Re: A suspiciously half full drive C

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From: BAR (BAR_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 07/07/04 

Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 09:53:02 -0700

System Restore and Internet Temporary Files can take an extraordinary amount of disk space.

In addition, one computer may be used regularly, whilst the other has been switched off for a few weeks. The active computer will, unless the defaults are altered, be accessing Microsoft's Update Site and downloading files to your hard drive.

All of the above can account for several Gbs of data which are 'not created' by the user and change the free space on the disk drive: whilst you may only see 'My Documents' on both PCs as being the same amount of space.

You can manage the space used by Restore and Internet : click on Help annd you will locate the instructions very quickly.

Apart from this one can only suggest to a physical difference in capacity between the two systems: yes it is possible.

"ChrisM" wrote:

>
> "bbsmallkid" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:27b1b01c46436$66da7160$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> > I bought a brand new computer some three months ago which
> > came preloaded with Windows XP home edition, loved it so
> > much that I bought another identical computer, reasoning
> > that as I'm a writer I needed the back up of another
> > computer should something happen to the first one. I
> > transferred all my settings, notes etc to computer 2 and
> > yet two days ago I happened to right click on drive C to
> > check on the properties and while the second computer
> > shows only a tiny wedge of the pie used my first computer
> > says that the drive is already half full. I swear there is
> > nothing on computer 1 that isn't on computer 2 so I'm
> > wondering if
> > 1. Could I inadvertently have downloaded a virus to
> > computer 1 - I have both Zone Alarm and Norton anti virus
> > loaded on both computers
> > 2. Can I use my recovery disc on computer 1 to start all
> > over again. System restore only seems to show restore
> > points up until two months ago and I've tried using that
> > only to see the hard drive still showing half full.
> > Any help gratefully received
>
> Are you sure the disk sizes are the same on both PCs, its not uncommon for
> manufacturers (especially if you bought it from a retail shop like PC World)
> to change the specification of their PCs without much warning.
> Just check the 'Capacity' on the C: Drive properties of both and make sure
> it's the same.
>
> Possible you have a virus, though if ZoneAlarm and Norton AV are installed
> and configured correctly then that is quite unlikely.
>
> If it is possible to fire bothe PCs up side by side, you could do a visual
> comparison of the Folders on both and see if you can spot any differences.
>
> You could try a file search for files bigger than (say) 10Mb and see if
> you've got anything large files extra on one.
>
> ChrisM
>
>
>

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