Why does my Win 7 Ultimate (clean) install use almost 75gb of my hard drive???

Minimum requirements are 16GB for 32 bit and  20 GB for 64 bit

Probably the system restore function has taken a large portion of your
drive space for its system restore function.
Bigger the drive - bigger space it reserves (%).
You can manually adjust this (to take up less space) or you can turn it off completely.

System restore usually takes about 4-5% of your drive
(depends on how it is setup)
18.1.png

The reason it is taking up that amount of space might be an issue with the hiberfil.sys file taking up a large amount of space.  that file should be on the root of the system drive.  It is a hidden file so you will need to enable hidden files by going to tools > folder options > view tab > show hidden files and folders.  Once you are able tio see the file check the size on it.  If it is taking up a large amount of space you can delete it.

that is only if you have hibernation enabled ....

This is only a 128 gb drive. So with only windows 7 installed - it says I have only  34 gb free space now. This is rediculous. I will check the file mentioned - but I doubt it is as big a file as the 50 gb we are looking for.
The only other thought I have is this.... this is a solid state hard drive. Perhaps it has something to do with it being a solid state drive - it maybe needs a driver from Lenovo to operate correctly? Just a thought as I had seen a special driver for this hard drive on Lenovos website.
Do you guys have any better ideas?
m-coon

Run tree size free ( https://www.jam-software.de/customers/downloadTrial.php?article_no=80&language=EN&PHPSESSID=ada2e68e7c40614036e77aeab101db99 ) this will scan the drive and at least tell us what file/s or folder are taking up space (very lightweight and easy to use interface). Once we know that we can tell you how to clean this up. the hiberfil.sys and the pagefil.sys have been known to take up a lot of space if your pc has a lot of memory and the pagefile is set to system managed or if hibernation is enabled.

Here is a SS of the output of tree size free just so you can know what to expect
treesize.jpg

I have run into this several times, and like Senad mentioned it very well could be the "system restore". I in fact had a customers machine today that this was a problem on. The customer had upgraded from Vista Home Premium to the likewise of 7. The "system restore" database was using 40.74gb of a 320gb HD. After limiting "system restore" to 11gb, the machine with upgrade was using 261gb or 288.

You have program files which is almost 30 GB !
And that is not W7 installation.
Also 18 GB for 'All users' !??
That is 50GB of Data !

You must check what on earth you have in all users and
program files.

Everything is right it seems....It is your application/games that
robbed you of nearly half the disk....

That screen shot is an example of Treesize free, that is not a screen shot from m-coon's PC.

I found a big chunk of it. One expert suggested that there would be a "windows old" file - and sure enough it did!!! Makes no sense becase I did what I thought was a CLEAN INSTALL.
So I just deleted that huge file.
Knowing this - what other files should I delete?
I was thinking about deleting everything except the windows file and then doing another install of windows.......... good idea or bad?
I hate to change the subject on you - but there is a 1.5gb partition that windows will not let me format or repartition (merge into the main partition). I remember this small partition from when I got the laptop new a few weeks ago with Vista business installed....... is this partition something this particular laptop needs to keep - or can I force the machine to delete it and allocate this space to my primary partition?
I will inctease the points since this question has been expanded into other topics.
Thanks,
m-coon

Go to :
http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm
and use easeus to format/delete your partitions-
then boot with your DVD and do a clean install once more.
During setup select drive options and format the drive prior to installation.

The program above gave me this info.........
11 gb windows
7 gb {files}??????
6 gb downloads
1 gb tools (i think lenovo tools)
.5 gb program files

Does this tell you more????

m-coon

But ince you will do an install once more, no need to download anything.
You can format/delete partitions using mentioned drive options...

If this is, or is supposed to be, a clean install, and has no data that needs to be backed up, i would just start from scratch and format all partions during setup. A windows 7 install on an SSD only takes about 15 minutes. Provided you have the OS cd and product key there is no harm in deleting the 1.5GB partition either since it is probably a factory restore partition from the vendor.

Just boot with your DVD and select 'Custom install'
You will get to the screen where you have the 'Drive options'.
Using that delete all other partitions and increase the primary one.
Then format it.
then continue with installation...

m-coon:
The program above gave me this info.........
11 gb windows
7 gb {files}??????
6 gb downloads
1 gb tools (i think lenovo tools)
.5 gb program files

Does this tell you more????

m-coon



you can expand files by clicking on it, make sure you have hidden/system files enabled..it will look like this..


treesize2.JPG

I tried this...........

quote
Just boot with your DVD and select 'Custom install'
You will get to the screen where you have the 'Drive options'.
Using that delete all other partitions and increase the primary one.
Then format it.
then continue with installation...
end quote

windows would NOT allow me to remove the 1.5 gb partition..... and it would not allow me to allocate its space to the other (main) partition.

it's like this small partition is sacred.

Anybody have experience with Lenovo laptops and the drive/partition issues I'm having?

Lastly - I did what I would call a CLEAN INSTALL....... I am very confused why al this crap was left on the hard drive? Can I force the machijne to format the C: drive before I boot to the install disk and install win 7 again???

points now 250

m-coon

if you go into disk management, is the 1.5gb partition listed as "system reserved"if so this is normal, although it should not be 1.5gb. I have the same configuration on my laptop (128gb ssd, win7) and that partition is only 100mb.

if there is absolutely no worries about losing data and/or this is not your only pc, etc, etc, try deleting all other partitions and then the 1.5 gb one. again, this is only if this has come to the point of testing/reinstalling.
if you do take this route, when you create the new primary partition, windows will alert you that it needs to take x amount of space.

I have a Lenovo laptop (N500).
This is probably a recovery partition (used to restore your system a new...).
If your system came with XP then your system is over there.
Also W7 can be the cause7reason for this partition.
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/01/09/how-to-avoid-200mb-hidden-system-partition-from-been-created-during-windows-7-installation/

I have deleted the contents of this partition. Don't remember now what was in it.
I can change it to "unallocated space"...... but it will not let me delete the space or move the space into the main partition.
I really am to the point where I want to delete all partitions and then boot the machine to the install disk and do it all again........ can I do this? This way windows may use the unallocated space in the primary partition with the new install???????
Any last minute comments?
I am signing out for today - check back here tomorrow for further discussions. Currently have no internet at home - so I have to wait to come back to work tomorrow to discuss this further.
Thanks,
m-coon

Yes, that is what i mentioned trying just before. but as i said, only if there is no worries about the data on the laptop, i dont want to say format/reinstall if you have data/programs on there. If you do not though, i would def just say to boot to a win7 cd and delete all partitions during the setup, then create a new one to install windows on. The install of win7 on an ssd is very quick so as long as you have the dvd and the product key and dont need any of the info on the pc its a quick solution.

Windows 7 creates this unallocated partition.
It is the W7 loader over there with all the rest of the 'funky' stuff.
W7 needs this so leave it alone.

Thanks so much. This answer you gave accounted for almost all of the hard disk space that I was trying to find.