C:\ space disappearing...

[dreamie]

Hi!

I have a very mysterious and annoying problem. The space on my system
drive continuously disappears, requiring a reboot. When newly booted, I
have 2,2GB of frfee space. I can use the computer for a about a day
but, depending on the activity, a message indicating low space is
shown, and a reboot is required to free it up again. If I play
CounterStrike I belive the space is drained faster than if the computer
just idles...

I can see hidden files etc. so it's not that!

I have checked the space of all folders on c:\ including root, and they
DON'T increase, even though the total amount free space on C:\
decreases...?!?!

It's not the pagefile nor the hiberfile, they all remain the same size!

I've heard of hidden outlook and IE files etc. but I am not sure that's
it either... I don't even have to use outlook to get the problem. I am
also using Firefox (not IE).

Any ideas??

Thanks in advance!

/ Peter

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a very mysterious and annoying problem. The space on my system
drive continuously disappears, requiring a reboot. When newly booted,
I have 2,2GB of frfee space. I can use the computer for a about a day
but, depending on the activity, a message indicating low space is
shown, and a reboot is required to free it up again. If I play
CounterStrike I belive the space is drained faster than if the
computer just idles...

I can see hidden files etc. so it's not that!

I have checked the space of all folders on c:\ including root, and
they DON'T increase, even though the total amount free space on C:\
decreases...?!?!

It's not the pagefile nor the hiberfile, they all remain the same
size!

I've heard of hidden outlook and IE files etc. but I am not sure
that's it either... I don't even have to use outlook to get the
problem. I am also using Firefox (not IE).

Any ideas??

What did you check them with?

 

[dreamie]

Hi Shenan, thanks for answering!

At first I just used Explorer->Properties

I'am currently evaluating Diskdata (http://www.digallery.com/diskdata/)
to see if it can shed some light...

In a few hours, I have now gone from 2.2GB free space to 1.5GB free
space. Still I cannot find a folder that has actually increased.

I even ran the disk cleanup (which supposedly cleaned 800MB), and
cleared all System Restore points. I have also disabled System Restore
completely now.

/ Peter

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a very mysterious and annoying problem. The space on my system
drive continuously disappears, requiring a reboot. When newly booted,
I have 2,2GB of frfee space. I can use the computer for a about a day
but, depending on the activity, a message indicating low space is
shown, and a reboot is required to free it up again. If I play
CounterStrike I belive the space is drained faster than if the
computer just idles...

I can see hidden files etc. so it's not that!

I have checked the space of all folders on c:\ including root, and
they DON'T increase, even though the total amount free space on C:\
decreases...?!?!

It's not the pagefile nor the hiberfile, they all remain the same
size!

I've heard of hidden outlook and IE files etc. but I am not sure
that's it either... I don't even have to use outlook to get the
problem. I am also using Firefox (not IE).

What did you check them with?

At first I just used Explorer->Properties

I'am currently evaluating Diskdata
(http://www.digallery.com/diskdata/) to see if it can shed some
light...

In a few hours, I have now gone from 2.2GB free space to 1.5GB free
space. Still I cannot find a folder that has actually increased.

I even ran the disk cleanup (which supposedly cleaned 800MB), and
cleared all System Restore points. I have also disabled System Restore
completely now.

Just reiterating what you have said you have checked, bear with me:

-- Okay - so you can see System and Hidden files (have that enabled):

To enable the viewing of Hidden files follow these steps:

1. Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.
2. Double-click on the My Computer icon.
3. Select the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
4. After the new window appears select the View tab.
5. Put a checkmark in the checkbox labeled Display the contents of
system folders.
6. Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button
labeled Show hidden files and folders.
7. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide file
extensions for known file types.
8. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected
operating system files.
9. Press the Apply button and then the OK button and shutdown
My Computer.
10. Now your computer is configured to show all hidden files.


-- You've checked the size of your PageFile (Usually found here:
c:\pagefile.sys) and it nor other root directory files are taking up the
space.


-- You've used "Disk Cleanup" to not only do an initial cleanup, but to
clear all but the last restore point - and THEN you went and disabled the
System Restore all together.. Killing all of the restore points as well
stopping the creation of new ones..

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405


-- You think the space is used faster if you play "CounterStrike" than if
the computer sits idle - but have not found that folder to be increasing in
size. (Or any other including the root directory.) and you are using the
utility called 'Diskdata' (http://www.digallery.com/diskdata/) to see what
is taking up space on your hard drive.


A few questions:

-- How much memory does your system have? (RAM)
-- Have you tried something a bit simpler (like SequoiaView) to see where
all your space is visually? (http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiaview/)
-- Why is your Boot Drive so small? (You know you can pickup drives as
large as 160GB for less than $100 now?)

 

[dreamie]

Hi again Shenan!

Thanks alot for taking your time with this issue...

I believe you have understood me correctly!

Here are the answers to your questions:

-- How much memory does your system have? (RAM)
I have 512MB RAM

-- Have you tried something a bit simpler (like SequoiaView) to see
where
all your space is visually? (http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiav iew/)
No, I will try that...

-- Why is your Boot Drive so small? (You know you can pickup drives as
large as 160GB for less than $100 now?)
Well I have a 80GB drive and the system partition is 7GB (I think.. see
below), I know I should have given it more space when I made the
partition this is what I have now. I usually put all programs on d:
instead to make sure the system partition isn't filled up. I also have
the pagefile.sys on d:

After my analyzis now, I realise that the actual total amount of space
on drive C: changes.... I am confident I had 7GB last time I checked,
but now there is only 6GB according to Diskdata, I will do a reboot and
see what the Total size will say then...

brb

/ Peter

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Thanks alot for taking your time with this issue...

I believe you have understood me correctly!

Here are the answers to your questions:

-- How much memory does your system have? (RAM)
I have 512MB RAM

-- Have you tried something a bit simpler (like SequoiaView) to see
where
all your space is visually? (http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiav iew/)
No, I will try that...

-- Why is your Boot Drive so small? (You know you can pickup drives
as large as 160GB for less than $100 now?)
Well I have a 80GB drive and the system partition is 7GB (I think..
see below), I know I should have given it more space when I made the
partition this is what I have now. I usually put all programs on d:
instead to make sure the system partition isn't filled up. I also have
the pagefile.sys on d:

After my analyzis now, I realise that the actual total amount of space
on drive C: changes.... I am confident I had 7GB last time I checked,
but now there is only 6GB according to Diskdata, I will do a reboot
and see what the Total size will say then...

Peter,

You may consider using (after backing up your C partition - I recommend a
cloning application) something like "Partition Magic" to increase the size
of your C:\ partition. I would make it 20GB or so - depending on how much
you have free on your other partition now to resize with. That could solve
some of your issues.

 

[dreamie]

Ok, reboot done...

Apparently I only have 6GB total space on C:\ ... strange, I thought it
was more than that... Anyway, I got my 2GB free memory back after the
reboot, but all folders still have the same size (as before the boot
when there was only 900MB left of free space)...

I've tested SequoiaView, but I am not sure I am able to locate any
"hidden file", the directory sizes is the same as in Diskdata and
Windows Explorer-properties. I save a Sequoia-tree for later reference,
but I am not putting too much hope in finding something interesting...

I'm lost here

/ Peter

 

[dreamie]

I will try this, although I still wonder where the space goes?? aren't
there any programs that can see where all the memory is regardless of
the Windows settings (real hidden files etc)?

Thanks for you help!

 

[dreamie]

I tried to resize the partition with PartitionMagic, but PM fails after
reboot with an errormessage saying the FAT is corrupt!?!? OOops...

I'll run chkdsk /f to see if that will help me.. any other
suggestions??

/ Peter