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Q: I have a 160GB Western Digital Hard Drive partitioned into a 40GB Operating System partition and the other 120GB for my files. However, when I run Disk Cleanup utility from within Vista Ultimate, it shows multiple 131GB options for me to clean up. After I clicked OK to cleanup the selected entries, it erased everything on the 40GB partition. I then had to reinstall Windows Vista, but the problem seems to be recurring.
(Information in this post applies to Windows 7 & Vista systems only)
A: Having received three more such questions, I decided to work on this issue. Here is the screenshot of what Disk Cleanup displayed:
Fig 1: Disk Cleanup showing the list of files to delete.
According to the above Disk Cleanup graphic, the Windows Error Reporting files constituted to 196 GB, which certainly is impossible! I asked for the registry export of this key from one of my clients:
The above registry location contains the list of Disk Cleanup handlers and their registration information. Once I got the registry export, I compared it with my system and noted that a really important value named Folder was missing in each of the following subkeys under the VolumeCaches branch:
|_ Windows Error Reporting Queue Files
|_ Windows Error Reporting System Archive Files
|_ Windows Error Reporting System Queue Files
I came across this paragraph from the MSDN documentation:
Description for the Folder registry value:
A specific folder or folders to search for items matching entries in the FileList value. You can specify wildcards using the ? or * characters. If the value is of type REG_SZ, multiple folder names are separated using the | character, without spaces on either side of it. If a CSIDL value is present, only one folder can be specified in this value. The location indicated by the CSIDL value is prepended to that folder path to compose a search path. For an example, see the CSIDL value description. If this value is absent, the root folder of the current volume is used. The DDEVCF_DOSUBDIRS flag is needed in that case to search the entire drive.
Note the last line which states that the Disk Cleanup will recursively search the entire volume for the list of files mentioned in the FileList registry value (*.* wildcard used in this case) and include everything on the volume for deletion, if the DDEVCF_DOSUBDIRS flags is enabled (which is enabled by default).
Fixing the Disk Cleanup WER Handlers in the Registry
I created the REG file cleanmgrfix.reg (for Windows 7/Vista systems) to fix the Folder registry values in each of the above registry keys, and the issue was resolved after applying the fix. This is what Disk Cleanup showed:
Fig 2: Disk Cleanup screenshot, after fixing the registry values.
Editor’s Note: I could identify where the problem was, but I had no clue on how the Folders registry value vanished in the above registry keys. This may have been a result of running a registry cleaner. At any case, have an eye on the disk space showed in Total amount of the disk space you gain: section of the Disk Cleanup window every time when you do the cleanup work.
I hope this post helped you avert a major problem in your system. Readers who’re using registry cleaners and experiencing this issue, feel free to comment on this article.
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Two months ago, I had the same problem, I wiped my C:\ drive. DC reported 110 GB to be cleaned in a 150 GB drive with 15 GB in use; I suspected an error, but you never know. It was Eusing that deleted the values “for me”. I never used DC ever since, and right now it reports 160 GB to be cleaned. Your original post dates from 6 months ago, Microsoft should REALLY do something about this, why on earth do we have WINDOWS REGISTRY PROTECTION if Vista fails like this ?
Thanks for the fix !
I had the same problem and it was caused by the “EUSING FREE REGISTRY CLEANER”.
Well, I did my own experiment twice using RegistryFix before Windows Updates for Vista Business and then after Windows Updates.
Here’s the trial after I lost the entire system after using Disk Cleanup.
1. Disconnected Internet Connection.
2. Reintalled the system with the Recovery Media.
3. After first boot to desktop, deactivated Windows Updates.
4. Installed RegistryFix v7 then ran and rebooted system.
5. Ran Disk Cleanup then rebooted system.
At this point, no problems.
6. Reconnected to Internet.
7. Downloaded all updates including SP1
8. Ran RegistryFix v7 rebooted computer.
9. Ran Disk Cleanup and crashed the system. No way to get back to the HD to repair it.
Conclusion: Windows Updates effect how all of our Registry Cleaners are working (so it appears) and when they clean the registry they are changin/removing values that allow Disk Cleanup to destroy the hard drive. Holy Moly!!
Resolution. I am on my XP computer and will reinstall Vista Business on my other desktop. However, this time will no longer run Registry Fix and will be very careful to look at how much disk space will be cleaned up after ticking each item.
Vista is such a dissapointment. MS should give a credit to everyone who still has a receipt of Vista from wherever they purchased it and issue credits so they can all buy Windows XP Pro. We should all just wait until a new Windows OS is released. In my opinion, Vista is “belly-up in the water” just like Windows ME was destined to become soon after it’s release.
I love XP Pro. You can access everything you need to adjust the system. There are millions upon millions of excellent tips on the Internet that do not cause the average user (my client base) to jump through hoops to edit registries manually. It’s almost a crime!
My two cents: Lee
Ramesh, I was referred to this article by a user it the Dell Comm Forums, for I problem I had. This article “Hit it on the Head”.
As I read this, I remembered that I had just run a Registry Cleanup and that the utility I used had just done a major update. I was using “RegistryFix”(v?) and was getting this problem back in Dec 2007. Then they did an update to (v6.4) and this problem didn’t happen. Now yesterday they did an update to (v7.0) and this is happening again. Apperantly their v6.4 had it right and the new update has an old problem in it. After reading this article, I went to my RegistryFix and did a restore, restarted my computer and then did a Diskcleanup. And *POOF* the results were back to normal and my OS was no longer listed to be deleted as in your “Fig 1.”
I have a copy of the items that RegistryFix had deleted or corrected if you need it to identify the problem if you need it. It had 102 entries of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\.
Thank you for this article.
I work with Linux almost exclusively (I’m a sys admin). I was cleaning up my wife’s Vista install and this “error” deleted everything. I’d been looking for an excuse to put XP back on her desktop anyway. As I sit here reinstalling the OS and restoring all her data (thank god I backup) I am reminded why I switched to Linux so long ago. Too bad I can’t convince her to do the same.
I am not convinced this is a third party registry cleaner disaster.
I’ve observed this disk cleanup issue occur on machines with or without a registry cleaner utility installed, and I fail to see how so many registry cleaners are suddenly being blamed for this. I have personally been using disk cleanup and registry cleaners for perhaps a decade and this is the first time this problem has manifested to my knowledge.
I will say that I have not seen this problem occur on a Vista OS that did not have the service pack 1 installed and the last machine I installed SP1 on immediately manifested the disk cleanup issue after reboot.
I think at this time we should be aware of both possibilities, i.e. the disk cleanup (cleanmgr.exe)utility and third party registry cleaners. I also think we should not entirely discount a SP1 bug or virus.
If this issue is caused by third party registry cleaners then perhaps it is time for Microsoft to develop their own registry cleaner/optimizer for future OS products.
It is simply not acceptable that an OS not only practically deletes itself but urges the trusting user to do so!
Hi I have a very similar problem once I had used uniblue registry booster 2. Being a newbie to Vista and all things Microsoft I should have left all alone. Can you help me as I have tried your fix but my computer tells me that under the Registry Editor it Cannot Import, what ever this means. Further it tells me that Not All Data Was Successfully written To The Registry. Some Keys Are Open By The System Or Other Processes. This all means nothing to someone like me so please somebody help. One last thing is that my Disc Cleanup only has 1 of each of the Per User Archived & Per User Queued Windows Error Reporting displayed, each has 101GB init waiting to be cleanup again! As usual I wished I had found this website earlier.
kudos, thanks a lot for this!
sniffing the system drive i found other things that take up space: the index search file (my fault), media player’s database (can be tweaked), and picasa database (for me) and the infamous winsxs folder which i wont touch – i understood it actually doesnt take up space (but i did wipe out the backup folder).
i also managed to compress the driverstore folder in system32 from 2 to 1 cd. basically i wiped out all log and backup files as much as i could, disabled hybernate.. that about it
dont delete the installers/uninstallers, especially from updates – the system will get buggy as allhell
thank u so much 4 the reg fix worked perfectly i had the same problems as others have talked about i have a hp dv6000 with vista home premium 32 bit 120 gig hd. disk clean up said i could free up 501 GB {I wish} I use registry mechanic 6 the cause of the problem im sure
thanks again it was really starting to piss me of.
I did have the same problem and wiped out my entire hard disk. I did use Registry Mechanic for cleaning my registry. I guess it created the problem. Your blog was great help in understanding this problem. Thanks a lot.