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How to make a 30 GB Hard Drive Laptop useable
EmperorSeth
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
About a year or two ago, I got a new laptop. I don't use laptops for much more than the Internet while traveling and running RPGs, so I went for a small, 30 gig hard drive. Unfortunately, It also came with Windows 10, and since I bought the laptop, it apparently updated to the point where it can't run with so little hard drive space.
Given the simplicity of what I need to do with it, do I have any options for this computer? Is there a way to revert the computer to a less storage-intensive way of running? If not Windows 10, are earlier versions of Windows available?
Given the simplicity of what I need to do with it, do I have any options for this computer? Is there a way to revert the computer to a less storage-intensive way of running? If not Windows 10, are earlier versions of Windows available?
You know what? Nanowrimo's cancelled on account of the world is stupid.
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https://www.faqforge.com/windows/running-low-on-hard-drive-space-shrink-up-your-windows-10-footprint/
The CompactOS option should squeeze Windows 10 just enough that you should be able to barely run it on the laptop.
You'd have to go REALLY far back in order to find a Windows OS that is smaller in footprint than Win 10, mostly because of all the patches and updates that the previous OS have undergone over the years (Windows 8 with Updates, for example, is a footprint of around 40 Gb, not including pagefile/hibernate).
Also, Windows Update saves a local copy of the Update files whenever you update, and these can be cleaned out using Disk Cleanup tool. Just do a search (Win+S) for Disk Cleanup to find it, and click the "Clean up system files" button (requires admin access, has a little shield next to it. On a personal laptop, you probably already have admin access.). I did it just now on my laptop, and it cleaned out 7 Gigs of cruft.
This says 8-16gb drive to install
https://www.howtogeek.com/217659/how-to-get-a-chrome-os-like-operating-system-on-any-pc/
PSN:Furlion
Is that an option for laptops?
Why wouldn't it be? It's just a smaller form factor.
Compressing folders you mostly read data from should be fine, that could be your "Program files"-folder and your "Windows"-folder, try checking the properties of a folder, click the advanced button and see if there is an compress button.
I'm guessing this is one of those laptops with solid state storage, non-upgradeable?
As long as there's enough room on the hard drive to keep windows working properly, I'd say keep everything you don't need on an external storage.
With Windows 2000 you should be able to compress folders or at least I think so.
At one time over a couple of years it seemed like there was a rule that extra hard drives cost $450, since that is what I paid for a 400 MB, then a 1 GB one and eventually a 2.1 GB one :-)
There are also those laptops that are just almost impossible to take a part and then be able to put together just right afterwards. Ie. it is technically possible to replace a hard drive, but practically impossible.
NTFS file compression is available though unused by default. Win 10 will even start doing it on its own if your free space gets low enough.
At one point in time, Dell had a "super value" laptop that had hardwired storage, but you could expand via MicroSD card. I doubt your laptop is one of these, but you never know. If we had your model number, we could find out for certain.
The info should be on a sticker, on the bottom of the laptop.
It says it's an HP Stream Notebook PC 13. Is that what you mean by the model number, or can I find it somewhere else?
There is a MicroSD slot.
I don't know the machine, but you should be able to add extra storage using the microSD slot. They come in different sizes and some are slow while others not too bad. A 32 GB one should cost like $10, but make sure to buy from a know vendor/shop as there are fake ones out there. Bigger ones of course cost more and it may also that you're machine doesn't support the really big ones - try googling you machines name and see what others have found.
While the internal hard drive isn't upgradable, you can add storage via:
* USB drive
* MicroSD card
* Replacing the internal WiFi PCI-e card with an internal SSD. (And getting a USB WiFi adapter.)
While you can technically run an OS off of any of these, the internal SSD is likely the only option with good performance. After adding the second hard drive, you change the boot order so that Windows boots off of the added internal SSD, and use the original drive for extra storage.