How to Shrink Your Massive WSL Virtual Disk

If you use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2), you may have noticed a large file on your system drive: C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\Packages\<YourDistroFolder>\LocalState\ext4.vhdx This is a virtual hard disk that stores the entire Linux filesystem. It expands automatically as you install packages and create files, but it does not shrink automatically when files are deleted. Over time, this can leave you with a multi-gigabyte file containing mostly unused space. Here’s how to safely compact it and reclaim that space. ...

September 13, 2025 · 2 min · 353 words · root

The Best Gaming PC Build for Under $1,000 (2016)

The goal of this guide is to build the best gaming PC possible for a $1,000 budget. Not only will this system handle modern games, it’ll also hold its own for streaming, video editing, and graphics work. The Build CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 — $205 This is the heart of your system and you want something fast. The Intel i5 is the right choice for a gaming PC at this price. You may be tempted by an i7, but it won’t meaningfully improve gaming performance at this budget — spend that money on the GPU instead. ...

January 8, 2016 · 3 min · 487 words · root

The Best Gaming PC Build for Under $1,000 (2014)

The goal of this guide is to build the best gaming PC possible for a $1,000 budget. Not only will this system handle modern games at this price point, it’ll also hold its own for everyday tasks. The Build CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 — $210 This is the heart of your system and you want something fast. The Intel i5 is the right choice for a gaming PC. Consider the K variant if you want overclocking headroom — if you can get it for the same price or less, it’s worth it. ...

April 23, 2014 · 3 min · 480 words · root