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Unaccoutned for used space

Forum Storage : General Storage - Unaccoutned for used space

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skyjogger   09-17-2009 at 03:17:11 AM

Hi
i have a windows XP machine that has a 60GB HDD, when i look at the drive it says that 57GB is used, but when i actually look at the data that is on the disk i can only account for about 24GB used, i would like to know where the other 30GB has gone?

i have tried running a chdsk but that hasn't fixed the problem

any one know what might be causing this?

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Twoboxer   09-17-2009 at 04:02:25 AM
- 0 +

Go to Control Panel, open "Folder Options".

Click "View".

Check "Show hidden files and folders" and uncheck "Hide protected operating system files".

Now go add up all the directories.

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skyjogger   09-17-2009 at 05:10:45 AM
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yeah i have done that its not hidden files or protected system files

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b1kshad0w   09-17-2009 at 05:34:21 AM
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Go to run on the start menu, then type "cmd".
After the command line come up, type "C:" for whatever the driver letter is. Like drive D:, E: or F: for example. Then type "dir /a" It will show everything on the disk.

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skyjogger   09-17-2009 at 08:08:53 AM
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i dont understand this (dir /a), it lists as there being 2.6GB of files and 2.6Gb free which makes no sense to me at all
there is was more than that in files, but not that much in the root dir so what is it listing?

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Twoboxer   09-17-2009 at 08:19:41 AM
- 0 +

There are 2.6GB of files in whatever directory you were in, probably c:\Documents and Settings\Your Name, and 2.6GB free space on the drive, which correlates to 57GB used out of 60GB.

Let's go back - how did you account for "only" 24G used?

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skyjogger   09-17-2009 at 08:27:52 AM
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i have used a program called treesize, but i have used the windows size thing in the right click menu

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jsc   09-17-2009 at 08:39:30 AM
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b1lshadow got the command line switches wrong. Once you reach the command line prompt, "DIR /s" will give you all the files. But there's going to be a lot of them.

 

"DIR /?" will give you a list of directory commands.

 

Or download a copy of WinDirStat. It will give you a graphical representation of everything that is occupying your hard drive.

 

Another question: what kind of hard drive is it?


Message edited by jsc on 09-17-2009 at 08:41:27 AM
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amnotanoobie   09-17-2009 at 05:35:36 PM
- 0 +

System restore checkpoints?
Right-click drive, Properties, Disk Cleanup, when done and shows you the window, go to the second tab and there is a button there to clean-up previous System Restore points.

Reply to amnotanoobie
skyjogger   09-18-2009 at 01:41:38 AM
- 0 +

i did a DIR /s and it reports that there is 21GB of used space, and 5GB free which is consitent with all the other things i have done
i ran the disk cleanup and removed the system restore points, this gave me an extra 2.5 GB (hence the free space going upto 5GB)
the drive is a seagate barracuda 80GB
there is a recovery partion which makes the useable part of the drive 70GB, but that still leaves 25GB of used space i cant account for
treesize sounds simlar to WinDirStat, it gives a graphical display of all the dir and there sizes

Reply to skyjogger
skyjogger   09-18-2009 at 06:13:23 AM
- 0 +

i have found the source of the missing data, the lenovo rescue and recvoery was stealing the space

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