Missing space in drive C

Fapos · Aug 27, 2008

Hey everyone. I Have been having some trouble with my laptop. Its a dell Inspiron E1505 (not sure if that makes a difference but why not...) I am missing alot of hard drive space, atleast 7gb and I would like to know where it went. When i check the size of my Users folder it is around 10 gb. There are two user folders, Default, Guest, and public. When I check folder sizes, the largest is mine at 3 gb. the others aren't even 100 megs. There are no other folders here and I am fairly sure it isn't hidden because the default folder is hidden and i can see it, I also checked the settings and hidden folders should be viewable. If anyone could offer any help, it would be greatly appreciated.

SCSIraidGURU · Aug 27, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Turn off system restore and do a disk cleanup.

Fapos · Aug 27, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

How do you turn off system restore?

Fapos · Aug 27, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

OK, i found out how to disable it. But I use it quite often. If i get a virus or something else goes terribly wrong, i just restore. Or can i turn it back on after running the disk clean up?

Fapos · Aug 27, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

I decided to go ahead and do it. I went ahead and did it. I got 1 gb back...
I really apreciate but is there anything else i can do?

TheShadow · Aug 27, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

STOP!....looking at folders. That means little or nothing.

Open MyComputer and right click on C: drive and look at the pie chart to see exactly the size of your drive.

If it were a 40 gig drive, for instance, you might actually have 37 or so gigs of usable space. It's always been like that and always will be.

Just enjoy your computer and don't get hung up on numbers....they lie!

Cheers mate!
The Shadow :cool:

Bare Foot Kid · Aug 28, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Hello Fapos, welcome to Vista forums!

As you've said you use "System Restore" so re-enable it and have a look
at this tutorial at the link below.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76227-system-restore-disk-space.html?ltr=S

As Shadow has said leave the folders alone; numbers are not always correct.

Keep us informed!

Later :shock:

Ted

SIW2 · Aug 28, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Hi,

Laptops often come with recovery partitions put on by the manufacturer - obviously they use some space. Right click computer and select explore - you should see all your partitions and their sizes listed.

If you still think a big chunk is missing, right click computer,select manage, continue at uac prompt, then in the left of the management window, click disk management ( it takes a few seconds) - this will show all the volumes on your computer including any unallocated space.

System Restore can take up 15% of your drive by default - that''s 6gb on a 40gb drive. To find how much it is using: click the start orb, type cmd into the search window, then right click on cmd .exe that appears and click run as administrator. The black command window will appear. Type vssadmin list ShadowStorage and press enter - this will list the amount system restore points are taking up. Click the cross at the top right of the command box to close it.

The Hibernate function will use disk space roughly equal to the amount of RAM you have - could be another gb.

To reclaim disk space you can disable Hibernation ( if you don't use it -I don't )
you can also delete all the system restore except the last one if you're comfortable with that.

See the tutorials. http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/165508-hibernation-enable-disable.html?ltr=H

Let us know what you find.

SIW2

SWAT · Aug 29, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Go to computer management and go to Disk management.
Take a screenshot and upload it.
I think i may know why.
When you buy a PC such as Acer and Dell.
around 10GB is locked for Health (EISA Configuration)

SIW2 · Aug 29, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Hi SWAT,

I've never had a laptop so although I know the manufacturers put odd stuff on there ( which is why I suggested he look in disk management ) I never knew they locked a chunk away for that - and presumably not obvious to the casual user.

Any laptop users out there - let us know what manufacturer created partitions you have had on your machines please.

SIW2

johngalt · Aug 29, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

I'm with SIW2 - I had no idea of this.

Thanks for the info, SWAT.

SWAT · Aug 29, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

np guyz... does that mean i answered your question? if i did you should select the thread is answered

johngalt · Aug 29, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

waiting on the OP to post back.

Fapos · Sep 2, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply. I was out of the country last weekend and having internet problems before that.

Fapos · Sep 2, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Ok, bad link
Screenshot1.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Fapos · Sep 2, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

I just did the Command prompt thing that SIW2 suggested earlier. I got the following message:
(after all the gobeldy gook that i dont understand i saw some numbers followed by gb)
64}\
used shadow copy storage space: 1.809 gb
allocated shadow copy storage space: 2.054 gb
maximum shadow copy storage space: 9.371

I'm not that good with computers so if anyone can translate it would be greatly appreciated. Also, I am now down to less than 9gb and I still don't know where its going. I know my brother plays games on it alot, would that create files that I don't need and can be deleted?

SIW2 · Sep 2, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Hi,

You say you use system restore, and while it is using some space, it doesn't seem excessive.

The shot of disk management you posted is interesting. It shows

First partition (which I assume is Eisa ) is only 55mb - that's tiny
Second partition is the recovery partition of 10gb
Third partition is where Vista is located it is 62.48gb - this is all you ever had available to you.
Fourth partition is 2gb - Not sure what this is.

So you actually have what manufacturers would call a 75gb hard drive. Not much of this is available to you. That might be partly because your brother has been copying games onto it, or whatever - it's also got a lot to do with the stuff the manufacturer has put on there.

I've never had a laptop, but if it was me, I'd get hold of a proper installation disc and have 2 partitions - first one for Vista and installed programs, and the second for your documents, data, photos, etc.

You don't have a disc, but it is easy to make one if you have a folder named WAU on your recovery partition.

Have a look on your recovery partition named D and see if you can find the WAU folder - if you do, double click it so it shows the files inside and post a screenshot.

While you're doing that perhaps some of the other members will post and share their knowledge.

SIW2

Fapos · Sep 2, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

if by partition you mean drive then I don't believe there is a folder. I searched WAU just by using the search bar in the window. I think that that would have found the folder if it existed... so now what?

Fapos · Sep 2, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

I just checked the proporties of my Users Folder. It says 23+ gb! When i just hold the mouse over it says 3gb. I opened the Admin folder. I think it is the other user I created a while back then later changed the name. There is a folder in there, app data that is 10 gb. Can I just delete the whole folder?

I just remember my girlfriends brother deleting alot of stuff in the Virtual Store folder. I just found it and its 7gb+

SIW2 · Sep 2, 2008

Re: Missing space in drice C

Hi,

Well done for looking, but the search function works by finding things that have been indexed - the D partition will not have been indexed, so you won't find it that way.

Click the Start Orb, then click Computer (it's on the right on the black bit of the start menu ), then click RECOVERY ( D: )

A new Window will open showing the folders on D. The WAU folder will be there if you have one.

Double click the WAU folder and the files it contains will be revealed. Take a screenshot and post it back.

SIW2

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