From: Al Williams on
You'd be better off moving some of the larger non-system files to another
partition (pagefile, logs, databases, Shadow Copy Data, etc.). Resizing
system partition is a PITA. Here are some tips:

http://www.lwcomputing.com/tips/static/bootdrivesize.asp

--
Allan Williams




Guus Ellenkamp wrote:
> For quite some time I have a W2003 server that was installed on a too
> small system partition (or there is still some rubbish I cannot
> find). Even though I still think re�nstalling it would be the fastest
> and most reliable option, I'm still considering doing it another way,
> like increasing the partition size with some partioning tool.
>
> I know the last is not advisable, but anyone who did it and how?


From: Guus Ellenkamp on
Thanks for all the replies. I'll review them carefully.

I already cleaned up a lot and put a lot of stuff on other volumes,
including program files. Cleaned up Documents and Settings already. It's a
10Gb partition, so should be big enough for just the OS, but somehow there
is stuff that's still very large and I can't figure out exactly what.

Any more suggestions what could be so big are welcome.

"Grant Taylor" <gtaylor(a)riverviewtech.net> wrote in message
news:hqkgh6$lsk$1(a)tranq7.tranquility.net...
> On 04/20/10 06:34, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:
>> Long experience with Unix, Netware, and other systems has me convinced of
>> the long-standing wisdom (certainly in the Unix world) of not putting
>> applications, log files, and user data on the system volume wherever
>> possible.
>
> I *COMPLETELY* agree.
>
> On the servers that I set up, I usually have a system volume, a swap
> volume, and one or more data volumes.
>
>> I'm curious. How many of the times that you've expanded a system volume
>> have been because the "Program Files" or "Documents and Settings" trees
>> have become too big?
>
> Many of the servers that I have inherited / taken support over tend to
> fall in to this category.
>
> I have run in to a few very long running servers that started with either
> a 2 / 4 GB system volume and the OS has grown (because of service packs /
> hot fixes / demanding IE updates / etc.) to the point that the OS is too
> snug for comfort.
>
> Usually along these lines, it's time to upgrade the drives any way. In
> these cases I usually establish a new RAID, and image from the small RAID
> to the larger RAID while adjusting the size on the fly. After the fact,
> the system seems to be much happier.
>
> As far as "Program Files" and "Documents and Settings" is concerned, I
> usually move them to other volumes when things start to be come a problem.
> When ever possible, I will put things like Exchange and SQL data files on
> a different volume too.
>
> Like I said, I /completely/ agree with spreading things out across
> multiple volumes. :-}
>
>
>
> Grant. . . .


From: Al Williams on
Download treesize or windirstat - they are free tools that show you where
your space is going.

--
Allan Williams




Guus Ellenkamp wrote:
> Thanks for all the replies. I'll review them carefully.
>
> I already cleaned up a lot and put a lot of stuff on other volumes,
> including program files. Cleaned up Documents and Settings already.
> It's a 10Gb partition, so should be big enough for just the OS, but
> somehow there is stuff that's still very large and I can't figure out
> exactly what.
> Any more suggestions what could be so big are welcome.
>
> "Grant Taylor" <gtaylor(a)riverviewtech.net> wrote in message
> news:hqkgh6$lsk$1(a)tranq7.tranquility.net...
>> On 04/20/10 06:34, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:
>>> Long experience with Unix, Netware, and other systems has me
>>> convinced of the long-standing wisdom (certainly in the Unix world)
>>> of not putting applications, log files, and user data on the system
>>> volume wherever possible.
>>
>> I *COMPLETELY* agree.
>>
>> On the servers that I set up, I usually have a system volume, a swap
>> volume, and one or more data volumes.
>>
>>> I'm curious. How many of the times that you've expanded a system
>>> volume have been because the "Program Files" or "Documents and
>>> Settings" trees have become too big?
>>
>> Many of the servers that I have inherited / taken support over tend
>> to fall in to this category.
>>
>> I have run in to a few very long running servers that started with
>> either a 2 / 4 GB system volume and the OS has grown (because of
>> service packs / hot fixes / demanding IE updates / etc.) to the
>> point that the OS is too snug for comfort.
>>
>> Usually along these lines, it's time to upgrade the drives any way. In
>> these cases I usually establish a new RAID, and image from the
>> small RAID to the larger RAID while adjusting the size on the fly. After
>> the fact, the system seems to be much happier.
>>
>> As far as "Program Files" and "Documents and Settings" is concerned,
>> I usually move them to other volumes when things start to be come a
>> problem. When ever possible, I will put things like Exchange and SQL
>> data files on a different volume too.
>>
>> Like I said, I /completely/ agree with spreading things out across
>> multiple volumes. :-}
>>
>>
>>
>> Grant. . . .


From: Guus Ellenkamp on
Thanks a lot for the suggestion. Just downloaded it and see a major 'disk
eater' already: the Windows Installer folder. Safe to delete and how?


"Al Williams" <AMBW(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:e2T$TTy4KHA.1888(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Download treesize or windirstat - they are free tools that show you where
> your space is going.
>
> --
> Allan Williams
>
>
>
>
> Guus Ellenkamp wrote:
>> Thanks for all the replies. I'll review them carefully.
>>
>> I already cleaned up a lot and put a lot of stuff on other volumes,
>> including program files. Cleaned up Documents and Settings already.
>> It's a 10Gb partition, so should be big enough for just the OS, but
>> somehow there is stuff that's still very large and I can't figure out
>> exactly what.
>> Any more suggestions what could be so big are welcome.
>>
>> "Grant Taylor" <gtaylor(a)riverviewtech.net> wrote in message
>> news:hqkgh6$lsk$1(a)tranq7.tranquility.net...
>>> On 04/20/10 06:34, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:
>>>> Long experience with Unix, Netware, and other systems has me
>>>> convinced of the long-standing wisdom (certainly in the Unix world)
>>>> of not putting applications, log files, and user data on the system
>>>> volume wherever possible.
>>>
>>> I *COMPLETELY* agree.
>>>
>>> On the servers that I set up, I usually have a system volume, a swap
>>> volume, and one or more data volumes.
>>>
>>>> I'm curious. How many of the times that you've expanded a system
>>>> volume have been because the "Program Files" or "Documents and
>>>> Settings" trees have become too big?
>>>
>>> Many of the servers that I have inherited / taken support over tend
>>> to fall in to this category.
>>>
>>> I have run in to a few very long running servers that started with
>>> either a 2 / 4 GB system volume and the OS has grown (because of
>>> service packs / hot fixes / demanding IE updates / etc.) to the
>>> point that the OS is too snug for comfort.
>>>
>>> Usually along these lines, it's time to upgrade the drives any way. In
>>> these cases I usually establish a new RAID, and image from the
>>> small RAID to the larger RAID while adjusting the size on the fly. After
>>> the fact, the system seems to be much happier.
>>>
>>> As far as "Program Files" and "Documents and Settings" is concerned,
>>> I usually move them to other volumes when things start to be come a
>>> problem. When ever possible, I will put things like Exchange and SQL
>>> data files on a different volume too.
>>>
>>> Like I said, I /completely/ agree with spreading things out across
>>> multiple volumes. :-}
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Grant. . . .
>
>


From: Al Williams on
Lots of hits on google on that...

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en-GB&q=server+2003+windows+installer+folder+cleanup&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGLL_en-GBCA361CA362&ie=UTF-8

--
Allan Williams




Guus Ellenkamp wrote:
> Thanks a lot for the suggestion. Just downloaded it and see a major
> 'disk eater' already: the Windows Installer folder. Safe to delete
> and how?
>
> "Al Williams" <AMBW(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:e2T$TTy4KHA.1888(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> Download treesize or windirstat - they are free tools that show you
>> where your space is going.
>>
>> --
>> Allan Williams
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Guus Ellenkamp wrote:
>>> Thanks for all the replies. I'll review them carefully.
>>>
>>> I already cleaned up a lot and put a lot of stuff on other volumes,
>>> including program files. Cleaned up Documents and Settings already.
>>> It's a 10Gb partition, so should be big enough for just the OS, but
>>> somehow there is stuff that's still very large and I can't figure
>>> out exactly what.
>>> Any more suggestions what could be so big are welcome.
>>>
>>> "Grant Taylor" <gtaylor(a)riverviewtech.net> wrote in message
>>> news:hqkgh6$lsk$1(a)tranq7.tranquility.net...
>>>> On 04/20/10 06:34, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:
>>>>> Long experience with Unix, Netware, and other systems has me
>>>>> convinced of the long-standing wisdom (certainly in the Unix
>>>>> world) of not putting applications, log files, and user data on
>>>>> the system volume wherever possible.
>>>>
>>>> I *COMPLETELY* agree.
>>>>
>>>> On the servers that I set up, I usually have a system volume, a
>>>> swap volume, and one or more data volumes.
>>>>
>>>>> I'm curious. How many of the times that you've expanded a system
>>>>> volume have been because the "Program Files" or "Documents and
>>>>> Settings" trees have become too big?
>>>>
>>>> Many of the servers that I have inherited / taken support over tend
>>>> to fall in to this category.
>>>>
>>>> I have run in to a few very long running servers that started with
>>>> either a 2 / 4 GB system volume and the OS has grown (because of
>>>> service packs / hot fixes / demanding IE updates / etc.) to the
>>>> point that the OS is too snug for comfort.
>>>>
>>>> Usually along these lines, it's time to upgrade the drives any
>>>> way. In these cases I usually establish a new RAID, and image from
>>>> the small RAID to the larger RAID while adjusting the size on the fly.
>>>> After the fact, the system seems to be much happier.
>>>>
>>>> As far as "Program Files" and "Documents and Settings" is
>>>> concerned, I usually move them to other volumes when things start to be
>>>> come a
>>>> problem. When ever possible, I will put things like Exchange and
>>>> SQL data files on a different volume too.
>>>>
>>>> Like I said, I /completely/ agree with spreading things out across
>>>> multiple volumes. :-}
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Grant. . . .