SSD Problem - Keep losing storage space & failing.

ignatzatsonic said:

If you downloaded that tool from Sandisk, it looks like the right thing to me.

Post a screenshot of what is shown on the "SMART attributes" tab and run any tests or analysis that is available.

In a post above you say about the "nothing" partition: "it was put there when I installed the OS onto my SSD."

If that is true, then it was obviously connected at the time. If a drive is disconnected, nothing can be put on it. That's why that is the recommended method.

It being put there at the time would explain why you have a "dynamic" disk also. The "nothing" partition was the 4th partition on that drive and Windows doesn't like to install more than 3 partitions on a non-dynamic disk. So it forced that drive into "dynamic" status.

I think you can probably undo some of these issues by disconnecting the non-SSD and running a repair install, BUT DON'T do that now.

Show us what that toolbox says. If you have an SSD problem, there is no point in trying to re-install to it.

I already posted a link to a screenshot of SMART Attributes: https://i.imgur.com/Nh8ReHE.jpg (however, it missed out two tables - https://i.imgur.com/8lsPGTb.jpg).

There are no tests or analysis' that I can see, no buttons or anything. Only thing I can do is check for Firmware updates which I have done and saved it to an ISO file.

And okay, thanks for the information about the HDD being connected and the 'dynamic' status.

Are you comfortable opening the case and maybe reconnecting some stuff, like you did when the SSD was installed. Or did you have no part in that?

Are you familiar with Device Manager or the BIOS?

Tentatively, the SSD may be OK.

I did not install the SSD and I am not confident enough to attempt it myself, I woudn't want to damage anything.

I am familiar with what the Device Manager is (If you're talking about the one in the Control Panel). and I know what the BIOS is but wouldn't know my way around it.

According to that Disk Management picture, the F partitions combined are 426 GB with about 116 GB unused.

To the best of your knowledge, what is on those 2 partitions?

Whatever it is, it totals around 310 GB.

When you look in Windows Explorer, do you see 1 or 2 F drives and what appears to be in them?

Is all of your personal stuff, that you care about, on C or G, nowhere else?

There are just things such as my Music, TV shows, Movies, university work, software installation files, and many more things.

I see 1 F drive.

I care about the stuff on all my drives, I haven't wiped my F or G drives since I got them as they've contained the most important stuff that I wouldn't want to lose.

The only drive that would be easiest to replace the files is the C: drive - there are a lot of files/programs installed in my F and G drives.

So your games are on G, Windows and other programs are on C, and your personal stuff like videos, documents, mp3s, pictures are on F?

Yeah pretty much, apart from 2 games being on the C: drive.

But there are more than just videos, documents, mp3s and stuff on the F: drive ( but it mainly consists of those )

Do you have an ordinary Windows 7 installation disc?


Was it burned from a download or was it purchased at retail or from your school or?

Do you have any external drive to which you could temporarily move your personal stuff?

I have a Win7 install on a USB stick which I downloaded from my University.

I don't have an external drive big enough to temporarily move my personal files.

I know what I'd do if I owned that PC and it were sitting in front of me.

I am reluctant to go very far as I understand your fear and reluctance to dig yourself into a larger hole.

It's odd that the "nothing" partition was forced onto that drive during the Windows installation. It contains something quite small, but that partition is NOT marked as system or active or boot, implying that your PC would in fact boot OK if that drive were disconnected.

That's the first thing I'd want to know: can I boot with only the SSD connected?

There are ways to disable that drive without actually disconnecting it, but your reluctance might be in the way.

If you don't need the "nothing" partition to boot, you could get rid of it, and get the non-SSD out of "dynamic" status, back to "basic" like the SSD.

But converting from dynamic to basic can put your data at risk. And you apparently have no backup of your data? Dynamics are a major no-no.

After you've got that straightened out, then attack the page file issue.

I think you can solve this without a fresh installation, but wait for other comments.

If a fresh install is what you want to do or must do eventually, you still should get rid of that dynamic status on the other drive---which means you ought to think about how you can back up your data.