Free disk space does not increase after deleting files

[Jack101]

Recently I made a few videos with fraps that took up around 110 gigs of space, so I decided to compress all that and upload to youtube, the amount of space the videos are taking up are now down to 70, but my free disk space hasn't increased, in fact it's decreasing as if I never deleted the videos, it isn't decreasing on it's own only if I make files, so basically it'll take up space and it just stays that way for some reason.

I've looked around the internet for a solution, I have tried:

• Disabling automatic backup, that didn't do anything.
• Scanned my computer with malwarebytes to make sure it isn't some worm, nothing found.
• Used disk cleanup, cleared up 900 MB but the free space still didn't change.
• Used CCleaner, cleared up 500 MB but the free space still didn't change.
• Used disk check, nothing bad was found.
• Used WinDirStat, everything seems fine as it should be, but theres 100 gigs of <unknown>, and I have no freaking clue what it is.
• Used SpaceSniffer, found absolutely nothing that would take up that much space

I would use defraggler, but it will take WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too long so I'd use it when I have no other option, there's gotta be another way other than literally waiting over a day for defraggler to finish, and chances are that it wouldn't change anything as well meaning I would have wasted a bunch of time, if defraggler doesn't help I'll just reformat the whole thing.

Any suggestions?

Additional information:

Specs:
298 GB HDD
4 GB RAM
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

 

[wanchoo]

Welcome to the Seven Forums Jack101.

I suggest that instead of using Defraggler you use Puran Defrag and carry out a boot-time defrag.

Now about free disk space. Sometimes the correct free disk space shows up after a reboot. However from your message it would appear that you have already tried that but without success. Another way to find out how much free space exists is to open the Command Prompt and use the "dir/p" command. Please try that and check if the free space shown is identical with what you see with your method and report back with the command prompt screen shot after dir/p has been executed.

Good luck.

 

[strollin]

Did you empty the Recycle Bin?

 

[Jack101]

Did you empty the Recycle Bin?

Yes, numerous times, disk cleanup did that as well.

Another way to find out how much free space exists is to open the Command Prompt and use the "dir/p" command. Please try that and check if the free space shown is identical with what you see with your method and report back with the command prompt screen shot after dir/p has been executed.

Good luck.

I'll get to boot-time defrag, I'll come back with the results.

 

[wanchoo]

It appears that you get the same amount of disk space by both methods. Please confirm.

You may be having a large number of System Restore Points that may be hogging too much space. Please turn off System Restore and check if that shows an increase in the free space. Please be warned that if you turn off the System Restore you shall not be able to restore your computer to any previous state.

 

[Jack101]

You may be having a large number of System Restore Points that may be hogging too much space. Please turn off System Restore and check if that shows an increase in the free space. Please be warned that if you turn off the System Restore you shall not be able to restore your computer to any previous state.

It is disabled, it never was enabled. There is approximately 0 bytes of space being taken up by it.

Anyways, I did the boot-time defrag and nothing has changed

 

[F5ing]

Sounds like "previous versions" may be the culprit. That's also stored in "System Volume Information", where it would typically report as 0 bytes even though data is stored there. You should see the WinDirStat "unknown" category has grown to reflect what is really stored in "System Volume Information".

 

[Jack101]

What should I do? I'm pretty much stumped up to this point

 

[HammerHead]

Tuts To Read

This command will clean out your logs and will yield some space. This came from Win7 Forums and is safe. But you will no longer have old logs to refer to. If you are not having any problems the logs are probably not needed. You will begin to accumulate some new ones.

1. Run PowerShell as administrator
2. Paste (or type-in) this line:
Get-WinEvent -ListLog * -Force |% { $_.logname;Wevtutil.exe cl $_.logname };Wevtutil.exe cl system
3. hit Enter

Another ploy is in an elevated command prompt type "vssadmin /?" and look at the options You can delete your shadow copies if you want.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/166102-shadow-copies-delete.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/336-system-protection-restore-points-delete.html

 

[Jack101]

Tried the shadow copies one, that didn't do anything

Did the system protection restore points deletion, nothing

 

[F5ing]

Can you post a screenshot of WinDirStat, making sure all of the "Show" items are selected under the Options dropdown menu?

 

[Layback Bear]

You stated in your first post that you uploaded videos to youtube. You did not say you removed the videos from your computer. Their is a chance you still have a copy on your computer. Do a search for those videos on your computer. Defragging doesn't give you space it arranges things so they work faster.
Ccleaner also has a nice little goodie for cleaning free space. Lower left corner of the front page is wipe free space. Make sure you indicate free space only. I use it when I'm done cleaning up a mess and want it completely gone.
You could also do a search using Windows Explorer for unknown. Sometimes Windows calls them that when it doesn't know what else to do. Also do a search using Windows Explorer for compressed.

 

[Jack101]

Sorry for the lack of response, was at job and tired as heck.

Can you post a screenshot of WinDirStat, making sure all of the "Show" items are selected under the Options dropdown menu?

Edit: Also, ignore the "last changed: 2018", it's one single file claiming that and its one of my doom mods, I assume its some weird glitch

You stated in your first post that you uploaded videos to youtube. You did not say you removed the videos from your computer. Their is a chance you still have a copy on your computer. Do a search for those videos on your computer. Defragging doesn't give you space it arranges things so they work faster.
Ccleaner also has a nice little goodie for cleaning free space. Lower left corner of the front page is wipe free space. Make sure you indicate free space only. I use it when I'm done cleaning up a mess and want it completely gone.
You could also do a search using Windows Explorer for unknown. Sometimes Windows calls them that when it doesn't know what else to do. Also do a search using Windows Explorer for compressed.

I did remove the videos, not all of them because it takes a while to compress this stuff, but notice in the screenshot that the <unknown> is the problem, I know where I put the fraps videos, and when i do search for the videos anyways, nothing shows up. I tried CCleaner like I said and nothing changed, searching compressed brought nothing useful even when I showed hidden files.

 

[F5ing]

You're right, it's all in "unknown" (43% of the volume). This is where it places space for data that it has no access to, usually what would be found in System Volume Information. You may be able to clear it with a disk cleanup using the steps outlined in this tutorial:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/76383-disk-cleanup-extended.html

I'm somewhat surprised HammerHead's suggestions didn't help.

You might also check out this software to see if old copies of those files are being stored in System Volume Information:

ShadowExplorer.com - Manual

And a video tutorial on its use:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/132087-shadowexplorer-recover-lost-files-folders.html

 

[HammerHead]

Disk Indexes

I think cross linked files could lead to incorrect disk usage reports. To correct this you will have to run chkdsk. There is a way to run this from within Win but I prefer to run from a elevated command prompt. Or you can even boot from a Win PE disk and run with out your OS.
The command would be "chkdsk X: /f". The x is the disk letter in question. If you add the slash /r parameter it will also check the unused clusters. This can take considerable time on a large disk.

You can add a command to create a text file that you can save and do what ever with. If that is what you want append this string "> C:\path\filename.txt" to your chkdsk command. That command is not needed within Win because the report will go to Event Viewer under Applications. It will be one of your recent events.

Here is a couple more fine turorials from Win 7 Forums fine library of tuts.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/96938-check-disk-chkdsk-read-event-viewer-log.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html