Window XP SP2 Gurus Needed...

Off Topic
1

735×515 40.7 KB

http://digitalsynthesis.net/images/windows.jpg

I’ve been searching the net and other forums, but haven’t got an answer yet. So, here is my computer related problem with my WINDOWS folder.
My current OS is XP SP2
c:\WINDOWS is referencing 10GB from somewhere??? But once I explore the folder and select all the files inside, it only accounts for 2.7 GB.

Any clue on what is going on, or how I can fix it, because this ish just happened yesterday and has filled my hard drive. I am in the proccess of moving some applications in order defragment my HD…

2

go download a freeware program called “Treesize” JAM Software Solutions | JAM Software

It will detail for you where all the space is located, files, folders, etc.

3

Unless you’ve got a virus or something that’s miss-reporting the space on your hard drive, and unless someone else can offer you some advice, I’d forget about troubleshooting and just backup, format and re-install windows.

4

You need to show more hidden files maybe…

On the Tools menu in Windows Explorer, click Folder Options, Click the View tab.
Under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders.

See if the figure changes.

5

[quote]xjayx300 wrote:
But once I explore the folder and select all the files inside . . .
[/quote]

Are you really selecting all the files inside? See, the WINDOWS folder is absolutely full of hidden folders and files. They’ll be reported when you query the WINDOWS folder, but you enter the folder and select “all the files,” you’re not really selecting ALL of the files.

Odds are that’s where your difference is.

6

TJCooker, thanx that allowed me to view my CSC folder which is hidden. The screwy thing is, I only have 1gb allocated for offline files, but for some reason it was caching files until my drive was full.

7

[quote]Meddyg Stigg wrote:
You need to show more hidden files maybe…

On the Tools menu in Windows Explorer, click Folder Options, Click the View tab.
Under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders.

See if the figure changes.[/quote]

Yeah I have my hidden files shown, but as I mentioned even with the show hidden files on, I still can’t see the CSC folder. I was only able to see it via “Treesize”

8

[quote]xjayx300 wrote:
Meddyg Stigg wrote:
You need to show more hidden files maybe…

On the Tools menu in Windows Explorer, click Folder Options, Click the View tab.
Under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders.

See if the figure changes.

Yeah I have my hidden files shown, but as I mentioned even with the show hidden files on, I still can’t see the CSC folder. I was only able to see it via “Treesize”

[/quote]

You can hack the registry but I can’t remember how. I don’t use XP, but Server 2003 but its similar.

9

When you “Selected All” in Windows, you didn’t pick up the hidden folders.

When installing Service Packs and Hotfixes, Windows creates hidden folders that have names resembling “$NtUninstallKB916281$” By defaut, these folders are hidden from you, the poor clueless user.

You might also be infected with crapware that has hidden itself somewhere in the Windows folders.

To get the real answer, open a console windows (a “DOS box”, or whatever you call it) by running “cmd.exe” or finding and clicking it’s icon.

From there, type “dir /a /s c:\windows” and press [Enter]. A long, long list of file will scroll by and at the end you’ll get a summary like:

 Total Files Listed:
       16640 File(s)  3,251,003,620 bytes
        3713 Dir(s)   5,692,608,512 bytes free

Which is the real deal. It should closely match your 1st screen.