Solved SSD space is disappearing. Troublshooted almost everything already.

[SNsCPU]

****This thread is getting lengthy, so to help newcomers' to this thread catch up, I'll try to update this post from time to time with some cliff notes. Scroll down to view original post****

Cliff notes:

My SSD is losing drive space at a rapid rate. Whatever is eating away at my drive's capacity is NOT showing up in any file, folder, or hidden system file. My used disk space is remaining static in size, yet my free space is magically disappearing, leaving me with a huge chunk of drive space that is unaccounted for. See screenshots below to illustrate:

Note: The following screenshots are old and do not reflect my current drive's capacity.

This screenshot shows my drive capacity being 60GB:

This screenshot shows Space Sniffer, Treesize File, and Windirstat reporting my C: as only consuming approx 35GB in size.

This screenshot shows a full blown image of Space Sniffer reporting my entire C: capacity with used and free space. Together, the combined capacity of my used and free space shows in the top left box and totals 44.6GB which is clearly not the total capacity of my actual drive. Where did it go???

In between some of the posts in this thread, we've tried a myriad of things the gurus here could think of ranging from:

-deleting my hiberfil system file
-enabling TRIM on my SSD
-running a full Malwarebytes system scan
-running disk check
-messing around with my recycle bin size



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*****BEGIN ORIGINAL POST***********


Hello sevenforum!

Disclaimer: Be gentle on the computer lingo because I'm pretty much a nub with this stuff.

I was recommended to this forum from another forum because we are stumped.

The culprit in question is my 64GB Crucial M4 SSD. OS installed is 64 bit Windows 7 Professional.

I've googled and posted on a couple forums and we haven't really gotten anywhere.

I've already troubleshooted the most basic items such as:

-Disk Clean Up
-Clearing TEMP and internet folder caches
-Moving the TEMP and internet caches to another drive
-Deleted restore points and shadow copies
-No viruses/malware -- fresh install.
-Running Treesize file and Windirstat to monitor file sizes.
-Discussed the possibilty of cluster sizes and defragmentation on other forums but got differing opinions on this after I presented "the stumper" (see below).
-etc etc.

The stumper: Treesize file and windirstat both show total drive space being used at around 36GB. This is including the hiberfil and pagefile system files.

This physical drive space that is being used is remaining exactly the same, yet the FREE space is constantly disappearing and at a rapid rate. In about 1-2 weeks I've lost about 6GB even though my actual used space has stayed consistent around 36GB.

So this tells me that no new files are actually physically taking up my drive space since the physical storage size of my files are staying the same. I've been monitoring this the past month and the hiberfil and pagefile system files have remained pretty consistent, so it isn't these guys.

What's going on?!

TIA!
-Steven

 

[Wishmaster]

What exactly do you mean by free space disappearing?

I understand used space is being reported the same but what about Total disk space?

In disk manager is it showing the total capacity of the drive as it should be, or is it that shrinking as well?

 

[SNsCPU]

What exactly do you mean by free space disappearing?

I understand used space is being reported the same but what about Total disk space?

In disk manager is it showing the total capacity of the drive as it should be, or is it that shrinking as well?

Sorry for the obscurity.

Example:

-"My Computer" says my SSD has a total drive capacity of 60GB with 12GB currently free/available.
-Treesize says total space being used is 36GB (this is including the pagfile and hiberfil system files.)

Used and total drive space are staying the same.
Free space is decreasing and at a rapid rate.

 

[A Guy]

Welcome to Seven Forums SNsCPU. Cabn you post a screen shot of your C:\ properties? Click on Computer> Right click on C:\ On the General tab, do the used and free space add up to the listed capacity?

A Guy

 

[SNsCPU]

Welcome to Seven Forums SNsCPU. Cabn you post a screen shot of your C:\ properties? Click on Computer> Right click on C:\ On the General tab, do the used and free space add up to the listed capacity?



A Guy

Ah, this is already showing me something new that my other forums with the computer gurus didn't think to ask me lol.

Yes, the used and free space DO add up from this tab, however Treesize file and all other methods of recognizing used disk space is recognizing much less used space than what's shown here.

 

[A Guy]

Let's try something. I use a free program called Space Sniffer. Download and run it. When it maps your used space, then click the green star in the menu bar to show free space. See if Space Sniffer agrees with windows.

A Guy

 

[SNsCPU]

Let's try something. I use a free program called Space Sniffer. Download and run it. When it maps your used space, then click the green star in the menu bar to show free space. See if Space Sniffer agrees with windows.


A Guy

Yes, Space Sniffer agrees with windows on the free space.

 

[A Guy]

Personally, I'd say you don't have a problem. How are you determining free space is shrinking?
Windows says all is ok, and SS seems to confirm that. If you have your page file set to system managed, and you have hibernation enabled, then both those sizes will change. I have my page file set at a static number, and hibernation disabled.

A Guy

 

[SNsCPU]

Personally, I'd say you don't have a problem. How are you determining free space is shrinking?
Windows says all is ok, and SS seems to confirm that. If you have your page file set to system managed, and you have hibernation enabled, then both those sizes will change. I have my page file set at a static number, and hibernation disabled.

A Guy

Hmmm, not sure how else I can explain...

One week ago I had around 17GB of free space available. Today I only have around 11GB of free space left even though no new files or folders are being created or installed. Treesize file, windirstat, and space sniffer all confirm this as they are showing a consistent used disk space of around 36GB over this time period. The free space that "My Computer" shows is decreasing at an abnormally rapid rate. Pagefile has remained consistent in size over the past month that I've been monitoring this issue.

In the span of a week, I've lost around 6GB of free space. To where? I don't know... Disk size recognization programs aren't picking up where it went. There is almost a 13GB discrepancy with the used space my screen shot is showing vs what these disk space recognition softwares are showing.

 

[A Guy]

OK, your screen shot, you show 48GB used, so it seems the issue is you are actually using more space. You say your used Space Sniffer, and it agreed you have 11 GB free space. Did Space sniffer say you had 48GB used space? Suggest you post screen shots as I did, used space, then free space.

If you are indeed using more space, then we need to determine where that space is being used, we can use SS for that. I would suspect your hiberfil.sys. You are saying Treesize and windirstat both show total drive space being used at around 36GB. Yet windows says 48GB, which is your issue as you know. Let's see if SS agrees your used space is 36GB. If so, then we are back to square, but we understand the issue. Sorry for the confusion. A Guy

 

[GeneO]

I would say it has to be volume shadow copies. You say you have deleted restore points, but have you turned off restore points for the drive?

 

[SNsCPU]

OK, your screen shot, you show 48GB used, so it seems the issue is you are actually using more space. You say your used Space Sniffer, and it agreed you have 11 GB free space. Did Space sniffer say you had 48GB used space? Suggest you post screen shots as I did, used space, then free space.

If you are indeed using more space, then we need to determine where that space is being used, we can use SS for that. I would suspect your hiberfil.sys. You are saying Treesize and windirstat both show total drive space being used at around 36GB. Yet windows says 48GB, which is your issue as you know. Let's see if SS agrees your used space is 36GB. If so, then we are back to square, but we understand the issue. Sorry for the confusion. A Guy

Here is a screen shot of Space Sniffer, Windirstat, and Treesize file all showing approximately 33-36GB of used disk space. Since my last post, my drive has dropped to 10.7GB of free space, even though these three disk storage programs are static in showing used disk space.

One explanation I got regarding the discrepancy of my properties screen shot and the disk usage programs is that "one is showing theoretical drive space assuming you are using each cluster fully, the other is calculated drive space based on the amount of space that is actually used in each cluster."

Alas, this takes us back to square one... where is my free space disappearing too?

I would say it has to be volume shadow copies. You say you have deleted restore points, but have you turned off restore points for the drive?

Yes, I've deleted restore points and shadow copies multiple times and it hasn't freed up any space at all. Restore points have also been turned off.

 

[A Guy]

And the screen shot of SS with the free space? Does it add up?

A Guy

 

[SNsCPU]

And the screen shot of SS with the free space? Does it add up?

A Guy

Space Sniffer shows I have total used space of 33.7GB and free space of 10.7GB. Together, it adds up to 44.4GB which is clearly not the same as what "My Computer Properties" shows.

 

[karlsnooks]

What anti-virus program are you using?

Did you run a FULL SCAN using MalwareBytes? (link in my sig).

 

[SNsCPU]

What anti-virus program are you using?

Did you run a FULL SCAN using MalwareBytes? (link in my sig).

Avast for anti virus. Running a full scan of MalwareBytes right now.

Edit: MalwareBytes just finished a full scan. Nothing came up.

 

[pparks1]

right click on My Computer, Properties, Click on System Protection, Highight C and click on Configure, what is the current usage amount shown?

 

[SNsCPU]

right click on My Computer, Properties, Click on System Protection, Highight C and click on Configure, what is the current usage amount shown?

0 since the deletion and the max usage is set to the absolute minimum.

 

[A Guy]

Can you post a screen shot of Disk Management?

Start> Type Computer Management in search box> Click on Computer Management> Click on Disk Management

A Guy

 

[SNsCPU]

Can you post a screen shot of Disk Management?

Start> Type Computer Management in search box> Click on Computer Management> Click on Disk Management

A Guy