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  3. Where did the disk space go?

Where did the disk space go?

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  • C Christopher Duncan

    I've installed Vista on a box (yes, I know, my first mistake) with a 150 gig hard drive. I've turned on settings to show hidden, system and other such files. Vista is reporting 80g free. Thing is, after inspecting the properties of every root level folder, including the hidden ones and the recycle bin, I can only account for around 40g. Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

    Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

    C Offline
    C Offline
    Christian Graus
    wrote on last edited by
    #21

    Christopher Duncan wrote:

    with a 150 gig hard drive. I

    They still make them that small ? :P

    Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums. I can do things with my brain that I can't even google. I can flex the front part of my brain instantly anytime I want. It can be exhausting and it even causes me vision problems for some reason. - CaptainSeeSharp

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    • S Skymir

      My bet is the system restore directory after having downloaded the most recent patches. Windows is surprisingly effective at making the restore folder invisible unless you really go looking for it. And yet it still leaves the dozens of uninstall folders mucking up the windows folder...

      The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything.

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      D Offline
      Dan Neely
      wrote on last edited by
      #22

      So how do you find the system restore directory...

      It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. -- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

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      • C Christopher Duncan

        I've installed Vista on a box (yes, I know, my first mistake) with a 150 gig hard drive. I've turned on settings to show hidden, system and other such files. Vista is reporting 80g free. Thing is, after inspecting the properties of every root level folder, including the hidden ones and the recycle bin, I can only account for around 40g. Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

        Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

        M Offline
        M Offline
        Miszou
        wrote on last edited by
        #23

        WinDirStat[^] will show you exactly where all your disk space has gone.

        The StartPage Randomizer - The Windows Cheerleader - Twitter

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        • C Chris Losinger

          i was actually wondering that myself, this week. i added up the sizes of all the folders, as reported by Explorer, and they didn't add up to the amount shown as used in C:\'s properties. and yeah, 30G sounds like the size of my discrepancy.

          image processing toolkits | batch image processing

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          C Offline
          Christopher Duncan
          wrote on last edited by
          #24

          Yep. Deleted system restore points & turned it off, went from 82g free to 103.

          Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • C Christopher Duncan

            I've installed Vista on a box (yes, I know, my first mistake) with a 150 gig hard drive. I've turned on settings to show hidden, system and other such files. Vista is reporting 80g free. Thing is, after inspecting the properties of every root level folder, including the hidden ones and the recycle bin, I can only account for around 40g. Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

            Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

            R Offline
            R Offline
            Rama Krishna Vavilala
            wrote on last edited by
            #25

            May be it accounts for all the videos and movies from Bunny days hidden somewhere on the disk.

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            • C Christopher Duncan

              I've installed Vista on a box (yes, I know, my first mistake) with a 150 gig hard drive. I've turned on settings to show hidden, system and other such files. Vista is reporting 80g free. Thing is, after inspecting the properties of every root level folder, including the hidden ones and the recycle bin, I can only account for around 40g. Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

              Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

              D Offline
              D Offline
              Douglas Troy
              wrote on last edited by
              #26

              Chris, Come now, you already know the answer to that question: Vista has it. You're not allowed to know where, or why it has it, but it does. It's keeping it "safe". Using it for it's own purposes, that are far too complex for your feeble human brain to comprehend. Stop asking so many questions, or the Vista might decide it doesn't need ... to keep you. :~


              :..::. Douglas H. Troy ::..
              Bad Astronomy |VCF|wxWidgets|WTL

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              • C Christopher Duncan

                I've installed Vista on a box (yes, I know, my first mistake) with a 150 gig hard drive. I've turned on settings to show hidden, system and other such files. Vista is reporting 80g free. Thing is, after inspecting the properties of every root level folder, including the hidden ones and the recycle bin, I can only account for around 40g. Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

                Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

                D Offline
                D Offline
                dighn
                wrote on last edited by
                #27

                Most likely shadow storage. Vista reserves a ridiculous amount for that. Disabling system restore might get it back. http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/06/26/how-to-change-and-limit-system-restore-storage-space-usage-size-in-vista-with-vssadmin/[^]

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                • C Christopher Duncan

                  Probably, but I tend to avoid java utilities. Thanks, though!

                  Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

                  J Offline
                  J Offline
                  Joe Woodbury
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #28

                  http://www.glaryutilities.com/[^] has similar functionality and more in a non-java app (I have no connection to GlarySoft, just a satisfied customer.)

                  Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke

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                  • C Christopher Duncan

                    Probably, but I tend to avoid java utilities. Thanks, though!

                    Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

                    J Offline
                    J Offline
                    JimmyRopes
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #29

                    Christopher Duncan wrote:

                    I tend to avoid java utilities

                    Why? :confused:

                    Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                    Think inside the box! ProActive Secure Systems
                    I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

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                    • L Luc Pattyn

                      While I am aware of alternate data streams in theory, I can't remember having seen one ever. Do you know of some examples in XP and Vista? :)

                      Luc Pattyn [Forum Guidelines] [My Articles]


                      DISCLAIMER: this message may have been modified by others; it may no longer reflect what I intended, and may contain bad advice; use at your own risk and with extreme care.


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                      G Offline
                      Gideon Engelberth
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #30

                      Nearly all files that get downloaded from the internet will have an alternate data stream attached to it. That's what Windows uses to put the "This program is from the internet. Do you really want to run it?" message.

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                      • G Gideon Engelberth

                        Nearly all files that get downloaded from the internet will have an alternate data stream attached to it. That's what Windows uses to put the "This program is from the internet. Do you really want to run it?" message.

                        L Offline
                        L Offline
                        Luc Pattyn
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #31

                        Interesting. I'll look into that. Thanks. :)

                        Luc Pattyn [Forum Guidelines] [My Articles]


                        DISCLAIMER: this message may have been modified by others; it may no longer reflect what I intended, and may contain bad advice; use at your own risk and with extreme care.


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                        • C Christopher Duncan

                          I've installed Vista on a box (yes, I know, my first mistake) with a 150 gig hard drive. I've turned on settings to show hidden, system and other such files. Vista is reporting 80g free. Thing is, after inspecting the properties of every root level folder, including the hidden ones and the recycle bin, I can only account for around 40g. Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

                          Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

                          G Offline
                          G Offline
                          Gary R Wheeler
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #32

                          Be careful. The emergent AI is using your PC to record store part of its memory. It would be just your luck it's using it to keep copies of its tax returns for 1983 to 1987, 1992, and 1996, as well as extra copies of the Topeka Kansas phone directory.

                          Software Zen: delete this;
                          Fold With Us![^]

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                          0
                          • C Christopher Duncan

                            I've installed Vista on a box (yes, I know, my first mistake) with a 150 gig hard drive. I've turned on settings to show hidden, system and other such files. Vista is reporting 80g free. Thing is, after inspecting the properties of every root level folder, including the hidden ones and the recycle bin, I can only account for around 40g. Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

                            Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

                            R Offline
                            R Offline
                            Roger Wright
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #33

                            How big is the swap file?

                            "A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"

                            C 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • C Christopher Duncan

                              I've installed Vista on a box (yes, I know, my first mistake) with a 150 gig hard drive. I've turned on settings to show hidden, system and other such files. Vista is reporting 80g free. Thing is, after inspecting the properties of every root level folder, including the hidden ones and the recycle bin, I can only account for around 40g. Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

                              Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

                              S Offline
                              S Offline
                              Steven Quick
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #34

                              1: System Restore points - Clear out old ones 2: Shadow Volume Copy - A quick search will give you tons of info on how to check the size of this. 3: Update and Service packs install in a mode so that they are able to be uninstalled, you can make them permanent and free up quite a lot of space, there's a few cmd's for it search it up.

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                              • C Christian Graus

                                Christopher Duncan wrote:

                                with a 150 gig hard drive. I

                                They still make them that small ? :P

                                Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. "! i don't exactly like or do programming and it only gives me a headache." - spotted in VB forums. I can do things with my brain that I can't even google. I can flex the front part of my brain instantly anytime I want. It can be exhausting and it even causes me vision problems for some reason. - CaptainSeeSharp

                                C Offline
                                C Offline
                                Christopher Duncan
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #35

                                Hey, it's a Dell. What can I say? :)

                                Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

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                                • R Rama Krishna Vavilala

                                  May be it accounts for all the videos and movies from Bunny days hidden somewhere on the disk.

                                  C Offline
                                  C Offline
                                  Christopher Duncan
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #36

                                  Shhhhhhh! :laugh:

                                  Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

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                                  0
                                  • D Douglas Troy

                                    Chris, Come now, you already know the answer to that question: Vista has it. You're not allowed to know where, or why it has it, but it does. It's keeping it "safe". Using it for it's own purposes, that are far too complex for your feeble human brain to comprehend. Stop asking so many questions, or the Vista might decide it doesn't need ... to keep you. :~


                                    :..::. Douglas H. Troy ::..
                                    Bad Astronomy |VCF|wxWidgets|WTL

                                    C Offline
                                    C Offline
                                    Christopher Duncan
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #37

                                    Yikes. Taxi! :)

                                    Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

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                                    0
                                    • R Roger Wright

                                      How big is the swap file?

                                      "A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"

                                      C Offline
                                      C Offline
                                      Christopher Duncan
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #38

                                      Only a gig or two. Turns out the culprit was system restore, the greedy bastard.

                                      Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

                                      1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • G Gary R Wheeler

                                        Be careful. The emergent AI is using your PC to record store part of its memory. It would be just your luck it's using it to keep copies of its tax returns for 1983 to 1987, 1992, and 1996, as well as extra copies of the Topeka Kansas phone directory.

                                        Software Zen: delete this;
                                        Fold With Us![^]

                                        C Offline
                                        C Offline
                                        Christopher Duncan
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #39

                                        I promise you, tax returns from my musician days in the 80s wouldn't use up 20 bytes. :)

                                        Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Got a career question? Ask the Attack Chihuahua!

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                                        • J jhaga

                                          Christopher Duncan wrote:

                                          Anyone have an idea as to where the other 30 gig is hiding?

                                          If you have System Restore activated they can be there or you might have an extra partition on the hard disk.

                                          jhaga

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                                          F Offline
                                          Filip C
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #40

                                          This is indeed the most likely answer i had the same problem on my 100GB os partition the System Information Volume folder was 15GB so 15% of your 150Gig is 22.5GB Click here to found out how to decrease it. Basicly it's just the command: vssadmin resize shadowstorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=2GB

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