ok, so WTF does SP2 do to the harddrive space

[Panzerknacker]

I'm noticing this everytime I reformat/reinstall and I just don't understand it.

After intalling windows, it reports like 1gb usage on the C drive. Then after installing SP it's suddenly 6gb! I mean, what's happening to this 5gb of space here? Even when I check the size of all directories together it's only about 3gb. Can someone please explain this cuz I'm like crappy SP2 it only costs 5gb extra space.

[Midnight Dream]

yea, I have experienced issues like that, back when I was using windows. First off, it creates a backup of all the files it updates (a crapload). Then, it creates an uninstall of itself (I believe a double backup). If I remember, it also installs several other uninstalls, which make backups of theirselves, all in the windows directory. Its absurd, seriously. I just got rid of windows, I couldnt stand it anymore.

[Hc000]

Hard drive is so cheap now that space shouldn't be a problem... But when you are installing SP2 it asks you if you want to backup and if you do then the space can get quite large depending on what you have installed. Now the XP SP2 file itself is 268MB but after it unpacks it becomes 326MB and THEN it saves into a directory 326+268 = 594MB used just for XP2 files. The rest is just backups of your windows settings, restore points incase anything happens.

[telexen]

So do what you should be doing anyway...slipstream SP2 into a new disc. Then SP2 doesn't have to backup old SP1 files first

if you want an easy way to do it, plus cut out unwanted crap from XP...google 'nlite'

[Panzerknacker]

hm ok now I understand. Really sucks though. Anyone know if there is a way to remove the backups and stuff?