Can't delete obsolete back-up files.

[windsurferLA]

My WinXP-pro system is configured with 40GB IDE maxtor (master) hard
drive for system boot and operation, and 200 GB IDE 133MHz (slave)
Maxtor hard drive for backup data on the same IDE cable. The 200 GB
hard drive is divided into two partitions, one 80 GB used to back up
system data, and one of 120 GM for music. The mother board is an Intel
D845WN with 1.7 GHz Pentium IV processor.

Norton Ghost 2004 is pre-scheduled to periodically save baseline
recovery files as well as incremental recovery files to a directory in
the 80 GByte partition on the slave drive. Norton Ghost is deficient in
that it does not automatically delete the obsolete back-up files. If it
runs out of room, it will stop making back-up files, and the back-up
information will become stale. One needs to manually delete obsolete files.

In an attempt to free up space on the backup drive, I deleted old
obsolete backups on the slave F:\ drive using "windows explorer."
However a subsequent check of the properties (using Windows Explorer) of
this harddrive indicated more space was being used than the sum of the
individual subdirectories. I subsequently opened Norton Ghost and
"released" the obsolete backups.

Afterwards, and after pressing F5, and after rebooting the machine, and
after running Norton Disc Doctor, the properties box for the System
Backup Partition still indicates that 56 GBytes is in use while the sum
of the usage of each individual folder is only 20 GB. Furthermore, I
HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO EMPTY the 4 GBytes in the folder RECYCLER. When I
seek to delete the contents of the RECYCLER, it contains a file named:
"1-5-21-1085031214-1715567821-725345543-1003,"
the machine says file can't be deleted because it is in use. I don't
know what file could be using it. Norton Ghost is closed. (I even
closed Norton Ghost using the Cntrl-Alt-Del menu options.)

Thus 4 GBytes of the 80 GBytes allocated for system back-up seem to be
locked up in the RECYLER. Another 36 GB seem to be locked up somewhere
else in an unknown location, leaving only 40 GBytes for system backUp.
There is a folder "System Volume Information," in the back-up partition,
but the system will not let me look into that folder to see size of
contents.

How do I clean out the 4 Gbyte RECYCLER and 36 Gbyte mystery files, so
there is room for more recent back-ups?

WindsurferLA

 

[Nightowl]

windsurferLA wrote on Tue, 30 Aug 2005:

When I seek to delete the contents of the RECYCLER, it contains a file
named:
"1-5-21-1085031214-1715567821-725345543-1003,"
the machine says file can't be deleted because it is in use. I don't
know what file could be using it. Norton Ghost is closed. (I even
closed Norton Ghost using the Cntrl-Alt-Del menu options.)

Hi windsurferLA

The folder (not file) with the long name in \Recycler is your Recycle
Bin; the long chain of numbers is your Security Identifier. It is in use
because you are logged in. Try deleting the contents through emptying
the Recycle Bin on your main drive. You might want to turn off the
Bin(s) on your backup drive (you will probably have one for each
partition), or at least drastically reduce the amount of space you allow
it.

Thus 4 GBytes of the 80 GBytes allocated for system back-up seem to be
locked up in the RECYLER. Another 36 GB seem to be locked up somewhere
else in an unknown location, leaving only 40 GBytes for system backUp.
There is a folder "System Volume Information," in the back-up
partition, but the system will not let me look into that folder to see
size of contents.

System Volume Information is the parent folder of where your Restore
Points live. It's a hidden and system folder, but if you have
administrator rights you should be able to look at it. Again you might
want to think about how much room you allow for restore, or whether you
want it at all on your backup drive.

Hope this helps

 

[windsurferLA]

windsurferLA wrote on Tue, 30 Aug 2005:



Hi windsurferLA

The folder (not file) with the long name in \Recycler is your Recycle
Bin; the long chain of numbers is your Security Identifier. It is in use
because you are logged in. Try deleting the contents through emptying
the Recycle Bin on your main drive. You might want to turn off the
Bin(s) on your backup drive (you will probably have one for each
partition), or at least drastically reduce the amount of space you allow
it.



System Volume Information is the parent folder of where your Restore
Points live. It's a hidden and system folder, but if you have
administrator rights you should be able to look at it. Again you might
want to think about how much room you allow for restore, or whether you
want it at all on your backup drive.

Hope this helps

Thanks for info. I now see that I must use Norton Protected Recycle Bin
Empty that is on my Desk Top to emply recycler on my F:\ drive.

How do I turn off the Recycler Bin on my F:\ drive? I could not find
the option.

I think I have restore turned OFF on my F:\ drive, so how much room I
allow for restore is not an issue. At least on the Restore menu, I
turned of monitoring of the F:\ drive.

IMPORTANT QUESTION - you said the "long chain of numbers is your
Security Identifier". Have I compromised the security of my computer by
posting it on this Newsgroup? What is my "Security Identifier." Can
it be changed? Keep in mind that I'm "on line" most of the time,
although network router is set up to limit network access to only those
computers whose MAC addresses have been enterred into router memory.