XP will not unallocate filespace from large AVIs

[jefcoop]

Having moved into the DV arena, I have started archiving my VHS-C tapes on my hard drives, first to AVI, then converting to MPEG for future editing/DVD burning.

I have XP SP2, rip with ATI's All-in-Wonder TV/VCR software to an AVI file. Each 30 minute tape yields a 30GB file. I then use Main Concept's standalone converter to deinterlace and 2-pass convert, which usually yields about 1GB.

Since I don't have hard drive space to keep AVI's for the approximately 20 tapes I have, I delete the AVI's after verifying the MPEG conversion went OK.

My problem is that when I delete the AVI, the file goes away, but the 30GB stays allocated as far as the OS is concerned. After 3 tapes, I have nearly 100GB of hard drive space that is no longer usable. If I go to the root of the drive, and select all files and right click->Properties, it says I have about 100GB in use. But, if I select the drive My Computer and look at the pie chart, it shows 200GB in use. All reports, CHKDSK, etc... all fail to resolve the problem.

So far, the only way to get the space back was to move all the data to another drive and reformat the first drive. Then, copy back. All is OK until I rip more tapes. Delete gives a "Recylce Bin" warning that it can't hold it for undelete, which is fine. Thinking maybe that was a problem, I used Shift-Delete, but had the same results.

So far, Microsoft's Knowledge Base hasn't been helpful, and I haven't found much reference to it. Anybody else here had the phantom disk space taken up? If so, how to reclaim it without having to back up/restore (extremely time consuming, even on subsequent restores (first was really long))? Any other ways to delete the file and get the storage to report properly? Microsoft can't have not thought there wouldn't be files this big (though they always continue to amaze me how close the OS limits always are to the current hard drive sizes).

Incidentally, I've got XP patched and set to work around the 137GB problem as well...

Thanks for any help you might have- didn't know where to post this, but the Computer forum seemed less specific for this kind of problem.

Jeff

[dcsos]

this doesn't sound like your problem but a TIM P posted this once here
Try this:

http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v31/vic31.htm

or this:

http://www.tweakxp.com/tweak1467.aspx

or this

There's a better way to unregister shmedia.dll from the system. All you have to do is run "REGSVR32 /U SHMEDIA.DLL", and it'll be removed from the system. No potentially dangerous registry editing required. If you need it back in, just run "REGSVR32 SHMEDIA.DLL", and next login, it should be active again.

[reboot]

Are you using Norton, with the protected recycle bin by any chance?
Probably not, but it's been known to happen that Norton's bin get's pretty full after awhile, and people forget to empty it

[jefcoop]

Yes, I am using Norton, but 30GB is too big to fit into the bin. I get a warning that the file will be permanently deleted because it is too big to go to the Recycle Bin. Also, I used Shift-Delete, which bypasses the bin completely and still get the same result.

I've also emptied the bins as well, but it didn't recover the lost space. CHKDSK /F didn't help either.

I'm going to try the TweakXP thing to see if that helps. It could be that no AVI's are having their space reclaimed- just didn't notice until they got to 30GB. I guess I haven't tried deleting from a DOS window yet either. I'll report back if that helps or not, but it will be tomorrow- another MPEG convert is going on and has about 45 minutes left, and it's late...

Thanks so far!
Jeff

[Solarjetman]

Also, I used Shift-Delete, which bypasses the bin completely and still get the same result.

Just FYI, Shift-Delete will bypass the recycle bin but will not bypass norton protected files. You still will have to empty Norton.

It sounds like you've already done that so its just for future reference.

[Marty2003]

When you go into your root and select all your folders are the hidden folders showing? If not go into the Tools> Folder Options>View and make sure the system files as well as the hidden files are shown. I have a feeling it might have to do with the norton recycle bin, After you unhide the hidden and system folders you could try doing a file search for files larger than a few gigs.

[jefcoop]

Bingo. It was Norton Protected Files that was the problem. Thanks for the heads up on that- I had seen that in the right-click, but didn't realize that it was actually separate from the recycle bin. I guess Norton's protects the actual space occupied from being overwritten for a period of 7 days (default).

I did have all hidden and system files displayed as well, but the "lost space" still didn't show up. I believe what Norton's does is go ahead and remove the file, but keeps the space allocated and information about the file in a separate location.

I have limits set on the size of the recycle bin so that something as large as 30GB isn't saved, but didn't realize this second level of protection was going on.

Thanks again- you've just saved me a lot of time and headache from here on out...

Jeff

[reboot]

It's (obviously) not the first time I've run into that.