Windows XP: Misreported Disk Space
Misreported Disk Space
by sonofnothing - 6/9/06 10:29 AMIBM/Lenova Thinkpad Z60m
Windows XP Home Edition SP2
IBM OEM Preload
40 GB Hard Disk Drive
Really strange problem. Windows XP reports that I'm low on disk space. And if I open My Computer, right-click on the hard disk and go to Properties, it shows ~26GB of Used Space and ~4GB of Free Space.
However, I do not understand what is taking up so much space. It is a new PC with very little data.
Furthermore, if I 'Select All' on the contents of C:\, and right-click for the properties of all files and folders, the Size on Disk only equals 11.6 GB, which seems more reasonable. (FYI, I have already set 'show hidden files and directories' in Folder Options).
I then looked at the partition setup (Admin Tools, Computer Mgmt., Disk Mgmt.) and there are multiple partitions: IBM_SERVICE (4.21GB FAT32) and IBM_PRELOAD 33.05GB NTFS), but with 11GB of data on a 33GB partition, why am I low on disk space?
I suspect some of the IBM recovery utilities might be at fault, but I don't know how to check this. And even if it is multiple backups and restore points, for example, shouldn't my select all include any of those file types in my Used Space calculation?
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. I shouldn't be out of space.
Oh and a final note, the PC is starting to act sluggish; much like any Windows PC does with limited disk space.
Thanks and regards,
Ted
Stamford CT
This is hard to find it all, but consider...
by R. Proffitt
- 6/9/06 10:46 AM
In reply to: Misreported Disk Space by sonofnothing
The system restore takes up space that you may not find with Explorer. Also the paging file may not be counted.
In fact, let's just state that use of Explorer to count bytes is a bad idea since Explorer's job as a file finder/byte counter is entirely suspect.
In closing, many burst into flames as they discover their 40 BILLION BYTE drive is not 40GB. A billion bytes is not one gigabyte and Explorer tends to confuse many as it may report bytes one way and the 'binary bytes' in another screen.
Once you plow through the billion byte vs. GB issue, the files that Explorer hides issue and Explorer in general issue at this point you discover that it's all there.
-> In fact, why not tackle the real problems you have and leave byte counting to a day when you have time to (ahem) explore?
The low disk space may be a complaint about a drive other than drive C.
Bob
treesize utility
by glennlee - 6/9/06 12:52 PM In reply to: This is hard to find it all, but consider... by R. Proffitt
Try treesize, a small utility which shows your graphically what is occupying space on your hard drive in a tree-like graphic. You will be able to identify what is hogging space. Get it here:
http://www.download.com/TreeSize-Free/3000-2248_4-10446555.html?tag=lst-0-1
Disk Usage
by soupysweetie - 6/9/06 1:31 PM In reply to: Misreported Disk Space by sonofnothingI'm a little confused by your description but...
The 40G drive is 40G by the drive manufacture and is in decimal. It's more like 35-36 as counted in binary by the system.
Some usage that you should be aware of:
1.
Trash Storage-normally 10% of drive size. You can see that, and change it, by "right clicking" on the Recycle Bin icon and going down to Properties. You can reduce it to around 5% with no problem.
2.
System Swap area is another biggie and can be several G's. You can't change this one-or shouldn't.
3.
Try running Disk Cleanup. Find it under All Programs, Accessories and then System Tools. After it runs, it will tell you how much space can be reclaimed by removing the various groups of "junk files".
4.
IBM has, as you stated, placed a copy of the Windows OS in a protected area of the drive.
After you've run Disk Cleanup, might be worth a call to IBM, or Lenova as they're now called, and ask them why they have such a large partition that is largely unused.
Hope this helps you on your way.
Disk Usage-More Thoughts
by soupysweetie - 6/9/06 3:24 PM In reply to: Disk Usage by soupysweetieYou show that using Properties gives you 30G's: 26 used and 4 free. Forget the math of how drive manufactures count bytes versus the OS. Your frame of reference is the 30Gs and of that why is 26Gs being used when you think it is actually much less.
Even a utility such as Treesize, as suggested by one of the other responders, does not include the protected areas like Recycle Bin allocation, swap areas and the like. The Properties measurement gives you the total of "the world". In this case the world is 30Gs in size.
After you have used Diskcleanup, how much has the unused portion increase?
After decreasing the Recycle Bin allocation to 5%, how much as been added.
Your original 4Gs and the addition of the results of the Disk Cleanup and Recycle Bin allocation now becomes the new reference point of used versus unused.
Now it's time to see who/what is consuming the next big chunks. There are mainly three areas that eat large amounts of space: after Windows.
1.
My Documents! Here you will find your own generated files such as word processing, music and photos.
2.
Application Data! Click on "C", then Documents and Settings and then check Properties of Application data. This is where each of your various programs store a lot of data related to you as the user.
3.
Program Files! Click on "C", then Program Files and then check Properties of the Program Files folder. This is where most, but far from all, of the files required to run your various installed programs. This is also a place where portions of Windows included programs are stored: such as Media Player.
After all of the above, which should take a total of about 10-15 minutes, you will be on your way to see if there is a "unknown bad guy" who is hogging more than its share.
Hope this helps
Misreported Disk Space - more details
by sonofnothing - 6/10/06 9:14 AM In reply to: Disk Usage-More Thoughts by soupysweetieLet me be a little more clear; I have a lot of experience with Windows and I know how to clean up a disk of the usual suspects.
A little more detail:
1) This is a brand new PC
2) My Documents has not a single file in it, b/c it is a new PC
3) Disk Cleanup is nice, but it's not going to reclaim GIGAbytes of space.
4) The various ways of measuring drive space: size, size on disk, byte wise, allocation units, drive size vs. O/S size are not going to account for a gap of GIGAbytes.
Let's look at the numbers again:
(All numbers very approximate to avoid nitpicking over bytes here and there)
~40 GB drive
minus
~10 GB for IBM Partition
=
~30 GB accessible for O/S
Should have:
~30 GB capacity for O/S
minus
~11 of IBM/Lenovo Loaded Software
=
19 GB of data space
Instead I have:
~4GB of data space
Why? What happened to the other 15 GIGAbytes of space? It ain't temp files 
Thanks for the responses,
Ted
Where did the other 15 go?
by soupysweetie - 6/10/06 10:04 AM In reply to: Misreported Disk Space - more details by sonofnothingSorry it took me so long to recognize that the question was not a "newbie" type.
Have you run ChkDsk? I'm not sure that it will pick up anything but this problem "feels like" the addressing scheme is missing a bit.
Folks more capable than I might offer a specific Run Command that could verify this.
It's not a 40 GB drive but a 40 Billion Byte drive.
by R. Proffitt - 6/10/06 10:32 AM
In reply to: Misreported Disk Space - more details by sonofnothing
Be sure to account for that difference as well.
Remember not to use Explorer when trying to find file sizes. Also those hidden areas such as System Restore, paging file and other.
You'll find it, most likely when you learn about the differences from GB to Billion Bytes as well as Explorer nuances.
Bob
re-disk space
by ezeze5000 - 6/10/06 5:07 PM In reply to: Misreported Disk Space - more details by sonofnothingI have installed Windows many times, and have found
that it wastes space on some drives.
When windows XP partitions the drive it rounds off
the drive size to even numbers.
I have found as much as 3gb of wasted space (un-used)
on the drive.
I have installed a whole Linux OS in that space that you couldn't even see with windows.
I have also found hidden partitions on some PC's.
I didn't know they were there untill I booted with a
Live Linux distro. That is when they would show up.
Just a little food for thought!
Frist you should take a look at
by ask4anu - 6/10/06 8:58 PM In reply to: Misreported Disk Space by sonofnothingwhat all is installed onyour computer windows xp and sp2 take up over 3 gigs of space buy it self and if you have any antivirus and friewalls thats another 2 or 3 gigs and other programs depending on there size 40 gigs is not alot of space in todays DRIVE HUNGRY APPS that do so much now that they take up space AND if you dont have alot of programs installed the you may have a virus EATING YOUR FAT growing till it consumes your whole drive but if you use antivirus this may or may not be a concern you really didnt give alot of info as to what all you have loaded on your machine so i wiould look there frist if you right click on any folder it will tell you it size and if you go to start\all programs\accessories\system tools\system information then you can find out more about your system as to what all is in stalled
£33T
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