Sql-server – How to find the amount of free disk space only using SQL Server

Are you trying to restore over the existing database on E:? If so SQL Server shouldn't need space on C: at all.

It sounds like you're either trying to restore another copy of the database onto C: (which you won't be able to do unless there's enough space) or the backup was taken of the database when its files were on C:, and so it's trying to recreate them on C:.

You can check this by doing a RESTORE FILELISTONLY on the backup and it will tell you the database files it will try to create (see Books Online here). If they're pointing at C:, you can make the restore create them on E: instead using the WITH MOVE syntax.

You can see an example of this in Books Online at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms186858.aspx#restoring_db_n_move_files

Hope this helps!

I had a similar problem when replaying a trace. If you don't replay the results to screen then the temp files don't grow.

Or you can change the location of where the temp files are put by changing the tmp and temp user windows variables. (right click my computer, click properties, click advanced tab, click on Environment variables).