Windows 7 forum: Recovery Drive 'D' Full

you don't think I can find the files online? Or if not, and I'm not paying 120, what should I do? Leave it alone?

Can you clarify this. D drive was a recovery drive. What does that mean? Did you create this drive? What was this recovery and how was it created, what software did you use?

If that D drive has now been reformatted, is the drive now empty?

What is this 'original recovery folder, and where is it located, the path?

Where did you copy this recovery folder to, what location? If you delete this recovery folder, do you still have the original recovery folder?

I'm asking all this because having a "Recovery Folder" located on the same hard drive or same partition as where the OS is installed seems quite unusual. For example, if the hard drive fails for any reason, then that recovery folder will not be accessible anyway. So it would not seem to be working as an intended recovery device.

Finally, what files online?

Mark

Here's what I'm talking about. The drive "Recovery" is the one I accidentally filled. I deleted the file that I accidentally filled it with. I then took the folder marked "recovery" and copied it to my desktop. I then reformatted the D drive and then copied the folder back to the recovery drive, which is why it's marked as a shortcut.

http://imageshack.us/g/808/45264859.png/


I don't know what the purpose is, either, since it's on my HD. I also forget what files were in that folder. To be honest, I think it may have been empty. But it was there when I got the computer, so I'm not sure if there's an importance or not. That's the question.


thanks guys


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That's some link to somewhere. It is pretty useless but I fear some would want to keep that.

As I said, it's only a shortcut because I copied to the desktop then recopied it there.

Since it is a shortcut, it would have nothing more than that. I did run into a fellow that thought they had all the files because it used to go to the files. They had the shortcut copied out of D: and needed more space and since the shortcut was working they thought they could delete the files the shortcut pointed to.

I'm unsure where they are today as they rushed off to find someone more knowledgeable since the shortcut must have the files "if we can unlock them."

It was sad.
Bob

As Bob says, that 'folder' on D is/was a shortcut to some other folder, presumably on the C drive somewhere, so as such it doesn't hold any files itself.

You will see that the D Drive has 10.2 GB free of 10.3 GB. That is My Computer, (or "Computer" as it is now called), telling us that there is nothing but a very small file on the D drive, the shortcut, and nothing else.

I'm still unsure how you are able to see a "Recovery Drive" in My Computer. I don't know what make and model this computer is, but if it came with a recovery partition that partition would be hidden from Windows, although it would show up in Disk Management.

Yes, all very confusing.

Your best bet is to just use that D drive for normal storage because any recovery files it may have once had have now gone.

Mark

Yes, I know those files are now gone. It was my mistake doing the shortcut thing without paying attention. Oh well. Guess I'll just leave it alone. At least I don't have the drive full message popping up every minute.

It's a gateway by the way.

While you might find the files online, they are often not from the maker or riddled with malware. So that's not an option.

I'd turn off the low space notification (like it was back then!) and make a spare copy of my restore media so I don't have to pay later.
Bob

The files are back and the folder is full again. How is that possible after it was reformatted? And not only are the files back, but that same folder still has the same error and won't open. So basically the half-recovery file taking up all the space came back, but the original folder and files is still gone.

You didn't answer any of the questions that Mark Flax asked you in "Where are you with this now?"

If the "Recovery Drive" came with the laptop, then you shouldn't have touched it--not at all. That is your recovery drive! It's the drive that they put in all of your recovery software so when you need to, you can just push a button at startup and it will automatically format your hard drive and re-install all of the programs that came with the laptop and restore it to factory settings. In essence, it brings the laptop back to EXACTLY how it was when you bought it.

If you can see this drive, then you must have bought a disk partitioning program and un-hid it, because when you buy a computer or laptop, the manufacturers hide these Recovery Drive partitions.

Now, it seems that you have restored the laptop "to factory settings" and you're complaining that it has restored all the files that were on the Recovery Drive--even including the one that you cannot delete. SO, I have yet another question to add to Mark's list...

HOW did you restore your laptop to factory settings, and WITH WHAT?
Did you make the Recovery DVDs BEFORE--or AFTER you screwed up the Recovery Drive?
The reason I ask, is that if you did so AFTER you screwed it up, then yes, it WOULD restore EVERYTHING--INCLUDING the file that you don't want to be restored. That's what it's supposed to do.

At least, that's what it did on the ASUS laptop that I'm working on now. Somehow, the lady had formatted her Recovery Drive too, and suddenly, her computer stopped working and kept going to blue screen, so she gave it to me to figure it out. When I saw that she had formatted that drive, I panicked, so I sat on it and did nothing for 3 weeks, until she found the set of recovery DVDs that I made for her when she bought it.

That's all I could do! It was either THAT or tell her to take it back to the store and let them ship it back to the manufacturer, but for THAT, there is NO guarantee, because that is not a factory defect, and even extended warrantees don't cover stupidity. She finally did find the recovery DVDs and I was amazed that they even restored the Recovery Drive in addition to the C:\ drive.

Those Recovery Disks are supposed to restore everything that was originally in the Recovery Drive at the time that you made those disks--and preferably, you would have made the disks as soon as you bought the laptop. That is why you get warnings to do so until you DO--or until you turn off those warnings.

Do you have a set of recovery DVDs that you made when you first bought your laptop? If you do, then use them! They will bring it back to exactly the way it was when you bought your laptop WITHOUT the added file.

If they don't work, because of age, try cleaning them with a solution that doesn't have rubbing alcohol in it and a clean, soft, lint-free cloth. I wear glasses and I've found that the glasses cleaning liquid and my glasses cleaning cloth works great.

HERE'S WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN OLD RECOVERY DISK SET... You say that you cannot delete the file--that it just won't delete. Am I understanding that correctly?
If so, then try using EMCO Move-on Boot which you can find at http://download.cnet.com/EMCO-MoveOnBoot/3000-2094_4-10397293.html?tag=mncol;1.

You would probably have to tell it to delete the file, and then it'll probably tell you to restart your laptop, and when you come back, it should be deleted.

Then HIDE that partition again. If you don't know how, ask for help...

If you want a D:\ drive to make backups on, or to put your important personal files on, then you'll have to use a disk partitioning software program.

this is exactly where i am at. it was low, got the message and i screwed with the partition.
re doing my pc back to factory settings, did not cure the d drive crisis

D is not for our use and all we need to do is to turn off the low space warning.

There are thousands of web pages on this setting. I'll give one.

http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/disable-low-disk-space-notification-alert-in-windows-7-vista/

I can't explain why REGISTRY CLEANERS continue to delete that. You tell me?
Bob