Open you MyDocuments folder and delete all files, pictures, word documents that you don't want.

Next Start>AllPrograms>controlPanel. Look for your add / remove programs double click it remove all the programs you are not using.

Then Start>AllPrograms>Accessories>System Tools. In there do a disk clean up let it remove all files. After that do a disk defrag that option is available under the disk clean up option. That may take a long time to run let it finish don't interrupt it.

As far as the CDROM drive it may be bad and unable to read a disk, try another disk.

After you complete that. Double click the My Computer Icon when it opens hold your mouse over the C Drive (Local Disk) a small window will open telling you how big the hard drive is and how much free space is available, could you provide that information for us.

You need a minimum of 20 to 25% free space on the hard drive at any time for efficiency. You probably see your activity light on the tower running almost constantly and the computer very slow.

Follow Zep's thoughts and see how much quicker everything works.

(As far as the CDROM drive it may be bad and unable to read a disk, try another disk.)

Ok Guys: thanks for the quick reply - I will try all what you said (my wife's pc) probably tomorrow - I did try the cdrom on my pc and it opened quickly and it is fine. so I guess it is not the cdrom itself.
I thought maybe both problems were related only because this is the first time it came up.
Thanks again and will get back to both of you.
Bill

Go to BIOS setup and see if the CD ROM is there.
If not the CD ROM may be bad.

dcarch

Thanks dcarch - (my wife's pc) but the CD ROM does play on MY computer - so the rom IS ok.
Thanks
I did not get to work on it yet....
Bill

I am a little confused. The cd rom drive is the drive you insert a cd disc into, so are you saying you know the cd disc it self is good because it works on your pc or do you mean you removed the cd rom drive from her pc and installed it in your pc and it works there so the cd rom drive is ok?

It's a terminology thing. From Wikipedia: CD-Rom.

I'd be focused on the C drive full issue first and what it's filled with!

Good morning all: Ok Just the cd itself does work on my pc - but not on hers! We are using the disk cleaning right now & able to see SOME space is NOW showing on the c drive - message is telling us we can now start deleting files = TO FREE UP 3.930.341KB
this is the way is looks - can I just go ahead and delete it all without losing some things we want/need? sorry for the complete picture!!! but afraid to delete wrong stuff.
It is a drop down menue and shows the items - some are
checked off in the square box just before the actual file.

downloaded prog files - 0KB - (check mark in square box)
recycle bin - 398,034KB - (check mark in square box)
temp internet files - 3.791KB - (check mark in square box)
temp offline files - 0KB - (check mark in square box)
temp files - 35,359KB - (no check mark in square box)
offline files - 0KB - (no check mark in square box)
compress old files - 3,493,122 (no check mark in square box) ???
SPACE USED UP IS 16.691.658 GB
ONLY FREE SPACE IS 1.436.823 GB

Thanks for the help & sorry for the confusion.
Bill

Yes, all these can be safely deleted unless there might be something in your recycle bin that you don't want deleted. Right click on the recycle bin icon to see a list of what's there. Usually, if it's stuff you've deleted previously, you will not want to save any of it. All the others are either temporary files made when downloading stuff and are no longer needed, or the setup files for programs you have downloaded. Once downloaded programs are installed, the setup files are no longer needed. So I'd say, delete it all, and then empty the recycle bin again.

Yes delete it all, the recycle bin is checked so the stuff in there will be deleted you can check it after though to make sure.

Something is still taking up a lot of space. Click>Start in the start menu click My Documents see whats in there and delete some of it. Then remember to empty recycle bin, free space will not show until you do that.

compress old files - 3,493,122.... 3 Million! you need to get rid of these not compress them!

Good afternoon all: Ok freed up some space 350GB if I'm reading it correct TWO THINGS to ask - One where or how do I free up the compress disk /where do I find it? then the biggest thing is we lost our microsoft outlook (the complete email is gone) of lot of important STUFF on it. Can we get it back. By the way still can't show the cd disk /so I'm thinking it is a cd drive problem maybe?
So still need your help in the email problem.
Thanks again to everyone.
Bill

Assuming 2000/XP now...In Control panel, mail, data files - are you showing a location and a file structure? (Outlook will save to .pst format). That's the file(s) you need to get onto separate media asap.
Personally, compressing a disk is something I avoid unless absolutely necessary.
If you are able to back up your data to separate media, then the next step I would take is turning off system restore if it is currently enabled.
ATF Cleaner is useful for drive cleanup in conjunction with other tools, because it will delete other user temp files if present.
atribune.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=25

I'd leave the System Restore on for now, just in case.
Granted it's probably taking up a lot of space. But I'd feel better with a few restore points as the user works on the computer. Then at the end turn off and back on again to delete old restore points. Everyone has a different opinion about it mine is to leave system restore running.

Let us know about E-Mail problem.

Not sure how you lost your E-Mail?

Then at least in disk cleanup, go to "more options" and select "cleanup" in the system restore area, or barring that, navigate to the system restore folder and kill all but a couple of the most recent. Having the drive full isn't going to help with maintenance. If "compress" is the desired option, the drive will still need headroom to complete it. That's why I stressed getting the data backed up to separate media first, as this is important data.

exgm

I absolutely agree and appreciate your responses. I'm very concerned about the E-Mail issue as I am not a 100 Percent about recovering it or how it happened.

I am including a link about the E-Mail and would like your thoughts on it I have no experience with the pst file or how to instruct the user.I want to make sure the user is comfortable also.

Here is a link that might be useful: Recover outlook files

zep516, if I was doing this for you as a client, I would cease working on the drive at this point and clone it to a larger drive. I would then work on the data recovery there. This would leave the original data as intact as possible. A second option would be to connect the drive as a slave or secondary and try and cherry-pick data from it on another pc. Is there somebody local who could do this for you?

exgm,

Again I agree with you. I don't know the users capabilities so before anything else is done / recommended. I would consider Getting some outside help in recovering the Important E-Mails before it gets to a point where they can't be recovered.

...is that the drive in question is currently readable. One of the last recovery requests I received provided me with a drive with a failed motor. Without spinning platters, it's on to the the data recovery guys, and they are not cheap.

Ok everyone: Getting a little info/crazy - she is going to bring it in to a repair shop right down the street from us /they had worked on this a few times in the past. I was able to get back the email using yahoo so she can use email. but when we use the disk cleaning feature I guess her outlook express was deleted (that is her original email)

zep516 - (compress old files - 3,493,122.... 3 Million! you need to get rid of these not compress them!)

I still can't find how to find and delete the compress old files - Where are they?

Again, I don't recommend this, but fyi...
howtogeek.com/howto/windows/make-disk-cleanup-compress-olderor-newer-files-on-xp/

Right don't compress them. I don't know where those files are I figured they were files scattered in your My Documents folder etc.

I would not compress anything. If your taking it in ask the guy about them.