SP2 Disk Cleanup Tool

How to Use the Vista SP2 Disk Cleanup Tool​

   Information

This will show you how to run the Vista SP2 Cleanup tool to permanently remove the Vista RTM and SP1 backed up files created during the installion of the Vista SP2 to gain more hard drive space.

   Warning

Running the Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Disk Clean-up tool permanently removes the ability to uninstall the Vista SP1 and SP2. Do not run this tool unless you have no plans of uninstalling the Vista SP1 or SP2 and just want to save or regain hard drive space. The only option to remove them after using this tool is to do a clean install of Vista.

   Note

To see how much space you recover, make a note of how much free space you have on the C:/ drive in Computer before and after you run the SP2 Cleanup Tool.

It appears that most people are gaining on average 1GB of space back afterwards.

Here's How:

1. Open a elevated command prompt.​

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2. In the elevated command prompt, type compcln.exe and then press Enter. (See screenshot below)​

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3. Type Y when you see Would you like to continue? and press Enter.​

NOTE: Tying N will cancel running the Vista SP2 disk cleanup tool. You can also just close the command prompt window to cancel to.​

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4. It will take a little bit to finish. When it is finished, you will see the Windows Component Clean completed message. (See screenshot above)​

NOTE: You will see the Windows Component Clean was already run on this install message instead if you already ran this or installes Vista with a Vista installation disc that included SP2 with it.​

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5. When it's done, you can close the elevated command prompt.​

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6. Now, you just need to let all of us know how much space the tool cleared and saved for you. ​

NOTE: I would happily tell you mine, but I have a Vista installation DVD that already includes the SP1 and SP2, so I have not backup files to clean up.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Use the Vista SP1 Disk Cleanup Tool
• How to Use Disk Cleanup in Vista
• How to Clear Vista Temporary Files in the Temp Folder
• How to Clear the Thumbnail Cache in Vista
• How to Delete the Internet Explorer Browsing History in Vista
• How to See and Flush the Contents of the DNS Resolver Cache in Vista
• How to Remove a Uninstall Entry in Programs and Features for Vista
• How to Uninstall or Change a Program in Vista
• How to Turn Windows Features On or Off in Vista
• How to Reset and Clean the Notification Icons List in Vista
• How to Create a Clear Clipboard Shortcut in Vista
• How to Uninstall a Windows Update in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable Clear Virtual Memory Paging File at Shutdown in Vista
• How to Uninstall the Vista SP1
• How to Uninstall the Vista SP2 Prerelease Version

 

[hanntom]

I'm just getting the message...'compcln.exe' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Oh - and Newbie means just that...............

 

[Brink]

Hello Hanntom, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Do you have the Vista SP2 installed, and ran the command in a elevated command prompt (link at step 1)?

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[moon unit]

I lost 1GB after this - does that make any sense?

When I entered Y it began to work and I did not have to press enter. I never got the message that it was completed though, the command prompt window just closed. I tried to run it again to make sure it completed but as soon as I typed in Y the command prompt box closes, no time to hit enter.

 

[Brink]

Hello Moon unit,

That sounds about right. I would not worry about it.

 

[TuNaY]

Another usefull guide thanks Brink
I need those extra GB's. Using a 120 GB SSD wich fast can go out of space :D
104GB Before
105GB After
This was with a clean install. I only have SP1 "build" in disc so I install SP2 after and clean it up. But also I must still use RTM becouse SP2 final is not available in my language. Dosn't matter, this works fine and I have used it for long time now. But I need a clean install today

 

[pacinitaly]

OK Shawn,
I'm going to do the clean-up.
attached I have pics of my current allocation.
I also made an image using acronis.

btw, since I updated to SP2, my system restore does not auto create upon boot up or at 00:00



~Carmine

 

[Brink]

Hello Carmine,

Have you made any system changes or installed any programs or drivers since installing SP2? It will not auto create a restore point unless it detects a change in the system at that scheduled time.

 

[pacinitaly]

Hello,
here is the difference.

capture2=original
capture5=after clean up

was the difference 720MB?

 

[pacinitaly]

Hello Carmine,

Have you made any system changes or installed any programs or drivers since installing SP2? It will not auto create a restore point unless it detects a change in the system at that scheduled time.

Hi Shawn,
No changes at all.
I thought a restore point was made everyday.
( it used to because I increased the allocation size for RP's to 50GB ) then I just deleted them all.

it's kewl, thanks for the help.

 

[Brink]

Most people have been seeing around a 1GB gain, so that is about right.

 

[Backfire3788]

i saved 1 gb well better then nothing right? Thanks

 

[pacinitaly]

i saved 1 gb well better then nothing right? Thanks

every ( bit ) counts 01010101

 

[schmitman]

Didn't get a "space saved" report. Here's what I did get.

Great postings here though. Very useful !!! Thank you.

 

[Brink]

Hello Schmitman,

You would have had to manually look to see how much free space you had on your C: drive before and after running this to see how much space you have gained instead. It looks like it has ran successfully though. On average, most people have been getting back around 1 GB though.

 

[gorn]

Thanks for this great tut. I think I might hold the record with saved disc space: 2,8 GB.

 

[Brink]

Hello Gorn, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Wow, now that is a record. Did you not run the SP1 Disk Cleanup Tool before? If not, then that may be why you had more free space after running the SP2 cleanup tool.

 

[gorn]

No I did not run the SP1 Cleanup before. I guess thats the reason for saving that much space.

 

[Brink]

Thank you for posting back Gorn to confirm that. Still not a bad amount though.

 

[splosher]

Have just got 2 gig back following this guide after installing SP2 on Vista x64 Ultimate, so pretty pleased with that and once again it's all down to Shawn - cheers!

 

[Marko1]

I checked before doing it, and i have 49,6 GB free on C:, and now I still have the same after it, everything ran just fine and correctly, but I didnt gain even an 0,1 GB, and I haven't ran this in SP1 cause I didn't even know that this exists. Anyway, I upgraded to SP2 just today lol