I seem to be losing gigs

Discussion in 'Software' started by GEEKWANNAB, Aug 12, 2008.

  1. GEEKWANNAB

    GEEKWANNAB Private First Class

    Hi everybody, I have a new machine running

    Intel CORE 2 QUAD @6600
    3 GIGS MEMORY
    VISTA HOME PREMIUM SP1
    500 gig hard drive

    I started out with 455 gigs free. I removed Mcafee and Google taskbar.
    I installed
    AVAST
    SPYBOT S&D
    SPYWARE BLASTER
    CRAP CLEANER
    HIJACK THIS
    PROCEXP
    IOBIT SMART DEFRAG
    PC DECRAPIFIER (NEVER USED)

    ALSO downloaded and ran MCPR to remove Mcafee
    and dowloaded but never ran SUPERanti spyware.

    After doing all of the above I was down to 422 gigs, which I thought was a lot.
    I haven't downloaded any music, videos, or movies. The only other downloads were updates for
    VISTA
    WIN DEFENDER
    SPYBOT
    SPYWARE BLASTER

    Now I'M down to 403 gigs. SO, where have all my gigs gone??

    THANKS!!
     
    GEEKWANNAB, Aug 12, 2008
    #1
  2. GEEKWANNAB

    GEEKWANNAB Private First Class

    Hello everybody, am I posting this question in the wrong forum?

    I thought I might have a virus or malware program using up a lot of my hard drive.
     
    GEEKWANNAB, Aug 13, 2008
    #2
  3. GEEKWANNAB

    GEEKWANNAB Private First Class

    Hey everybody, well I contacted the dell techs, and i do have a virus or spyware. Sorry I didn't do the read me first stuff but I wasn't sure this problem was being caused by a virus ect. I have been using WIN 95 for the last ten years. Anyway I just got this machine and am restoring it to the factory image. Just have to download and install
    all the previously mentioned stuff.

    Can't understand how I picked up a virus unless the MCPR Mcafee removal tool has a virus in it. All the others were from MG download sites.

    THANKS for all the help in the past. The only reason my WIN95 machine is still running is because of all the help I received here.
     
    GEEKWANNAB, Aug 13, 2008
    #3
  4. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    You should have read this sticky too: Don't Bump! It Only Hurts You!!!

    Whether intentional or not each post is a bump and causes the same effect.

    You probably do not have an infection. You probably are just seeing system restore using your disk space for restore points. The minimum size for each restore point is 300 Mb and it could be much larger. Also you may have the amount of space that system restore can use ste very high. I believe a default for Vista may be 15 % of your hard disk size. .15 * 500 = 75 GB
     
    chaslang, Aug 13, 2008
    #4
  5. GEEKWANNAB

    GEEKWANNAB Private First Class

    Got it, sorry about that.

    I called Dell tech back just to make sure I had the restore procdure right and he told me the same. It took me 4 years to break down and get a new machine since I was here last, guess I paniced.

    This forum is worse than the post office...the problems never stop coming.

    Thanks for the reply. You really helped me set my last machine up but good.
    I'll check the restore setting and maybe back it off a little. I thought 500 gigs would last a long time, it seemed to be going too fast.

    Thanks again
     
    GEEKWANNAB, Aug 14, 2008
    #5
  6. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Very true Chas it is 15% by default, and with a new PC and the updates and software installs that get done this will make the HD space drop like a stone.

    ??


    But sadly Vista is not like XP in that you can easily set the amount of space used for system restore using a slider, you have to use a command prompt with an admin command to reset it, to reset the amount of space used you can do the below if you wish, or use run Disk Cleanup > More Options tab and Cleanup under System Restore and Shadow Copies, as this will remove all system restore points up until the latest one, but your space will start to drop again, until it hits the 15% total space mark.

    Disk Cleanup

    http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5909/68306112fa6.jpg


    Command prompt to change the size of space used for System Restore, but you need to run the CMD ( from elevated command prompt from admin ) to run CMD from an elevated command prompt is opened by clicking Start and typing CMD in the Start Search box and then right click and run as admininstrator.

    Then type the below syntax command under e.g. in bold to adjust the space used by system restore.

    Syntax for reference is: vssadmin resize shadowstorage /on=[here add the drive letter]: /For=[here add the drive letter]: /Maxsize=[here add the maximum size]


    e.g.

    vssadmin resize shadowstorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=20GB
    ( 20GB is an example and with your hard hard drive would be ample for a few system restore points )
     
    DavidGP, Aug 14, 2008
    #6
  7. GEEKWANNAB

    GEEKWANNAB Private First Class

    This forum is worse than the post office...the problems never stop coming.

    Just a reference to how busy this forum is.

    Hi Halo, thanks for the reply!

    I did the clean up and resized the shadow storage as per your instructions. The snapshots are a big help to me (Thanks!) as it took me a few tries to get to that window (clean up).

    Now I am back up to 436 GB's.

    I started with 455 GB's free

    I uninstalled Google Desktop and Taskbar AND Mcafee. Then installed

    Avast
    Procexp
    HiJack This
    SpywareBlaster
    IOBit Smart Defrag
    Spybot S&D
    CrapCleaner
    PC Decrapifier
    MPCR
    SUPER ANTI SPYWARE

    Plus Vista, Spybot, Avast, ect updates. Could these account for 19 GB'S?
    I do run Crap Cleaner before shutting down...everytime.

    Thanks again
     
    GEEKWANNAB, Aug 14, 2008
    #7
  8. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    Its possible that Hibernation is active and will take up a few GBs of space, while its good to have on a laptop, its not really 100% needed I feel personally and have never seen the benefits of the space offset.

    So you could disable Hiberation, to do this very easy way is to goto Disk Cleanup and on the Disk Cleanup tab put a tick in Hibernation line and click ok and this will flush and disable Hibernation.

    Or can do this from an Admin CMD prompt, Click Start then type CMD in the Start Search box, right-click on the icon and select “Run as Administrator” then in the command CMD prompt, type powercfg –h off

    But with a 500GB HD, and any HD you need to take into account formatting and this will reduce a 500GB HD to 465GB


    Then take into account Vista and its large-ish footprint, then all your apps and your likely about right.
     
    DavidGP, Aug 15, 2008
    #8
  9. GEEKWANNAB

    GEEKWANNAB Private First Class

    Hello Mark, Thanks for the info.

    Hi Halo, I flushed and disabled Hibernation and added another 3 GB's.
    Your GB chart is right on. In Disk Management under Computer Management
    C: = 455.7 GB NTFS
    RECOVERY D: = 10 GB NTFS

    THANKS!!

    I want to thank everyone here at MG's for all your help fixing, maintaining and tweaking both my machines.

    MG's IS ABSOULUTLY THE BEST!!!:celebrate
     
    GEEKWANNAB, Aug 15, 2008
    #9

MajorGeeks.Com Menu

Downloads All In One Tweaks \ Android \ Anti-Malware \ Anti-Virus \ Appearance \ Backup \ Browsers \ CD\DVD\Blu-Ray \ Covert Ops \ Drive Utilities \ Drivers \ Graphics \ Internet Tools \ Multimedia \ Networking \ Office Tools \ PC Games \ System Tools \ Mac/Apple/Ipad Downloads

Other News: Top Downloads \ News (Tech) \ Off Base (Other Websites News) \ Way Off Base (Offbeat Stories and Pics)

Social: Facebook \ YouTube \ Twitter \ Tumblr \ Pintrest \ RSS Feeds