Where has the 10gb in my C drive gone? Phantom files

[abhiroopb]

I have a 80gb SSD which I use to store my Windows 7 OS, applications and a couple of games.

I was just checking today and I noticed that I had 24GB free. I went into my C drive, set all hidden folders to "show" and selected all the folders and hit properties. According to the "size" I am using 41GB.

So, an 80gb SSD has 74.4GB of usable space.

I am using 41GB, which means I should have 33.4GB free space. However, it only shows that I have 24GB of free space, so about 10GB of space is being used and I am unsure as to how it is being used.

I figured that system restore MAY be the culprit so I removed all the restore points except the most recent. Now I have 26GB of free space, there is still about 7-8GB unaccounted for.

Any suggestions where I should look?

I have done all the usual CCleaner clean-ups, etc. In any case if there is a file or folder I should be able to see it being used, i.e. the 41GB should read about 48GB.

 

[zigzag3143]

I have a 80gb SSD which I use to store my Windows 7 OS, applications and a couple of games.

I was just checking today and I noticed that I had 24GB free. I went into my C drive, set all hidden folders to "show" and selected all the folders and hit properties. According to the "size" I am using 41GB.

So, an 80gb SSD has 74.4GB of usable space.

I am using 41GB, which means I should have 33.4GB free space. However, it only shows that I have 24GB of free space, so about 10GB of space is being used and I am unsure as to how it is being used.

I figured that system restore MAY be the culprit so I removed all the restore points except the most recent. Now I have 26GB of free space, there is still about 7-8GB unaccounted for.

Any suggestions where I should look?

I have done all the usual CCleaner clean-ups, etc. In any case if there is a file or folder I should be able to see it being used, i.e. the 41GB should read about 48GB.

Page file pehaps. other hidden folder like volume information.

 

[richc46]

Go to C drive>right click, properties>disk cleanup>clear system files. If not done before, you will regain a lot of space.

 

[yowanvista]

Try Ccleaner:
http://www.filehippo.com/download/f...ad326b5dd4010f121774f5fb0cdfca04e32bf5c80ed0/

 

[Dragonfly]

TreeSize Free should allow you to drill down and find that missing 10GB.

 

[pparks1]

More than likely, it's being taken up by System Restore points. You can see exactly how much space is used by
1). Right click my Computer
2). Choose properties
3). Click on System Protection
4). Under Protection Settings, highlight C and click on Configure.

Down near the bottom, you will see how much space is reserved and how much you are currently using. I'd bet this will be around the 10GB mark

 

[abhiroopb]

Page file pehaps. other hidden folder like volume information.

How do I see it? Usually the pagefile.sys is in the C:\ drive, but even if I show hidden files there does not appear to be any pagefile. Having said that I do notice that the pagefile is set to 6gb and that is EXACTLY how much space that seems to have been "misplaced".

Go to C drive>right click, properties>disk cleanup>clear system files. If not done before, you will regain a lot of space.

Have done that already, in fact I have it scheduled to do it every night.

Try Ccleaner:
http://www.filehippo.com/download/f...ad326b5dd4010f121774f5fb0cdfca04e32bf5c80ed0/

As I mentioned in my original post I have already used CCleaner.

TreeSize Free should allow you to drill down and find that missing 10GB.

How will that help exactly? As I said my main problem is that there appears to be about 6-8gb that I can't seem to find. I have already found that Windows + Program Files + folders in C:\ are using about 41GB. There aren't any more folders/files that I can find. I assume the programme you mentioned would show me how much space each folder/file was taking. I don't really want to know specifically what is making up the 41GB, rather I'd like to know where the remaining 6GB is. Thanks

More than likely, it's being taken up by System Restore points. You can see exactly how much space is used by
1). Right click my Computer
2). Choose properties
3). Click on System Protection
4). Under Protection Settings, highlight C and click on Configure.

Down near the bottom, you will see how much space is reserved and how much you are currently using. I'd bet this will be around the 10GB mark

Thanks. I have already set this to 3.5GB (max) of which 150mb is currently being used as I deleted all the recent system restore points.

Also I have emptied the recycle bin (although CCleaner does it automatically anyway).

So, in conclusion I THINK it is the pagefile, but for some reason while it usually shows up in the C:\ drive I cannot see it for some reason.

 

[richc46]

Go to C drive>right click, properties>disk cleanup>clear system files. If not done before, you will regain a lot of space.

I am not questioning your statement, but just want to be sure. When you do a disk clean up, system files are not included. You must click on system files. Is this what is being done on a regular basis?

 

[abhiroopb]

Go to C drive>right click, properties>disk cleanup>clear system files. If not done before, you will regain a lot of space.

I am not questioning your statement, but just want to be sure. When you do a disk clean up, system files are not included. You must click on system files. Is this what is being done on a regular basis?

Ok well when I am in "Disk clean up" there isn't any "clear system files" option. I see two sets of files under "Files to delete": "Downloaded program files" and "recycle bin". Both show 0 bytes.

There is also another "More options" tab, but this just leads me to the uninstall programmes list and delete system restore options (both of which I have done).

Is there anywhere else I am supposed to be looking?

 

[derekimo]

Go to C drive>right click, properties>disk cleanup>clear system files. If not done before, you will regain a lot of space.

I am not questioning your statement, but just want to be sure. When you do a disk clean up, system files are not included. You must click on system files. Is this what is being done on a regular basis?

Ok well when I am in "Disk clean up" there isn't any "clear system files" option. I see two sets of files under "Files to delete": "Downloaded program files" and "recycle bin". Both show 0 bytes.

There is also another "More options" tab, but this just leads me to the uninstall programmes list and delete system restore options (both of which I have done).

Is there anywhere else I am supposed to be looking?

right here,

 

[richc46]

click on computer incon>right click on c drive>properties>disk clean up. You will see clean system files. Click on that. If never done, before you will regain a lot of space.

 

[sonicradar]

I need to upgrade my pci video card

I need to upgrade my pci video card and need to know which one(s) has drivers for windows 7

 

[richc46]

I need to upgrade my pci video card and need to know which one(s) has drivers for windows 7

\\

You will receive more attention and help this poster resolve his problem if you start a new thread.

 

[abhiroopb]

right here,

click on computer incon>right click on c drive>properties>disk clean up. You will see clean system files. Click on that. If never done, before you will regain a lot of space.

Thanks for the screenshot. I am at work right now so of the top of my head I cannot recall if that button was there last time I opened up the cleaning function. However, from what I recall it was NOT there as I hunted around for it.

In any case I used CCleaner which, from what I have been told, ought to clean up the system files.

 

[whs]

This is probably an increase of your allocated shadowstorage. With each install and uninstall, Vista writes a shadow (restore point) of about 1GB - plus one is written each day in Vista and each week in Windows7. For that purpose Vista reserves 15% of your OS disk partition and allocates/uses it as needed. The allocation in Windows7 is variable from 3 to 15% depending on the size of your C-disk.
Find Command Prompt (in All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt), right click on it and Open as Administrator. Into the little black window type VSSADMIN LIST SHADOWSTORAGE and hit ENTER. It will show 3 numbers:
Allocated - that is the amount that it has grabbed from your OS partition at this time
Used - this is the amount currently used
Maximum - this is the ultimate amount it will allocate and use
Once you reach "maximum", it will reuse the space deleting the oldest shadows for the storage of the newest shadows. With e.g. a 200GB OS partition you should expect a maximum of 30GBs that are reserved for the system and that you cannot use. If your OS partition is larger or smaller, the shadowstorage will be accordingly (always 15% max.in Vista but variable in Windows7) But the restore points (shadows) are required the day you need to do a system restore.
The easiest way to change the shadowstorage is with this cmd command: (for the case where you want to set it to the minimum which is 300GB)
Vssadmin Resize ShadowStorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=300MB
If you want to set it to e.g. 20GB, the command would look like this:
Vssadmin Resize ShadowStorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=20GB
Never forget GB or MB behind the MaxSize number because then the system will assume bytes and you will get an error.
Note: In Windows7 you can also set it in System Protection, but you have to be a good scout to find it. The cmd way is faster – just paste the command into cmd and adjust the last number to your liking. You have to, of course, also adjust the drive letter if you apply it to other than C.

Source: My own blog

 

[abhiroopb]

This is probably an increase of your allocated shadowstorage. With each install and uninstall, Vista writes a shadow (restore point) of about 1GB - plus one is written each day in Vista and each week in Windows7. For that purpose Vista reserves 15% of your OS disk partition and allocates/uses it as needed. The allocation in Windows7 is variable from 3 to 15% depending on the size of your C-disk.
Find Command Prompt (in All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt), right click on it and Open as Administrator. Into the little black window type VSSADMIN LIST SHADOWSTORAGE and hit ENTER. It will show 3 numbers:
Allocated - that is the amount that it has grabbed from your OS partition at this time
Used - this is the amount currently used
Maximum - this is the ultimate amount it will allocate and use
Once you reach "maximum", it will reuse the space deleting the oldest shadows for the storage of the newest shadows. With e.g. a 200GB OS partition you should expect a maximum of 30GBs that are reserved for the system and that you cannot use. If your OS partition is larger or smaller, the shadowstorage will be accordingly (always 15% max.in Vista but variable in Windows7) But the restore points (shadows) are required the day you need to do a system restore.
The easiest way to change the shadowstorage is with this cmd command: (for the case where you want to set it to the minimum which is 300GB)
Vssadmin Resize ShadowStorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=300MB
If you want to set it to e.g. 20GB, the command would look like this:
Vssadmin Resize ShadowStorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=20GB
Never forget GB or MB behind the MaxSize number because then the system will assume bytes and you will get an error.
Note: In Windows7 you can also set it in System Protection, but you have to be a good scout to find it. The cmd way is faster – just paste the command into cmd and adjust the last number to your liking. You have to, of course, also adjust the drive letter if you apply it to other than C.

Source: My own blog

I assume what you mean is basically the “system restore” function that comes with Windows 7?

As I mentioned I have mine set to 3.5GB, it was already set to 3.5GB and I did nothing to change it (I originally went through the System Protection root). I did delete all the restore points which freed up some space. The thing is, it isn’t as though I have a lack of space and I have to free up space, it is just that I want to know what my space is being utilised for.

Is there anything else that could be the problem?

 

[richc46]

Did you do a clean disk of the system files as suggested?

 

[abhiroopb]

Did you do a clean disk of the system files as suggested?

As I said I did not find an option for it, i.e. that button was not there. I am using Windows 7 Home Premium and was unsure as to why it was missing!

Having said that I regularly use CCleaner which is quite aggressive in it's cleaning of system files.

 

[whs]

Run WinDirStat - that will tell you what is really on your disk.

 

[abhiroopb]

Run WinDirStat - that will tell you what is really on your disk.

Thanks but as I mentioned I already know that 41GB is being taken up by my Windows, Program Files and other related folders in C:\.

There are no more folders/files in C:\ drive and that is why I am wondering where the extra 6GB is going. I don't really need to see how the 41GB is being used (i.e. which folder/file is using how much space).