problems with disk space of C drive

[CdriveOwnsMe]

Hello all

When i right click the C drive icon in "My Computer" and choose properties,
it states that its total size is 37.2GB and the free space is 2.41GB.

However, after selecting everything including hidden folders and system
files in the C drive, i realised they only took up 12GB of space.

Is this normal?

I used a program called windirstat and realised there are 23GB of unknown
files. How do i check out what they are and how to remove them?

 

[DL]

Hello all

When i right click the C drive icon in "My Computer" and choose
properties,
it states that its total size is 37.2GB and the free space is 2.41GB.

Probably about right

However, after selecting everything including hidden folders and system
files in the C drive, i realised they only took up 12GB of space.

Is this normal?

You are not obtaining / adding all the file sizes & in any case a manual
check will not produce a true result

I used a program called windirstat and realised there are 23GB of unknown
files. How do i check out what they are and how to remove them?

The main window of WinDirStat should reveal folders & sizes

Disk Management will also show size / free space

You need to clean up your C drive, assuming its the sys drive you have too
little free space for efficient operation.
Clear Explorer temp files, reduce the setting to 50mb
Start>Run> %temp% delete resulting temp files, any in use wont delete.
If you have a slave drive, move My Documents to the slave (My Documents
properties>Move)
Then check C drive again

 

[CdriveOwnsMe]

thanks for your help but what is a slave drive?

 

[CdriveOwnsMe]

and how do i use disk management to check the allocation of files?

 

[philo]

Hello all

When i right click the C drive icon in "My Computer" and choose properties,
it states that its total size is 37.2GB and the free space is 2.41GB.

However, after selecting everything including hidden folders and system
files in the C drive, i realised they only took up 12GB of space.

Is this normal?

I used a program called windirstat and realised there are 23GB of unknown
files. How do i check out what they are and how to remove them?

Have a look in the control panel...to see how system restore is set.

By default, Windows allocates considerably more space to system restore than
is useful.

It can be several gigs. I'd move the slider over to perhaps 500 megs or so

 

[Xandros]

This little freeware app will tell you file sizes and where they are stored
http://www.jam-software.com/freeware/index.shtml Once install just right
click your C drive and select the Treesize option.

 

[Gerry]

There are some files which mess up reconciliing used space + free space
= disk size.

Go to Start, Control Panel, Folder Options, View, Advanced Settings and
verify that the box before "Show hidden files and folders" is checked
and "Hide protected operating system files " is unchecked. You may need
to scroll down to see the second item. You should also make certain that
the box before "Hide extensions for known file types" is not checked.
Next in Windows Explorer make sure View, Details is selected and then
select View, Choose Details and check before Name, Type, Total Size, and
Free Space.

You will find some files remain hidden even after taking the action
referred to above. Notably the contents of the System Volume Information
folder, where System Restore points amongst other things. The default is
12% of the drive which for your drive equates to about 4.46 gb.

It is likely that an allocation of 12% has been made to System Restore
on your C partition which is over generous. I would reduce it to 700
mb. Right click your My Computer icon on the Desktop and select System
Restore. Place the cursor on your C drive select Settings but this
time find the slider and drag it to the left until it reads 700 mb and
exit. When you get to the Settings screen click on Apply and OK and
exit.

To increase you free space on your XP partition select Start, All
Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk CleanUp, More Options,
System Restore and remove all but the latest System Restore points?
Restore points can be quite large.

Are you using Norton Protected Storage?

Are you using any utilities e.g. Norton Ghost to back up or image files
on your drive?

Do you use the Hibernation feature? How large is hiberfil.sys. This is a
hidden file like the contents of the System Volume Information folder.
It needs to go into your reconcilation.

Slave drive
http://wikipedia.cas.ilstu.edu/index.php/Master/slave

how do i use disk management to check the allocation of files?

You don't.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[DL]

Slave drive, a second hard disk
Disk Management doesnt show allocation of files, merely drive capacity &
free space

If this is your only hard drive, then in all likelyhood, even if temp files
are cleared, System restore adjusted & IE cache reduced you will still have
too little free space for efficient use. Ideally you nee a minimum of 20%
drive capacity as free space, ie 7.4gb in your case

 

[Gerry]

DL

O ye of little faith <G>!

System Restore will yield 3.75 gb if the default setting of 12% has not
yet been changed. With 2.41 gb existing free space the OP only needs
another1.3 gb and there are plenty of things to try.


--
Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[DL]

Otherwise known as 'grumpy old man'

DL

O ye of little faith <G>!

System Restore will yield 3.75 gb if the default setting of 12% has not
yet been changed. With 2.41 gb existing free space the OP only needs
another1.3 gb and there are plenty of things to try.


--
Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Gerry]

DL

There are a few of those about yes but that is not my image of you <G>.


--
Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[DL]

Tell that too my kids

DL

There are a few of those about yes but that is not my image of you <G>.


--
Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[CdriveOwnsMe]

Thank you everyone for the help it was 12%

 

[CdriveOwnsMe]

Thank you everyone for the help it was 12%

To Gerry:and the hiberfil.sys is 261,168kb

 

[CdriveOwnsMe]

Gerry i do not use any other utilities to backup my things.

and lol i went into system volume information folder and realise there are
20GB of old stuff in there

 

[Gerry]

Do you have any hard drives / partitions other than C? If yes please
provide detail of size and free disk space.

Open Disk Defragmenter and click on Analyse. Select View Report and
click on Save As and Save. Now find VolumeC.txt in your My Documents
Folder and post a copy. Do this before running Disk Defragmenter as it
is more informative.

This background information will help me to make further suggestions.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Twayne]

Nuh, uh! Can't tell nuttin' to kids! <g>

Tell that too my kids