# How do I get rid of my "Restore" folder in c: **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155 "2002-12-12T01:24:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chekmate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@Chekmate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chekmate)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/1 "2002-12-12T01:24:08Z")
I have a 10 GB hard drive, and 5.4 of it is being used up by this folder. I don’t know what it does, but I am pretty sure I don’t need it. It won’t let me un-hide it though, nor will it let me delete it. What should I do with it? I need the space. ---
**Author:** ![GTPhD1996](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@GTPhD1996](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GTPhD1996)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/2 "2002-12-12T01:32:55Z")
chekmate I had the same question just a few weeks ago. You won’t be able to manually delete the file but you can disable the system restore. When you reboot, the restore file will be deleted. Then you can enable the system restore. Here is the thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=145752&highlight=Drive+space](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=145752&highlight=Drive+space) ---
**Author:** ![theone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@theone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theone)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/3 "2002-12-12T01:33:35Z")
hmm, good question. ---
**Author:** ![Chekmate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@Chekmate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chekmate)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/4 "2002-12-12T02:23:45Z")
Erm… I’m officially fucked. I went ot the other link, and then I tried to download updates from MS, and when I restarted, all it says is: Error loading Explorer.exe. You must reinstall windows now. Oh, you fucking bitch, you fucking whore! I had been working on a paper for 3 days, been saving it to the hard drive! My FINAL RESEARCH PAPER! GONE! And I don’t even have a fucking Windows disk handy. I am so fucked in the bunghole right now, you guys don’t even understand. Hopefully my professor will though. I FUCKING HATE MICROSOFT, AND I HOPE BILL GATES GETS AMEBIC DYSINTARY AND DIES! Sigh… Back to trying to put my life back together… ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/5 "2002-12-12T03:01:45Z")
If you reinstall Windows without reformatting the hard drive first, your paper should still be there. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/6 "2002-12-12T03:02:57Z")
In fact, if you can boot from a floppy, you should be able to locate your paper on the C: drive, and just copy it to the floppy disk. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/7 "2002-12-12T16:19:22Z")
It’s better to just slide the Restore slide bar to the side where it uses the smallest amount of HD space. Its pretty easy to do. I wonder why its using 50% when it’s supposed to use 12% unless you change that setting. ---
**Author:** ![BizarroRonJeremy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@BizarroRonJeremy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BizarroRonJeremy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/8 "2002-12-12T17:05:46Z")
Geez, Why anyone would screw around with their OS without doing a backup of their critical files first is beyond me… Something like that happened to me ONCE, but never again. But it is true, if you reinstall Windows your files should still be intact. Good luck BRJ ---
**Author:** ![BizarroRonJeremy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@BizarroRonJeremy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BizarroRonJeremy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/9 "2002-12-12T17:11:19Z")
It just ococured to me that Chekmate is bs-ing us. If he/she can’t restart his/her computer, how did he/she submit a post? BRJ ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/10 "2002-12-12T17:13:16Z")
You don’t need to re-install windows just to get your paper. What version is it? Can you get the task manager up (with CTRL+ALT+DELETE). If so, you can still run software (like Word) without explorer.exe. Or you can try running “explorer” to see if it works this time (should display your desktop). **BizarroRonJeremy** : Being less cynical than you are, I’m guessing he’s posting from a Uni machine. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BizarroRonJeremy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@BizarroRonJeremy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BizarroRonJeremy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-my-restore-folder-in-c/142155/11 "2002-12-12T17:25:09Z")
Nah, I’m sure we’re being duped. Everyone loves to MS-bash given the smallest opportunity. While we’re OS-slamming here…how about that Mac OS X? I have a co-worker who’s been using 2 MACs and 3 OS’s because the recent versions of the softwares she uses don’t all work on the same Mac OS’s. OS 9, OS X and OS 9 Classic…WTFUWD??? (WTF up wit dat). BRJ