Thinkpads Forum

The thinkpad automatic back software has eaten most of my hard drive, but when I try to delete the backups, it tells me I don't have enough space to take the action!

Any idea how those files are named or where the file is so I can delete it manually?

Thanks in advance!

I think the backup files are hidden, so good luck finding them. Are you using Rescue & Recovery to back up your system? If so, try setting the number of incremental back-ups to 2. Also, get an external to store your backups. I don't see much sense in backing up your hard drive on the same hard drive.

robpm wrote:snip....Any idea how those files are named or where the file is so I can delete it manually?.....snip

In order to see where ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery backups are stored, boot in Safe Mode of Windows and look under C:\rrbackups. You can even delete them from there.

Thanks - I DO have an external hard drive, apparently the R&R program was preset to back up to my hard disk automatically (argh!) - I should have noticed it and redone the settings while I could but now I am stuck - I need to be able to delete some 80GB of backup files that I can't find!

Launch Rescue and Recovery and in the Advanced menu there is a Delete Backups option.

robpm wrote:snip....I need to be able to delete some 80GB of backup files that I can't find!

Still? Look into the following thread:

Reclaiming lost space after failed R&R backup.

Again you would need to boot into the Safe Mode as Admin to locate and delete the backups under C:\rrbackups.

Thanks to all!

I was finally able to boot in safe mode (which is not so easy since the T61 goes immediate to a start up and does not have the old loading screed where it tells you to press F8 to select mode/etc. After trying the 'press blue thinkvantage button' on the start up screen and getting into the very R&R program I was having difficulties with, I just rebooted and held F8 until I got the screen I needed. Not at all obvious, as I said.

Then booting to a command prompt and remembering how to use DOS (gosh it's been a while) to clean things up was straightforward -- but the gods help anyone who doesn't know their way around the command line.