Verify Hard Drive Space

As you probably know, all the files and software on your PC take up space on the hard drive (see Figure 1.14), which is the main data storage component in a PC. Hard drives store your email, pictures, movies, music files, letters, work files, and everything else you create, along with thousands of files that comprise the operating system. With each version of the OS, Windows has gotten larger and larger. Vista needs about 10 times more space than Windows XP.
Follow these steps in Windows XP to manually check your available disk space:
1. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click on the main hard drive and select Properties; Figure 1.15 shows an example
3. Refer to the Free Space amount, as shown in Figure 1.16.
If you’re low (or going to run low after the Vista installation) on disk space, here are a few things you can do to make more room:
Organize your personal files and documents and delete any unwanted files.
Run the Disk Cleanup utility (which can be found by navigating to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools) to clear the Recycle Bin and temporary files.
Uninstall unused or unwanted software applications or games.
Consider moving or archiving items that take up a great deal of space to another location, such as a USB flash drive, CDs, DVDs, or a secondary hard drive.
If you find that you can’t free up enough space, you might have to add another hard drive. Here are some tips to get you started:
It might be easier to free up room on your existing main hard drive by moving personal files and large applications to the additional hard drive you’re installing.
Consider getting an external hard drive for easier installation and mobility.
Investigate your PC’s connection types, such as if you have USB (and if it’s version 1.1 or 2.0) for external drives or whether you have EIDE or SATA for internal drives. USB 2.0 is the best bet. SATA drives are faster.
You can use online tools, such as InSPECS (www.powerleap.com), which will scan your system and give hardware recommendations that are compatible with your particular system; using this method eliminates manually inspecting your PC and figuring out all the specifics of your system.