# SysWOW 64 folder is bloated and keeps growing



## blaket (Feb 11, 2008)

The last week or so, I've been dealing with low disk space errors, when I haven't done any downloading or transferring of files at all. I've been hunting around in system files, and hadn't found anything until I used TreeSize and WinDirStat. Both say that the SysWOW64 folder has over 44.8 GB of plain old files sitting in them. I'm not sure, but don't think this is normal, especially when Windows is saying that there's only 1 GB worth of files in SysWOW64. I'm using Vista Ultimate 64x. Any help or ideas would be appreciated.


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

Hi. . .

Please get a screenshot of Disk Management - 
START | type diskmgmt.msc into the start search box & hit enter
| expand the screen so all is seen - take screen shot - attach it to your next post

Also, msinfo32 would be nice to see as well - saved in its default NFO file format -
START | type msinfo32 into the start search box - hit enter | save it - you'll see the NFO file extension

Zip up the msinfo32 & screenshot as well if easier. Attach to next post.

I am concerned about the low disk space error; however, both programs you mentioned are x86 apps and you are running Vista x64. There s/b no problem with them running on your system, but be leery about the information they provide as it will prove to be misleading.

Re-run WinDirStat - at an elevated admin level (right-click on desktop icon and select Run as Administrator). Look very carefully at the \windows\system32 and \windows\syswow64 folders. On my Vista x64 system, WinDirStat reports them to be nearly identical in size. The reason for this is re-direction. The \system32 folder contains x64 files/drivers; \syswow64 is for x86. Vista x64 keeps x86 apps out of the \system32 folder by re-directing it to \syswow64. So it is really reporting \syswow64 twice and missing pieces of \system32. 

To illustrate, run cmd.exe - the x86 version of it that is found in the \syswow64 folder - 
START | type *\windows\syswow64\cmd.exe* & hit enter | the cmd/"DOS" screen should now read *c:\windows\syswow64>*. Now enter the following commands (to copy/paste into the DOS screen, right-click near the top of the screen, select Edit, select Paste) - then hit enter after each if necessary.


```
dir \windows\system32 > %temp%\64.txt
```


```
dir \windows\syswow64 >> %temp%\64.txt
```


```
dir \windows\sysnative >> %temp%\64.txt & start notepad %temp%\64.txt
```
A notepad will open with the results. It will be large, but you will be looking for three small areas. You will find that the remaining space is the same for all three and that \system32 and \syswow64 have identical date/time stamps - because \system32 is really \syswow64 - one in the same. The last one - \sysnative is a virtual folder created to keep the real contents of the x64 \system32 folder safe. Here is the output from my Vista x64 system running the x86 cmd.exe - 


*\system32 - as seen by x86*

```
Directory of C:\windows\system32

10/29/2008  04:17 AM    <DIR>          .
10/29/2008  04:17 AM    <DIR>          ..

            1991 File(s)    826,838,396 bytes
              78 Dir(s)  136,328,237,056 bytes free
[code]


[b]\syswow64 - as seen by x86 [/b]

 Directory of C:\windows\syswow64

10/29/2008  04:17 AM    <DIR>          .
10/29/2008  04:17 AM    <DIR>          ..
            1991 File(s)    826,838,396 bytes
              78 Dir(s)  136,327,974,912 bytes free
```
[/code]



*\sysnative - as seen by x86 - this is the real \system32 folder that an x86 app never sees*

```
Directory of C:\windows\sysnative

10/29/2008  11:00 PM    <DIR>          .
10/29/2008  11:00 PM    <DIR>          ..
            2215 File(s)  1,087,284,638 bytes
              84 Dir(s)  136,328,368,128 bytes free
```


If you were to run these same commands under the x64 cmd.exe (Start | Run | type cmd), you will find that Vista x64 cannot find the \sysnative folder and that \system32 and \syswow64 are different.

Please zip those 2 files up and we'll see what Disk Management has to say.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.


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## blaket (Feb 11, 2008)

There are the two things, haven't had the chance to do any of the cmd things, but will later today. The disk is at 5 GB now, but it was at 8 GB a few hours ago, and the other day it was at 15. I don't think I've seen much of a change in the SysWOW64 folder either, so maybe I'm having the same issue as other people around the board. But thank you anyway.


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## blaket (Feb 11, 2008)

Now the .zip has both files, but I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Since posting the picture this morning, my space has dropped about another GB, but no growth in Syswow64.


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## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

OK - b4 you run out of HDD space - let's get a look at VSS - Volume Shadow Service/ System Restore points -

Download the zip file, extract the batch file from it to your desktop. Go to desktop, right-click on the batch file icon and select Run as Administrator.

A notepad will open w/results - please copy/paste into next post.

In the interim, check out your system restore and see how many restore points are there and how far back do they go?
START | type rstrui.exe - hit enter

View attachment 35526


Regards. . .

jcgriff2


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## blaket (Feb 11, 2008)

> vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
> (C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.
> 
> Shadow Copy Storage association
> ...



There also appears to be 8 System Restore points. Since I was out of space when I got home, I got rid of a few unnecessary programs, and I've watched 800 MB drop to 350 in the last 20 minutes.

Edit - A minute after I posted this, space was back up to 1.1 GB, which hasn't happened yet in this whole situation.


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