Posted on 07/09/2026 3:18:40 PM PDT by LouAvul
I opened up duckduckgo which said my available space on my computer was low. My C drive is 459 GB. This A.M. it was 5.41 GB free of 459 GB.
Now it's 2.59 GB free of 459 GB. Something's going on. I have and use CCleaner 7 and Malwarebytes. Windows Defender also. This computer never even reaches half full of the 459. I've also used disc cleanup.
Ideas? thnx
It’s helped me many times.
Try Glary Utilities, free download.
In 2022, I had a similar problem and Glary found it.
Go to the disk space analyzer and see what’s eating your disk. The problem was the System Volume Information folder that was filling up for no apparent reason with dozens of files each occupying 5-8 gb. I found a way to limit that process, though I forget the details, and haven’t had a problem since.
I was so happy with what happened, I signed up as a paying customer.
I highly recommend Glary.
Evidently you installed a lot of software.
Every year or two I perform a clean install to solve such problems.
Download Belarc Advisor: https://www.belarc.com/products/belarc-advisor
Install and run it and save the report as a PDF on a flash drive or an external hard drive if you have it. Belarc takes inventory of your computer and lists all the software you have installed and all the license keys for your software, including Windows. That way you can reinstall what you want.
Copy any important files you want to keep to the flash drive or external drive.
If you are running windows, download the Create Installation Media app here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11
Run it with a flash drive in your USB port to create the installation media. Then you can run setup.exe from the flash drive from windows, or you can boot into the flash drive.
Install the fresh copy of windows, then use the Belarc report to reinstall the software you want.
Use Macrium Reflect (free) to take an image of your C: drive.Then buy a 2 or 3 terabyte hard drive. Use Macrium to create a rescue disk to boot from after installing your new hard drive. You can use your old C:drive as a slave and write the image to your new 3tb hard drive. Your new C:drive. Then you’ll have space aplenty. And time to solve the issue.
Now I remember, I limited the size of the System Volume Information folder, which still allowed new files to be stored and older ones to be deleted, which wasn’t happening before.
tech ping
At least it works. I have terabytes but the last Microsoft update came back with a blue screen wanting me to enter some computer number using the function keys that I don’t know.
At least I only paid $250 for it new. HP.
But a pizza. Ask a teenager to help you. :)
Howdy, I use Folder Size which is free software at mindgems.com. I’ve been using this software for quite a few years on my personal laptop as well as my work laptop. It will show you which folders are the largest on your system and you can drill down to the folders to delete what you want. Just a suggestion.
Another software I use is Defraggler put out by the same company that does CCleaner which organizes the space on you drive. I use it cuz I’m not a fan of Windows degragging.
You can fix the blue screen of death, but you’ll have to research it.
And now an unhelpful story from my distant past.
Many decades ago I bought a Mac computer. “Your new computer has one megabyte of memory”, the manual said. “That’s more than you’ll ever need.”
Gee, golly. I was impressed by that!
But now I take issue with the “more than you’ll ever need part”.
Yuck. Too old. I’ll either take it somewhere or get a new one. BUT, I find I don’t use the laptop as much as this phone and my tablet.
Thanks
Several thoughts (in no particular order):
Clear out the Recycle Bin.
Go to the Control Panel/File History/Advanced Settings/Clean Up Versions - Delete everything older than one month old (or perhaps three months).
Go to Control Panel/Backup and Restore (Windows 7)/Manage Space - Delete older backups (assuming back up is turned on.
Go to Settings/System/Storage — This is where you will find a list of files and apps stored on the hard drive. Click each category for more details. Delete files, apps, and features that you no longer use.
“I bought myself a new 15” MacBook Air.”
You blew $1300 to surf the internet. You can buy bulletproof 11 gen intel Dell Latitude for 150 used on Ebay. 16gb ram with 15.6” display. This will surf the internet just as well as your $1300.
I own 3x of the above. I use them 3+ hours daily. I see one on eBay for $101
Upper right corner. Find history. Delete the first four categories. You’ll have to re-enter your FR password after that. Fingers crossed. Otherwise, ctl-alt-del.
I use Thunderbird but the “Local folders” I moved off the hard drive to a USB connected remote hard drive.
All it took was looking at the exact structure location of “Local folders” in “Account Settings”, then going to that exact location and making a copy of that whole location, then putting that copy in a folder on my remote hard drive, and then going back into Thunderbird, in Account Settings, and carefully changing the location of local folders to the remote drive location.
My system could crash, but all my Email files and subfolders for “Local Folders” for Thunerbird would be safe (and not taking any space on my hard drive).
I have also duplicated the setup on my lap top, so when I travel the copy of Thunderbird on the laptop is also looking at my portable remote hard drive for its “Local Folders”.
Actually, I have zero data or info of my own on my PC hardrives, either one. Everything that is “mine” is off on my portable remote hard drive.
Then I have a another USB connecting remote hard drive the first one is regularly backed up on.
I have changed this PC twice and never had to worry about losing any data or info that is “mine”.
My PCs are just for running programs, not for saving anything that I want to save.
You may have an excess of install files and checkpoints. Im not in frontvof my machine right now or I’d have more for you.
Yes, I do that regularly.
Scam...pop-up
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