Re: XP Shows Incorrect Disk Allocation

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Not to be an enabler by answering a question the wrong group, but as Tom
said, probably just hidden and/or system files.

Just for grins; change the settings so you can see the hidden/system files
and use the search on the entire C:\. Don't enter anything in the
"File/Folder Name" box, but tell the search to look for files "Larger
Than..." 15 meg or so, you might turn up so very large hidden/system files.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey!"), Florida

"Tom Scales" <tomtoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:UjJEf.7572$g47.7332@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Well, you're in the wrong newsgroup, but....

1) Your machine came with a separate restore partition that can restore
the machine to its factory configuration. Probably in the 5-10GB range
and hidden.

2) Selecting all the folders does not include hidden files/folders, such
as your hibernation and page files.

3) Therefore, yes, it's full and nothing is wrong.
"Davis" <Davis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0AD5F852-3F8D-4952-8633-C3E44A34D4A5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi, I searched far and wide on Google..I saw other similar problems,
but no solutions.

I have an IBM/Lenovo z60M Thinkpad (laptop).

Problem: Windows Explorer, DOS dir command are telling me I'm using
more space than I believe I am actually using.

The machine has ~80GB HD.

Right-click on the drive, Windows Explorer sez:

Capacity: 75,595,128,832 bytes (70.4 GB)
Used Space: 68, 710, 748, 160 bytes (63.9 GB)
Free Space: 6,884,380,672 bytes (6.41 GB)

I do not believe this is correct. I keep a pretty close eye on what I
put on the disk, and I know I haven't used close to 70 GB yet.

There are a couple of quick jump-to's here:

1) machine has been hacked and people are storing stuff on the disk
secretly.

I don't believe this to be the case. Despite having lots 'o personal
firewall software on the machine, it is not accessible from the general
public.

2) some app went wild with logging and just keeps writing to the disk

This is not the case. I've profiled all applications and dumped the
entire dir/file directory to look for a problem like this (growing
logfile) it does not exist.

3) Windows restore is doing something queer.

I turned Windows restore off.

4) You are crazy, dude. You really did use up all that space and you
are just dumb.

So, I tried ExplorerXP at www.explorerxp.com and if I open that, and
select EVERYTHING in the drive, it tells me I'm using 36.7 GB

So, I also d/l du utility from
http://www.sysinternals.com/utilities/du.html
I ran that on C: and added up the top level directories, and I got 36.7
GB.

However, if I run from cmd prompt:

C:\>dir
Volume in drive C is IBM_PRELOAD
Volume Serial Number is F894-C957

Directory of C:\

01/15/2006 11:39 AM 66 a1.pgw
01/15/2006 11:39 AM 1,136,838 a1.png
01/26/2006 11:47 AM 293,751 atgpc.log
01/14/2006 04:44 PM 192 BcBtRmv.log
01/22/2006 04:51 PM <DIR> DigitalLibrary
01/14/2006 06:49 PM <DIR> Documents and Settings
01/16/2006 11:44 AM <DIR> Download
01/14/2006 04:46 PM <DIR> DRIVERS
12/02/2005 03:28 AM 1,531 drivez.log
01/14/2006 06:22 PM <DIR> Eclipse
01/14/2006 03:28 PM <DIR> I386
01/30/2006 11:00 AM 144,997 IbmEgath.XML
02/01/2006 12:04 PM <DIR> IBMSHARE
01/14/2006 03:25 PM <DIR> IBMTOOLS
12/02/2005 03:25 AM <DIR> Icons
12/02/2005 03:28 AM 3,890,550 install.log
01/14/2006 06:25 PM <DIR> MKS
01/15/2006 10:58 AM <DIR> Oracle
02/01/2006 11:24 AM <DIR> Program Files
08/09/2004 12:42 PM <DIR> SUPPORT
01/27/2006 12:03 AM 644 SVKSettings.txt
01/22/2006 02:31 PM <DIR> SVN
12/02/2005 03:20 AM 1,378 SYSLEVEL.IBM
12/02/2005 03:33 AM 43 TCPACHIP.LOG
01/30/2006 10:51 AM <DIR> TEMP
01/27/2006 12:03 AM 117 utstest.txt
01/27/2006 12:03 AM 1 utstest0.txt
08/09/2004 12:42 PM <DIR> VALUEADD
01/31/2006 12:36 PM <DIR> WINDOWS
02/01/2006 11:23 AM <DIR> Work
02/01/2006 01:40 PM <DIR> Workspace
12 File(s) 5,470,108 bytes
19 Dir(s) 6,884,970,496 bytes free

It tells me 6.8 GB free.

I'm pretty f'ing bummed out, and here's why:

1) I called IBM/Lenovo -- they told me if it is not a HW problem, then
their solution is to re-install the operating system.

2) I looked at MS website for help. They say if you buy a system with
Windows pre-loaded, go ask them for help or pay $$$$ to get support.

The problem (again) in a nutshell: Windows thinks about half my
diskspace is used, when I know it really isn't. I simply can't figure
out how to slap it really hard and make it think like a computer.

Hidden files are turned on.

I have also defragged. The system shipped with Diskeeper Lite.
Curiously, I first noted this problem after running Diskeeper Lite.
I'm not saying Diskeeper is the problem, but it was an activity that
ran on the disk doing some heavy lifting, and some time after that I
noticed this problem.

There's some meta-info overhead in the NTFS filesystem, so I know I
don't get the complete size of the disk, but this is a difference near
35GB.

I can't account for about 35GB of space that Windows Explorer and "dir"
tell me are used, but du and ExplorerXp tell me are not used.

Some people have told me the only solution is to completely wipe the disk
and start over. This is my development machine. It will take hours and
hours to get back to a state where I can use it. I really hope there is
an
alternative to this.

Please help!




.



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