Disk space loss

[vuongtutruc]

I'm using Vista Home Premium. It happened 2 weeks ago. The disk space has been gradually reduced even I haven't saved anything in it. The system alerts "Low Disk Space" all the time. I deleted some big files to get free disk space but after that the free disk space is automatically decreased. For example, yesterday free disk space was 1.4GB but now it is 910MB. It will be decreased untill 0 byte. I don't know what happened. Is it virus? Please help me

 

[Brink]

Hi Vuongtutruc,

It sounds like your System Restore is eating up your hard drive with saved restore points. You can delete all but the latest one in Disk Cleanup. Here is a link with details on how. See step 14.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76073-disk-cleanup.html?ltr=D

You can also see and limit how much space System Restore can use so you do not have to run Disk Cleanup so much. Here is a link to show you how to do that as well.

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

Shawn

 

[vuongtutruc]

I have run vssadmin list shadowstorage but it prompted that there is no items that satify the query. I think because I didn't create any system restore point in my computer.
It's just happened for 2 weeks. Before that it's very good.
Now, the free spcace only has 510MB (910MB yesterday). I only surf on the Internet last night. It likes, there are something growing inside.

 

[Brink]

vuongtutruc,

Have you ran Disk Cleanup yet?

Shawn

 

[vuongtutruc]

Yes, I did but there was no such a big file like in your screenshots. The total amount was about 10MB.

 

[Brink]

You might try disabling System Restore temporarly to see if you get your space back. Look at this link for details on how.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66971-system-restore.html?ltr=S

Shawn

 

[vuongtutruc]

I have disabled System Restore long time ago (maybe when I bought this laptop in February), so I think that why I couldn't see any item listed from vssadmin list shadowstorage.
Do you think it is related to virus?

 

[Brink]

Haha, yes that would be why you did not see any item listed from vssadmin. I doubt that it would be a virus, but you should scan your system just to be safe. Avast is a good free antivirus program.

The only other think I can think of that might eat some hard drive space is IE. Try this.
1. Open IE7.
2. Click Tools and click Internet Options.
3. Under "Browsing history", click the Delete button.
4. Click "Delete all" button.
5. Click Yes for confirmation prompt.

You might look in Task Manager to see what is running that could be eating the space.

Do you have any other utility program that makes backups?

Check Task Scheduler in Administrative Tools to see if anything on a schedule stands out at you that might be doing this.

Shawn

 

[vuongtutruc]

Please look at what are in Task Manager. I wonder why there are lots of running things. I actually don't know heap of them.

 

[Brink]

I do not see anything that pops out at me in your Task Manager.

Give this program a try: CCleaner It is a good drive cleaning program.
http://ccleaner.com/

Here are the settings that may help:

For Cleaner button, in Windows tab, check everything except these in the Advanced section.
1. Menu order cache
2. Windows size/location cache
3. Hotfix uninstallers
Check everthing in Applications tab.
To run Cleaner, click Analyze then Fix.

For Issues button, check everything except
1. Unused file extensions
2. ActiveX and Class Issues

Everything else is fine with default settings.

Let me know if it helps. I am running out of ideas on what can be eating so much space.

Shawn

 

[vuongtutruc]

Here is Task Scheduler and System Restore library (even I disabled System Restore as you instructed). The History was from 8/7/2007. I think the problem is here. What do you think? Please give me advices

 

[Brink]

Check here to make sure that your System Restore is disabled.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66971-system-restore.html?ltr=S

Your history log in Task Scheduler shows current activity which should not be there if it is disabled.

Shawn

 

[vuongtutruc]

Here is what I have it done before the problem happened

 

[Brink]

Ok, it shows you disabled it. Go ahead and disable it in Task Scheduler to. Try the CCLeaner program to see what it can clear up for you to.

Shawn

 

[vuongtutruc]

Ok, it shows you disabled it. Go ahead and disable it in Task Scheduler to. Try the CCLeaner program to see what it can clear up for you to.

Shawn

Nothing has changed The free disk space has gone from 510MB down to 409MB.

 

[Brink]

Vuongtutruc,

I'm sorry

The only other thing I can think of since you have a HP is, do you have a HP program that may be taking it's own version of System Restore? Check your Start Menu and startup programs list to see if there is one.

I do not know of anything else that would be eating up that much space that quickly. I hope someone else will see this post and may know something else to check.

Shawn

 

[vuongtutruc]

Oh, poor me! In startup list, there isn't any HP software.
Thank Shawn very much. I'll try more.
Could you give me some comments in upgrading Vista? http://www.vistax64.com/general-discussion/78828-upgrade-vista-home-premium-vista-ultimate.html

 

[Brink]

I found a link for the HP Recovery Manager program that may be causing your problem.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00814731&lc=en&cc=ca&dlc=en&product=3377275&rule=31706&lang=en

Click on the advanced options, and see if you can disable it.

Shawn

 

[nuclearTrace]

I am having a problem with losing disc space. I recently caught and presumably deleted a Trojan, Zlob-X.a. My computer was fine for about 48 hours after the removal. Now every time I connect to the internet I lose GB of hard disc space (about 1 GB every 5-10 minutes). The loss or continues for several minutes after I disconnect, as if something has downloaded and is expanding in the background. No spyware removal tool or antivirus has detected anything. Ideas or solutions?