5.5GB of Hidden Files on Aspire 5610Z

My new Aspire 5610Z (5610-2013) has what I consider to be 5.5GB of hidden files. The notebook has a 120GB (nominal) hard drive and uses Vista Home Premium. The partition with Vista installed reports 16.2GB of used disk space but I can only find 10.7GB of files with Windows Explorer. The details are below.

Using Window's Computer Management (Control Panel > System Maintanence > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management), I see 3 partitions:
1) Unnamed Volume, Unknown file system, 7.81GB, 100% free
2) My C: drive, Vista is installed here, NTFS file system, 52.14GB size, 35.91GB free, 16.23GB used
3) My D: drive, NTFS file system, 51.84GB size, 43.58GB free

From what I've learned here in the forum, I believe that partition 1 contains the data to create the OE restore CDs.

Using Windows Explorer, I can get similar information for my Vista installation partition if I select the partition, right click, and view it's properties.

The discrepancy lies in this next step. I have unhid all files as follows:
(Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Folder Options > View Tab)
1) Select "Show Hidden Files and Folders"
2) Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files"

Using Windows Explorer, I select all files and folders in my Vista partion, right click, and view their properties. The result is a reported 10.7GB. There seems to be 5.5GB of hidden files.

How do I find these hidden files?

 

I use an absolutely indispensible little app called SequoiaView, for just this kind of situation.

Download it for free here:

http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiaview/

 

Thanks Yellow11, SequoiaView is a neat program but it didn't help me. SequoiaView also says 16.2GB total, but the sum of the parts only equals 10.7GB. Any other suggestions?

 

Use partitionMagic, as me you'll see a non active partition on first position of the hd, approx. 5Gb.

 

Sorry I hadn't read all the message. I had the same kind of problem, and after using the hd repair tool in windows (hd -> properties, tools, first option (mine's in french, don't know the translation), everything went fine, the problem was an error in files system. If this can help...

 

Thanks DeLuc. My hidden files have to do with "System Restore". Turned off System Restore and the problem was solved.

 

Of course ! With all those securities(system restore, hidden partitions, and i won't speak about virtual memory...), we loose a lot of space in our little laptop hds... I'm actually searching a way to securely get rid of the hidden partition (mine is 5Go) without reinstalling all the system...

 

I just bit the bullet and reinstalled the system. My Partition Magic 8 wouldn't delete the hidden partition.

 

I wanted to use it to delete pqservice, I think it may be possible by setting it to active, in order to give it a drive letter... Perhaps I will try it.

 

Eh, just use computer management and reformat the partition, that will get rid of the PQService and allow you to use it (of course D2D and imaging from that partition will NEVER WORK AGAIN once you do that).

 

Arla : the problem is that you just can't see this partition with comuter management, and I just tried attributting it a letter with PMagic : it failed. Hope my acer will boot correctly next time...