Need another way to force XP Home to release the HDD space it stole from me

[vhelp]

Windows XP Home, 2 gig ram, 10 gig root drive partition

Early this week I was unzipping an archive, it was a 170mb database i needed to do emergency homework on. I had 450mb hdd space left before running unzip, but after it completed, it left me to 31mb of hdd. Windows XP only does this to me whenever I run the built in unzip of explorer, so running out of hdds space like this is no problem when something else takes the hdd space temporarily, which is rare but releases it back to me when complete. I never run out of hdds while working on video projects since I only use externals anyway.

My fail-safe technique to resolve this issue was to run Compact and Repair on the database, a technique I learned by accident and been using ever since, but this time xp refuses to release the 420mb hdd space it stole from me.

So, does anyone have alternative technique for me to resolve this ? Thank you.

-vhelp 5427

[jagabo]

Have you run Disc Cleanup and removed all the temp files?
Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Cleanup

If you don't use Hibernate but have the feature enabled, disable it and delete HIBERFIL.SYS in the root.

Limit the amount of drive space your browser can use for its cache. Or set the cache to another drive.

[SLK001]

It probably is creating a temporary file in your /Docs and Settings/Username/Local Settings/Temp that is as large as the original. Once completed with decompressing the file to your chosen location, it does NOT delete the temp file.

You can clean out this directory and recover quite a large amount of "used" space.

[jagabo]

Also check:

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data

for junk that can be deleted. Many applications leave stuff in there. For example, Ulead DVD Movie Factory leaves full VIDEO_TS folders! Don't delete stuff willy-nilly though. Some is required by apps.

[vhelp]

No, jagabo.. tried that already with the disk cleanup, actually, it won't run due to the low hdd space. I still want to know what is causing it and then turn that option or feature off in whatever setting or configuration box if there is one. But windows shouldn't just take my disk space away like that. I mean, 420mb is a lot to keep and something all the sudden told it to keep it, but now that i've time to think about it, I think i know what cause the problem. I ran out of hdd space and instead of windows cleaning up during it complete cyle it stopped when 0 hdds space and ended. So, its stuck, sort of

Also, I don't have a \local settings\ folder anywhere. That must be related to "network" (which I don't have on this computer. It is my video workstation-only computer because I don't want it near it nor internet)

Actaully, now you mention it, I recently install Ulead DVD factory last week, i was re-testing my ADS videoxpress usb2 capture box. Anyway, but this only happended when I unziped that big file. It ate 420 mb and I want me back

I'm sorry if i'm being too detail in my descriptions, i'm trying to figure out why this is happening all of the sudden and its been driving me crazy this week. Thats for the inputs, appreciated.

-vhelp 5429

[jagabo]

Also, I don't have a \local settings\ folder anywhere.

All Windows installations have a \local settings\ folder for every user account. It's a hidden folder so you have to enable the display of hidden files and folders. From an Explorer window select Tools -> Folder Options -> View tab... enbable "Show hidden files and folders". You may also have to disable "Hide protected operating system files".

[vhelp]

I found it, thanks. I was able to clean up some space, I got back around 350mb, (I had created 4 accounts way back at xp first install) still didn't solve the missing 420mb though else i'd now have 790 mb. But I just can't find that missing space..where could it be. Anyway. I think xp knows where it is but when the unzip failed it stopped doing what it would have done--released the space. oh well. i'm still looking but i'm pretty tired out, maybe start again another time. thanks for the help..

-vhelp 5430

[lacywest]

Try ... Space Monger 1.4.0 ... to help you find it and delete it

[edDV]

Another angle to try is disable system restore. My laptop froze up with a 103 GB C: drive. System restore had taken 10's of GB.

[NICEBUD]

First off download a program called CCLEANER its free.That cleans all the crap that's not needed any-more.
Second why don't you just buy the biggest hard drive you can afford either a internal one or a usb external
hard drive if your not happy about taking the pc apart.
Also it was mentioned that you should disable system restore DON'T just decrease the percentage to 10%.
Another thing use 7zip instead the temp files it uses are a lot smaller than the windows version and its free
and it does all the payed zip methods ie rar,ace,winzip etc.










Use Ubuntu and forget about viruses, malware and all the other fu**ing that comes windows.

[Bjs]

Give chkdsk a run to confirm freespace first ... then use any other tools.

====

Nicebud ... that's not entirely true ... any file you download could pose a potential risk ... especially if your within a shared network where a mix of operating systems are in use ... or sharing files with others by portable media.

Anti-virus programs running on linux are basically designed to detect virus's and trojan's which can cause harm to windows systems so they are not spread unknowingly by a linux user.

System administrators would and should ban such systems from their networks if anti-virus is not installed ... it's about risk assessment and management .

"Simile.D" , a virus which can not only spread between linux and windows systems it also includes abilities to modify it's code making it difficult to verify if "it is a virus" or "not" . While the virus itself poses no real threat and only displays a message on user screens then disappears in the next few years you may think twice before making such a claim.

[NICEBUD]

Bjs
Nicebud ... that's not entirely true ... any file you download could pose a potential risk ... especially if your within a shared network where a mix of operating systems are in use ... or sharing files with others by portable media.

It is true in my case because none of us in this network uses virus malware windows,we all use Ubuntu.Purely because I was fed with all the back-door sneaky sh*t that m$oft and their sneaky pals do while your on line.Caught them out many-times and got the logs to prove it.Plus I was fed up with always scanning for threats (which uses more system resources) and having to format on a regular basis
Plus the fact that in these times of no money ,I don't have to fork out licence money for the OS ,I don't have to fork for m$ofts office I use OpenOffice its free and does every I need it to do .xls ,.doc etc. (I know there`s win version, its a bit buggy though when I used it)
We added all the money we saved on the ,anti-virus,office,server lic plus the other 8+ machines lic`s, well we where all shocked 4 figure sum.

So im right in my case " Use Ubuntu and forget about viruses, malware and all the other fu**ing that comes windows "
If anything we should shutting down windows as it BIGGEST source in the WORLD for fu**ing up computers FACT.

[edDV]

Unhelpful. If Ubuntu was more popular, the bad guys would target it.

What do viruses have to do with running out of disk space?

[RabidDog]

For frell's sake .. with all that dosh you've saved at least fork out for a new disk, or get one off ebay, £30 will get you 500GB of space. farting about and worrying about less than 1gb ! Its 2010 fer cripes sake Not 1999 ...
420mb? get a frigging Usb stick, Dvd and backup 4000Mb's, then free up that space ..