Huge chunk of Hard Drive Free Space Missing

[Ken Silver]

Hello all. I could really use some help.

I have a TB hard drive with 917 GB of actual space. But right now, I only have 27 GB free. Why?

Because SOMETHING happened and now 602 GB of space has gone UP in smoke. Cannot be found.

I used WinDirStat and it just shows up a HUGE yellow box that simply says "C:" and leads to nowhere.

I then used Treesize and it doesn't even pick up the missing 602 GB. It recognizes that I only have 27 GB left out of 917 GB, but it doesn't lead to anywhere.

I have also gone into System Properties and turned down the Disk Space Usage for restore points down to 1% and deleted all previous points.

I'm on a Lenovo y580. Laptop is about 4 to 5 years old. It has never given me any problems like this before. I ran a CHKDSK recently too. It said some errors were found and fixed, but it says that every time I run CHKDSK now. This issue is new, having only occurred over the last weekend.

I'll post pictures and stuff necessary if anyone has any ideas. I know a bit about computers so I should be able to follow directions. But from what I researched, I don't think it's any of the super common issues. Part of me thinks it's a dying hard drive from a very old laptop, but I need to exaust every last option before I decide to buy a replacement. Money is sort of an issue.

Thanks in advance to any and all who can help with this.

 

[Ztruker]

Have you gone into Folder Options and set Show hidden files and Folders?

 

[Ken Silver]

Yes sir. That and I think I have WinDirStat to pick up all hidden files and folders.

Besides, what in the blue oceah could be 600+ GB? I feel as if 60% of my Hard Drive just died overnight.

EDIT: I'm uploading the WinDirStat pic.

 

[Ztruker]

Try doing a chkdsk /f and if that doesn't help chkdsk /r.

 

[DavidE]

WizTree is the best program I've found for showing the WinDirStat <unknown> files.
They have a portable version available, no installation needed.
Antibody Software - WizTree finds the files and folders using the most disk space on your hard drive

 

[Ken Silver]

Welp. I just came back from doing chkdsk /f and /r. I lost MORE space by doing that. Now I only have 522 MG of free space left. I'll need to install WizTree. I already used TreeSize and that came up empty.

EDIT: Updated with WizTree results. Same as Tree Size. The 600+ GB are just missing.

 

[Layback Bear]

Filling in your (My System Specs) would be helpful.

What security programs do you have installed?

 

[Ken Silver]

Sorry about that. I updated my info. I'm also putting a screenshot here.

My security is Trend Micro Max Security. I also run CCleaner and CleanUp! on a usual basics. If there is anymore info you need, let me know. But you might need to let me know where that info would be located. Sorry about that! I've been out of the IT game for a bit.

 

[derekimo]

What happens when you run windirstat as admin? Does it still show unknown? Or at least give you a location?

There is some good points being posted here,

What is “<Unknown>”? | WinDirStat propaganda blog

Some even lead back here, but it may give you an idea.

 

[Ken Silver]

I have seen that article before but I'll give the comments below a read.

But while I do that, I did run WinDirStat and there was no change. No location of the files or anything. Still directs to "C:".

 

[Layback Bear]

Just a thought.

From post #1

I have also gone into System Properties and turned down the Disk Space Usage for restore points down to 1% and deleted all previous points.

What % was the storage volume set at before you lowered it.
I keep mine at 5% with out problems.

This little tutorial by Brink could be helpful.

This will make sure that the old restore points are gone even after you turned the % to 1. I'm not sure lowering the percent removes the old restore points.

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

Then you can run this from the cmd. prompt to verify Windows 7 don't see any but the last new one.

VSSADMIN LIST SHADOWS

-------------------------
Another thought. On my second pot of coffee.

Some 3rd part defrag programs will move restore point where Windows 7 can't find them. Their still on the drive but are very hard to find to remove.

 

[Ken Silver]

I feel really dumb. None of the options seem to have work:

- I deleted all Shadow Copies and previous Restore points.
- I've run all kinds of CHKDSK in administrator mode...
- I've cleaned out everything using Disk Cleanup
- I've run a Disk Defrag before and I could run one again, but I have either a SSD or a SSHD so I don't want to Defrag too much.
- I uninstalled a few heavy hitting games on my computer, but lost that space RIGHT AWAY after doing CHKDSK
- I have less then a Gig in Duplicate Files.

I have no idea what is going on. And it seems the more I try to fix, the worse it gets. :/ Maybe more information is needed to diagnose what is up with my computer?

EDIT: Man. Need to read post above and formatting is hard.

 

[Ken Silver]

Sorry for Double post, but editing one post over and over is bad.

- I just ran the VSSADMIN command. It says "No items found that satisfy that query". I'd take it that means I properly deleted them all before.
- My % before any of this happened in terms of space alloted for System Restore was 2%. I have since moved it to 1% and turned it OFF.
- Since I have no Shadow Copies, I'd assume that means I deleted all of the Restore Points correctly as well?
- I have never defrag'd on my computer unless I used the original program. So I don't think 3rd party programs are an issue.
- If they were I have wiped my computer clean with CCleaner.

 

[Layback Bear]

What defrag program did you use?
Your specs show a hard drive.

Hard Drives 1TB HD

I don't recommend defrag a SSD.
I have no idea if you can or should defgag a SSHD.


I use the built in Windows 7 defrag program.
A long time ago I tried many and went back to Windows 7 built in defrag.

When Windows 7 defrags, it put thing where Windows 7 wants them, not where a 3rd party program wants them.

Do you use any auto upload to a cloud back up program?
The reason I ask is the cloud backup might be saving things waiting for the proper time to upload to the cloud.
This is called reaching for straws when things don't make sense.

From you post #12

I uninstalled a few heavy hitting games on my computer, but lost that space RIGHT AWAY after doing CHKDSK

This makes no sense at all. Maybe it has something to do with a SSHD and the way it reports to Windows 7.
I almost bought one a long time ago; I'm glad I talked myself out of buying one.

Lets do something simple so we can have a look.
Complete this tutorial by Golden.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

This will tell us what has been reported to Windows 7 and what it sees.
What Windows 7 sees is the important thing.

Your games can also caused problems. It depends where you get them from and how you get them. If they are got with a torrant or P2P and Windows 7 doesn't recognize them they will be marked as unknown.

We will keep think.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You say this machine is 4 or 5 years old.

You say "I have either a SSD or a SSHD" and that it is circa 1 TB in total capacity.

I don't think that drive can be 4 or 5 years old if it's an SSD or SSHD and assume it is a replacement drive.

If it is a replacement drive, how recently did you install it?

On what day (how recently) did this "missing space" issue first arise?

If it is a replacement drive, what is the brand and model number?

I'd guess it's much more likely that you have a 1 TB SSHD than a 1 TB SSD.

I think SSHD is another name for a hybrid drive that effectively has 2 sections: SSD and spinning.

I'm wondering if the missing space represents the spinning section and that your SSD section is in fact nearly full.

Could it be that the spinning section has never been used and that 100 percent of your installation is on the SSD section?

Just asking. I have little knowledge of SSHDs and how to handle them or how they would appear in WinDirStat or Treesize.

 

[Ken Silver]

Okay. I'm going to run those steps now. (the Disk Management)

I've only defrag my computer once. From what I learned you CAN defrag SSD but you should do so sparingly. Very sparingly. That's why I've only run it ONCE in the 5 years I've had this computer.

I agree that losing data after the CHKDSK makes no sense. I had SW:TOR uninstalled and I bumped back up to 60GB. Then I ran a CHKDSK and it dropped back down to under 1GB. Totally makes no sense to me either.

I also don't have any Cloud programs on my computer. But I have backed up all my important data (copying important files) to an external HD.

I do have a few games installed. But nothing new installed around the time everything went to Hades. The only one I've played in the last month or so is Guild Wars 2.

And of course the image requested is below. Everything looks fine to me... which makes this more weird. I'd feel less noobish if Disk Management show the C: drive as corrupt or something.

 

[Ken Silver]

You say this machine is 4 or 5 years old.

You say "I have either a SSD or a SSHD" and that it is circa 1 TB in total capacity.

I don't think that drive can be 4 or 5 years old if it's an SSD or SSHD and assume it is a replacement drive.

If it is a replacement drive, how recently did you install it?

I'd guess it's much more likely that you have a 1 TB SSHD than a 1 TB SSD.

I think SSHD is another name for a hybrid drive that effectively has 2 sections: SSD and spinning.

On what day (how recently) did this "missing space" issue first arise?

I'm wondering if the missing space represents the spinning section and that your SSD section is in fact nearly full.

Could it be that the spinning section has never been used and that 100 percent of your installation is on the SSD section?

Just asking. I have little knowledge of SSHDs and how to handle them or how they would appear in WinDirStat or Treesize.

Yeah. I realized that something was up with what kind of Hard Drive I had when I looked into it more this weekend. I was told I was buying a 1 TB SSD. But I'm pretty sure now it's a SSHD. Because actual SSD don't get that big... not normally and not back then. But the term SSHD wasn't really a thing when I got this computer. (Oh and I forgot to say, this is the original Hard Drive. I haven't replaced any parts on this laptop.)

This missing space of 600+ GB didn't happen until late Friday Night. So... Aug 14, early Aug 15th.

And since I never heard of the term SSHD until recently... maybe the spinning half is busted. I am as clueless as you are on that one. :/

 

[ignatzatsonic]

What's the brand name and model number of the drive?

 

[Ken Silver]

What's the brand name and model number of the drive?

Yeah... so apparently I have 2. One is obviously my D: Drive and the other is my C: Drive. My guess is that the C: Drive is Samsung MZMPC032HBCD-000 and that the D: Drive is ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB.

Pic below in case I am just that bad.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Amazon.com: Samsung PM830 MZMPC032HBCD MINI MSATA PCI-E 32G SSD for Ultraslim Notebooks: Computers & Accessories

above appears to be the Samsung; 32 GB total capacity. It's a card that fits in slots.

You apparently have a notebook computer?

SAMSUNG Spinpoint M8 ST1000LM024 (HN-M101MBB/EX2) 1TB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 2.5" Internal Notebook Hard Drive Bare Drive - Newegg.com

above appears to be the other drive. A separate Seagate spinning drive, total capacity 1 TB.

I'm guessing all of the installation is on the Seagate and that the Samsung acts only as a cache of some type?

Looking at your Windows Disk Management picture, C is obviously the Seagate.

But I'm not sure which of D and the OEM partitions are part of the Seagate. It may be that D represents the Samsung.

I'd guess the "OEM" partition is on the Seagate.

Clearly, despite the fact that you have two drives, Windows sees all of it as disc 0, as if it were one drive.

The missing 600 GB is clearly on the discrete Seagate, but it's hard to say that it is necessarily defective. It may be some arcane controller or Windows issue unrelated to the drive per se.