bmxfreakrider
G33K P0W3R!!!!
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- 2,068
system restore, paging file, ntfs file table, the place where it stores hibernation data, and the recycle bin.
Why is my harddrive full ! there is nothing installed !
- Thread starter illnastyimpreza
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Hello,
Use a free disk space reporting tool such as JDiskReport to get a better understanding of what is taking up disk space.
Use a free disk space reporting tool such as JDiskReport to get a better understanding of what is taking up disk space.
ssjheero_yuy99
In Runtime
- Messages
- 184
bmxfreakrider listed the place where most of the drive is allocated. Realize that windows will allocate space for things that it might need. Because of this, it shows the space as used, when you look at the drive in the my computer, even if there are not actual files there. Having the amount of space that is actually shown in files and in free space is almost always different.
For example, my C drive shows 30.5 free space, 7.82Gbs used on my 40Gb hard drive, (which after formatting is really 38.3Gbs). now If I highlight all the files in my c Drive, I get, 5.96Gbs of files, so where are my other ~2Gbs? well, If I select all hidden files then I'm up to 5.96GBs, hidden files don't take up very much in my case, and then if I select all files, (including system files), then I'm up to 7.46Gbs. I'm still aprox 0.4Gbs off. where are these? the extra allocated space that don't use sys-files.
For example, if i right-click on my recycle bin and select properties, it will show me how much space is allocated for each drive. Normally this is set to 10% of the drive, I have it at 1%, (lowest I can go without 0%), and that is 146Mbs, If i check on my system restore, again this is 10% of the drive by default, I'm using 2% of the drive, or 651Mbs. Internet explorer also automatically captures 5-10% of your drive for cache. I have IE set to 20Mbs and my Firefox set to 50Mbs. Note that I believe Sys restore and recycle bin also show up as sys-files. so it will be captured in your highlighting and properties check to see total disk usage, but this is only if you have hidden and sys files shown.
There are other things that eat up space like this as well. The biggest one is your paging file, which typically takes up about 1.5-2Gbs. This is not shown in my numbers because I have the paging file on another partition of my drive. Note that the paging files shows up as a sys file.
But as you can see all this space disappears rapidly from MS's default settings. Between Paging file, Recycle Bin, Sys-Restore, and IE, you already have about 20-30% of your drive being eaten up by allocated space. It is also possible that you just have a massive amount of temp files. Run the computer clean-up utility that Windows has to help clear old stuff out.
Try resetting the amount of allocated space down some and see if that helps clear up space. If it doesn't and the drive is still full, it is possible that you have a virus that is throwing alot of temps on your HD to eat up space. I've run into it twice on other computers that people were trying to get fixed.
Edit -- if sys restore, recycle bin, and paging are all set to default, then 10%, 10%, and aprox 2 Gbs, (note this depends on how much ram you have. Windows will try to find 2-3Gbs of memory. If you have 512MB system ram, then there will be about 2.5Gbs in paging. if you have 1Gb of ram, then you will have about a 1.5-2GB paging file. (e.g. I have 1Gb system ram, and my paging file is 1.5Gbs, (nothing running so it doesn't need the extra in the paging), but I don't have paging set to default either...)
If this is 10%, 10%, 2Gbs, then on a 18Gb drive, thats 1,800Mbs + 1,800Mbs, + 2Gbs, so aprox 6 Gbs that you can't highlight (under default settings), and find the size for with a Ctrl+A, properties in the Drive.
For example, my C drive shows 30.5 free space, 7.82Gbs used on my 40Gb hard drive, (which after formatting is really 38.3Gbs). now If I highlight all the files in my c Drive, I get, 5.96Gbs of files, so where are my other ~2Gbs? well, If I select all hidden files then I'm up to 5.96GBs, hidden files don't take up very much in my case, and then if I select all files, (including system files), then I'm up to 7.46Gbs. I'm still aprox 0.4Gbs off. where are these? the extra allocated space that don't use sys-files.
For example, if i right-click on my recycle bin and select properties, it will show me how much space is allocated for each drive. Normally this is set to 10% of the drive, I have it at 1%, (lowest I can go without 0%), and that is 146Mbs, If i check on my system restore, again this is 10% of the drive by default, I'm using 2% of the drive, or 651Mbs. Internet explorer also automatically captures 5-10% of your drive for cache. I have IE set to 20Mbs and my Firefox set to 50Mbs. Note that I believe Sys restore and recycle bin also show up as sys-files. so it will be captured in your highlighting and properties check to see total disk usage, but this is only if you have hidden and sys files shown.
There are other things that eat up space like this as well. The biggest one is your paging file, which typically takes up about 1.5-2Gbs. This is not shown in my numbers because I have the paging file on another partition of my drive. Note that the paging files shows up as a sys file.
But as you can see all this space disappears rapidly from MS's default settings. Between Paging file, Recycle Bin, Sys-Restore, and IE, you already have about 20-30% of your drive being eaten up by allocated space. It is also possible that you just have a massive amount of temp files. Run the computer clean-up utility that Windows has to help clear old stuff out.
Try resetting the amount of allocated space down some and see if that helps clear up space. If it doesn't and the drive is still full, it is possible that you have a virus that is throwing alot of temps on your HD to eat up space. I've run into it twice on other computers that people were trying to get fixed.
Edit -- if sys restore, recycle bin, and paging are all set to default, then 10%, 10%, and aprox 2 Gbs, (note this depends on how much ram you have. Windows will try to find 2-3Gbs of memory. If you have 512MB system ram, then there will be about 2.5Gbs in paging. if you have 1Gb of ram, then you will have about a 1.5-2GB paging file. (e.g. I have 1Gb system ram, and my paging file is 1.5Gbs, (nothing running so it doesn't need the extra in the paging), but I don't have paging set to default either...)
If this is 10%, 10%, 2Gbs, then on a 18Gb drive, thats 1,800Mbs + 1,800Mbs, + 2Gbs, so aprox 6 Gbs that you can't highlight (under default settings), and find the size for with a Ctrl+A, properties in the Drive.
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