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    Missing Hard drive space?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by shinakuma9, Dec 25, 2011.

  1. shinakuma9

    shinakuma9 Notebook Deity

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    I was checking out my external. It is 1 tb (931 gb), and in total, when I select all the folders in the external, it is using 557 Gb with 237 gb free. But that only adds to 830 gb, where's the other 100?
     
    shinakuma9, Dec 25, 2011
    #1
  2. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    Perhaps it is unallocated? Did you try looking in Disk Management and seeing how it is partitioned?
     
    Tsunade_Hime, Dec 25, 2011
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  3. deeastman

    deeastman Notebook Deity

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    deeastman, Dec 25, 2011
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  4. tilleroftheearth

    tilleroftheearth Wisdom listens quietly...

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    Plug in the external, double click on the Recycle Bin and Empty Recycle Bin.

    That should account for (possibly) some of the difference.

    Btw, 557+237=794GB so, ~137GB difference not 100GB as was stated.

    Any other discrepancy is by the capacity used up by the System Volume Information folder (usually hidden and locked from access by mere 'users').

    To gain back as much as capacity as possible - copy your data to at least two externals (for your sanity and your data's protection) and format the external to clear the System Volume Information folder. Now, copy the data back. You should have much closer to 931GB total capacity usable than before.

    Hope this helps.
     
    tilleroftheearth, Dec 25, 2011
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  5. funky monk

    funky monk Notebook Deity

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    Is it an old drive? Have you knocked it significantly? If either is the case then it's possible that you wiped out a bunch of sectors.
     
    funky monk, Dec 25, 2011
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  6. woofer00

    woofer00 Wanderer

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    OEM backup software can hide storage space from you without reporting it as used. Auto-downloaded windows updates that haven't yet installed will also eat space that isn't reported as used.
     
    woofer00, Dec 27, 2011
    #6