Disconnect between calculated & OS record of used & free disc space

First whatever is on your second (F) hard drive will have no bearing on the Operating System and the "C" hard drive space or operation.  Windows is only concerned with the "C" drive and the space for it's use there.  Along with the Operating System and whatever programs are installed on it, there is also space needed for the Recycle Bin (and that varies up to the amount allocated).  However a 20 GB drive for Windows XP is really inadequate, considering the size of just the Windows OS, let alone the free space needed by Windows XP for it's "day to day" operations. 

If you do a clean reinstall of XP, ALL programs - regardless of where they are will have to be reinstalled also.  But, I would not reinstall on the 20GB hard drive, either replace it with a larger drive or use the larger 200 GB drive as the "C" drive and install on that as it will eliminate your problems. 

there is also one other thing to consider and that is the swap file size and the number of restore points, do you use standby or hibernate?

If you do not have your system set up show hidden files and system files when you open windows exploer you are probably not seeing all the files.

Like fireberd mentions, a 20 gig drive with windows is far to small to do the job now adays.

For firebird:

Thanks for responding.

Question:

My F: drive (200 GIGS) is also the "slave" drive.

If I re-install WINXP on ths drive, would I first have to change the
internal hardware readings to make it the "master" drive & the C:
drive the "slave" drive.

In other words, does the WINXP install CD differentiate between
them & prefer the "Master" drive or does it make no difference
(could I direct it to install on F:--while still a 'slave'?).

And if it makes no difference, will the other microsoft products
(LiveCam) (Windows Live, etc.) and future updates automatically
follow to the to F: drive (still 'slave') if that's where WINXP
is located--do these programs automatically 'sense' - prior to
their own installation--where WINXP folders, etc.  are??

I ask this because I've found that many of these programs auto-
matically download and/or install presently to the C: ('master') drive
without asking me where I would like them to go.

Any helpful info appreciated.

Thanks.

For Davet50:

Thanks for responding.

I limit restore points to 1 (an option in the 'Clean Manager'  program).

I am setup to 'show hidden files & folders' , NOT to "hide protected operating system files'

I do NOT use standby or hibernate..

Total Virtual Memory = 2.0 gigs

I keep the volume of the Recycle Bin almost always at zero

Question:

My F: drive (200 GIGS) is also the "slave" drive.

If I re-install WINXP on ths drive, would I first have to change the internal hardware

readings to make it the "master" drive & the C: drive the "slave" drive.

In other words, does the WINXP install CD differentiate between them & prefer the

"Master" drive or does it make no difference (could I direct it to install on F:?).

And if it makes no difference, will the other microsoft products (LiveCam) (Windows Live, etc.)

and future updates automatically follow to the to F: drive (still 'slave') if that's where WINXP is

located--do these programs automatically 'sense' - prior to their own installation--where WINXP

 folders, etc.  are??

I ask this because I've found that many of these programs automatically download &

install presently to the C: ('master') drive without asking me where I would like them to go.

Final question:

I found out the VM data by going to the 'computer information' folder.

What program do you open to modify the virtual memory size (Swap File)??

Any helpfpul info appreciated.

Thanks

Addendum:

I ran a software program called Treesize to calculate independently the volume usage on the C: drive and came up with this:

Windows takes up 14,009 MB's (14 Gigs), documents & settings about 2,000 MB's (2 Gigs), program files about

1,800 MB'S (1.8 Gigs),  827 MB's for other files, newspaper articles, NVDIA drivers, etc.

So I guess I'll have to erase both drives, install windows on the F: drive (now a 'slave' drive).

Please answer (if you can) the questions posed on my other recent posts.

Thanks.

Since you are more than likely going to do a clean install, you have some options. You could partition the F drive into say roughly two 100 gig drives.( will actually be somewhat less at the end.) or get a new hard drive to replace the 20 gig, say another 200 or 250.

If you are using IDE drives with the IDE cable then placing the drives onto the cable with the "Master" on the end connector and the "slave" on the middle connectory then install the OS. Note that most Dell IDE systems use the Cable Select jumper setting vice actually setting the jumpers to master slave.

IF you have SATA drives then you put the "Master" on SATA port 0  and the secondary on the next SATA port.

If you use your current drive since there is only one partition it will wipe out all the data you have on it if you try to install the OS onto it.

My recommendation is to get another drive ditch the 20 gig and install the OS onto the new drive.

Thanks for the response.

Since I am far from being a techo person, I most likely will have the local computer expert store install another drive.

Small questions:

Once I replace the C: drive, I realize that the WinXP CD will format it & install WinXP on it.

But will it also be able to re-format the F-drive as well so as to re-install the data on it,

Or do I have to use some DOS command for this once the WinXP re-install is finished on the new C: drive?

(I do have the Maxtor MaxBlast 4 software CD for the F: drive)

Finally, once the WinXP is installed, do I then put in the SP-3 patch, or first the SP-2 followed by the SP-3??

Thanks.

You will not touch the F drive at all. IF you make any changes to the F drive you will  Lose all the data on the drive. There is no reason to touch the F drive at all.

The procedeure to reinstall your os is

Reinstall your OS.

Reinstall all your drivers. See HERE for the correct order in which to reinstall your drivers.

Now here is some more info. While you system is still up and running you should open up Device manager and note the make and model listing of all the drivers that are listed. Then go to the drivers and downloads page for your system

When you download the drivers from the web site you should make a folder with the name of the drive like for example for the chipset make a folder labeled Chipset then download the chipset driver into that folder. Repeat this for each driver type. Use the order list I linked too for what drivers to download.

Reload SP3.

Thanks for the quick response.

Just to make sure I understand your points correctly:

1) "You will not touch the F drive at all."
Are you saying that If I leave the F: drive alone, and
just format & re-install WINXP on the new C: drive,
that this newly installed OS will almost instantly be
able to communicate with this untouched F: drive??
No need to re-format & re-install data to this drive
at all??

2) No need for SP-2 at all??
Just use SP-3 alone as the update patch, then check
back with Windows Update for any further updates??

Your idea about the device manager & drivers is well taken.

Thanks

On the F drive I guess that depends on what you have on it.

If you have installed the Program on the C drive and then are storing the data on the F drive then you will need to reinstall the program on the new C drive, then configure the program setting to point to the location on the F drive for the data files. If your programs are all ready on the F drive you should be able to launch them from within windows explorer and make a desktop short cut on the C drive. I'm not really sure exactly what you have on the F drive.

For the service pack, If you have no issues when you install SP3 currently then you should not have any with the new install. If you have any concerns then by all means go ahead and install SP2, run the system for a bit to make sure there are no issues then go ahead and install SP3. It nevers hurts to err on the side of caution.

Again, thanks for the rapid response.

I'm going to the Best Buy local store & have the Geek Squad get the right  HD & install it.

If you know anyone who has had good or bad dealings with them, please let me know.

Thanks

14GB sure seems like a lot, considering the Windows folder on a clean installation of XP only runs a couple of GB.

GM

PCHealth appears to have a tumor. Mine is about 42.5MB, for comparison.

GM

Thought this might interest you:

Breakdown Largest to smallest volumes
 In Folders In C:\Windows:

(Only fairly significant volumes included here)

PCHealth                            7.2 Gigs
system32                           1.2 Gigs

ServicePackFiles              515 MB'S
SoftwareDistribution        407
Installer                              390
ie7 updates:                      255
Microsoft Net                     175
Drive Cache                      132
fonts                                   104
ime                                       86
inf                                         54
repair                                   48
Help                                     44
ie 8                                       43
RegisteredPackages:      29
ie7                                        28
Downloaded 
  Installations:                    22
srchasst                             12

Sub-Total = 10.7 Gigs
----------------------------
Data files outside of
 regular folders:    808 MB's
----------------------------

Total = 11.5 Gigs
(In folders & data files outside of folders)

Add in Patch Update files = 1.8 Gigs
= 13.3 Gigs

Add in another 500 to 750 MB for numerous small
 volume folders not included in above:

Grand Total about 14 Gigs (or close to it)

I have dug deeper into the PCHealth folder;
One of them is "ErrorRep" which open into
3 sub-folders: QHEADLES, QSIGNOFF & UserDumps.

It is the latter which has just about all of the
7.2 Gigs and consists of .hdmp files from 2006
up to 11-08. I assumme these are related to the
"dumps" associated with those computer freezes &/or
blue screens.

Does anyone know if it would be safe to delete these.
This would obivously open up close to 50% of my C:
drive to free space.

Thanks.