How big is yours ?

My Win98 SE, SP1 folder is 560 mega - how does that compare with yours ?
I maybe have to clean it up. As I remember it was about 300 +
on new install.
regards

 

When I saw your post the first time I figured it to be a dumb question and ignored it. It appears that I'm not alone considering the number of views it has had without a response.

I will assume you mean the Windows directory?

If that be the case then I'll let you know how big mine is but only after you tell me how long a piece of string is. I should tell you that whatever your answer is it will be wrong and I'll tell you why.

You should maintain your vehicle on a regular basis based upon usage and not on how much baggage you have in the boot compared to other vehicles on the road.

 

Merlin

I understand what you are asking. As a rule of thumb. What is big what is small?

The only sp1 folder I have ever seen on a 98 machine is c:\windows\inf\qfe\sp1 which is tiny, 4K.

If you mean the Windows folder then I have a fairly fresh install with all sp's and updates and Ms Office but office is on another partition And the windows folder is 467 megs.

Mike

 

merlin

What folder are you referring to ?

If I select just the C:\Windows folder it only shows 59.9meg.

But my C: Drive usage is 1,337gig.

And where do you get Win98 SE SP1 ? I was not aware that SE had a service pack.

I know that 98FE had SP1 which is incorporated into 98SE.

indows\inf\qfe\sp1

I do not show that in SE.

BillyBob

 

Thanks Mike and BB.
I have WinSE 4.10.2222 A and I assumed the "A" referred to a
service pack, altho' I cannot remember installing it.
All I wanted to know was how my Windows folder size compared
with other users, so that I could critically examine it if (as I think) there are some unneccessary files in there.
regards

 

The first time I used SE I used the UPDATE CD it was also WinSE 4.10.2222 A .

Now I have the UPGRADE and it is still the same.

But, not realy believing the 59.9meg I just checked and that is only reading the actual files in the Windows folder itself. It does not add in the many other sub folders.

For example the Fonts folder alone contains 24.8 meg. So 60+25 would be 85meg in just two folders.

Also Windows Explorer and my PowerDesk differ in reading by several meg.

BB

 

merlin

So, it was the Windows directory then.

I'll let you know what mine is without your telling me how long a piece of string is. It is 615Mb but you can eat your dinner off it. Well, a few months ago - there may be one or two stragglers that have moved in since.

The 'A' version is what we got on the SE CD - it was the final retail version. Went against the previous grain but then MS have done stranger things as we all know only too well.

 

On an AMD k6-2@400Mhz, with 64Mb ram, 3Gig harddrive, fresh install of Win98SE full (all the screensavers, sounds, drivers,etc..), the only extra software is Open Office 1.0.3 so here goes:

harddrive: 3.01 Gig free=2.52Gb used=502Mb
Windows folder= 224Mb, 2835 files, 110 Folders

This is a fresh start and the PC hasn't been back online since I reinstalled so there are no updates so this would give you a general idea of where you started at. Now when I first got this computer it had a 402Mb harddrive (yes Mb) in it and I formatted Win95 off and installed Win98SE and used this until I came across a bigger harddrive, so I think you need to clean it up a little bit.

hope this helps

Bubba169

 

gammaepsilon,
To answer your your question how long is a piece of string is? It is twice as long as a half piece of string.

merlin,
I am not running 98 but everyone will have a different size windows folder according to what they have installed on their system.

 

Russ

And if the piece of string is as long, or short, as the Planck length?

bubba169

Quote: "..., so I think you need to clean it up a little bit "

On the strength of comparing it with a fresh install?

Inside the Windows folder is the System folder. There you will find ocx, vxd and dll files.

To rid yourself of a particular dll, for example, that the system doesn't use then each and every application that uses that dll will need to be uninstalled as well.

My System folder is 298Mb with 2655 files.

It is a pointless exercise to compare one rig's Window's folder with another rig's Window's folder.

As Russ pointed out: "everyone will have a different size windows folder according to what they have installed on their system. "

It is as useful as comparing one rig's 'My Documents' folder with another's.

Or comparing one rig's registry with ............ and so on.

More to the point is redundancy. How many dlls, for example, are sat in the System folder all dressed up and no one wants to take them out? There are a few apps out there which check that situation. The last time I did it I took more prisoners than enemies and had to put back five of them back over the next few days. There was quite a few that haven't been missed, yet, and at some point they'll face the firing squad.

 

OK. I finally found where you folks were getting the info on the Windows Folder. I had to go looking as I never paid much attention.

The HD I Knew where that info was.

harddrive: 3.62GB, free=2.38GB, used=1.24GB

Swap file is on another partiton so that is not figured into the usage.

My Documents is on another partition so that is not included either.

My Windows folder on this machine shows;

Windows folder= 547Mb, 7,434 files, 355 Folders.

That total includes an EMPTY APPLOG folder.

And no Favorites Folder. ( on another partition )
-------------------------------------------------------
On the other machine using 98 SE also.

harddrive: 1.86GB, free=851MB, used=1.02GB

Windows folder= 652Mb, 8,454 files, 367 Folders.

So the answer to " How long is a piece of String ? " maybe would be " However long it needs to be to get the job done. "

To that I 100% agree. I just proved that to myself beyond any doubt.

BillyBob

 

Thanks for the mostly useful feedback.
Apart from the guy that keeps talking about "string" and "pointless ", I have found your posts very helpful.
BB - to look at the correct, total size of a folder, I can recommend
Treesize or DiskMapper. Send pm for more info ...
regards

 

merlin

I just opened PowerDesk ( EXCELLENT replacement for Windows Explorer ), Selected the Windows folder and then properties.

BINGO !!! there was the info nice and clear in black on gray.

BillyBob

 

merlin

At some point in time I'm sure if ever you look back at this thread or simply reflect on it you will understand how 'pointless' it really was.

BillyBob

The Properties sheet is in Explorer as well. I used PowerDesk for a long time and was happy with it until I tried Opus Directory. With that you can have ftp and archives displayed as folders and can do all the usual file management between them. You can, for example, have a two pane view and drag and drop from a Zip archive to your website as easily as between a standard source and destination on the hard drive. I got a free copy on the PC Answers magazine [UK] cover disk in January. After three months I still haven't got to grips with it fully - it is something else.

 

OK I wasn't clear on that point I was just stating that it probably was ~300 Mb or so when he first started but as he added hardware, updates, etc.. it got bigger I would uninstall anything I didn't need or use but that is just me hey if it aint broke don't fix it unless you need the space.

bubba169

 

I don't consider it pointless, and of course it will fluxuate from user to user.

But this thread tells me as a rule of thumb between 5-700 megs. Much bigger and may need looking into.

Mike

 

bubba169

I agree. Having a lot of space is a waste - whether it be disk or RAM.

I had a massive clean out earlier in the year for a very different reason. I wasn't short of disk or RAM but my registry was getting too large even after being bombarded with a handfull of cleaners. It was a time bomb waiting to go off so I spent sometime looking at all my apps and kept uninstalling until I got the registry down to a 'reasonable' size. There is very little information available as too what point 98 will start to choke other than at some point it will and we need to avoid that before our only travelling can be done in DOS!

 

mflynn

Hmmm. Before defining a 'rule of thumb' I'd be inclined, on statistical grounds, to consider the experience of more than six users. I forget what the value is but any conclusions derived from a population sample less than a certain percentage must be taken with a pinch of salt.