C drive filling up but nothing there

[wolfiesmithuk]

Hi, Can anyone help as this has got me puzzled.

I have an 83gig C drive which tells me it is almost full (5% left) however the strange thing is when I look at the size of the individual files and add them up I've got less than 6 Gig in there, the biggest being the widows (XP) folder which is 3.79 (3.53 on disk).

Although I'm pretty sure that the less than 6 Gig figure is correct I've tried moving as many files as I can out i.e. some program files, the Docs and so on. The Program files folder is now showing 1.8 Gigs however if I try to defrag the "analyse" screen shows a full disk and gives me the warning about low disk space.


I've also used the scan disk facility to try and pick up lost files/fagments even though there would have to be a huge amount but nothing is picked up.

So, in brief, my set-up is a Gigabyte 965P-DS4 motherboard on which I have a 1 + 0 Raid set up of 4 x 320 Gig Seagate ST33200620AS Hard Drives which gives me a 596.1 Gig volume which is split into 4 partitions 2 x 195, 1 x 122 and the C drive 83 Gig

 

[Blain]

Windows Temp folder maybe?
Are the properties of your recycle bin set to the 10% default?
IE history set to save 20 days?

 

[Trashman]

what about system restore settings?

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

Recycle Bin; Set to 1% for all drives so 850Mb for drive C:/
I.E History; Set to 10 days.

Thanks for your response

 

[imported_nunya]

Probably just cache, temp and junk, plus your pagefile. Download ccleaner and see how much it cleans up.

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

System restore settings were 12% now dropped to 5% or 4201Mb this has given me another 3% free space i.e. 8%.
Will try CCleaner and see what it gives me but the windows disk clean up has cleared all those!! Will report back.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

Tried CCleaner and it gives me another 257MB. No sign of the missing 70 (approx) Gig

 

[powerMarkymark]

Use a program like Foldersize Pro to see what is taking up all that space.

M@rc

 

[ForumMaster]

how much RAM do you have? try disabling the pagefile, defragging, deleting the system restore files and then reenable the pagefile on a different drive.

also, to really see all the files on C, make sure you first enable hidden files and also set folder options to show protected system files. that can add a lot of files you may not have seen before.

 

[Pirotech]

It could become as an unallocated disk space. You need to create a new partition using this disk space and then merge two partitions C and a new one.
I wrote it coz once I had the same problem. I used Migrate Easy for creation and merging partitions, there is a free full functional trial version.

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

At work now (UK resident) so cant give exact figures to your kind replies however;

1/. If Foldersize Pro gives a report I'll try posting the list on here.

2/. I have 2Gig of memory and a fairly low pagefile size which I've fixed below the windows recommended maximum, I'll report later with the exact size. I'm sure I'm looking at hidden files although I'm not sure about "protected windows files" however even though I couldnt see these surely they would show up in the "total" size of the windows folder.

3/. According to "Disk Management!" in "Administrative Tools" I have no (or very little) unallocated space within the volume. Again I'll come back with the exact figure later when I get back home. I've also checked this with Partition Magic which, although it will not operate with some RAID set ups so I have not altered any settings with it, does give a "allocation" report and this reads the same. You will also see in my first post that the 4 partitions pretty well add up to the total volume size given that I wrote "rounded" figures.

Sorry that I didnt mention that I'd looked at some of these things before, I suppose it is difficult to know what replies people will give but I'm pleased to note that I have been looking in the correct areas.

I am keen to solve this because, as the mystery file(s) keep increasing in size, I'm going to have to do something pretty soon. The something being dismantleing the RAID and starting again.

I guess I put this machine together Sept/Oct last year so the 70 Gigs has accumulated over the last 9 months. I dont know if the accumulation was slow or rapid nor whether it started from assembly or has started more recently however I'm pretty sure its still going on. I did think that it could be error messages (it would have to be a huge amount) although the machine is operating well, no BSOD for instance, or a program (music or picture files) backing up to this area. However if either of these were the case then surely the files could be seen.

 

[RebateMonger]

For a desktop, the big hitters in cases like this are often:

a) System Restore. Turn it OFF. Reboot. Then re-enable it. Just changing the settings won't clear out the already-saved data.

b) Recycle-bin utiltiies like Norton that keep saving files until your disk is full.

c) You are (unknownly) a file server for an "underground" web site (or something similar). Do you see any drawings of Mercedes-Benz cars with nails inside?

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

Have enabled the veiwing of "protected windows files" and installed Foldersize and it is reporting 10809687.6KB.
Pagefile size is set to a maximum of 4092MB and is working from D:\ so it does not impact on C:
I have 7.8MB unallocated free space.
Turned System Restore off and rebooted and it pushed my free space on C; up to 9.76 Gig or 11%. I dont have any recycle bin utilities

 

[dealmaster00]

Longshot, but you could try this:

You'll want to see how much data is in your system volume information folder. (C:\system volume information)

You don't have permission to this folder by default. To get permission go here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309531

Report back on how much data is in it.

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

Originally posted by: dealmaster00
Longshot, but you could try this:

You'll want to see how much data is in your system volume information folder. (C:\system volume information)

You don't have permission to this folder by default. To get permission go here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309531

Report back on how much data is in it.

0 bytes because on the recommendation of RebateMonger I'd cleared the system restore points out of the system.

 

[Macattak1]

Greetings,

Try doing a specific search on the HD. Look for any files folders over say...5mb. Likely some cookies file or some adware that is tracking something and is just bloating up. Not uncommon.

I do a search on all files over 2mb to 3mb every once in a while just to see what is going on.

Cookies is one thing. But cookies that grow and grow like the Blueberry boy in WilliWanka should be a $1000 fine for the company that owns it.

Peace and Blessings.

 

[Slugbait]

If it's an older build and you don't clean often, it could be your criticals.

Go to c:\windows and delete $NTUninstallKBxxxxxxx. Also delete $hf_mig$.

Then drill down to SoftwareDistribution\Download and delete all files and folders (don't delete the Download folder itself, just the contents).

Some people regain gigs of room by doing this.

But I don't think that's the case...considering you've lost 70 gigs, I think someone is hosting on your box.

Start->Control Panel->Admin Tools->Services and look for a running FTP program that you were not aware was even installed (or even one that you do have...but it's set to run at boot). If you find one, figure out the install folder: there should be an INF file there with usernames and passwords: change the passwords. Then set the FTP program to manual start, and require admin password for start. Search you drive for files larger than 500 megs (this should find the movie files) which should reveal the location of the warez. Do what you wish with these files. Then give yourself Power User privileges.

 

[bauerguy88]

what about your documents? how big is that folder?

 

[Macattak1]

Originally posted by: Slugbait
If it's an older build and you don't clean often, it could be your criticals.

Go to c:\windows and delete $NTUninstallKBxxxxxxx. Also delete $hf_mig$.

Then drill down to SoftwareDistribution\Download and delete all files and folders (don't delete the Download folder itself, just the contents).

Some people regain gigs of room by doing this.

But I don't think that's the case...considering you've lost 70 gigs, I think someone is hosting on your box.

Start->Control Panel->Admin Tools->Services and look for a running FTP program that you were not aware was even installed (or even one that you do have...but it's set to run at boot). If you find one, figure out the install folder: there should be an INF file there with usernames and passwords: change the passwords. Then set the FTP program to manual start, and require admin password for start. Search you drive for files larger than 500 megs (this should find the movie files) which should reveal the location of the warez. Do what you wish with these files. Then give yourself Power User privileges.

Nice!

Peace and Blessings

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

Originally posted by: bauerguy88
what about your documents? how big is that folder?

Just over 2 gigs

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Slugbait
If it's an older build and you don't clean often, it could be your criticals.

Go to c:\windows and delete $NTUninstallKBxxxxxxx. Also delete $hf_mig$.

Then drill down to SoftwareDistribution\Download and delete all files and folders (don't delete the Download folder itself, just the contents).

Some people regain gigs of room by doing this.

But I don't think that's the case...considering you've lost 70 gigs, I think someone is hosting on your box.

Start->Control Panel->Admin Tools->Services and look for a running FTP program that you were not aware was even installed (or even one that you do have...but it's set to run at boot). If you find one, figure out the install folder: there should be an INF file there with usernames and passwords: change the passwords. Then set the FTP program to manual start, and require admin password for start. Search you drive for files larger than 500 megs (this should find the movie files) which should reveal the location of the warez. Do what you wish with these files. Then give yourself Power User privileges.</end quote></div>

Yes plenty of $NTUninstallKBxxxxxxx and $hf_mig$ but they are listed under the windows folder and although 445MB are not the culprit.

The FTP thing sounds to be something I should be doing but you'll have to be a bit more basic with me on this. I'm nosing around in there but what is an FTP????

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

Right. Thanks for all your suggestions but dont forget that, thanks to advice on here, I'm looking at every file on the C drive and there just are not any files in there that either individually or collectively approach the 70 gigs I'm looking for.

Anyhow consider this.

Willing to try anything I've just been looking at the disk using the defrag utility of "Fix-It 6" this is showing that the disk is full and that the majority of this "space" is unmoveable however according to the windows defragger although the disk is almost full none of these files are unmoveable. However when I do a defrag with either program these files, essentially, do not move. In other words I still have a report bar which is red interspersed with blue line and the occasional thin white line

 

[dealmaster00]

Originally posted by: wolfiesmithuk
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: dealmaster00
Longshot, but you could try this:

You'll want to see how much data is in your system volume information folder. (C:\system volume information)

You don't have permission to this folder by default. To get permission go here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309531

Report back on how much data is in it.</end quote></div>

0 bytes because on the recommendation of RebateMonger I'd cleared the system restore points out of the system.

Did you unlock the folder? E.g., can you open it? If you can't, it will say 0 bytes.

 

[wolfiesmithuk]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: dealmaster00
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: wolfiesmithuk
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: dealmaster00
Longshot, but you could try this:

You'll want to see how much data is in your system volume information folder. (C:\system volume information)

You don't have permission to this folder by default. To get permission go here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309531

Report back on how much data is in it.</end quote></div>

0 bytes because on the recommendation of RebateMonger I'd cleared the system restore points out of the system.</end quote></div>

Did you unlock the folder? E.g., can you open it? If you can't, it will say 0 bytes.</end quote></div>

No you are correct I've not unlocked it. Its getting a bit late here so off to bed in a mo, but just to say I cannot find a "security" tab as described on 309531. I'll have another look in the morning

 

[bigsnyder]

Originally posted by: Slugbait
If it's an older build and you don't clean often, it could be your criticals.

Go to c:\windows and delete $NTUninstallKBxxxxxxx. Also delete $hf_mig$.

Then drill down to SoftwareDistribution\Download and delete all files and folders (don't delete the Download folder itself, just the contents).

What exactly are these folders? What are the possible side effects from deleting them?

C Snyder