Computer and Web Articles

By default, the Windows XP System Restore Utility reserves 12 percent of each of your computers’ drives for itself. That’s a lot of hard drive space!

You can cut down on the amount of space this process uses by either turning off the service altogether or reducing the number of its restore points. To adjust the System Restore settings, right-click on My Computer, select Properties, then select the System Restore tab.

If you don’t have a terrific backup system in place (shame on you!), I recommend not turning off System Restore completely, as it can be a useful tool when you need to rescue your computer from viruses or software issues. Instead, within the System Restore Tab, choose your main drive (most likely your C drive) and hit the Settings button.

Use the slider to set how much space on this drive will be used by System Restore for restore points. If you’re unsure as to what amount to choose, I’d recommend 5 percent. And there you go; precious hard drive space freed up for your use!