How to Stop Disk Cleanup Compressing Files

Running Disk Cleanup is a great way to remove old or unused files. The problem with this is that it takes so damn long. Most of the time is spent finding old files to compress, you can signifcantly cut down on the time disk cleanup takes to run with this helpful tip.

With 1 terrabyte hard drives so cheap now compressing a few old files to save a few hundred meg at best is pointless. Read on to find out how to stop the Disk Cleanup tool from scanning for and compressing files.

Disk Cleanup

How To

  • Go to Start > Run > Regedit
  • Navigate to the following folder
HKEY Local Machine > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Explorer > Volume Caches > Compress Old Files
  • Edit the (default) variable. Remove the data from this field, (in all the PCs I have checked the value is)
{B50F5260-0C21-11D2-AB56-00A0C9082678}
registry compress

All Done! If you decide you want to use this feature again, Just re-input the data back in to the key

Let me know if this helped you! Leave a comment.

1 Comment (Newest on top)

  1. Leonard says:

    Thank you for the editing idea.
    My unit also has the same information (XP SP3).
    My only concern was what if I wanted it back? Not likely, for sure, but just in case.
    So I Exported the VolumeCaches. I suppose I could have copied the REGISTRY, anyway. ?

    Best regards,
    Leonard

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