How do you get into the root directory? Once you get into it... How do you check the size of each item?

Are you talking Linux or Windows. Your C:\ drive is the root and by opening the Windows directory/folder you can see each item listed. Your post is not too clear.

What are you looking for? To see hidden files in XP you need to explore my computer/tools/folder option/view. Check show all files. Uncheck hide protected operating system files. To see how big they are, right click on them and choose properties.

Sprank I just read your previous post. XP normally use about 10% of your total HD for system restore. If you have Go Back or something like it on 98 it will also use that much. Use XP's disk cleanup to try and free up the lost space. If your system is EXACTLY like you like it now you can open system properties and go to the system restore tab and turn off system restore before running disk cleanup. That should reclaim all lost space. Just make sure you turn it back on and create a restore point before shutting down.

Please view the question: What happened to my free space? in XP by me from earlier. It has to do with free space and what another person suggested to do with the root directory.

He is suggesting that you simply go through ALL folders on your hard drive to see which ones are taking up the space. However, there are folders called system volume information that hold your restore files and all access is denied to thoses files and I'll bet that is where your space has gone. Here is one thing you might try. Download Window washer. It will remove 1,000's of files that have been installed while you surfed the web. It has a free trial that is fully functional for a couple of weeks. Also download and run Adaware and Spybot(both free), to remove any spyware you might have picked up. Other than that you have to accept that XP is a hard drive HOG.

Unless you have a very small HDD you don't need System Restore to be at 10% 10% of 60Gb HDD = 6Gb - far too much 10% of 10Gb HDD = 1Gb - still a bit too much About 500Mb is about all you need - that'll give you plenty of Restore Points Move the Slider to adjust Allocated Space If ever you have to use System Restore you don't want to go too far back anyway Lesley