Extra-Hidden "hidden" files?

[JeffHCross]

I apologize in advance if this has been asked before, I looked around
but didn't come across an answer.

Last night I was installing a program and noticed that my C:\ drive
space is suddenly very low. My C:\ drive is a 45 GB partition of an 80
GB drive. I deleted some unnecessary files, but I'm noticing some
disagreement between programs.

If I right click on C: in My Computer, it says I've used 29.9 gigs,
with 15.2 free. Partition Magic says 30.6 used with 15.6 free, but
that's fairly close to the margin of error, so I'm not too concerned.

However: I've turned on "Show System Folders" and "Show Hidden Files",
and yet when I highlight every file in my C:\ drive and go to
Properties, it says the size is 20.7 gigs.

WinDirStat actually shows both values. When I'm selecting the drive as
the one I wish to have scanned, it says that the C:\ drive has 45 GB
total, with 15.2 free. But when I actually run the filescan, it only
comes up with 20.5 GB of files.

(( Quick Note: I discovered it wasn't including my System Restore data
in the count, so that added another 3.3 gigs. I'm still only at 24.0
GB though ))

Any idea where my missing gigs could be?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I apologize in advance if this has been asked before, I looked
around but didn't come across an answer.

Last night I was installing a program and noticed that my C:\ drive
space is suddenly very low. My C:\ drive is a 45 GB partition of
an 80 GB drive. I deleted some unnecessary files, but I'm noticing
some disagreement between programs.

If I right click on C: in My Computer, it says I've used 29.9 gigs,
with 15.2 free. Partition Magic says 30.6 used with 15.6 free, but
that's fairly close to the margin of error, so I'm not too
concerned.

However: I've turned on "Show System Folders" and "Show Hidden
Files", and yet when I highlight every file in my C:\ drive and go
to Properties, it says the size is 20.7 gigs.

WinDirStat actually shows both values. When I'm selecting the
drive as the one I wish to have scanned, it says that the C:\ drive
has 45 GB total, with 15.2 free. But when I actually run the
filescan, it only comes up with 20.5 GB of files.

(( Quick Note: I discovered it wasn't including my System Restore
data in the count, so that added another 3.3 gigs. I'm still only
at 24.0 GB though ))

Any idea where my missing gigs could be?

Used Disk Cleanup?
Is hibernate turned on and do you use that feature?
Uninstalled unnecessary applications lately?
Moved things to external media?

If you are comfortable with the stability of your system, you can delete the
uninstall files for the patches that Windows XP has installed..

http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

You can run Disk Cleanup - built into Windows XP - to erase all but yuor
latest restore point and cleanup even more "loose files"..

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

You can turn off hibernation if it is on and you don't use it..

When you hibernate your computer, Windows saves the contents of the system's
memory to the hiberfil.sys file. As a result, the size of the hiberfil.sys
file will always equal the amount of physical memory in your system. If you
don't use the hibernate feature and want to recapture the space that Windows
uses for the hiberfil.sys file, perform the following steps:

- Start the Control Panel Power Options applet (go to Start, Settings,
Control Panel, and click Power Options).
- Select the Hibernate tab, clear the "Enable hibernation" check box, then
click OK; although you might think otherwise, selecting Never under the
"System hibernates" option on the Power Schemes tab doesn't delete the
hiberfil.sys file.
- Windows will remove the "System hibernates" option from the Power Schemes
tab and delete the hiberfil.sys file.

You can control how much space your System Restore can use...

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the System Restore tab.
3. Highlight one of your drives (or C: if you only have one) and click on
the "Settings" button.
4. Change the percentage of disk space you wish to allow.. I suggest 5% or
higher.
5. Click OK.. Then Click OK again.

You can control how much space your Temporary Internet Files can utilize...

Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 512MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 512MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.

You can use an application that scans your system for log files and
temporary files and use that to get rid of those:

Ccleaner (Free!)
http://www.ccleaner.com/


Other ways to free up space..

SequoiaView
http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiaview/

DX Hog Hunt
http://www.dvxp.com/en/Downloads.aspx

JDiskReport
http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/index.html

Those can help you visually discover where all the space is being used.

 

[Guest]

Hello, if you right click on "My Computer", select "Manage", select "Disk
Management" and that will give you the true reading of disk space.

KJG

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Are any Norton products installed? If yes are you using Norton Protected
Storage

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.

Another default setting on a large drive which could be wasteful is that for
temporary internet files especially if you do not store offline copies on
disk. The default allocation is 3% of drive. Depending on your attitude to
offline copies you could reduce this to 1% or 2%. In Internet Explorer
select Tools, Internet Options, General, Temporary Internet Files, Settings
to make the change. At the same time look at the number of days history
is held.

The default allocation for the Recycle Bin is 10 % of drive. On your drive
5% should be sufficient. In Windows Explorer place the cursor on your
Recycle Bin, right click and select Properties, Global and move the slider
from 10% to 5%,

To investigate how you are using hard disk space you need to make sure that
you can see all files. 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 still will not see the System Volume Information folder.
How to Gain Access to the System Volume Information Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309531

FileSize -a useful tool for use with Windows Explorer when investigating how
disk space is being used.
http://markd.mvps.org/

The download link is not obvious. Click the here in the two sentences of the
web page accessed through the link above. "I can't count the number of times
someone has asked for this. So here is a module you can install that shows a
Folder Size column in Explorer."

To increase you free space on your C 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.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[JeffHCross]

I appreciate the suggestions, guys, but those aren't exactly my
question.

I've checked System Restore. That is being factored into the 24.0 Gigs
I found at the end of the original post, because I gave myself access
to the System Volume Information. I've cleared out TIFs as well. My
Recycle Bin is 464 MB currently, which is also factoring into the 24.0
GB.

Ken: Disc Management is consistant with the C: Properties dialog box,
~30 GB.

Shenan: I use WinDirStat, whose results I mentioned in the original
post. It's essentially the same as SequoiaView.

I'm just trying to figure out if there's any reason for the (now 5 gig)
inconsistancy between the Properties of the hard drive and file size of
all files. Yes, all hidden files and system folders are being show.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I appreciate the suggestions, guys, but those aren't exactly my
question.

I've checked System Restore. That is being factored into the 24.0
Gigs I found at the end of the original post, because I gave myself
access to the System Volume Information. I've cleared out TIFs as
well. My Recycle Bin is 464 MB currently, which is also factoring
into the 24.0 GB.

Ken: Disc Management is consistant with the C: Properties dialog
box, ~30 GB.

Shenan: I use WinDirStat, whose results I mentioned in the original
post. It's essentially the same as SequoiaView.

I'm just trying to figure out if there's any reason for the (now 5
gig) inconsistancy between the Properties of the hard drive and
file size of all files. Yes, all hidden files and system folders
are being show.

Single user computer?
(In other words - do you have full access to all files?)

I have a discrepency of 2.1GB myself.
Usually its less when I clear out the TIF files, use disk cleanup, use
CCleaner, etc..

 

[JeffHCross]

Yes, Stanley, it's a single user computer. Didn't even think to note
that.

I've seen discrepancies before, but never this large. And I thought
most of the time such differences were cleared up by making sure you
were seeing all your files, including the System Restore information,
Recycle Bin, etc. I think the strangest part of it was WinDirStat
knowing my drive is using 30 GB, then only being able to find ~24GB
when doing a file search. The entire reason I have the program is to
know where my gigs are going, lol.

Clearing out the TIF files didn't seem to make a dent into my
difference. Disk Cleanup didn't change anything either unless I had
compressed files, which I refuse to do, because honestly I'm not that
out of space.

I've seen a lot of strange things in my work (CS dept at school), but
this one was new to me. At least now I know I'm not the only one with
a discrepancy, I was a little weirded out (as you could probably tell
by the original message).

 

[JeffHCross]

Switch Stanley with Shenan, obviously. I've been up too long.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Jeff

There are a few files / folders that remain hidden even after
you think you are seeing all.

MFT ( Master File Table ) -it is visible in Disk
Defragmenter. Mine is 50 mb about.

Norton Protected Storage.

Boot Partition - 8 mb?

Others? There are a few obscure items you can encounter.

The factor that there is 1,024 not (1,000) bytes in a kilobyte
etc causes frequent misunderstandings. Thus my 80 gb disk
is only 74.51 gb in Disk Management.

Tools misreport. Compressed files cause problems as the
Tool e.g. Windows Explorer totals the file size before
compression. This leads to apparent discrepancies
whereby used space + free space does not equal disk size.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[JeffHCross]

Gerry,
Unfortunately I was already eliminating the Boot Partition, as that 8
mb isn't included in my C:\ partition. The 1024 vs 1000 factor also
isn't a problem in this case, as I am quite aware of that problem. My
problem isn't used space + free space, it's actually that my tools
aren't agreeing on my used space! WinDirStat isn't even agreeing with
itself!

You could be onto something with the compression, however, I hadn't
considered that. I wonder if Disc Management could be showing the
uncompressed size, whereas selecting all files + folders in My Computer
is just considering compression?

~ Jeff

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Jeff

Not sure about Disk Management. I have encountered the problem with
Windows Explorer.

I called it a Boot Partition but that may be a misnomer. It's the beginning
of the drive and could a space set aside and not accessible within the
first partition, which is usually C. Someone with a deeper technical
insight may be able to clarify the point.

The other issue upon which I am not certain is the relationship between
allocated or protected space and used space. Thus the MFT is allocated
space and normally (ideally) does not occupy all the space. The same sort
of situation arises with System Restore, Temporary Internet Files and
the Recycle Bin. You might change these settings and see how it affects
WinDirStat. It certainly changes free space.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~