Disk space numbers don't add up?!

JBessell · #1 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

Hopefully this is an easy question to answer, but I haven't found it yet. If I check how much space is being used by my Vista account (I'm the only user) it tells me I'm using 134 GB (right-click User -> Properties), but if I actually add up all the folders under that user (there are no loose files) I only get 80 GB. Where is the other 50 GB? I've done a disk clean up and I've cleared out and reset my system restores and shadow volumes and it still doesn't add up. Any suggestions or ideas?

kemical · #2 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

Hi JBessel,

It is probably due to the space set aside for your 'system restores' and is called 'shadow storage'. This amount is around 15% of your HDD if I remember correctly. You can modify this amount if you wish and I'll explain it as best I can.

If you right-click on 'command prompt' and hit 'run as administrator' a black box will appear. In the black box type this line copying the words and spaces exactly:

vssadmin Resize ShadowStorage /For=C: /On=C: /Maxsize=6000MB

Then hit enter. You'll notice that I've put the figure of 6000MB or 6GB, you can have any figure as long as it's more than 300MB as this is the size needed to properly save a system restore. I set mine to 6GB but you can change yours to whatever.. Also if your MBR is denoted by another letter other than C you'll have to change that also. Any problems please post back..

JBessell · #3 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

Actually I've already done that, and I do reclaim space overall - but it doesn't make sense of why Vista tells me that my account overall is using 134 GB, but when you add everything up it only equals 80 GB. I'm still missing 50 GB even if I have shadow volumes turned off.

If I check my shadows, this is the result:

C:\Windows\system32>vssadmin list shadowstorage
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.

Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (C

\\?\Volume{7e938e18-d18f-11dc-b957-806e6f6e6963}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (C

\\?\Volume{7e938e18-d18f-11dc-b957-806e6f6e69
63}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 733.375 MB
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 1.172 GB
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 17.396 GB

From the properties of my vista user account I'm using 134 GB and yet when I add up the folders and files manually I only get 80 GB it still doesn't answer the question of where are my other 50 GB?

kemical · #4 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

Hmmm... not all files can be seen though.Also what about checking your 'disk management' via the control panel?

JBessell · #5 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

Are you suggesting there are 80 GB of hidden files? That seems excessive.

kemical · #6 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

Lol...yup when I thought about it .. it does seem a tad?? What does it say when you right-click your HDD and hit properties? I just did mine and all seemed correct... The only other thing I can think of is a hidden partition maybe?

JBessell · #7 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

No actually it's not. I did a double check and found that if I enable the option to see hidden/system folders there is a folder in my directory called AppData - it's 50GB. So i look inside and the freakin' Temp folder is 50 GB!! I'm thinking I'm about to get 50 GB back real quick like. I love MS. Really, I do.

Thanks for all the replies, although I'm beginning to think the problem is 18 inches from the keyboard. Well, that and MS.

kemical · #8 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

He he, glad you found it.. I did do a quick search on the net and was about to post this (well will anyway) Solved: Missing Hard Drive Free Space (50GB worth) - Tech Support Guy Forums but hey you've cracked it...

JBessell · #9 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

That's what you get when you have a DBA do a sysadmin's work

kemical · #10 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008

Dba?.......