Why is Windows showing incorrect filesizes?

b-man542 · Aug 27, 2016

I have a strange issue while copying files between two disks.
I'm migrating a NTFS 4k cluster partition to a NTFS 64k partition on a two identical 4TB drives on a Windows 10 desktop.
While checking to see if everything has copied correctly I noticed some large differences.

One disk reports 710GB the other 2.51TB when they contain the same files.
The properties window also shows about 300~ extra files which don't appear to actually exist.

ss202sl · Aug 27, 2016

file compression on G?

rgd1101 · Aug 27, 2016

5 more folders and 400 more files.

b-man542 · Aug 27, 2016

ss202sl :

There is currently no file compression active

b-man542 · Aug 27, 2016

rgd1101 :

I have used WinDirStat to view the files on both disks and it supports what is in the right image.

Further information is I copied data from the G drive (the image on the left) to I drive (the image on the right).

rgd1101 · Aug 28, 2016

if you use windirstat, does it show they using same disk space?
ran check disk?
sound to me some file a hidden on G and you just not selecting them.

ss202sl · Aug 28, 2016

unhide hidden and OS protected files

b-man542 · Aug 28, 2016

if you use windirstat, does it show they using same disk space?

Yes it shows the same size and same number of files on both disks.

ss202sl :

This was almost the key. Thank you for the hint.
I think this is because my user account does not have full user read permissions for every folder on the disk. My assumption is that because i have access under the group 'administrators' i can read and copy everything. Some folders which my user account doesn't have access to and has access only under the admin group don't show up in the properties menu. This would mean on the new disk as the 'owner' of the files i can see the total size correctly and on the old disk i can see everything my user has access to not what the admin group has access too. I'm basing this mostly off the fact I am promoted with the "do this as an admin UAC box". Does this sound right? I haven't done enough with NTFS permissions to know for sure but its my best guess so far.

rgd1101 · Aug 28, 2016

If windirstat report the same size and # of file, is as what you said, a security issue.

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Why is Windows showing incorrect filesizes?

b-man542

Reputable

rgd1101

ss202sl

Glorious

rgd1101

Don't

b-man542

Reputable

b-man542

Reputable

rgd1101

Don't

ss202sl

Glorious

b-man542

Reputable

rgd1101

Don't

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