Installation sizes

Hi all!

In another thread the discussion was heading off track so, I open this one instead. I quote from that other thread:

I´ve been amazed by the sizes of some XP intallations before and now again. Of course, the size can differ depending on a lot of factors, Home or Pro, computer hardware and installed software.
During my installation of XP Pro I took notes of how it grew. In each case I had disabled Hibernation and System Restore, subtracted pagefile.sys, and no "temp or trash" files had accumulated. A few points below:

Win XP Pro + Updates = 1.34GB
+ Office XP Pro, full installation + Updates = 1.83GB
after cleaning before imaging with Ghost = 1.79GB

+ Logitech, ScanJet, DeskJet, Nero, InCD, Acrobat 5.0, TaskNav* and SeeYou* (*GPS flight evaluation software) = 2.19GB
after cleaning before imaging with Ghost = 2.08GB

+ Norton System Works 2003, Norton Internet Security 2003, Norton Ghost 2003 + Updates = 2.36GB
after cleaning before imaging with Ghost = 2.36GB

If I add the pagefile to that, 2.36GB + 0.37GB = 2.73GB

At this moment C: = 2.87GB, some 150MB added to the clean figure, in approximately one week.
It will be interesting to see how it grows in the future.

BillyBob,
how does Your installation compare with mine, now when You know the details?

Thanks for Your time,
Christer

 

Hi Christer,

FYI and interest - my set up XP Pro + SP1 + updates:

C:\Windows - 1.38 Gb (1.27 Gb on disk) - Page File is on a separate drive - 1.8 GB

C:\Program Files - 1.75 Gb (Office + Photoshop x 3 + Painter, all big programs plus countless others)

C:\ - 3.58 Gb on a 7.8 Gb partition.

Comparisions like this are really quite meaningless - every installation is different. Basic fact is OS's get larger - and more competent (?), supporting programs likewise, but so do HD's. XP Pro is a very different animal to SE - a more meaningful comparision would be with W2k. But why worry?

Bit like my garage/loft - the 'rubbish' expands to fit the space available

 

Hi Pete!

You´re quite right, these comparisions are not very scientific. The fact that I´ve disabled Hibernation and System Restore, which others might not have done, reduced my initial size by at least half a gig and in the long run, even more.

What will be interesting though is to follow the growth of my particular installation to see if XP really is a space hog or if I have configured it in a preventive way.

Regards,
Christer

 

Now, a few days later, it´s at 2.79GB. I haven´t deleted anything at all.
This will be interesting to follow.

Is there some kind of file compression that is automatic?

IS IT ALIVE?

Christer