i am missing gigs

[Darkages]

well i have done everything but for some reason i am missing around 30 gigs and i have no clue where it went i have chkdsk virus scan and adware and the thing is look at this does that make sense to anyone?

[TheGrandMom]

Re: i am missing gigs

Do you use Fraps......??

[Darkages]

Re: i am missing gigs

hahahah no and also that would show up in the used space in all of c drive and thats the only drive i have
______________________________

[KingOfZeal]

Re: i am missing gigs

How long has if been since you emptied the recycle bin? This could be a lot, especially if you find yourself deleting a lot of large (ie video) files. On my laptop, at one point I was running about 75% capacity, then one day it dropped to about 30%. I had cleaned up some old video files some time earlier which dropped my drive usage down, and then later emptied the recycle bin, which was right before I noticed the large drop.

But, things in the Recycle bin won't show up on an drive properties page like you have shown, but will still register as taking up disk space, since it does. It's one of those quirky things about Windows.

Also: it's slightly possible that drive properties page doesn't count hidden files, but that wouldn't amount to much on an XP computer (Vista, however, is a different story on that matter). The system checkpoint files take up a lot of space as well, especially if you've had the computer for a long time and make frequent changes (add and remove programs and features), since it sets a point before every major event like that. The checkpoint files are put inside a hidden folder, so those may be connected as well.


Another suggestion? Use a free utility called TreeSize Free. It's a nice, accurate, file explorer, and it'll tell you EXACTLY how much space is being used where, but it does take some time on larger drives. Plus, it puts out cool images like this one (that's of my entire drive, done some time ago), as well as this one (what Windows Vista looks like). Each different color is a different type of file, and each large block (it's obvious in a few places) is a folder. The size of each individual block is proportional to the amount of space on the disk, compared to the entire image.

A little but of info: The first picture, the lower left corner with the dark blue blocks are MP3s, and the upper right corner (the block that has all red, purple and green) is actually FFXI. The middle 3rd is all windows Vista (basically, the column which separates the MP3s from FFXI), which is more or less enlarged and rearranged in the second picture, the top left, above the MP3s are the rest of my documents, and the bottom right, below FFXI, should be my program files.
That is, if I remember everything right. I know I have the MP3s, FFXI and Vista placed correctly. I could be wrong about the rest.


Edit: woops. Sorry, the program used to make the images is WinDirStat - Windows Directory Statistics -- I think I got a little confused. But, TreeSize Free is still a good program to determine what is being used where. Use WinDirStat if you're more of a visual person. WinDirStat will also do the same thing as TreeSize Free (say how much space is where), but will take a little bit more time since it needs to generate the image as well.

[Taskmage]

Re: i am missing gigs

I notice the "Hidden" checkbox is empty in the second window which means either you have no hidden files on what I assume is your boot drive (unlikely) or your search did not include files with that attribute. If it's the latter, go to My Computer > Tools > Folder Options > Advanced > Hidden files and folders > Show hidden files and folders, then try again. I bet a lot of that missing space shows up. 30 GB is a lot for system files so I'm betting on a large hidden cache of pornography if the PC has multiple users. Flagging a folder to hidden for that stuff was more than enough to fool my parents back in the day. <.<

[WovenDarkness]

Re: i am missing gigs

Flagging a folder to hidden for that stuff was more than enough to fool my parents back in the day. <.<

You hid porn...from your parents...on their computer?? LOL! That takes balls!!

[Taskmage]

Re: i am missing gigs

Heh. Well as an adolecent with an overabundance of hormones and an unmonitored internet connection, obtaining the porn was a given. Once I had it I'd have been a fool not to hide it. X3

[Jarre]

Re: i am missing gigs

Yeah it was easier for us to hide our porn from our parents back in the day as our parents didn;t have a clue about computers. However now, our generation's kids will not have it as easy as we know all the secrets!!

[Kuro]

Re: i am missing gigs

Yeah it was easier for us to hide our porn from our parents back in the day as our parents didn;t have a clue about computers. However now, our generation's kids will not have it as easy as we know all the secrets!!

Unfortuneatly for me my dad doesn'[t know how to hide his porn. The "downloads" folder. Not the safest place ever *shudder*.

[Taskmage]

Re: i am missing gigs

Yeah it was easier for us to hide our porn from our parents back in the day as our parents didn;t have a clue about computers. However now, our generation's kids will not have it as easy as we know all the secrets!!

You think that but our kids are probably going to store their porn on a bio-flash rom at the base of their skulls.

Unfortuneatly for me my dad doesn'[t know how to hide his porn. The "downloads" folder. Not the safest place ever *shudder*.

lol >_< That's the horrible flipside of the coin.

[Callisto]

Re: i am missing gigs

This is why my kids will each have their own computers, and not be able to use mine. This way if they do something stupid my info is secure, I don't have to know they're into midget porn, they don't have to know I'm a furry...erm...I mean...

[Kuro]

Re: i am missing gigs

lol >_< That's the horrible flipside of the coin.

Yes, knowing my 61 year old dad likes girl on girl action... not what I need! I should sneak a text document in that folder lol

[TheGrandMom]

Re: i am missing gigs

I taught computer stuff to my kids....they couldn't hide the porn from me. There were some very interesting screensavers awaiting them when I did find their stuff on the computer. Always loved to see the look on their face when they sat down at the computer.

[Darkages]

Re: i am missing gigs

if that hidden button was checked that would make all my files in c hidden
but i dont use recycle bin i delete it straight out so i have no clue

[Ellipses]

Re: i am missing gigs

He didn't mean you should check the Hidden checkbox. He meant that since it didn't have a check or square in it already, you didn't have any hidden files selected when you got the properties. For example, that square in Read-Only means you had some Read-Only files selected along with some that aren't Read-Only. So it's possible you have hidden files taking up the extra room, that weren't included in that properties page.