Recovery Drive question

[tekkite07]

I keep getting a message that my recovery drive D is full, and to delete unnecessary files.  I've deleted as much as I could, but it keeps coming back.  I don't want to delete files in D, since I am not sure what I would be getting rid of.  Suggestions, please?

[patio]

DO NOT touch the recovery partition unless you have followed the procedure for burning 2 copies of it to CD/DVD....

[tekkite07]

what procedure is that? Please explain!

[noko23]

i think you can enlarge your partition if you do not want to delete the files on drive D:

there are many partition management software, did you ever try?

i recomend easeus partition manager, it is totally free! i used it for nearly 1 year! it works everytime like a charm!

you can download it here http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

but if it still warning you to delete the files, may be there is a virus.....try some anti-virus software to deal with it.

[patio]

what procedure is that? Please explain!

It's different for every manuf.
Check the owners manual or visit the manuf, site...

[tekkite07]

OK, I downloaded the partition thing.  Let's see how that works.  Thanks for the input!

[Sykes]

Hi

If you using HP Desktops or HP Notebook PCs. Check these 2 documents to solve the issue. You need to read the entire links to understand the issue very well and how to solve it. 

HP Notebook PCs - Backup did not complete successfully or Last Backup Failed
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00678180&tmp_track_link=ot_faqs/top_issues/en_us/c00678180/loc:12&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3879911&lang=en


HP and Compaq Desktop PCs -  Problems Occur after Using Microsoft Backup Tool in Microsoft Vista
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&docname=c00859515

Please note that recovery partition may not work if you extend the partition. Thank you :-)

 

[tekkite07]

I am using a Dell PC.  So you're saying that the recovery partition may not solve this issue? Why not? I don't want to use it if it messes things up even worse!

[Broni]

I downloaded the partition thing

What "thing" did you download, and from where?

[tekkite07]

This:
http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

[Sykes]

Hi,

If you do not have the recovery DVD of the Notebook. Do not playaround with recovery partition. Please note that if you use Microsoft backup tool, recovery partition will be full if you do not specify the correct drive path. this issue is valid for  Dell as well.

Anyway, you may decide whether you need recovery partition or not. If you are annoyed with Low disk space message, disable it in registry by performing steps:

Please click on Start, Click on Run and type the following in the open box and click OK

Regedit

Registry Editor will open.

1. Use the left side of the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindo wsCurrentVersionPolicies
2. Right-click in the right pane and select New Key.
3. Name the new key Explorer.
4. In the Explorer key, right-click in the right pane and click New DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Name the DWORD NoLowDiskSpaceChecks.
6. Right-click the new DWORD and click Modify.
7. Set the Value Data to 1.
8. Click OK.

[Broni]

What are your plans regarding the above tool?
If you're thinking about following this:

i think you can enlarge your partition if you do not want to delete the files on drive D:

there are many partition management software, did you ever try?

i recomend easeus partition manager, it is totally free! i used it for nearly 1 year! it works everytime like a charm!

you can download it here http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

but if it still warning you to delete the files, may be there is a virus.....try some anti-virus software to deal with it.

you can safely disregard the above "advice".
As patio said, D is your recovery partition, and it shouldn't be touched.
If your computer crashes, you're in trouble, because, you have no tool to recover.

As for your initial question:

I keep getting a message that my recovery drive D is full, and to delete unnecessary files.

Please, post EXACT message, you're getting.
Do you use any type of automatic backup.
Is system restore set for drive D?

[Broni]

If you are annoyed with Low disk space message, disable it

I'm sorry, but this is dangerous advice.
We need a solution, not a workaround.
Had he have the above disabled, he wouldn't even know, something is writing into recovery partition.

[Sykes]

Hi,

Then please provide the solution. :-)

[Broni]

We're in the middle of finding out what's going on.
I asked some question, which yet to be answered.

[tekkite07]

OK, here's what it says. 

Low Disk Space. 
You are running out of disk space on Recovery (D:)
To free space on this drive by deleting old or unnecessary
files, click here.

When I click there, it offers disk clean up, which only offers to clean an already empty recycling bin. 

Yes, I was using automatic backup, and I am assuming that system restore was already set to D. I didn't know that I had to choose which drive.

[Broni]

Do you use any type of automatic backup?
Is system restore set for drive D?

[killerb255]

tekkite07:

Please do the following, since we're not going to get enough information from you any other way to be able to help:

1) Download the following tool from Microsoft's website:

DIRUSE:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927229

Scroll to the middle of the page and download the link called "Directory Disk Usage (DIRUSE)".

2) Install DIRUSE.  Yes, I know this is a Windows 2000 Resource Kit tool, but it DOES work with Vista.

3) Click Start -> All Programs -> Accessories.

4) Right-click Command Prompt, then left-click Run As Administrator.  Click "Allow" when User Account Control nags you.

5) On the black screen, type in the following EXACTLY as you see it, pressing Enter after each line:
C:
cd\
cd "C:\Program Files\Resource Kit"
diruse /s /m /q:100 /l /* d:\ >C:\DIRUSEREPORT.txt

You WILL get a blinking cursor for a short period of time.  Wait for the C:\Program Files\Resource Kit prompt to come back.  Once it's done...

6) Type in the following EXACTLY as you see it, pressing Enter after each line:
dir d:\ >C:\DIRREPORT.txt

7) Attach both the C:\DIRUSEREPORT.txt and the C:\DIRREPORT.txt to your reply.  Don't post the contents of both of these--just attach them.  Otherwise, it'll be a HUGE wall-o-text, and our short attention spans here can't handle it very well.

In case you're wondering what those two commands do:

The DIRUSE command and parameters above creates a list of files on your D drive that are larger than 100 MB, and posts the total space consumption of those files in the end.

The DIR command simply posts a tree of directories, but also posts how much free space is left on your D partition.

[tekkite07]

Well, I have solved the problem.  Thanks for all the input!

[Broni]

May we know how?

[tekkite07]

I called a Dell tech support person, and they deleted the excess files up until 6/09. 

[Broni]

That may be so, but your main problem (still unanswered) is, how did those files end up on drive D, what kind of files were those, and what about the future issues?

[tekkite07]

I asked the tech person one of those questions.  He said that in a few months, I have merely to repeat the action that he did, to delete the excess files. I realized that I chose D drive, when I set automatic back up of files to start running on a daily basis.  I think that I have to choose a way to back these files up on a CD or external hard drive, instead of having the computer programmed to do it every day, into the D drive, as I did. 

[Broni]

If you answered my questions from yesterday (post #11):

Do you use any type of automatic backup?
Is system restore set for drive D?

you would have saved yourself, and us a lot of time.

[tekkite07]

Yes, I was using automatic backup, and I am assuming that system restore was already set to D. I didn't know that I had to choose which drive.

I thought I had answered those questions, in above quote.  I appreciate all the time taken.