> I was looking at the XP system of a friend.
>
> His main comment was that it was running more slowly than usual.  Some
> apps were giving errors.
>
> I looked at the list of running apps, running services, the auto-run
> section, the system tray.  Didn't seem to have anything unnecessary or
> unexplained running.
>
> I browsed the hard drive and almost all the files I came across were
> shown in blue (not black).  I enabled attribute display and sure enough
> the files were compressed. 
>
> I looked at the folder attributes and followed a few folder trees from
> bottom to top and none of them showed that the compressed attribute was
> set.  The drive itself was not configured as compressed.
>
> Is there any obvious (or arcane) system setting that could result in
> compressing practically all the files currently on the drive?
>
> I did a file search for all files created, modified or accessed in the
> last 3 months, and sorted the list by each of those 3 characteristics,
> but could not see any pattern that would indicated when the file
> compression was done.
>
> Perhaps one of the event logs might tell when it was done, by what
> method or process?
>
> More importantly, is there any easy way to decompress all the files?
> Perhaps an appropriately-crafted command line function?  (decompress c:
> /all ???)
>
> Will a Norton Ghost operation (create a clone of the drive) do that?

"XP Guy" <X*@Guy.com> wrote in message news:4A2857F7.EA8A8BA8@Guy.com...
>I was looking at the XP system of a friend.
>
> His main comment was that it was running more slowly than usual.  Some
> apps were giving errors.
>
> I looked at the list of running apps, running services, the auto-run
> section, the system tray.  Didn't seem to have anything unnecessary or
> unexplained running.
>
> I browsed the hard drive and almost all the files I came across were
> shown in blue (not black).  I enabled attribute display and sure enough
> the files were compressed.
>
> I looked at the folder attributes and followed a few folder trees from
> bottom to top and none of them showed that the compressed attribute was
> set.  The drive itself was not configured as compressed.
>
> Is there any obvious (or arcane) system setting that could result in
> compressing practically all the files currently on the drive?
>
> I did a file search for all files created, modified or accessed in the
> last 3 months, and sorted the list by each of those 3 characteristics,
> but could not see any pattern that would indicated when the file
> compression was done.
>
> Perhaps one of the event logs might tell when it was done, by what
> method or process?
>
> More importantly, is there any easy way to decompress all the files?
> Perhaps an appropriately-crafted command line function?  (decompress c:
> /all ???)
>
> Will a Norton Ghost operation (create a clone of the drive) do that?

"Twayne" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:uUDinRg5JHA.3968@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> XP Guy wrote:
>> I was looking at the XP system of a friend.
>>
>> His main comment was that it was running more slowly than usual.  Some
>> apps were giving errors.
>
> Pretty unlikely it would be from XPs compression.  Are there a lot of zip
> files or is it for sure XP's compression?
>
>>
>> I looked at the list of running apps, running services, the auto-run
>> section, the system tray.  Didn't seem to have anything unnecessary or
>> unexplained running.
>
> Those wouldn't be expected to be compressed.  Were they?
>>
>> I browsed the hard drive and almost all the files I came across were
>> shown in blue (not black).  I enabled attribute display and sure
>> enough the files were compressed.
>
> Decompress a folder in XP and all files/folders under it will decompress
> if you tell them to.
>>
>> I looked at the folder attributes and followed a few folder trees from
>> bottom to top and none of them showed that the compressed attribute
>> was set.  The drive itself was not configured as compressed.
>>
>> Is there any obvious (or arcane) system setting that could result in
>> compressing practically all the files currently on the drive?
>
> Non-use of the files.  XP does that to save space.  They uncompress as
> soon as they get used until/unless they age out again.  See if that's
> happening.
>   XP's compression can be turned off.
>>
>> I did a file search for all files created, modified or accessed in the
>> last 3 months, and sorted the list by each of those 3 characteristics,
>> but could not see any pattern that would indicated when the file
>> compression was done.
>
> If it's from XP, you wouldn't necessarily see a pattern except maybe a
> range of days after the Create date or Revised date.  If never opened, I'd
> expect them to show compressed.
>>
>> Perhaps one of the event logs might tell when it was done, by what
>> method or process?
>
> Not that I know of.
>
>>
>> More importantly, is there any easy way to decompress all the files?
>> Perhaps an appropriately-crafted command line function?  (decompress
>> c: /all ???)
>
> Pick top level folder: Properties, Advanced, remove compression and answer
> yes to decompress all files/folders under it.
>>
>> Will a Norton Ghost operation (create a clone of the drive) do that?
>
> No.
>
>
> Grab a few of the directories that have executables in them and remove the
> compression setting.  When asked, say yes to for the folder contents too.
>
> It really just sounds like the normal age-compress cycle for XP.  He h
> asn't used any of them, so XP compressed them for non-use and to create
> more room.  The first time they get used they will be decompressed.
>
> So far as the description goes, I don't think the compression is the cause
> of a slowdwn.  He probably needs to perform nomal housekeeping chores or
> possible has malware installed.  Both should get attention.
>
> HTH,
>
> Twayne`
>
>
>

>
>
> ..(I have amended this command a little to include the  '/i' switch to
> continue even if errors occur, in case there are any files
> encountered that you don't have the required permissions for )
>
> ==
>
> Cheers,    Tim Meddick,    Peckham, London.    :-)
>
>
>
>
> "Twayne" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message
> news:uUDinRg5JHA.3968@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> XP Guy wrote:
>>> I was looking at the XP system of a friend.
>>>
>>> His main comment was that it was running more slowly than usual.
>>> Some apps were giving errors.
>>
>> Pretty unlikely it would be from XPs compression.  Are there a lot
>> of zip files or is it for sure XP's compression?
>>
>>>
>>> I looked at the list of running apps, running services, the auto-run
>>> section, the system tray.  Didn't seem to have anything unnecessary
>>> or unexplained running.
>>
>> Those wouldn't be expected to be compressed.  Were they?
>>>
>>> I browsed the hard drive and almost all the files I came across were
>>> shown in blue (not black).  I enabled attribute display and sure
>>> enough the files were compressed.
>>
>> Decompress a folder in XP and all files/folders under it will
>> decompress if you tell them to.
>>>
>>> I looked at the folder attributes and followed a few folder trees
>>> from bottom to top and none of them showed that the compressed
>>> attribute was set.  The drive itself was not configured as
>>> compressed. Is there any obvious (or arcane) system setting that
>>> could result in
>>> compressing practically all the files currently on the drive?
>>
>> Non-use of the files.  XP does that to save space.  They uncompress
>> as soon as they get used until/unless they age out again.  See if
>> that's happening.
>>   XP's compression can be turned off.
>>>
>>> I did a file search for all files created, modified or accessed in
>>> the last 3 months, and sorted the list by each of those 3
>>> characteristics, but could not see any pattern that would indicated
>>> when the file compression was done.
>>
>> If it's from XP, you wouldn't necessarily see a pattern except maybe
>> a range of days after the Create date or Revised date.  If never
>> opened, I'd expect them to show compressed.
>>>
>>> Perhaps one of the event logs might tell when it was done, by what
>>> method or process?
>>
>> Not that I know of.
>>
>>>
>>> More importantly, is there any easy way to decompress all the files?
>>> Perhaps an appropriately-crafted command line function?  (decompress
>>> c: /all ???)
>>
>> Pick top level folder: Properties, Advanced, remove compression and
>> answer yes to decompress all files/folders under it.
>>>
>>> Will a Norton Ghost operation (create a clone of the drive) do that?
>>
>> No.
>>
>>
>> Grab a few of the directories that have executables in them and
>> remove the compression setting.  When asked, say yes to for the
>> folder contents too. It really just sounds like the normal
>> age-compress cycle for XP.  He
>> h asn't used any of them, so XP compressed them for non-use and to
>> create more room.  The first time they get used they will be
>> decompressed. So far as the description goes, I don't think the
>> compression is the
>> cause of a slowdwn.  He probably needs to perform nomal housekeeping
>> chores or possible has malware installed.  Both should get attention.
>>
>> HTH,
>>
>> Twayne`

> Compress old files option in disk cleanup was NOT checked.  It's
> properties for file compression was set to 50 days (but again, it was
> not enabled).  Disk Cleanup reports that something like 11 mb would be
> recovered if it was enabled.
>
> The  drive itself is not set for drive compression, no folders are
> marked as compressed.  Attribute "C" is set for files listed in color
> blue.
>
> Some stats:
>
> About 75 to 80% of the files in /windows/system32 are compressed.  In
> total, that folder (and all sub-folders) has 1.33 gb in 7k files, but
> size on disk is 963 mb.  About 1/2 the files in /windows/system are
> compressed.  No files in c: root are compressed.
>
> In every other folder I look at on the drive, many, most or all the
> files are compressed.
>
> The entire drive (excluding files in c: root) has 95 gb in 215k files,
> size on disk is 81 gb.  Drive capacity is 320 gb (single partition,
> ntfs).
>
> Will try some of the uncompress commands list here in the next few
> days.