How do I control automatic Hard Drive usage?

Windows reserves a certain amount of space on your hard drive for specific tasks. If you don’t need these tasks, you can reduce the amount of hard drive space that Windows automatically uses. Three of these tasks are:

SYSTEM RESTORE — saves a snapshot of your system data in the event of a crash.
RECYCLE BIN — serves as a limbo between a file’s existence and deletion.
INTERNET TEMPORARY FILES — stores web pages and downloaded files on your hard drive for quick access later.

You can reclaim some hard drive space by reducing the percentage of your drive that Windows reserves for these three areas.

CONTROLLING SYSTEM RESTORE:

System Restore provides “restore points” from which you can restart your system in the event of a crash. The idea is that you can return your system to a stable operating point.

Right-click on the My Computer icon
Select Properties
Select the System Restore tab

Here you have a couple options:

1. Disable System Restore, and Windows will quit using your hard drive in that manner. To do this, check the Turn off System Restore box. (Warning: If you disable System Restore, make sure you have your Velocity Micro System Restore utilities in case of a system crash.)
2. Adjust the slider that controls how much hard drive space Windows uses for System Restore. Below the slider is the current hard drive usage displayed in percentage and amount. You can adjust the slider anywhere from 1% of your drive to 12% of your drive.
3. Select OK when you are finished making changes.

CONTROLLING THE RECYCLE BIN:

The Recycle Bin should be familiar: it stores deleted files before they are completely removed from the hard drive, giving you a chance to restore them in case of an accidental deletion.

Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon
Select Properties.

Here you have a couple options:

1. Disable the Recycle Bin, and files will be erased from the hard drive without going to the Recycle Bin first. To do this, check the Do not move files to the Recycle Bin box. (Warning: If you check this box, you will not have the opportunity to restore deleted files. Double-check before you delete any files to ensure that you’re not erasing important data.)
2. Adjust the slider that controls how much hard drive space Windows uses for the Recycle Bin. Below the slider is the current hard drive usage displayed in percentage and amount.
3. Sick of Windows asking for confirmation every time you delete a file? Uncheck the Display Delete confirmation dialog, and Windows won’t double-check when you delete files.
4. If you have more than one hard drive, you can configure the Recycle Bin independently for each drive. To do this, select the Configure drives independently radio button. You’ll now be able to set Recycle Bin usage for each hard drive in your system by navigating the tabs at the top of the dialog box. To have one setting for all your hard drives, select the Use one setting for all drives radio button.

Select OK when you are finished making changes.

CONTROLLING TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES:

Temporary Internet files include copies of web pages you have visited and files you have downloaded with Internet Explorer. Upon deletion, these files will still be available to you if you saved them to a place other than the Temporary Internet folder.

1. Open Internet Explorer. Other browsers like Netscape, Mozilla, and Opera have similar procedures for controlling temporary files. If you use these browsers, refer to their websites for instructions as this guide covers only Internet Explorer.
2. Select Internet Options from the Tools menu
3. Select the Settings button inside the Temporary Internet Files area
4. Adjust the slider marked Amount of disk space to use until you are satisfied with its value. You can also manually enter an amount of hard drive space to use.
5. Select OK when you are finished making changes.
6. Note: At any time, you can manually erase temporary internet files by selecting the Delete Files button in the “Temporary Internet Files” area. Doing this will free up some hard drive space and will not harm your system.