I cannot defragment my hard drive because I need 15% free space and only have 12%. This is a Dell Dimension 2300, about 10 years old. I have run the Disk Cleanup and deleted everything I can think of, and moved large files to an external hard drive. When I go to Add/Remove programs I see things that are taking up a lot of space, but I'm not sure what I can delete. Can I remove older Service Pack updates or do they all have to stay? What else can I do? HELP!

Are you sure disk cleanup did its thing? with less than 15% free space win will not function correctlyDepend whether you did in fact move large files (data?) to an external drive or simply copiedStart>Run %temp% perminentally delete all files found (some will be in use)Internet Options, delete temp files, under settings adjust to 50mbNo you cannot uninstall sp's they will simply be reinstalled, you can uninstall programs in Add/Remove you dont use. The size show cannot be relied uponBottom line buy a larger drive and clone your installation

Thank you for responding! I have used Advanced System Care to clean up and improve performance. I think I have moved and not copied files - I selected "move this folder" when working with all the different files, and moved things to a Seagate FreeAgent drive. I am not sure what this means :"Bottom line buy a larger drive and clone your installation" Can you give me more details please... Do you mean purchase a new computer? Or can I replace the hard drive in the one I have? Money is tight... looking for the least expensive option! Thanks!

Advanced System Care is a Registry Cleaner. I would dump as a Registry Cleaner can cause more problems than they fix.Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk CleanUp toEmpty your Recycle Bin and Remove Temporary Internet Files. Alsoselect Start, All Programs, accessories, System Tools, Disk CleanUp,More Options, System Restore and remove all but the latest SystemRestore point. Run Disk Defragmenter. A better programme than Disk CleanUp is cCleaner but note that cCleanerwill not handle System Restore points. Removing older restore pointsshould help get Disk Defragmenter to work better.http://www.ccleaner.com/downloadI would be interested in seeing a Disk Defragmenter report . Open DiskDefragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and click on SaveAs and Save. Now find VolumeC.txt in your My Documents Folder and post acopy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it is moreinformative.The default allocation to System Restore is 12% on your C partitionwhich is over generous. I would reduce it to 700 mb. Right click your MyComputer icon on the Desktop and select System Restore. Place the cursoron your C drive select Settings but this time find the slider and dragit to the left until it reads 700 mb and exit. When you get to theSettings screen click on Apply and OK and exit.Hope this helps, Gerry Cornell

Thanks Gerry. Here is the Defrag report: Let me know what you can tell me from this. Thank you!Volume (C:) Volume size = 18.59 GB Cluster size = 4 KB Used space = 16.12 GB Free space = 2.47 GB Percent free space = 13 %Volume fragmentation Total fragmentation = 41 % File fragmentation = 69 % Free space fragmentation = 13 %File fragmentation Total files = 83,742 Average file size = 321 KB Total fragmented files = 7,922 Total excess fragments = 195,833 Average fragments per file = 3.33Pagefile fragmentation Pagefile size = 192 MB Total fragments = 6,035Folder fragmentation Total folders = 12,484 Fragmented folders = 68 Excess folder fragments = 641Master File Table (MFT) fragmentation Total MFT size = 100 MB MFT record count = 97,927 Percent MFT in use = 96 % Total MFT fragments = 73--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fragments File Size Most fragmented files4,885 225 MB \Documents and Settings\The Animal\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPod Software Updates\iPod1,1_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw3,658 114 MB \WINDOWS\Installer\2fd7574.msp2,527 149 MB \Program Files\Charter Security Suite\Anti-Virus\hive.db2,478 93 MB \WINDOWS\Installer\f9cc0.msp2,123 84 MB \Documents and Settings\Andrealynn\Desktop\Unused Desktop Shortcuts\zaAvSetup_SEPT09.exe2,068 136 MB \Documents and Settings\Andrealynn\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{22EC0CF3-81F7-4841-81FA-78134B37A30D}\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Deleted Items.dbx1,866 89 MB \Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson\drwtsn32.log1,655 105 MB \Documents and Settings\The Animal\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\Reader 9.3\Setup Files\Reader9\Data1.cab1,644 102 MB \Documents and Settings\Andrealynn\Desktop\Unused Desktop Shortcuts\Adobe Reader 9 Installer\Data1.cab1,515 77 MB \Documents and Settings\The Animal\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\GoogleEarth\dbCache.dat1,459 12 MB \Documents and Settings\The Animal\Local Settings\Temp\Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0-KB2418241_20101018_235902671-Msi0.txt1,330 165 MB \Documents and Settings\Andrealynn\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{22EC0CF3-81F7-4841-81FA-78134B37A30D}\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Inbox.dbx1,300 12 MB \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE11\MSO.DLL1,217 166 MB \Program Files\Charter Security Suite\Anti-Virus\aquarius\core\cache.0001,120 86 MB \Documents and Settings\JoJo\Local Settings\Temp\WER769e.dir00\iexplore.exe.hdmp1,113 86 MB \Documents and Settings\JoJo\Local Settings\Temp\WER579a.dir00\iexplore.exe.hdmp1,080 69 MB \Documents and Settings\The Animal\Local Settings\Application Data\Unity\Web Player\Cache\FusionFall\characterselection_2eresourceFile\CustomAssetBundle-b8c064fbff54c412b891e0131bbd363f1,077 69 MB \Documents and Settings\JoJo\Local Settings\Application Data\Unity\Web Player\Cache\FusionFall\characterselection_2eresourceFile\CustomAssetBundle-b8c064fbff54c412b891e0131bbd363f928 58 MB \Documents and Settings\The Animal\Local Settings\Application Data\Panda3D\hosts\ToontownOnline\panda3d\toontown\panda3d.toontown.win32.mf917 165 MB \WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\DataStore.edb882 5 MB \Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\f-secure\logs\FSFW\action.log832 52 MB \Documents and Settings\JoJo\Local Settings\Application Data\Unity\Web Player\Cache\FusionFall\chartexture_2eresourceFile\CustomAssetBundle-6f45b25c8ccf04a7c96d70b97a31322c832 52 MB \Documents and Settings\The Animal\Local Settings\Application Data\Unity\Web Player\Cache\FusionFall\chartexture_2eresourceFile\CustomAssetBundle-6f45b25c8ccf04a7c96d70b97a31322c814 31 MB \Program Files\Windows Live Safety Center\mpavbase.vdm807 40 MB \Documents and Settings\Andrealynn\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\Updater6\Install\reader9rdr-en_US\AdbeRdr920_en_US.msi730 11 MB \WINDOWS\Installer\86e015a.msp719 11 MB \WINDOWS\Installer\a569f5.msp696 26 MB \Documents and Settings\Andrealynn\Desktop\Unused Desktop Shortcuts\zaAvSetup_70_483_000_enjuly08.exe695 43 MB \WINDOWS\Installer\12e3f59d.msp

Your report throws up a number of problems. You need to address each of these in turn.You have three user created accounts. Andrealynn, The Animal, and JoJo. This means that when you run Disk CleanUp you have to log on as each user in turn and run Disk CleanUp to remove unwanted files. I mentioned cCleaner earlier. This will clean all in one go.I think you should look at Unwanted Desktop Shortcuts.HOW TO: Use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard in Windows XPhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/306542Outlook Express is another source of wasted space.You should empty your Deleted Items folder. Right click on the Deleted Items folder and select "Empty Deleted Items folder".Your Inbox and Sent Items folders should only be used to store messages for a short period. Large system folders are prone to corrupt and you can then lose messages. It is far safer to retain themessages in a user Created Local Folder.Your Inbox and Sent Items folders should only hold messages awaiting relocation until you move them on. Do not have any sub-folders of the Inbox.In Outlook Express place the cursor on Local Folders and select File, Folder, New and name your new Folder AASent. Move any messages in your Sent Items folder to AASent folder. Repeat the process if you have created any sub-folders of the Sent Items folder.You can control the Compacting process by doing it at a time that suitsbefore the count reaches 100.In Outlook Express place the cursor on Local Folders and select File,Work Offline followed by File, Folder, Compact All. Do not attempt tointerupt or stop the process until it has completed. Close OutlookExpress when it has completed.After compacting check your Outlook Express folders are as they shouldbe. Then select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, DiskCleanUp to Empty your Recycle Bin and Remove Temporary Internet Files.Also select Start, All Programs, accessories, System Tools, DiskCleanUp, More Options, System Restore and remove all but the latestSystem Restore point. Run Disk Defragmenter.Compacting could win a good amount of disk space.A default setting which could be wasteful is that for temporary internetfiles, especially if you do not store offline copies on disk. Thedefault allocation is 3% of drive. Depending on your attitude to offlinecopies you could reduce this to 1% or 2%. In Internet Explorer selectTools, Internet Options, General, Temporary Internet Files, Settings tomake the change. At the same time look at the number of days history isheld. The default allocation for the Recycle Bin is 10 % of drive. Change to5%, which should be sufficient. In Windows Explorer place the cursoron your Recycle Bin, right click and select Properties, Global andmove the slider from 10% to 5%. However, try to avoid letting it gettoo full as if it is full and you delete a file by mistake it willbypass the Recycle Bin and be gone for ever. If your drive is formatted as NTFS another potential gain arises withyour operating system on your C drive. In the Windows Directory ofyour C partition you will have some Uninstall folders in your Windowsfolder typically: $NtServicePackUninstall$ and $NtUninstallKB282010$etc. These files may be compressed or not compressed. If compressedthe text of the folder name appears in blue characters. If notcompressed you can compress them. Right click on each folder andselect Properties, General, Advanced and check the box before Compresscontents to save Disk Space. On the General Tab you can see the amountgained by deducting the size on disk from the size. Foldercompression is only an option on a NTFS formatted drive / partition. Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, SystemInformation, Tools, Dr Watson and verify that the box before "Append toexisting log" is NOT checked. This means the next time the log iswritten it will overwrite rather than add to the existing file. When you have done these tasks please post another defragmenter report. Hope this helps, Gerry Cornell