How to turn off System Restore and remove System Volume Information folders in Windows?

I met the same problem of not being able to shrink the Windows OS partition C: as much as I plan to due to unmovable files.

Having learned from this post, I would like to "turn System Restore off and remove System Volume Information folders". So I was wondering where and how I can "turn System Restore off and remov System Volume Information folders"?

This is the only way I can find out to solve my problem. If you have other way please let me know.

Solution 1:

To turn off System Restore (Protection) in Windows 7:

From Microsoft:

1. Open System by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking System.
2. In the left pane, click System Protection. Administrator permission is required if you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. To turn on System Protection for a hard disk, select the check box next to the disk, and then click OK. – or – To turn off System Protection for a hard disk, clear the check box next to the disk, and then click OK.

To remove the System Volume Information folders, which I believe are unremovable in Windows:

1. Download an Ubuntu Live CD
2. Burn it
3. Boot from the CD
4. After boot, open up the drive in the Ubuntu desktop, highlight and delete the folder.

Solution 2:

There's a way simpler solution than the former answers regarding deleting the directory.

It's actually in the same place where you disable the protection.

1. Press Win+Pause or Start Button → System Preferences → System
2. Left Pane → System Protection
3. Mark the volume you are working on, and then hit Configure
4. In the dialog popping up, hit the delete button and confirm. It basically deletes all Windows Restore Points, nothing else.

After that the System Volume Information Directory is empty and you can do whatever you want.

You don't even need to disable the System protection on that drive. The Directory will be emptied anyway.

Solution 3:

Perhaps I'm missing something... did you try this: Go to the Control Panel, open the System Control Panel. Click on "Advanced System Settings" on the left and then in the Window that appears, click on the "System Protection" tab.

I don't know what, if anything will DELETE "System Volume Information", but it should otherwise largely "empty" it.