Low Disk Space Server 2008 R2

OK

DIsk cleanup to start, then treesize, then increase the disk space.

Regards,

Alex

I'm with Alex Green but, for clarification, what is the function of the server itself (i.e. role, service, etcetera)?

Do you have the option to move the hyper-v guests vhds away from the C: drive?

@N8ivelT, it runs our Hyper-V

@arnold, no it's the only sever we have in the office at this moment.

do you have expansion drive slots available in the server? Is the server hot-swap for drive? Most of those can add drives, configure them and function while the system is running?


The other option is to ask what other services/functions/roles does this single server have in addition to hyper-v (it does not sound as though you are running hyper-v core....?
Exchange?
WSUS?
DHCP?
AD?
DNS?
file share?
anti-virus/security/end point application that retrieves updates ....
I think leew had written an article on c:\ drive cleanup

for wsus running the cleanup might release some space.
file share, unless you have an option...
exchange, unless you have archiving/expiration policy the space consume will continue to grow.

with what you have currently, your options are limited.

server hardware spec?
Vendor, make model, ...

It may be the host but some businesses make their host the DC / AV server / etcetera ... that's why I'm asking specifics.

Personally, I would not create VHDs on an OS drive for the very issue you are having. If the server is mission critical, then I would either add disks and move the VHD(s) to them or upgrade to newer hardware (with redundancy and increased disk space options). If these options are too expensive (i.e. deemed "too expensive" by management), then they need to determine what downtime costs (vs good disk space, redundancy and backup) and then reassess their conclusion.

This may sound strong but being able to run a business usually is more profitable than the alternative.

If you are a technical consulting company and they cannot see the value of this, then it may be the beginning of a thorny relationship ... if it is your server, then, as my old boss used to say, "The cobbler's son has no shoes." :)

Although I'm 100% with the other advisors (give them the points for your immediate issue) ...

... my advice regarding future direction stands. If it is the WinSXS folder, it proves my point perfectly. Putting VHD's on anything but a data only / VHD only drive is susceptible to other services running amok, taking disk space and causing unnecessary downtime.

Add drives and NEVER put VHDs on the save drive as the OS.  

Info on the files associated with a VM.
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/virtual_pc_guy/2010/03/10/understanding-where-your-virtual-machine-files-are-hyper-v/

Running hyper-V and having a vhd on the system drive is a red-herring here. Hyper-V machines do add some overhead to the system drive vmm memory files, snapshots and so forth.  For performance reasoning alone put vhd's on a separate spindle (physical drive) than the core O/S.
It is obvious that if 100MB or so is let's say 1GB and your drive is so low on space that 1GB of additional data will cause problems then the drive was too small from the beginning.

Many of us likely have been there, the growth of the data might not have been fully accounted for or grew at a rate not anticipated (either underestimated) or the growth of the firm following the setup was successful thus narrowing the window at which point update/upgrade additional capacity is needed

The spec of the server would shed more light on the situation versus a learned observation.

Guessing the initial foray and the cost likely resulted in a setup of the OS/entire storage as a single RAID 5 volume.
versus the RAID1 + RAID 10 that experience dictates...... though this adds to the expense while those in Managment who pay do not see the "benefit" of buying x disks, but seeing storage of x*capacity/2

hyper-v single VM and the system is running out of space with a FIXED VHD something else is going on, possibly the snapshot/... are being added that consume space unnecessarily.

awesome advice guys. thank you for the help.