c:\Windows folder is more than 22gb!?

[selina]

i have a user who's on IBM thnkpad t41 with 33.9gb hdd space. recently he started complaining that his hd is full and it is.
i checked it and noticed that c:\windows folder is more than 22gb. how did it become so big? is there any folder/file that i can delete/compress?

 

[shivy]

Look through the folder and take out programs that you don't need.Its not like a gig is added to your hardrive each day.There must be a few programs out.As far as I know for compressing.If you compress a program make it one you will rarely use,otherwise you will have to keep uncompressing it.

 

[Osiris]

do a screenshot and post it. Its also possible for spyware/viruses to replicate

 

[SHAWN]

That does not sound good to me.

 

[talldude123]

by default, its about 1.5 gb.

 

[selina]

i asked the user to let me know programs that he doesn't use much. there is no program that he doens't need and takes that much space.
as for snapshot, it's not connected right now and i'm making a backup right now that we've started thinking of formatting the hd.
i'll post the snapshot when the backup is done.
could be virus/spyware. but would they be the only possible cause for this? this user tends to *abuse* machines...

 

[wilson44512]

abusing a machine is like abusing a child.! it shouldn't happen.

 

[selina]

well, how can i post a snapshot? it has 365items in the folder....
scanning for virus/spyware etc

 

[Osiris]

Follow these instructions carefully

Download ALL 8 programs and update if needed.

Ad Aware SE Personal Free

Spybot Search and Destroy Free

Windows Defender 2 Beta

HijackThis Free

Ewido

CCleaner

Cleanup!

Follow these steps

Delete the prefetch folder C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch, this folder will come back on next reboot.

Delete all cookies and temporary internet files in the control panel.

Go to Start, run, type msconfig, go to startup, disable everything except your antivirus, Firewall, click apply, dont reboot yet.

Download Msconfig Cleanup below

Msconfig Cleanup Free

Run Msconfig Cleanup after you unchecked the items you were told to uncheck and recheck, click "Select All", then click "Clean up Selected", then click "Quit". Make sure your antivirus and firewall are not checked.

Now run each spyware program 1 by 1. Running all 3 at the same time will slow most systems down.

When each program has finished scanning, remove everything.

Now go to the recycle bin and delete everything that is in it.

When finished with the scans, reboot, and go into Safe Mode and run these scans again, remove everything they find, and then reboot back into Windows in normal mode. You dont need to run Hijackthis! yet.

Then run HiJackthis!

Save the log, copy and paste the log on www.techist.com
Do not attach the log, copy and paste always. This will make things go much faster.

 

[selina]

um.. sorry.
i formatted the hd this morning. the user wanted the laptop back sooner. at least he was ok with deleting the data on it.

i'll do what you told me to do next time. i'm sure there will be a next time...