Solved Missing Hard Drive Space?

[Planthony]

Fresh Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 Installed and updated with a few programs installed and some audio files.

Just realizing that I am running out of space on my hard drive fairly quickly.

Under My Computer(C Drive) it lists 28GB free of 110GB total.

I have done the math(added up the C drive files, including the hidden files) and I should have around 54.4GB free, not 28GB.

I know that pagefiles take up 1.5*RAM installed, I only have 2Gb RAM = 3.5GB paging file. And possibly a hibernate file of the same size for a total of 7GB extra taken up. But the math still does not add up.

I have confirmed this by running windirstat, which says I am using 48.6GB on my C Drive(110 - 48.6 - 7 = 54.4)

The Math:
+110 (The Hard Drive)
- 3.5 (Paging file)
- 3.5 (Hibernation file)
- 48.6 (Everything visible[and hidden] on C Drive)
----------
54.4 GB

Which is 26.5GB more that what I have listed(27.9GB)

I have also not made a backup yet, so as far as I can tell that is not taking up space, and the C drive is 0% fragmented.

Any help as to what would be taking up this space(26.5GB) would be greatly appreciated.

 

[richc46]

Probably system files. Delete them, make new restore point for emergency.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/336-system-protection-restore-points-delete.html
If still a problem, run anti virus scan, scan with malwarebytes and scan with eset online.

 

[Layback Bear]

Avast has been causing this kind of problem for about a month. Take a read here.

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=166697.0

http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/368050-dwindling-free-space-my-c.html

 

[Planthony]

Thanks for the quick replies. I do have avast installed, I'll check that a bit later and get back.
Been looking for a good excuse to get rid of avast for a while now, this may be it.

 

[AddRAM]

System Restore as mentioned takes up space.

Use MSE and MBAM, that`s all you need.

Microsoft Security Essentials - Microsoft Windows

Malwarebytes | Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

 

[Planthony]

Ahh perfect That freed 35GB!(10GB over the maximum allowed in the restore point settings) Thank you everyone for your help, I used all of the links.

 

[richc46]

Glad that we could help. It usually is the restore points. Want to reduce amt of space taken by the points?

 

[Planthony]

I knocked it down to 2GB in the configuration settings, seems to be enough, one restore point is about 120MB for me.
Thanks again

 

[Layback Bear]

It good to see things are working now.
Keep a watch for a while to make sure your setting stay.