When you install the Service Pack 1 for Windows 7, it takes a considerable amount of disk space. Users who have moved from Vista SP1 or SP2 to Windows 7 probably know about the reclaiming disk space after the service pack installation.
The same thing can be done in Windows 7 as well but with a different command to regain the lost disk space. Before you proceed to type in the command, you need to remember the point that once you have regained the disk space by entering the command, you will not be able to uninstall the service pack from your machine.
So, when Microsoft releases the Service Pack 1 final in the first half of 2011, you will have to perform a clean Windows 7 installation before installing the SP1.
We recommend you use this command only after installing the SP1 final. We also recommend creating a system restore point before entering the below-mentioned command.
Regain lost disk space post Windows 7 SP1 install
Here are the steps to regain lost disk space after installing SP1 for Windows 7:
- Open Command Prompt with elevated rights. To do this, type CMD in Start menu search area and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter. Click Yes for the UAC prompt.
You can also launch the Command Prompt with admin privilege by navigating to Start menu, All Programs, and then Accessories. Here, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- In the Command Prompt, type in the following command and hit Enter key. Wait for a few seconds to see “The operation completed successfully” message.
dism /online /cleanup-image /spsuperseded
We were able to recover close to 1500 MB using this method. Let us know how much disk space you have regained using this command.
Thank you Joscon for this tip.
