Windows System Volume cramping my style...

System Volume is where System Restore is placed/saved by Windows.
You sure you want to give that up?
http://www.theeldergeek.com/system_volume_…ion_folder1.htm

On the other hand, Windows selects 12% of the Hard Drive as the default Size to reserve for System Restore.
Depending upon the size of your Hard Drive, that could be a huge amount of wasted space.
Additionally, if you are regular with your system maintenance, a single Restore Point that you deliberately set for yourself after updating, scanning, cleaning and defragmenting your system is all you should need.

That would require somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 to 500 mb maximum space.

GoTo:
Right-Click on MyComputer - Properties - System Restore(tab)
Move the "slider"down from MAX 12% to about 3%.

Doing the above will save you a bunch of Hard Drive Space, and retain the benefit of System Restore.

Best Regards

Thank you for the help. However, I don't think the System Volume Information folder has much to do with the "System Volume" I am referring to. I'd almost rather call it the "System Disk" but that's not a very good description either. The attached image may help clear things up.

I'd like to remove the circled disk (see previous attachment), but Windows claims "Missing System Disk" or some such upon reboot if it is removed. I suspect "System" means it contains stuff like ntldr, but I do not know how to find or move whatever is on the disk.

Hi, If you proceed, please go very cautiously, Your C drive usually holds your Windows operating system and holds the info from which your computer boots. However looking at the screenshot you sent it appears this may not be the case. A disc management utility would enable you to "see" further into your system and would help you to alter partition size in a relatively non destructive manner (I have used "Partition Magic "in the past and found it very good. The free alternative is of course FDisk but this will wipe everything from your partition (and everything else if you get it wrong.) so I will repeat the opening words…"if you proceed, please go very cautiously" Regards paws

Right, proceeding with caution is key. Otherwise I would simply remove the disk, configure the other disks as I like, and reinstall the OS. Unfortunately I'm not prepared to reload all my software so my alternative is to fix the problem rather than destroy it. I do not believe resizing the partition is the solution I'm looking for. Will Partition Magic allow me to see what's on my C drive that causes Windows not to boot when the C drive is removed? When I physically remove my C drive, Windows tries to boot from CD-ROM (which died recently) even though the C drive is empty (except, apparently, for something critically important for windows to boot) and Windows is installed on my E drive. I have bigger plans for this disk and need to get it out…

Hi, The BIOS on boot up will try to boot from the disc that is (user priority specified) normally 1 Hard Drive C 2 Cd rom Floppy Drive (if fitted) By entering the BIOS on Bootup you can easily change the order (When you boot up your screen should momentarily say how you get into the BIOS, usually something like presing the delete key. If the screen flashes past too quickly to read then hit the Pause/Break key and this will freeze the screen so you can read it, to continue press the spacebar once. The usual configuration is to have your operating system (Win XP) and your programmes on C Your Data files on D Your System back up Image on D and then your optical drives and others on the rest in following order. Your system seems to be set up in a different manner and there may be a reason for this, have a word if you can with whoever set it up and find out why they have done what they have done and what they were tying to achieve or avoid. This should help you decide how to proceed. Best of luck Paws

Thank you for your persistence. I am familiar with boot sequence, but I do not believe that is the problem either. My "boot" drive does not appear to be bootable on its own. The computer looks to the C drive (system volume) to boot the Windows installation on the E drive (boot volume). During this computer's last incarnation, I believe that I assembled all the hardware I wanted in the final configuration before installing the operating system. This, I believe, was my first mistake. I could not convince Windows that it only needed to touch one drive,I was too hurried to abort installation and start over with only one drive attached, or I did not realize that Windows was going to use more than one drive. It was some time ago, but it was obviously a non-standard installation and configuration. The more I look into it, the more I think tend to believe that my only option is to rebuild the system.