why is free space shrinking

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[compiler]

W11 21 H2 Build 22000.1641 (Dell Inspiron 15)
My free space keeps shrinking. A major cause is my System Vol. Info
Mostly restore pts config, although I do put a tight limit of about 4.5 gb., and that works

Nevertheless as the free space declines, if I eliminate all restore Pts (some created when I do Windows Updates) and just create one new update, the configuration drops but then just keeps increasing with the one restore pt.. WHY? Every so often, I delete recycle bin contents and assorted temp file along with the aforementioned extra created restore pts. Still that created restore pt config. keeps gaining space.

Here are some readings; the last one after my latest deletions:

free C: 106/106/103/103/101/99.1/97.7/96.5/96.3/97/96.1/95.8/95.6/94.6/99.5|||99/98.3/98.5/92/93.6/98.2/95.2/93.2/ 98.4

Sys Vol: 5.76 MB/898/1.25/1.76/3.68/4.00/3.95/4.39/4.39/2.87/3.66/3.88/4.1/4.76/320 MB |||704  MB/928/1.12 /5.51/4.01/1.34//3.52/3.74/ 448 mb

Restore Pts: 156.91 MB/686.2/969.48/1.45/3.24/3.68/3.61/4.05/4.12/2.40/3.34/3.38/4.1/3.77/4.26/30.53 MB|||381.88 MB/415.53/763.3/3.64/972.61 mb

Mel

• This topic was modified 2 months ago by compiler.
• This topic was modified 2 months ago by compiler.
• This topic was modified 2 months ago by compiler.
• This topic was modified 2 months ago by compiler.

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Run the free portable WizTree to find out data storage used.

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Sorry for prior no author post…forgot to log in

 

I don’t create or collect restore points and avoid these space and other issues with restore points. I relay on image and data backups to another drive.
I will offer these tips to help with your problem.

1) Text list of Restore Points
Enter the following command into an Admin Command window

vssadmin list shadows /For=C:\ >"%userprofile%\Desktop\RestorePoints.txt"

This assumes Windows installed on C:\ drive

2) To gain access to the System Volume Folder

Enter the following commands (in the order shown) into an Admin Command window

icacls "C:\System Volume Information" /grant XXXX:F

Replace the XXXX with your admin user name.

Next enter

icacls "C:\System Volume Information" /grant XXXX:F /T

Replace the XXXX with your admin user name.

There will still be some folders in the System Volume Information folder that will deny access.  Those have to be handled manually or enter with the above command for that specific folder.  Don’t know why the T option doesn’t work for some subfolders.

3) If you have a second drive you can move where Windows stores the restore points to that drive.

1. Stop and set the Volume Shadow Service to “Disabled” temporarily to prevent it from kicking in.
2. Open Computer Management.
3. In the console tree, right-click Shared Folders, select All Tasks, and click Configure Shadow Copies.
4. Click the volume where you want to make changes (in our case, C:) and then click Settings.
5. In the Settings dialog box, change the “Located on this volume” (we moved it from C: to G: – which had ample disk space to accommodate the folder) and click OK.
6. Click Enable.
7. Set the Volume Shadow Service to “Manual” again and let Windows do it’s thing.

 

HTH, Dana:))

1 user thanked author for this post.

Donald Wright

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I want to apologize for #3 above.  That will not work or Windows 11 or 10.  That is info from 2008 that applied to Windows XP or Vista.  Not sure how that tip got in my current tips folder.  I should have looked at the creation date before using that old tip… haste makes waste and red face.

At least the access to the System Volume Information folder and the SystemRestore folder and sub folders, you can selectively delete those restore points you don’t want or move them to another drive after they are made.  You’ll have to put them back into that folder if you want to use them.

HTH, Dana:))

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Drcard:

TY for your responses. Sorry for the delay. I’m having a hard time finding my adm user name. It appears to be my full name eg: John Smith. Am I looking for 4 letters?

 

Mel

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“Admin user name” being the user that has admin permissions – assuming you use an admin and non-admin account (I don’t).

To find the name of your current account:
Win R, cmd
set u

Look for “USERNAME=”

cheers, Paul

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OK got it ty.

It’s what I thought it was by going to file explorer looking at folders within c;/users

 

Mel

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