#Computer FAQ #PackYourPatience, #ComputerCleanup, #WaitingForComputers

The Waiting Game.

Over the weekend I ran the Disk Cleanup utility on a machine to free up some space.  This is an option through Windows that analyzes your hard drive for files that can be safely removed.  The machine I was working on still had Windows 7, but the process is the same for Windows 10. 

When I started the Disk Cleanup, I thought it would be a 30 minute or less exercise and I could move on to my next step.  I was so wrong.  The entire process from start to finish took around 11 hours!

The analysis part took hours.  I kept thinking that the computer had frozen up, but then I would see the little progress bar move just a bit, so I waited.  I started reading up on the Disk Cleanup process and why it might have been taking so long.  I learned that this is normal, so I went outside, used my weed eater for a while, watered some plants and kept coming back in to check and see if it was done.  After hours and hours, it was finally finished, and I thought I was ready to move on.  Wrong again.

I needed to reboot to finish the process.  Easy, right?  Well the reboot process itself took over 3 hours to complete.  After more reading I learned that cleaning up the old Windows Update files was what takes so long during the analysis as well as the reboot.

In this case, the Disk Cleanup was worth it as the client was running out of space and I was able to gain a fair amount back to keep them going a bit longer before replacing their hard drive.

The moral of the story is that patience is a necessary virtue where computers are concerned.  A lesson that I find myself relearning every day.

Have a good week,
Kathie Pearce
ComputerFAQ #10
360.497.3130
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