Windows reporting wrong drive usage.

ok. lets get serious, this one has me scratching my head.

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/source/misc.shtml#diskview

Download and run this DISKVIEW tool. This will let you visually explore your hard drive. the top window is the detail, the bottom is a rolling view.

Spelunk around, and lets see if you can find the missing files.

 

OK Joe, I have Diskview and will fool around with it. But I discovered another quirk in all this. When I open Windows Explorer or My Computer I can not search for files, I get an error. (Below)

 

Anyone know which is the best NTFS defrag tool?

 

I used the built in defrag program. I think I found the files. See attached. There are 17 @ 3.91GB files in the System Volume Information folder. These are reported by the Defrag program. 17X3.91=66.47GB, this looks like the missing space. 30GB spare + 4GB using + 66GB = 100GB. Now how do I get rid of these files. I can't even go into System Volume Information folder

OK, I did it.
Searched for System Volume Information here and found this.
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=32995&highlight=system+volume+information

I took a shot of before and after so here they are.

Thanks to all.

 

Hi Ron, have you got System Restore turned on right at the moment, and if so is it still showing that less than 50kb size?

Regards - Charles

 

Yes, all I did was turn it off and turn it back on.

 

Did this problem start with the RC install or you can't really be sure?

Because if it did, on your system at least, it seems to have s c r e w e d up SR. It would be nice to know for sure or with some degree of probabilty at least.

Regards - Charles

 

I would say yes. It happened coincident with the update of XP SP2 RC2. I have since received the release of SP2 and it is now in place. Other then that SP2 seems to be very stable as did RC2

 

Thanks Ron, and glad that you have solved the problem. Great to have guys like you here.

I've been "collecting" stuff like this in prep for my own SP2 install next week.

Regards - Charles

 

Interesting Ron. And from the results of your defrag I'd say that a few of those files were so badly fragged it's doubtful they would have even loaded if needed.

Good on ya for tracking this one down and fixing it.