Unlike Windows XP, its successor, Windows Vista
doesn’t allow you customize the amount of disk space used by system
restore service.


In Windows XP, one can easily change the amount of
allocated hard disk drive (HDD) space to system restore service by
opening system restore settings. Windows Vista doesn’t let you
customize the allocated disk space and also doesn’t let you know amount
of disk space being used for System Restore feature.



If you have turned on System Restore
feature of Windows Vista, then you may wish to know about the amount of
disk space being used for restore points. Although Windows Vista
doesn’t show you System Restore information by default, you can get
detailed information by following the procedure below.



1. Open elevated Command Prompt. That is, type in cmd in Start menu search box and hit Ctrl + Shift+ Enter to open elevated prompt. Alternatively, navigate to Start > All programs > Accessories, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.



2. Type the below command in the opened Command Prompt:

vssadmin list shadowstorage

And hit enter.

3. Once you hit enter, Windows will display a
detailed report about the amount of hard disk space being used for
System Restore service. The report will be similar to the below one:


Used Shadow Copy Storage space shows the amount of hard disk space being used for the System Restore feature (for particular drive).

Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space shows the amount of hard disk allocated for System Restore feature (for particular drive).

Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space shows the maximum amount of hard disk space that can be allocated for the particular drive.



4. Close Command Prompt once you know about the System Restore service details.



5. Done!