Windows Vista Is there a way to regain space after deleting?

Hi,
I am new to these boards. I just recently purchased a Sony Vaio AR series laptop with Vista all ready installed. I thought I was somewhat familiar with computers until I started looking over these boards. Now I'm learning all over again lol.

I mainly purchased this computer to do some editing of videos, and burn them onto DVD. I have noticed when I put something onto the computer from a DVD to where I can work with the clips, after deleting the space on my hard drive still shows that it was decreased. (I am going off of what it says under the C: drive icon in the "computer" window)

Is there a way to regain the memory lost while juggling files like this or do I need to find a better way to temporarily store the videos untill they can be burned as a finished product?

 

Hello GreenSubmarine,

I'm not clear on what you're saying based on after deleting the space on my hard drive still shows that it was decreased

Do you mean after deleting the work files, explorer still shows the HD used space as if the deleted files were still there?

If that's the case, sounds like temp files are being created.

What editing software is being used?

Bring up the drive - double click on the HD in Computer > View > Details and look for temp files.

What are you using to burn the files out? Vista or 3rd party software? That process will also create temp files.

Regards - Charles

 

Looking at it "basically ", you should be able to overwrite the temporary file, or possibly, if you have actually deleted it, it may have gone to the Recycle Bin.

You say that you are starting over....Sorry, just going over basics

Matt

 

Here is what I'm doing....

*looking at the "space available" under the C: icon in computer it shows I have 116 gig
*Drag and Drop the video file from disk to a file folder (1.4 gig)
*looking at the "space available" under the C: icon in computer it shows I have 114-115 gig
*Work with the video in Windows Movie Maker, not satisfied with results and problems in using program (See explanation at bottom.. just in case it helps troubleshoot)
*never burn anything... never save any progress
*Delete video file
*empty recyling bin
*looking at the "space available" under the C: icon in computer it still shows that I am at 114-115 gig... even after rebooting computer

So my question......
When I delete something (and empty the recycling bin) shouldnt the space that that file occupied be restored... and if so.. why is my harddrive still showing space available as if the file were still there???


First time I noticed it ... I realized it had dropped a gig or so since the last time I saw it (day before maybe way earlier in the day) So I thought about what actions I had done..... Then as an experiment repeated the steps I did like shown above and it shows yet another gig and some change decrease.

Hope that makes more sense.. after re-reading my last post it seems kinda hazy for me to read it from an outsiders point of view.

Explanation of Movie Maker Problem... why I am deleting these files and not burning saving or anything of that sort
I am using Windows Movie Maker at the moment. This is what I am doing

*Viewing the Mini DVD's files by right clicking and selecting Explore files
*dragging and dropping the film thumbnails onto the Movie Maker timeline
(for some reason the video is cut into two sections of time... 1 file is about 1 gig... the other .4 maybe if that)
*I drag the first section (1gig) over (to the movie maker timeline) and can do what ever I want with it.
*Drag the second section over (?.4 gig) and when I try to add it to the timeline it tells me "the video cannot exceed 24 hours in length try to edit scene where it will fit "
(This DVD is only 30 minutes long, but Movie Maker seems to think its 24 hours or more)
Even tried just the second section by itself, but kept getting the same message so I got disgusted with that quirk I was running into with Movie Maker and decided to delete the video files off

 

Mattman,

what do you mean by overwrite the temp file?

Also Beyond hitting delete and emptying the recycling bin, is there more to deleting a file??

 

Movie Maker, I have only tested it.

It sees a 30 minute video file as more than 24 hours??

Look at the type of file you are trying to edit, which mainly means the file extension (eg. a very standard video file has the extension .avi, you might be working with .mpg or .mpeg files or maybe some other type). My main thought is that you need to get the proper CODECS. If you are working on files that are too modern for the editor, you will need to update the CODECS.

You may be working on files that are unsuitable for that editor.

Look in the menu Tools -> Options (I just opened it, there is a location for where to put the Temporary Storage file, that is probably where the extra space is being lost). See how MM uses that "temporary storage "...that should(?) be what we are referring to as the "temp file ".

Matt