Solved Unable to recover shrinked space ... Help please!

[cristy73]

Hi again Windows Seven Forum, I have this strange problem ... I shrinked one HDD to make space using Computer Management tool, the amount of space I shrinked has disappeared and I could never recover it. I've disconected that HDD for a while, tried to change the disk letter but there's no way to recover those lost GB of hard drive ... Any suggestion on how to recover that shrinked lost part of HDD ?
Thanks in advance and all the best !

 

[Brink]

Hello Cristy,

Please go ahead and post a screenshot of Disk Management showing the full layout of your hard drive. Afterward, we'll see what we can do to help.

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

 

[cristy73]

The local disk D: called "My Movies" it's the one with the problem, as you can see it has 232,89 GB but but I can use only the 168,26 GB of whole capacity ... the rest it's lost.

Hope will find the way to recovered on this forum, thanks !

 

[Brink]

Cristy,

I'm not sure, but I see that you have an extra page file on the D: drive. This could be allocating the missing space so that it's no longer available.

What OS is the page file on D for? I'm assuming for Windows 7?? If so, then you should check using the tutorial below in Windows 7 to see how much is being used by the page file on D to see if that may be the missing space, then make sure that the page file is only on C or D and not both.

Virtual Memory Paging File - Change

 

[cristy73]

So let me understand ... are you sugesting me to turn off Virtual memory paging file? I changed the Virtual memory, I have 2 Gb of ram installed on my pc and I set the virtual memory at 3072 for each hard drive in my computer. It's that wrong? Should I change the virtual memory only in the C: hard disk where (yes) the OS windows 7 it's installed? But also I think that the D: disk felt to 232 GB after setting the virtual memory at 3072 cause in fact it's a 250 GB hard disk. So what should I do with the memory paging file on D: ?

Thanks so much for answering ! All the best Mr. Brink ...

 

[Brink]

Yes, for Windows 7 you would only want one page file on C.

The 250 GB hard drive would actually only 232 GB in size. To me it's a bit misleading for how they label the size of a hard drive. For more information on why your HDD or SSD may not be the size as advertised, see: HDD's - the Advertized size vs the Actual size

 

[cristy73]

So ... still missing space, I left the C: drive to be the only one with virtual memory set at 3072 and I set the others to "System managed" by checking the first uper box with "Automatically manage paging file size ....", rebooted my system and tried to "Extend volume" but I can't access this option, in the down side of the image of D: still says "Page file active".And the HDD let it be 232GB who cares, but how can a recover the lost amount of space?



Thanks for your patience and support Brink .

 

[cristy73]

And wow, by calculating a HDD space like in the post-link you gived me, actualy a 250GB HDD gives me a 232GB space, thanks so much for that too.

 

[Brink]

No worries. I'm happy to help.

I'm assuming that the page file on E: is for Windows 8.1 set in Windows 8.1 correct? Double check while in Windows 8.1 to see what it shows as well for you page file settings.

If so, then you want to use step 13 to remove the page file on D. This way you will only have a page file on C: for Windows 7, and a page file on E: for Windows 8.1.

Virtual Memory Paging File - Change

 

[cristy73]

Never crossed my mind that I should remove the page file in windows 8.1 also, LOL me. So I got into windows 8 OS and changed the paging file, no paging file set for any others HDD except OS, rebooted into Windows 7 but things still are the same, everythings looks like before and no changes can be made yet.
Any other sugestion ? Sorry for being so nagging ...

 

[Brink]

Basically, you would want this:

While in Windows 7, only have the C: drive set to have a page file set for Windows 7, and have no page file for any other drive other than E: showing for Windows 8.

While in Windows 8, only have a page file set for Windows 8, and have no page file for any other than the one showing for Windows 7.

You would want to completely remove the page file on D: .

 

[cristy73]

Thanks, I just did it. No more paging file active and changed the drive letter but I can't extend the HDD to recover those lost GB so finaly I think that I will copy everything from D: on ... something and format the disk, I heard thats the way to restore and have the disk at original size . Thanks for you time and your help, all the best !

 

[Brink]

I was hoping it would have to come down to that, but once you back up your files, run a clean (not "clean all") command on the D: drive to completely wipe it, then format it and copy the files back.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Cristy.

From support email.

Thanks a lot again, the link for the post was very usefull, I did it and everything's OK now, thanks to you ! Ty Mr . Brink ... all the best !!!