Comments on: Windows 2000 Server C: directory has 4 GB limited space.

By: sonotsky

sonotsky — Tue, 08 Feb 2005 08:10:40 +0000

During Win2k installation – during the initial, character-driven screens – did you specify NTFS as the filesystem type? I seem to recall that if you say FAT32, it will limit you to 4GB.

If you can, nuke the partition and run install anew. Double-check the FS type.

Alternately, as a post above mentions, you can use a partition resizer and try your luck. Partition Magic will *NOT* run on any Windows server OS, just desktop systems; you’ll need Server Magic, which I think has been rebranded to VolumeManager.

Also, you do need to keep your data and OS files separate – keep anything that is not directly related to base Windows files on another volume.

By: ramheka

ramheka — Mon, 07 Feb 2005 04:25:59 +0000

Create another partition, and install all your applications on it you also can move your Inetpub forlder to it. you can free up some space by moving your paging file to another partition as windows default it to the system partition. 4GB partition is enough for win2k if and only reserved to the system and it good to keep your system apart from your data and apps.

By: keankok

keankok — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 21:21:45 +0000

Thank you all for the feedback. By the way, we are using old compaq server ML570, 5x 18.6 GB Raid 5 and 2 GB server and was using the Compaq SmartStart v4.9 to setup. We would have to try Paulie feedback.

Thanks

By: bobkberg

bobkberg — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 14:42:58 +0000

I’d suggest that you have the web server’s root partition on a drive OTHER than the operating system.

Also – make sure that all sample files that come with the server install are removed. They not only waste space, many of them contain known vulnerabilities that open you to attack.

Bob

By: sgornick

sgornick — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 14:34:39 +0000

Two words:
Partition Magic

Now sold by Symantec.
http://www.symantec.com/partitionmagic/

Lets you resize your NTFS partitions.

By: paulieeddie

paulieeddie — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 11:51:02 +0000

For a Windows 2000 installation you should consider a minimum of 9 GB for the system partition (C-drive). If you have the opportunity to recreate the system from scratch, I would definately do it. For most web servers a 9 GB partition will be sufficient.

If you were using some type of assisted installation method (Compaq SmartStart, HP Navigator,etc) I would get a new version of the CD or install directly with the Windows 2000 CD. If you are dealing with the Compaq SmartStart for example, you can install with the Windows 2000 CD and then do an update from SmartStart to get all of the Compaq specific services and drivers.

You can delete the Service Pack and Hotfix files and that will help.

You can also move the page file to another drive if there is one on the system. Guessing you would have about 512MB memory on the system at a minimum, your pagefile will be between 512-700 MB on average. So, moving it to another drive could help.

Compressing the drive would be a last resort – a very last resort. This will drastically affect performance of the system. Rebuild the system with a proper partition if you can.

By: itspec

itspec — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 08:32:36 +0000

Is there a reason you made the SYS partition only 4GB or was it just an oversight?

You mention apps, if you’re going to have applications on that same partition, you’ll need to re-size and make it bigger, much bigger.