Need to trim down Windows 7 system files.

You can download and run TreeSize to see where all the space is and go from there:

http://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/

You can delete the SoftwareDistribution Folder which usually holds all of your uneeded Windows Updates:

Stop Windows Update Service
Delete C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
Start Windows Update Service

"You can delete the SoftwareDistribution Folder which usually holds all of your uneeded Windows Updates:"

???

This folder *Only* holds updates that need to be installed and routinely gets cleared out.

Start by running CCleaner


http://www.piriform.com/CCLEANER

You may need to delete system restore points to get back alot of your space

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Delete-a-restore-point

IMHO best if you simply reinstall Windows from scratch. Windows 7 stores lots of update and system copy files in Windows directory which is normally eating the space. And till now there is no visible solution either than Windows reinstallation.

Use
Advanced System Cure
and
Tuneup Utilities

It would remove lots of jun files from your machine and would create a lot of space on harddrive
Remove the windows update backup and system restore data
it would create a lot of free space

257Roberts--Perhaps of help
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winservergen/thread/1fe23cf6-8e93-4036-b139-49608d0ea1d9/
See especially Gopi Kiran's post.

The main effect of deleting C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder is that you will not be able to uninstall Windows Updates from Control Panel| Programs and Features.  However, unless it is several hundred MB, you have to ask if it is worth deleting.

I used "Windows Disk Cleanup Utility" and got rid of 900MB of Service Pack Backup files and then deleted the Recycle Bin and got another 200MB.  I am back up to 10GB free almost.  I did not see where to delete the restore points.  It gave no option to delete them.  I think if I could delete the Restore Points then I could get back to actual 10GB of available space.

Did you look at the link I posted?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Delete-a-restore-point

I have system protection completely turned off.  I do the system image and backup weekly to an external TB drive.

257Roberts--Delete System Restore points?  
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Delete-a-restore-point
But you may have already done that when you used Disk Cleanup.  And this is a somewhat dangerous action if you ever need to go back to a previous time in your PC setup.  See Gopi Kiran's post here
 http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winservergen/thread/1fe23cf6-8e93-4036-b139-49608d0ea1d9/

"1. Run Disk cleanup to remove temp files.
 2. Disable Hibernate if it is enabled.
 3. Move Paging file to another partition.
4. Disable system restore (not recommended as it is a server system)
 5. Remove installed programs and install them to another partition.  "

Rather do points 2, 3 and 5.

If you have upgraded to SP1 and you don't plan on uninstalling it, you can open an administrative command prompt (click start/orb, type in CMD, hold down Ctrl+Shift and hit Enter, then answer Yes to the UAC prompt), and run

DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /SpSuperseded

That will remove all the files that were backed up, to allow uninstalling SP1, when it was applied.

i agree with noxcho on the fact that clearing space will only help temporarily
you have 2 options , as i see it :
1-do a fresh install will all updates, and programs installed  - and make an image of that, so you can quickly restore to this clean state
2-install a bigger sized SSD