Windows System Volume Information Delete
Vida Hubbert
The System volume information folder is usually hidden and protected from access by users and programs. It can consume a lot of disk space depending on how much space you have allocated for System Restore and other features. You can delete this folder only on external drives formatted with exFAT or FAT32 file systems, but not on internal drives or external drives formatted with NTFS file system. Deleting this folder may cause some system features to stop working properly. You can also reduce the size of this folder by adjusting the settings for System Restore and other features that use it.
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The System Volume Information folder is a protected Windows folder that's in the root of every drive. If your PC is set to show hidden folders, you'll even see this folder on your USB flash drive. The folder contains protected System Restore files, volume information, and indexing data for search.[1]XResearch source Although you can temporarily delete the folder, it'll be automatically recreated when you plug it back into a Windows PC. It is also possible, though rare, for a folder of this name to be a place where viruses can hide. This wikiHow teaches you how to hide the System Volume Information folder from your view, as well as how to clear out the files inside.
I sent a reply but it seems to have evaporated. Yes, changing permissions seems to have cracked it. I accept deleting the folder wouldn't help. And it seem to me you can't create a folder with the same name because the OS would just say that it already exists, yes?.
The takeown command was a new one to me; it may have been valuable but I can't tell. Certainly changing permissions was the important thing, and also de-selecting it once it was visible finally clinched it.
First go to folder settings and show hidden files and folders and show system files.
Go to the location of the system volume information folder and right click -> properties -> security -> advanced -> add "users" with full access
Open CMD and use "ATTRIB -H -S "
Restart your computer and wait for dropbox to rescan that folder at which point the folder should appear on the selective sync list.
I haven't fully tested the outcome of this since dropbox is still syncing files but it seems like it should work. I imagine one could reset the security settings on system volume information afterwards, if not hide it again altogether.
I have the same problem - "Ca't sync System Volume Information ... ". and tried to follow the guidance above. But in Windows 10 I don't have the option to view system files - just hidden folders and drives. There is no sign anywhere of a System Volume Information. I'm wondering if Win10 does not allow you to see system files at all, regardless of what you ask to do - and yes, I am administrator. There is no such file/folder in the Dropbox account so I can't tackle it from that end. Any ideas?
So dropbox is saying it cannot sync System Volume Information but you cannot see the file even in the command line? You could try "dir /A:H" or "dir /A:S" to show hidden or system files respectively. Then one could use the "takeown" command to take ownership of the files and folders.
Thanks for that reply, Will.
Yes, using the dir /A:S I can indeed see the folder System Volume Information. But I'm unsure what the takeown command is going to do that helps me. I can only run it on files, it seems, not folders. So can you advise what I shouid do with it? I can't delete the folder, obviously, so I need to make it such that Dropbox will process it. Presumably now Dropbox looks at the folder, finds it can't access it or something, and just sits there waiting till it can.
Can you take ownership of the hidden file and/or folders then set them so that they are not hidden or system files using attrib? Then hopefully you will be able to deselect them in the Dropbox selective sync menu.
On every Windows drive---even external USB drives---you'll find a "System Volume Information" folder. You'll only see it if you have Windows set to show hidden files and folders, but it's always there. So what is it for?
On drives formatted with the NTFS file system, this folder's permissions are set to prevent everyone from accessing the folder, even users with Administrator permissions. Double-click the folder and you'll see an error message saying the "location is not available" and "access is denied." This is normal.
That's because Windows uses this folder for certain system-level features. The permissions are set to prevent users---and programs without the appropriate permissions---from tampering with the files inside and interfering with important system functions.
If you need to shrink the size of the System Volume Information folder, you can do so from the Control Panel. Head to Control Panel > System and Security > System > System Protection. Under Protection Settings, you can choose whether System Restore is enabled and control how much disk space Windows uses for System Restore points.
For example, the System Volume Information folder also contains information used by the content indexing service databases that speed up your file searches, the Volume Shadow Copy service for backups, and the Distributed Link Tracking Service databases used to repair shortcuts and links.
The IndexerVolumeGuid file assigns a unique identifier to this drive. The Windows indexing service examines the files on the drive and indexes them. When you connect the drive to the computer in the future, Windows checks the identifier and knows which search database to associate with the drive. You can then use Windows search features, such as the search box in the Start menu, Cortana on Windows 10, or the search box in the File Explorer or Windows Explorer, to quickly search for files on the drive.
You shouldn't delete the System Volume Information folder. On NTFS-formatted drives, Windows won't normally let you access this folder, much less delete it. On exFAT or FAT32-formatted drives, you can choose to delete the folder---but Windows will just recreate it in the future, since it needs it.
If the System Volume Information folder is using a lot of space, reduce the space allocated to System Restore in Windows. If seeing the folder bothers you, just set Windows to hide hidden files and folders.
Another member used this CCleaner feature successfully to solve a problem with Defraggler showing high fragmentation percentage after defrag due to the System Volume Information files. I have this same problem.
So does this explain why, after removing all but the last restore point as suggested by kroozer, and re-running Defraggler, I still have 2 System Volume Information files fragmented? These 2 files show a total of 32 fragments, and fragmentation is at 28%. Sure wish I could get rid of this.
FYI, I'm running Win 7 Home Premium 32 and have less than 40GB used space on the C: drive. Also please note, I'm 73years young and trying really hard to understand as much as I can. Plainspeak works better for me than Geektalk Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated.
I followed your instructions, and there is great improvement. Now have only 2 fragmented files totaling 32 frags and now down to 28% fragmentation. These two files are still System Volume information.
I'm using Vista but Win 7 is probably similar; try this: Right click the Start button, richt click C:, click Properties, click Disk cleanup, at the top of the message box click More Options, under System Restore and Shadow Copies click Cleanup, and when the message box appears click Delete.
I won't lead you any further because I don't want to delete my own Restore points, but just follow any prompts. This will eliminate ALL your Restore Points and Sys Vol Info files. As soon as you create a new Restore point your drive WILL BE FRAGMENTED, and all future Sys Vol Info files will be fragmented. You have to live with this if you want the security of having Restore Points !
It is unrealistic to operate with zero disk fragmentation. My system currently is 58% fragmented and is running very fast on a Celeron 440 ! When I delete my Restore Points frag drops to about 14% and it still runs just as fast.
I don't know about you, but I like 0% fragmentation. Maybe it's the bookkeeper in me. Thanks to all the helpful members here I've found there's more than one way to skin this cat. Not that I'd ever do such a thing. I have five kitty 'furfriends'.
I have been messed up with the permission/owner of "System Volume Information" folder and now system restore will not work due to access denied. So I need to delete/rename the folder at boot to let windows recreate it. Does delete SVI will cause malfunction of PC?
No it will not cause harm but you are blocked on purpose. You can simply take ownership to remove it and turn off System Restore. However finding what's really causing the issue would be better in case something else is going on.
The issue is caused by me, I changed the owner and permission of SVI folder to get in to see what is inside it and now when I create a restore point I will get access denied message. So I want to delete it and let Windows to recreate with default permission. So I need to delete it using command prompt at boot can you please tell me the steps to delete it?
But it is not for system restore only, for example the tracking.log file inside it is not for system restore, so is it still safe to delete it because I see many users say they system not boot after delete?
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