Strategies for freeing disk space

To install important updates like Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), you need up to 4.5 gigabytes (GB) of free disk space (though much of that space will be reclaimed after the installation). If your hard disk is getting full, you need to free up disk space to install SP1.

To view the amount of free space on your hard disk

Click the Start button Picture of the Start button , and then click Computer.

Click the hard disk you want to check.

The total size and available free space appear in the Details pane at the bottom of the folder window.

If you see low disk space errors when trying to install Windows Vista SP1, or if you just want to free up disk space, here are some things you can do:

•

Run Disk Cleanup. This tool removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need. For more information, see Delete files using Disk Cleanup.

•

Uninstall old programs. In addition to deleting old files you no longer want, you can do the same for programs that you no longer use. For more information, see Uninstall or change a program.

•

Delete all but the most recent restore point. System Restore uses restore points to return your system files to the state they were in at an earlier point in time. If your computer is running normally, you can save disk space by deleting the earlier restore points. For more information, see Delete files using Disk Cleanup.

•

Archive old files to CD or DVD. If you have old photos that you want to keep but don't necessarily want on your computer, consider archiving them to removable media, such as a DVD or CD. That way, you’ll be able to view them whenever you'd like, but they won't take up space on your computer. For more information, see Burn a CD or DVD.

•

Add another hard disk drive. Adding an external hard disk drive is an easy way to create plenty of extra space to store digital photos, videos, music, and other files and clear some space on your primary hard disk. To install an external hard disk drive, all you have to do is plug it in to your computer and connect the power cord. Most of these hard disk drives plug into a USB port, but some plug into a Firewire port (also known as IEEE 1394). For additional instructions, check the information that came with your external hard disk drive.

NoteIf you move your music files from your computer's hard disk to an external disk, you might need to change settings in your media player so that you can play the files from their new location. For more information about how to change these settings, check the information that came with your media player. For more information about how to change these settings in Windows Media Player, see Add items to the Windows Media Player library.