Delete shadow copies and restore points in one go!

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Windows Vista creates a restore point at regular intervals: This happens, for example, when drivers or programs are installed or after the latest Windows updates have been installed. These restore points naturally cost storage space. The so-called volume shadow copy, which creates (initially) invisible copies of your files, costs more storage space. This allows you to access older versions of a file (e.g. a document)! Both functions are used for data security - but if you back up your system by other means, both methods may cost several GB of storage space! And this is how you solve the problem:

  1. In the start menu, click on "Computer". Continue by right-clicking on your Windows drive, usually C:.

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  2. Now select "Properties" and click on "Clean up". After a short moment, the disk cleanup appears. There, switch to the "Further options".

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  3. Click in the "System recovery and shadow copies" on "Clean up" and confirm with a mouse click on "Delete".

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Best regards,
Sandro Villinger

By Sandro Villinger

Founded Windows Tweaks as a teenager in the 90s. His helpful PC tricks made it Germany's most visited Windows site (back then this is what Sandro looked like). He then went on to write elsewhere, such as for PC-Praxis, Computer Bild and PCWorld in the USA. Microsoft also poached him from us. Now Sandro is back, finally sharing his tweaks here again. For a stress-free digital everyday life. You can reach Sandro via e-mail.