Not enough space on hard drive to burn CD?

[dlh6213]

I am running Windows XP Home on this computer, and using the default CD burning software that came with it (I think it's Roxio?)

I wanted to back up some files from the 'F' drive; about 900 MB, so I was going to use two CD's.

Before I started, there was over 2 GB of free space on my 'C' drive.

The first CD burned with no problems; the second one got about 10% through and then popped up a message that there wasn't enough disk space, delete some files.

I rechecked the size of what I was trying to burn and it was only 300 MB. I then checked the size of my 'C' drive and there is now only 974 MB of free space left! I knew XP used a 'staging area' when burning CD's, but I thought it got emptied automatically when you finished. I tried searching MS's site, but couldn't find any info on this particular problem.

So, I did a search for everything modified today and I think I found the problem. In C:\Documents and Settings\User\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows, the CD Burning folder has 2.1 GB of files that look like what I was burning. I just want to make sure it is safe to delete everything in this folder before doing so.

I would also like to know it it is possible to relocate this CD Burning folder?

While I've got a thread going, is it also safe to delete everything in the Prefetch folder?

[Catweazle]

I presume that you have other drives, for data storage. If not then you need to purchase another drive. 2Gb of free space is not enough, by today's standards, and hard drives are not really expensive.

You need to have a good look at the 'Settings' or 'Options' or 'Preferences' for your CD burning program. They'll be in the menu system somewhere, and there will be an option to stipulate where the image files are stored and how they are dealt with. Generall, you get the facility to name the storage folder, choose whether to retain or overwrite the image file, and so on.

Yes, you can delete the image files once you've burnt the CD. They are only retained in case you want to burn another copy of the CD. If you don't, there's no point in keeping them. I personally use a default filename for the image files, and overwrite the previous image every time I use the program. There are only very rare occasions when I wish to create an image and retain it.

Do not delete the contents of Prefetch. If you do, your system will take longer to boot up!

[dlh6213]

Internally, I have five partitions on one 80 GB drive (I have a 160 GB installed but not connected yet).

The 'C' partition is 10 GB and is only for the OS, utilities, and programs that do not give the option of where to install them. (In another thread, Caperjack gave instructions on how to change the default installation drive, so next time I reinstall, I'll do that). After deleting the items in the CD Burning folder, I now have over 3 GB available.

Now, where do I go to change options or settings in the default burning program? I've tried searching my system for Roxio and Nero, but nothing comes up -- I thought one of these was the default. If I right-click on my CD-RW drive, and go to Properties, under the Recording tab, there is an option to select the drive where the image will be written; this is already set to 'F' but the files still seem to be going to the CD Burning folder on the 'C' drive.

Another question I have related to this: I have two burners (one also does DVD's), but if I select to enable recording on one, the other is disabled -- how can I have them both enabled to record?

On the Prefetch issue, I've seen several websites (such as this one: http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,114164,00.asp) that recommend purging the folder if it becomes bloated to speed up the system. But I haven't seen what an acceptable size for the folder is -- mine is over 4 MB; I looked through it and most of what is in there is stuff I haven't used in a very long time.

As for booting up, 98% of the time I use hibernate, so I don't really think that will make too much difference. About the only time I actually reboot is when installing something or making a change that requires it.

--Thanks for your help :)

[Catweazle]

Hang on. What are you using to burn CDs with? When you burn a CD, what program is used? Are you only using the Windows XP feature which enables you to pop in a blank disk, drap and drop or copy/paste files to a 'Writable CD folder', and then burn them to CD with the use of a Wizard?

If so, there should not be image files retained. If not, what software program is being used?

There is no 'default program'. Nero and such are third party apps.

[dlh6213]

What are you using to burn CDs with? Are you only using the Windows XP feature which enables you to pop in a blank disk, drag and drop or copy/paste files to a 'Writable CD folder', and then burn them to CD with the use of a Wizard?

Yes, this is all I've ever used (with this system); never had any problem before.

If so, there should not be image files retained.

Apparently there seems to be; there are files being stored in the CD Burning folder on the 'C' drive.

[Catweazle]

Have you used a CD-RW disk, and ejected the disk before writing the files to CD perhaps? Try this and see if it fixes things up:

* Pop a blank CD into the drive. Cancel from the dialogue box asking what you want to do, or close the writable folder.
* Open Windows Explorer. Right-click on the CD-burner drive, and choose 'write these files to CD. Complete the wizard.

Eject the CD only after the burn process has completed.

* In device manager, right-click on each burner and choose 'Uninstall'.
* Reboot and allow the drives to be redetected.

[dlh6213]

Have you used a CD-RW disk, and ejected the disk before writing the files to CD perhaps? Try this and see if it fixes things up:

* Pop a blank CD into the drive. Cancel from the dialogue box asking what you want to do, or close the writable folder.
* Open Windows Explorer. Right-click on the CD-burner drive, and choose 'write these files to CD. Complete the wizard.

Eject the CD only after the burn process has completed.

* In device manager, right-click on each burner and choose 'Uninstall'.
* Reboot and allow the drives to be redetected.

No, I didn't eject before burning was completed (I'm using CD-R's).

Before I got these instructions, I retried to burn my CD. At this point I had 3.12 GB of free hard drive space (on 'C'), and attempting to burn a CD of approximately 300 MB.

It made it to about 95% this time before problems started arising; first, balloons would pop up saying something about low disk space on Drive C, then, at about 98%, I got the same message I got before about the file I was trying to copy being too big, delete some files. Then, when I closed all the open windows, I got a message saying System Restore had been disabled due to insuffient drive space, at least 200 MB is needed.

I'll try your suggestions later when I get home, but I don't understand why it's taking 3 GB of space to copy 300 MB of files to a CD. :confused:

[Catweazle]

It's not taking 3Gb of space to do that. How big is the drive in total?

There is a percentage of it reserved for System restore, there needs to be enough space for the page file. you simply can't use the entire drive for storage if Windows is installed on it also.

[dlh6213]

It's not taking 3Gb of space to do that. How big is the drive in total?

There is a percentage of it reserved for System restore, there needs to be enough space for the page file. you simply can't use the entire drive for storage if Windows is installed on it also.

See post #3; the total drive size is 80 GB, the 'C' partition is 10 GB.

[Catweazle]

That goes for partitions also mate. Windows sees them as a drive. 12% for system restore chews up over 1Gb, and how much space you got reserved for the page file? Windows will also need room for temp files, especially if it's creating image files and such I'd imagine.

3Gb can be chewed up pretty quick.

[dlh6213]

Here's what I have:

Drive--GB---------PF-------------SysRestore
C-------10-----750-1500------Suspended (was 1200 MB before trying to burn)
E-------10-----500-1000------Suspended (was 1200 MB)
F-------10-----100- 200------Turned off
G-------20-----500-1000------Suspended (was 2400 MB)
H-------25.6-----None--------Suspended (was 3156 MB)

So, if I understand this correctly, with what is reserved for the Page File and System Restore, I don't really have any free space on the 'C' drive.

Why then was I able to burn the first CD of 678 MB, but can't do the other of only 353?

Now that System Restore is Suspended, how do I turn it back on? I've never run across 'suspended' before.

How is uninstalling the burners going to help?

[Catweazle]

I'm not certain about the storage space figures mate, I just know that if I had a 10Gb partition for a system one, I wouldn't ever let it get below 3Gb free, and preferably leave more free room than that. Windows likes room to breathe, and that means drive space as well as RAM.

I'd be uninstalling some programs, and reinstalling them to a Program files folder on a different partition.

To address the suspended System Restore function, read here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299904

[dlh6213]

Thanks for the link Catweazle; I had actually already done method 2, but it didn't seem to be working -- I didn't realize I had to wait 15 minutes!

I guess I'll move my utilities to another partition... and I think I'll reduce the sizes of my Page File and System Restore as well.

Perhaps later today I'll get around to trying to burn again. Do you still think I need to uninstall my burners and reboot?

[Catweazle]

If there's been any confusion in their installation that'd fix it. They'd be redetected and installed afresh. Sometimes settings simply get screwed up in the registry, and uninstalling the drive usually cleans that up.

[dlh6213]

Okay, I'm really confused now :confused: Before I removed any programs, I had 3.11 GB of free space, after removing several programs (via Add/Remove Programs), ranging in size from 50 MB to 1000 MB, I now have only 2.82 GB of free space! How can removing programs leave me with less space?! I used Disk Cleanup and that didn't change anything.

[Catweazle]

Rebooted? That sounds weird :confused:

[dlh6213]

Well, I hadn't rebooted, but now that I have, I still only have 3.05 which is less then I had before removing anything.

[nanosani]

I had the same problem ... I have a 10 gb c drive .... and I recently installed windows xp pro in it ... and it seemed to be giving me a free space of only 3 gb .... then I searched for the files bigger than 1gb in my c drive and I got a file drwtson (text file seemed to be a log file) ... it was 6gb of size. I deleted it and it was all to normal from then on.

[Catweazle]

That's actually a damn good troubleshooting exercise, nanosani. Doesn't have to be files over 1Gb either. Searching for files in excess of 400 or 500Mb would be a useful thing to do. I just tried it and the only things I found on this system were a Game demo download, the pagefile and the hibernation file.