How to Remove XP Backup

Delete old XP backups to free up hard drive space.

Each time you install an upgrade or hotfix, Microsoft makes a backup of the operating system settings and system files. Windows XP has had several updates and patches, and each of these backups take up several megabytes of space. If your hard drive runs out of disk storage space, you delete the old backups to free up some hard drive space on your computer. This is easily accomplished using the Disk Cleanup utility.

Instructions

1. Click the Windows "Start" button and then click "All Programs." Click "Accessories" from the program groups. Click "System Tools" and then click "Disk Cleanup" to open the utility.

2. Select a drive from the drop-down list to choose the location of your backups. Click "OK." Windows does a quick check on the hard drive and opens the main "Disk Cleanup" window.

3. Click the "More Options" tab. In the section labeled "System Restore and Shadow Copies," click the "Disk Cleanup" button to delete old backups. The system saves the most recent store point, so you do not lose the latest critical backup on the system.

References

• Microsoft: Delete Files Using Disk Cleanup