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The following sections discuss how to use and manage disk quotas.
Disk quotas enable you to manage disk space usage and are configured on a
per-volume basis. Only NTFS file system volumes can have quotas.
Administrators use disk quotas to manage disk space usage for
critical volumes, such as those that provide corporate or user data
shares. When you enable disk quotas, you set a disk quota limit and a
disk quota warning level. The disk quota limit sets the maximum space
that can be used (which prevents users from writing additional
information to a volume), logs events when a user exceeds the limit, or
both. You use the disk quota warning to warn users and to log warning
events when users approach their disk quota limits.
Note
REAL WORLD Although most
administrators configure quotas that are enforced, you can set disk
quotas that are not enforced. You might wonder why you would do this.
Sometimes you might want to track disk space usage on a per-user basis
and know when users have exceeded some predefined limit. Instead of
denying the users additional disk space, however, you can track the
overage by recording an event in the application log.
Disk quotas apply only to standard users, not to administrators.
Administrators can’t be denied disk space even if they exceed enforced
disk quota limits. Disk quota limits and warnings can be set in
kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), terabytes (TB),
petabytes (PB), and exabytes (EB). In a typical environment, you’ll use
megabytes or gigabytes. For example, on a corporate data share that is
used by members of a department, you might limit disk space usage to
between 20 and 100 GB. For a user data share, you might set the level
much lower, such as 5 to 20 GB, restricting the user from creating large
amounts of personal data. Often, you’ll set the disk quota warning as a
percentage of the disk quota limit. For example, you could set the
warning at 90 to 95 percent of the disk quota limit.
Because disk quotas are tracked on a per-volume, per-user basis, disk space used by one user does not affect the disk
quotas for other users. Thus, if one user exceeds his limit, any
restrictions applied to this user don’t apply to other users. For
example, if a user exceeds a 5-GB disk
quota limit and the volume is configured to prevent writing over this
limit, the user can no longer write data to the volume. He can, however,
remove files and folders from the volume to free up disk space, move
files and folders to a compressed area on the volume, or elect to
compress files. Moving files to a different location on the volume
doesn’t affect the quota restriction. The amount of file space is the
same unless the user moves uncompressed files and folders to a folder
with compression. In any case, the restriction on a single user does not
affect other users’ ability to write to the volume (so long as the
volume has free space).
You can enable disk
quotas on local volumes and on remote volumes. To manage disk quotas on
local volumes, you work with the local disk itself. To manage disk
quotas on remote volumes, you must share the root directory for the
volume and then set the disk quota on the volume. Keep in mind that when
you enable disk quotas on a local volume, operating system and
application program files are not included in the volume usage for the
user who installed those files. Generally, system files are owned by the
TrustedInstaller account, and program files are owned by the System
account.
Only members of the Domain Administrators group or the local system
Administrators group can configure disk quotas. Through local Group
Policy, you can enable disk quotas for an individual computer. Through
site, domain, or organizational unit (OU) policies, you can enable disk
quotas for groups of users and computers. Keeping track of disk quotas
does cause some overhead on computers, which is a function of the number
of disk quotas being enforced, the total size of volumes and their
data, and the number of users to which the disk quotas apply.
Although disk quotas appear to be tracked on a per-user basis, behind
the scenes, Windows 8 manages disk quotas according to security
identifiers (SIDs). Because disk quotas are tracked by SIDs, you can
safely modify user names without affecting the disk quota configuration.
Tracking by SIDs causes some additional overhead when you view disk
quota statistics for users because Windows 8 must correlate SIDs to user
account names so that the account names can be displayed in dialog
boxes. This requires contacting the local user manager service or the
domain controller as necessary. Once names are looked up, they are
cached to a local file so that they are available immediately the next
time they are needed. The query cache is updated infrequently, so if you
notice a discrepancy between what is displayed and what is configured,
you need to refresh the information. Usually, this is done by selecting
Refresh or pressing the function key F5 in the current window.
Enabling Disk Quotas on NTFS Volumes
Disk quotas are set on a per-volume basis, and only NTFS volumes can
have disk quotas. The best way to configure disk quotas is through Group
Policy. Once the appropriate policies are configured, you can create disk quota entries to manage per-user and per-group quotas.
If you’d rather configure quotas on each computer, you can enable disk quotas on an NTFS volume by following these steps:
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Start Computer Management. You are connected to the local computer by default. If you want to configure disk
quotas on a remote computer, press and hold or right-click Computer
Management in the console tree, and then tap or click Connect To Another
Computer. In the Select Computer dialog box, select the computer you
want to work with. -
In the console tree, expand Storage, and then select Disk Management.
The volumes configured on the selected computer are displayed in the
details pane. -
Using the Volume List or Graphical view, press and hold or
right-click the volume you want to work with, and then tap or click
Properties. -
Tap or click the Quota tab, as shown in Figure 1. Select the Enable Quota Management check box.
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To set a default disk quota limit that is applied to each user on
this computer, select Limit Disk Space To, and then use the options
provided to set a limit. Next, use Set Warning Level To to set the
default warning limit. The disk quota warning limit should usually be 90
to 95 percent of the disk quota limit.
Tip
Although the default quota limit and warning apply to all users, you
can use the Quota Entries dialog box to override the default and
configure different levels for individual users. If you create many
unique quota entries and don’t want to re-create them on a volume with
similar characteristics and usage, you can export the quota entries and
import them on a different volume.
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To enforce the disk quota limit and prevent users from going over the
limit, select the Deny Disk Space To Users Exceeding Quota Limit check
box. Keep in mind that this creates a physical limitation for users, but
not for administrators. -
To configure logging when users exceed a warning limit or the quota limit, use the Log Event check boxes. -
If the quota system isn’t currently enabled, you’ll see a prompt
asking you to enable the quota system. Tap or click OK to allow Windows 8
to rescan the volume and update disk usage statistics. Actions can be
taken against users who exceed the current limit or warning levels.
These include preventing users from writing to the volume, notifying
users the next time they access the volume, and logging applicable
events in the application log.
Viewing Disk Quota Entries
Disk space usage is tracked on a per-user basis. When disk
quotas are enabled, each user storing data on a volume has an entry in
the disk quota file. This entry is updated periodically to show the
current disk space used, the applicable quota limit, the applicable
warning level, and the percentage of allowable space being used. As an
administrator, you can modify disk quota entries to set different limits
and warning levels for particular users. You can also create disk quota
entries for users who have not yet saved data on a volume. By creating
entries, you ensure that when a user does make use of a volume, she has
an appropriate limit and warning level.
To view the current disk quota entries for a volume, follow these steps:
-
Start Computer Management. You are connected to the local computer by default. If you want to view disk
quotas on a remote computer, press and hold or right-click Computer
Management in the console tree, and then tap or click Connect To Another
Computer. In the Select Computer dialog box, select the computer you
want to work with. -
In the console tree, expand Storage, and then select Disk Management.
The volumes configured on the selected computer are displayed in the
Details pane. -
Using the Volume List or Graphical view, press and hold or
right-click the volume you want to work with, and then tap or click
Properties. -
On the Quota tab, tap or click Quota Entries. This displays the Quota Entries For dialog box.
Disk quota entries show current disk space usage on a particular
volume as well as applicable quota limits and warning levels. The status
is meant to quickly depict whether a user has gone over the limit. A
status of OK means the user is working within the quota boundaries. Any
other status usually means that the user has reached the warning level
or the quota limit.
Creating Disk Quota Entries
You can create disk
quota entries for users who have not yet saved data on a volume as well
as for users who have already saved data on a volume. This enables you
to set custom limits and warning levels for any user as necessary.
Usually, you’ll use this feature when one user frequently stores more
information than others do. For example, a graphic designer might have
much larger storage needs than a customer-support person does. The good
news about custom quota entries is that you can export them to other
volumes, which enables you to quickly apply the same set of rules to
multiple volumes.
To create a quota entry on a volume, follow these steps:
-
In Computer Management, expand Storage, and then select Disk
Management. Using the Volume List or Graphical view, press and hold or
right-click the volume you want to work with, and then tap or click
Properties. -
On the Quota tab, tap or click Quota Entries. Current quota entries
for all users are listed. To refresh the listing, tap or click Refresh
on the View menu. -
If the user doesn’t have an existing entry on the volume, create one
by tapping or clicking New Quota Entry on the Quota menu. This opens the
Select Users dialog box. -
In the Select Users dialog box, type the name of a user in the Enter
The Object Names To Select box, and then tap or click Check Names. If
multiple matches are found, select the account you want, and then tap or
click OK. If no matches are found, update the name you entered and try
again. Repeat this step as necessary, and then tap or click OK. -
Once you’ve selected a name, the Add New Quota Entry dialog box is
displayed. You have several options. You can remove all quota
restrictions for this user by selecting Do Not Limit Disk Usage. In
addition, you can set a specific limit and warning level by selecting
Limit Disk Space To and then entering the appropriate values. -
Tap or click OK. Close the Quota Entries dialog box, and then tap or click OK in the Properties dialog box.
Updating and Customizing Disk Quota Entries
You can modify and customize disk quota entries for individual users at any time by following these steps:
-
In Computer Management, expand Storage, and then select Disk
Management. Using the Volume List or Graphical view, press and hold or
right-click the volume you want to work with, and then tap or click
Properties. -
On the Quota tab, tap or click Quota Entries. Current quota entries
for all users are listed. To refresh the list, tap or click Refresh on
the View menu. -
Double-tap or double-click the quota entry for the user. This
displays the Quota Settings For dialog box, which is similar to the
dialog box shown previously in Figure 14-9. -
To remove all quota restrictions for this user, select Do Not Limit Disk Usage. -
To modify the current limit and warning level, select Limit Disk Space To, and then enter the appropriate values. -
Tap or click OK.
Deleting Disk Quota Entries
When you’ve created disk quota entries on a volume and a user no
longer needs to use the volume, you can delete the associated disk quota
entry. When you delete a disk quota entry, all files owned by the user
on the volume are collected and displayed in a dialog box so that you
can permanently delete the files, take ownership of the files, or move
the files to a folder on a different volume.
To delete a disk quota entry for a user and manage the remaining files on the volume, follow these steps:
-
In Computer Management, expand Storage, and then select Disk
Management. Using the Volume List or Graphical view, press and hold or
right-click the volume you want to work with, and then tap or click
Properties. -
On the Quota tab, tap or click Quota Entries. Current quota entries
for all users are listed. To refresh the listing, press the function key
F5 or tap or click Refresh on the View menu. -
Select the disk quota entry that you want to delete, and then press
Delete or select Delete Quota Entry from the Quota menu. You can select
multiple entries by using the Shift or Ctrl key. -
When prompted to confirm the action, tap or click Yes. This displays
the Disk Quota dialog box with a list of files owned by the selected
user or users. -
Use the List Files Owned By list to display files for the user whose
quota entry you are deleting. You must then specify how to handle the
files for the user. You can handle each file separately by selecting a
file and then choosing an appropriate option. Select multiple files by
using the Shift or Ctrl key. The following options are available:
-
Show Folders Only
Changes the view to show only folders in which the user has files. In
this way, you can delete, move, or take ownership of all the user’s
files in a particular folder. -
Show Files Only Shows all files that the user owns according to the folder in which they were created. -
Permanently Delete Files Select the files to delete, and then tap or click Delete. When prompted to confirm the action, tap or click Yes. -
Take Ownership Of Files Select the files that you want to take ownership of, and then tap or click Take Ownership. -
Move Files To
Select the files that you want to move, and then, in the boxes provided,
enter the path to a folder on a different volume. If you don’t know the
path that you want to use, tap or click Browse to display the Browse
For Folder dialog box. Once you find the folder, tap or click Move.
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Tap or click Close when you have finished managing the files. Provided that you’ve handled all user files appropriately, the disk quota entries are deleted.
Exporting and Importing Disk Quota Settings
Rather than re-create custom disk quota entries on individual
volumes, you can export the settings from a source volume and import
them to another volume. Both volumes must be formatted using NTFS. To
export and then import disk quota entries, perform the following steps:
-
Start Computer Management. You are connected to the local computer by default. If you want to work with disk
quotas on a remote computer, press and hold or right-click Computer
Management in the console tree, and then tap or click Connect To Another
Computer. In the Select Computer dialog box, select the computer you
want to work with. -
In the console tree, expand Storage, and then select Disk Management.
The volumes configured on the selected computer are displayed in the
details pane. -
Using the Volume List or Graphical view, press and hold or right-click the source volume, and then tap or click Properties. -
On the Quota tab, tap or click Quota Entries. This displays the Quota Entries For dialog box. -
On the Quota menu, tap or click Export. This displays the Export
Quota Settings dialog box. Choose the location in which to save the file
containing the quota settings. Specify a name for the file in the File
Name box, and then tap or click Save.
Tip
If you save the settings file to a mapped drive on the target volume,
you’ll have an easier time importing the settings. Quota files are
usually fairly small, so you don’t need to worry about disk space usage.
-
From the Quota menu, choose Close to close the Quota Entries dialog box. Tap or click OK to close the Properties dialog box. -
Press and hold or right-click Computer Management in the console
tree. On the shortcut menu, tap or click Connect To Another Computer. In
the Select Computer dialog box, select the computer containing the
target volume on which you want to use the exported settings. -
Expand Storage, and then select Disk Management. Using the Volume
List or Graphical view, press and hold or right-click the target volume,
and then tap or click Properties. -
Tap or click the Quota tab, ensure that Enable Quota Management is
selected, and then tap or click Quota Entries. This displays the Quota
Entries dialog box for the target volume. -
On the Quota menu, tap or click Import. In the Import Quota Settings
dialog box, select the quota settings file that you saved previously.
Tap or click Open. -
If the volume had previous quota entries, you can replace or keep
existing entries. When prompted about a conflict, tap or click Yes to
replace an existing entry, or tap or click No to keep the existing
entry. The option to replace or keep existing entries can be applied to
all entries on the volume by selecting Do This For All Quota Entries
prior to tapping or clicking Yes or No.
You can disable quotas for individual users or all users on a volume.
When you disable quotas for a particular user, that user is no longer
subject to the quota restrictions, but disk
quotas are still tracked for other users. When you disable quotas on a
volume, quota tracking and management are completely removed. To disable
quotas for a particular user. To disable quota tracking and management on a volume, follow these steps:
-
Start Computer Management. You are connected to the local computer by
default. If you want to disable disk quotas on a remote computer, press
and hold or right-click Computer Management in the console tree, and
then tap or click Connect To Another Computer. In the Select Computer
dialog box, select the computer you want to work with. -
In the console tree, expand Storage, and then select Disk Management.
The volumes configured on the selected computer are displayed in the
details pane. -
Using the Volume List or Graphical view, press and hold or right-click the volume, and then tap or click Properties. -
On the Quota tab, clear the Enable Quota Management check box. Tap or click OK. When prompted to confirm, tap or click OK.
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