Compressing a drive

[Canary]

If I open My Computer, then right-click on the C-drive icon and scroll down to Properties, an option comes up that says "Compress drive to save disk space".

 

What does this actually mean, and is it worth doing it?

[Andavari]

 

Microsoft Search. I didn't look at what the search results are, however to get a correct answer get it from Microsoft.

[Capman]

If you are OK for hard disk space, then I would advise that you don't compress your hard drive, if however, you hard drive is desperately running out of space then it might be a good idea to compress it.

 

Compressing, is in principle, the same as using Winzip to compress a file or folder to make it smaller, which is ideal for transfering data, as obviously it will allow quicker transfer times.

 

But for files that are in everyday use, compression will lead to a slowdown in computer use, as the compressed files will need to be uncompressed each time they are read.

 

To sum it up, only compress it if you really need to, not just because you can, and save compression for the transfer of files, or for storing data on other types of media where the data would not, otherwise, normally fit.

 

Also, if files were meant to be compressed, then it would be set as default, and not an after option.

[rridgely]

words from the great Djlizard:

http://forum.CCleaner.com/index.php?showto...813&hl=compress

[Canary]

Thanks for all your help guys. Just one more question, though:

 

Before posting here, I had started to compress the files in C-drive before thinking better and hitting Cancel. Since getting answers to my original question, I have been back into the C-drive and tried uncompressing them. But it said it would take 10 hours (!), so I'm guessing that that process uncompresses far more than just the few I initially compressed.

 

Anyone know how I can get it back to where it was before? In other words, compress the files that should be compressed and uncompress those that shouldn't be compressed?

[Sniper]

Thanks for all your help guys. Just one more question, though:

 

Before posting here, I had started to compress the files in C-drive before thinking better and hitting Cancel. Since getting answers to my original question, I have been back into the C-drive and tried uncompressing them. But it said it would take 10 hours (!), so I'm guessing that that process uncompresses far more than just the few I initially compressed.

 

Anyone know how I can get it back to where it was before? In other words, compress the files that should be compressed and uncompress those that shouldn't be compressed?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Ouch. You can try a System Restore, don't know if it will work but it can't hurt.

[Andavari]

I've noticed that WinXP will compress rarely used files on own without being told to do so.

 

If your hard disk is running out of that much space you can free up space by burning setup programs, music files, etc., to CD's or DVD's. If you have really precious data that you want to last a long time I'd recommend being paranoid and make two CD or DVD backups that way if one backup fails you'll have another one.