Solved 1TB of HDD space missing completely

R3B3LCAUSE

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My laptop has a 2TB hard drive, but a few months ago over half of it completely vanished. Windows explorer shows that my C drive is now only 911GB. I believe the issue came about after I uninstalled Ubuntu (I dual booted for a while) and I thought that perhaps the space just didn't get reallocated properly so I checked in disk management and didn't find an "unallocated space" block. I tried error checking my hard disk, but this didn't fix it either. I have no idea how to fix this problem
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium x64i5-3210m8GBIntel HD 4000
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium x64
CPU
i5-3210m
Memory
8GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD 4000
Hard Drives
1TB ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Antivirus
AVG Antivirus Free
Browser
Mozilla Firefox
Run this command in elevated command prompt:

vssadmin list shadowstorage

Maybe the shadowstorage (restore points) is eating your C partition.

I also recommend to run WinDirStat. It shows you in nicely colored graphics were the big blocks are. When you click on the blocks it will tell you what it is.
 

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Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops
OS
Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
CPU
from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Monitor(s) Displays
2x HP w2207
Hard Drives
5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals
Keyboard
with trackball - no mices
Mouse
Trackball mice
Internet Speed
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I tried WinDirStat. It showed me the contents of my C partition, but not the space that is missing (not a part of any partition)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium x64i5-3210m8GBIntel HD 4000
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium x64
CPU
i5-3210m
Memory
8GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD 4000
Hard Drives
1TB ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Antivirus
AVG Antivirus Free
Browser
Mozilla Firefox

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 10 Pro x64Intel I5-2500K @3.3GHz16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X (4x4GB)EVGA GeForce 750 Ti SC 2GB
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self Built
OS
Win 10 Pro x64
CPU
Intel I5-2500K @3.3GHz
Motherboard
Asrock P67 Extreme4
Memory
16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X (4x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce 750 Ti SC 2GB
Sound Card
ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound
Monitor(s) Displays
auria eq2367
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
1TB WD Blue
1TB Hitachi
PSU
SeaSonic X 650W 80 Plus Gold
Case
Corsair Obsidian 750D
Cooling
Corsair H60, Three 140mm case fans
Keyboard
Logitech Wireless Keyboard K520
Mouse
Logitech Wireless Mouse M310
Internet Speed
Wave Broadband ~ 100 dn 5 up
Antivirus
Windows Defender, Malwarebytes Premium
Browser
Edge, IE11, Chrome
Other Info
Laptop specs: HP g7-1365dx /
CPU: AMD A6-3420M APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics /
RAM: Crucial 8Gb (2x4Gb) /
SSD: Crucial M4-CT128M4SSD2 ATA Device/ FW 000F /
GFX: AMD Radeon HD 6520G /
OS: Windows 10 Pro x64
I tried WinDirStat. It showed me the contents of my C partition, but not the space that is missing (not a part of any partition)
Did you check the shadowstorage - WinDirStat will not show that.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops
OS
Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
CPU
from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Monitor(s) Displays
2x HP w2207
Hard Drives
5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals
Keyboard
with trackball - no mices
Mouse
Trackball mice
Internet Speed
DSL 6000
I tried WinDirStat. It showed me the contents of my C partition, but not the space that is missing (not a part of any partition)
Did you check the shadowstorage - WinDirStat will not show that.

Used is 6 GB, max is 10 GB. I don't think that is the issue
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium x64i5-3210m8GBIntel HD 4000
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium x64
CPU
i5-3210m
Memory
8GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD 4000
Hard Drives
1TB ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Antivirus
AVG Antivirus Free
Browser
Mozilla Firefox

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium x64i5-3210m8GBIntel HD 4000
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium x64
CPU
i5-3210m
Memory
8GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD 4000
Hard Drives
1TB ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Antivirus
AVG Antivirus Free
Browser
Mozilla Firefox
You don't have a 2TB disk, you have a 1TB disk, same size as mine.
 

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My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 10 Pro x64Intel I5-2500K @3.3GHz16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X (4x4GB)EVGA GeForce 750 Ti SC 2GB
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self Built
OS
Win 10 Pro x64
CPU
Intel I5-2500K @3.3GHz
Motherboard
Asrock P67 Extreme4
Memory
16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X (4x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce 750 Ti SC 2GB
Sound Card
ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound
Monitor(s) Displays
auria eq2367
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
1TB WD Blue
1TB Hitachi
PSU
SeaSonic X 650W 80 Plus Gold
Case
Corsair Obsidian 750D
Cooling
Corsair H60, Three 140mm case fans
Keyboard
Logitech Wireless Keyboard K520
Mouse
Logitech Wireless Mouse M310
Internet Speed
Wave Broadband ~ 100 dn 5 up
Antivirus
Windows Defender, Malwarebytes Premium
Browser
Edge, IE11, Chrome
Other Info
Laptop specs: HP g7-1365dx /
CPU: AMD A6-3420M APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics /
RAM: Crucial 8Gb (2x4Gb) /
SSD: Crucial M4-CT128M4SSD2 ATA Device/ FW 000F /
GFX: AMD Radeon HD 6520G /
OS: Windows 10 Pro x64
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It was 2 TB when i bought it, that's the problem lol
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium x64i5-3210m8GBIntel HD 4000
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium x64
CPU
i5-3210m
Memory
8GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD 4000
Hard Drives
1TB ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Antivirus
AVG Antivirus Free
Browser
Mozilla Firefox

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pr...Intel i7-6800K @ 4.3Corsair Platinum 16 gig @2400EVGA GTX 1070 OC
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Home made Desktop
OS
Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
CPU
Intel i7-6800K @ 4.3
Motherboard
ASUS X-99 Deluxe II
Memory
Corsair Platinum 16 gig @2400
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GTX 1070 OC
Monitor(s) Displays
Asus 27" LED LCD/VE278Q
Screen Resolution
1920-1080 or 1280-720 HDMI
Hard Drives
INTEL SSD 730-240 Gb Sata 3.0/
PSU
EVGA Platium 1200W
Case
Phanteks Luxe Tempered Glass 8 fans/ one radiator
Cooling
XSPC/ Water Cooled CPU
Keyboard
Das 4 Professional
Mouse
Logitech M705/MX Anywhere 2-S
Internet Speed
100 mbits
Antivirus
Microsoft Security Essentials/ Malwarebytes Premium 3.0/ SAS
Browser
I.E. 11 default/Firefox/ ISP Time Warner Cable/Spectrum
Other Info
LG BluRay Burner/
Sound system-KLipsch-THX/
Icy Dock ssd Hot Swap bays.
Maybe I was mistaken and I actually have only 1 TB. I would still be missing 70 GB, what could the reason for that be?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium x64i5-3210m8GBIntel HD 4000
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium x64
CPU
i5-3210m
Memory
8GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD 4000
Hard Drives
1TB ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Antivirus
AVG Antivirus Free
Browser
Mozilla Firefox
Maybe I was mistaken and I actually have only 1 TB. I would still be missing 70 GB, what could the reason for that be?

That's normal; drives typically have a formatted capacity of about 93% of their advertised capacity.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bitIntel Skylake i5-6600K, not overclocked8 GB HyperX DDR4-2666 (2 x 4 GB)none; graphics are integrated on CPU
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Ignatz Special; 4 speed manual gearbox; factory air conditioning; one of one
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
CPU
Intel Skylake i5-6600K, not overclocked
Motherboard
AsRock Z170M Extreme 4, micro ATX
Memory
8 GB HyperX DDR4-2666 (2 x 4 GB)
Graphics Card(s)
none; graphics are integrated on CPU
Sound Card
onboard: Realtek ALC1150; external: USB Behringer UF0-202
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell S2340M 23 inch IPS
Screen Resolution
1600 x 900
Hard Drives
System: Crucial MX100 series SSD, 128 GB;
Data: Samsung Spinpoint 103SJ, 1 TB;
Backup: WD Caviar Green WD30EZRX-00D8PB0, 3 TB
PSU
Rosewill SilentNight 500 watt fanless, semi-modular
Case
Antec Solo II
Cooling
Noctua NH-U12S; Noctua F12 intake, Noctua S12A exhaust
Keyboard
Microsoft 200 6JH-00001 USB
Mouse
Dell or Microsoft optical wired; USB
Antivirus
Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes Premium
Browser
Pale Moon
Other Info
All fans PWM; speeds at idle: CPU circa 500 rpm; intake circa 600 rpm; exhaust circa 600 rpm; CPU temps 27 idle and 47 C load in a warm room (27 C/81 F) when running Intel Extreme Tuning Utility stress test.
That's normal; drives typically have a formatted capacity of about 93% of their advertised capacity.

How can they advertise more than they actually sell you? What is the other 7%?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium x64i5-3210m8GBIntel HD 4000
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Lenovo
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium x64
CPU
i5-3210m
Memory
8GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD 4000
Hard Drives
1TB ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Antivirus
AVG Antivirus Free
Browser
Mozilla Firefox
That's normal; drives typically have a formatted capacity of about 93% of their advertised capacity.

How can they advertise more than they actually sell you? What is the other 7%?

Here's 846,000 Google hits explaining it.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...=any&safe=images&tbs=&as_filetype=&as_rights=

Generally--there are 2 ways of measuring capacity and guess what? The HD manufacturers use the method that gives the largest number. Shocking, I tell you, shocking.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bitIntel Skylake i5-6600K, not overclocked8 GB HyperX DDR4-2666 (2 x 4 GB)none; graphics are integrated on CPU
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Ignatz Special; 4 speed manual gearbox; factory air conditioning; one of one
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
CPU
Intel Skylake i5-6600K, not overclocked
Motherboard
AsRock Z170M Extreme 4, micro ATX
Memory
8 GB HyperX DDR4-2666 (2 x 4 GB)
Graphics Card(s)
none; graphics are integrated on CPU
Sound Card
onboard: Realtek ALC1150; external: USB Behringer UF0-202
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell S2340M 23 inch IPS
Screen Resolution
1600 x 900
Hard Drives
System: Crucial MX100 series SSD, 128 GB;
Data: Samsung Spinpoint 103SJ, 1 TB;
Backup: WD Caviar Green WD30EZRX-00D8PB0, 3 TB
PSU
Rosewill SilentNight 500 watt fanless, semi-modular
Case
Antec Solo II
Cooling
Noctua NH-U12S; Noctua F12 intake, Noctua S12A exhaust
Keyboard
Microsoft 200 6JH-00001 USB
Mouse
Dell or Microsoft optical wired; USB
Antivirus
Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes Premium
Browser
Pale Moon
Other Info
All fans PWM; speeds at idle: CPU circa 500 rpm; intake circa 600 rpm; exhaust circa 600 rpm; CPU temps 27 idle and 47 C load in a warm room (27 C/81 F) when running Intel Extreme Tuning Utility stress test.
The 7% is the difference between the decimal number and the binary number.

1GB in decimal is 930MB in binary - but that is always 1 Billion bytes. Unfortunately the PC knows only binary and confuses us. LOL.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops
OS
Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
CPU
from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Monitor(s) Displays
2x HP w2207
Hard Drives
5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals
Keyboard
with trackball - no mices
Mouse
Trackball mice
Internet Speed
DSL 6000
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