites and little programs installed, as well as personal data. It looks like a lot of learning curve to make an nlite instlall, with service packs and updates, and 3rd party software, for something I hope not to do more than every 18 months or so. Does anyone know specifically why doing a SP3 update is so much more bloated than a fresh install from a CD with SP3 already in it?

Thanks a lot for all the help,

Ian

Thanks guys. I went looking through the MS KnowledgeBase for ideas, and stumbled upon an article titled:

"How to reclaim disk space on a Windows XP-based computer that has a hard disk capacity of 4 GB or less"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956324/


It is exactly what I wanted. I ended up moving the following 2 directories to an external drive:

\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles - 567 MB. Didn't exist before SP3 update.

\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution - 922 MB. Was 2 MB before SP3 update.


Now, my \WINDOWS is back to 1.55 GB, exactly what it was before my SP3 update!!

Thanks guys.

That's good info to know

Glad to know you found what you needed.

Thank You. Not only did you link to the correct document you mention the specific portion that was different from the dozens of other MSFT documents that having overlapping information.

Linux 3.6GB with a pretty much full install. Image manipulation software (Hugin, Gimp, Imagemagick), development (gcc/gfortran, subversion+rapidsvn, gdb, Sun Studio, NetBeans, vim^^), Text/Layout creation/manipulation (OpenOffice, complete LaTex Environement, evince), Internet tools (Opera, Mozilla, Tunderbird, Skype), video encoding/decoding software (ffmpeg, vlc), emulators (Wine, DosBox - so I am running "sort of" WinXP), MP3 software (rhythmbox, Songbird). And there's more^^

My data is on a 16 GB SD-Card/external HDD, though...

that's why i splurged for the 160 gig rotational HDD one instead

since most of what i used my netbook for is watching anime, it wouldnt make much sense to not be able to take more than 1 series with me at a given time.