Off Topic: Why is Windows Eating My HardDrive?`

[BidingMyTime]

I have a gaming computer with 1 TB on the data partition, 100 GB on the drive partition. I install everything on my data partition. Yet, my C drive is always critically low and I'm having to delete my browser cache and garbage pail to make enough space for my Outlook to update (which it seems to want to do every other week.) I've looked through the C drive for any extra programs and can't find any. I changed my default temp and download drive to my data partition. Windows claims it is only taking up 23 GB, but I don't believe it. When I click on all the non-windows folders, including the 3(?) Program Files folders,, nothing adds up anywhere close to 100GB. So Windows must be secretly eating my hard drive. Should I trick one of my kids into taking my old computer, so I can just get a new one?

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[Sine Cura]

What does Disk Cleanup say?

 

[BidingMyTime]

Disk Cleanup says I can free 159MB (but when I check everything and run it, it really doesn't free it up.)

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Did you accidently buy a counterfeit hard drive? That can happen...it'll show the bios that it is a 1TB drive, but really only have like 256GB of storage.

 

[pezdispenser]

100 GB is too small because there are a lot of hidden system files like the page file (swaps unused programs from memory to the drive), hibernation file, Windows Store apps, etc. So Windows needs a lot of extra space just to operate normally.

If you have really just partitioned one physical hard drive into 2 separate partitions--100GB and 1TB--I would recommend not doing that and just have 1 partition so that Windows won't be constrained to 100GB. If you actually have 2 physical drives, then you should get at least a 500GB SSD for $60 (1TB SSD for $100 even better and allows more space for future expansion) and transfer your Windows partition to that. Crucial MX500 and WD Blue are good SSDs because they can sustain 500MB/s writes even after the SLC cache runs out.

If you're still using spinning hard drives, an SSD will give you a dramatic boost in performance. I put an old 120GB SSD in an Intel i5-3210M, 6GB RAM laptop from 2013 and it now runs Windows 10 super smooth. It does show only 35GB used/83GB free, but I don't have many programs installed. Just the bare minimum like Chrome, Acrobat Reader, LibreOffice.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Did you accidently buy a counterfeit hard drive? That can happen...it'll show the bios that it is a 1TB drive, but really only have like 256GB of storage.

The 1 TB is my data drive, it has plenty of space on it. The 100GB is my start-up drive.

100 GB is too small because there are a lot of hidden system files like the page file (swaps unused programs from memory to the drive), hibernation file, Windows Store apps, etc. So Windows needs a lot of extra space just to operate normally.

If you have really just partitioned one physical hard drive into 2 separate partitions--100GB and 1TB--I would recommend not doing that and just have 1 partition so that Windows won't be constrained to 100GB. If you actually have 2 physical drives, then you should get at least a 500GB SSD for $60 (1TB SSD for $100 even better and allows more space for future expansion) and transfer your Windows partition to that. Crucial MX500 and WD Blue are good SSDs because they can sustain 500MB/s writes even after the SLC cache runs out.

If you're still using spinning hard drives, an SSD will give you a dramatic boost in performance. I put an old 120GB SSD in an Intel i5-3210M, 6GB RAM laptop from 2013 and it now runs Windows 10 super smooth. It does show only 35GB used/83GB free, but I don't have many programs installed. Just the bare minimum like Chrome, Acrobat Reader, LibreOffice.

Yeah, I am realizing now 100GB is too small. My computer is 2 years old, so since this is a recent problem, I guess the 100GB worked at the time. It is 1 hard drive with 2 separate partitions, a pre-assembled Alienware system. I will certainly buy smarter in the future. Hard for me to justify getting a new computer with only being 2 years old, 1 of my kids far more desperately needs a new computer (kids is like 6 or 7 years old.) I'm thinking to convince them they are getting a good deal taking mine, they aren't going to use the full Office suite, so I could take that off. Then I can justify getting a new & better computer for myself.

 

[lord999]

The 1 TB is my data drive, it has plenty of space on it. The 100GB is my start-up drive.



Yeah, I am realizing now 100GB is too small. My computer is 2 years old, so since this is a recent problem, I guess the 100GB worked at the time. It is 1 hard drive with 2 separate partitions, a pre-assembled Alienware system. I will certainly buy smarter in the future. Hard for me to justify getting a new computer with only being 2 years old, 1 of my kids far more desperately needs a new computer (kids is like 6 or 7 years old.) I'm thinking to convince them they are getting a good deal taking mine, they aren't going to use the full Office suite, so I could take that off. Then I can justify getting a new & better computer for myself.

Two things:

1. Go back to Disk Cleanup. Click on the Clean Up System Files (lower left hand) and go administrator to see if there are hidden files taking up too much.

2. Last couple of major updates, the new standard is no longer 64 GB, it's 96 GB. You're probably pushing the limit.

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What Alienware system is it, more importantly the Baseboard (open a command System Information)? A small drive is fixable with an additional drive or a repartition. Also, partitioning an SSD sharing OS needs will not give you performance benefits over additive (1+1 = 1.5), especially with read intensive programs. You are better off installing another drive and migrating the non-essentials there.

Also, before you give this, get Belarc Advisor to remind you of your keys.

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[Xenophylia]

Try a free program called "Treesize" it will analyze your file structure and sort it by which files are using the most space. When I used smaller SSD boot drives back in the day, I often times mysteriously ran out of space. This program allowed me to see what was using it and after doing many of the program hogging files could be deleted. For example, I quickly realized that Garmin wouldn't delete the downloaded maps after updating my GPS. That was often to the tune of 20GB or more per downloaded map. All of those could be deleted. This is just one example..

Also a good idea to delete hiberfile.sys if you don't use hibernate on your windows pc. With a simple command line you can free up sometimes 20GB or more just by deleting that file.

Back in the day when using 32GB or 64GB SSDs these kind of things were essential......

On a 100GB drive, it wouldn't be unusual to free up another 50GB with these tricks. And this is the kind of stuff that "disk cleanup" won't touch. Treesize (free) itself has been a godsend to me..... That being said, it's always a good idea to do a drive backup first. I use Acronis.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Try a free program called "Treesize" it will analyze your file structure and sort it by which files are using the most space. When I used smaller SSD boot drives back in the day, I often times mysteriously ran out of space. This program allowed me to see what was using it and after doing many of the program hogging files could be deleted. For example, I quickly realized that Garmin wouldn't delete the downloaded maps after updating my GPS. That was often to the tune of 20GB or more per downloaded map. All of those could be deleted. This is just one example..

Also a good idea to delete hiberfile.sys if you don't use hibernate on your windows pc. With a simple command line you can free up sometimes 20GB or more just by deleting that file.

Back in the day when using 32GB or 64GB SSDs these kind of things were essential......

On a 100GB drive, it wouldn't be unusual to free up another 50GB with these tricks. And this is the kind of stuff that "disk cleanup" won't touch. Treesize (free) itself has been a godsend to me..... That being said, it's always a good idea to do a drive backup first. I use Acronis.

Thank you so much for the advice! I don't use hibernate, so that seems like a simple thing to try. I will also check out treesize...yes, I remember using all kinds of programs to free up memory back in the day (90's) when it was so essential, it's been long enough that I had forgotten about those kind of tricks.
And will make sure I have everything back-up, that I do regularly.
Haha, if all else fells, it is a good excuse to get a new computer. My child who is at the top of the family list to get a new computer, poor thing has a Windows 7 with a really maxed out hard drive, told me they were happy with their computer when I asked them if they wanted a new one. Given that....good enough excuse for me to get the new one, and they can have my old one (or keep using their Windows 7 if they really want to.)

 

[alpha12]

Why is Windows Eating My HardDrive?​

sounds like the start of a cheesy tech joke.

 

[gwarm01]

If you use GamePass there is a known glitch where games won't actually uninstall and can apparently steal disk space permanently*

*there might be a fix? I haven't looked into it much

 

[JustFillIt]

I have a gaming computer with 1 TB on the data partition, 100 GB on the drive partition. I install everything on my data partition. Yet, my C drive is always critically low and I'm having to delete my browser cache and garbage pail to make enough space for my Outlook to update (which it seems to want to do every other week.) I've looked through the C drive for any extra programs and can't find any. I changed my default temp and download drive to my data partition. Windows claims it is only taking up 23 GB, but I don't believe it. When I click on all the non-windows folders, including the 3(?) Program Files folders,, nothing adds up anywhere close to 100GB. So Windows must be secretly eating my hard drive. Should I trick one of my kids into taking my old computer, so I can just get a new one?

Yo BMT - what games you playing? I like to geek out on a game called Rimworld sometimes. I also play Factorio a bit as well.

Other than that - I grew up playing final fantasy non stop.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Yo BMT - what games you playing? I like to geek out on a game called Rimworld sometimes. I also play Factorio a bit as well.

Other than that - I grew up playing final fantasy non stop.

Mostly old-school GOG games, which are all installed on my D drive.

I did find a hidden source of memory, all the windows themes I had downloaded. I moved them to my D drive, and that freed up enough space on my C drive that I could at least install the updates.

My plan now is to wait for Windows 11 hardware to come out, then upgrade, and pass my computer off on to my child who still has the Windows 7 computer. Which they tell me they are fine with......although they are using my computer whenever I'm not home, so I think they will be happy to inherit mine.

 

[briannosch]

Your hard drive is no longer usable perhaps. I have been struggling with this problem for a long time. As a result, I turned to data recovery services near me for repair. The system information folder can also take up a lot of space. Information about system restore points is located in the system information folder. It is stored as a hidden file most often. These files take up a significant amount of space and slow down the system performance. You should use the disc cleanup tools in Windows to fix this problem.

 

[BidingMyTime]

The problem may not be with Windows itself. Are you sure you've checked all your options?

The problem wasn't with Windows, it was just lack of drive space. I only mentioned Windows because I wanted to get a computer preinstalled with Windows 11, rather than Windows 10, as I was looking forward to some of the features on Windows 11.

I have gotten my new computer which works great, passed off the old one to my child--the old one more than meets my child's needs, and child had a computer with Windows 7, so they needed an upgrade.

As for Windows 11....overall I am happy with it, but there are some negative changes from Windows 10. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case with any upgrade....fix some things, break some other things.

 

[confettiflyer]

I’ve been pretty content with my Win 11 experience, I’m about a few weeks away from retiring my Win 10 startup disk and putting a Linux distro on it.

Oh! I finally upgraded to a 3080 Ti + 5600X ($179 at Microcenter woot woot), this thing is a dream. Hitting 55-60 fps on MSFS2020 at 4K, mostly 60-70C under load.

Still tanks down to 40 fps when set to Ultra, but I do the GeForce optimization and it’s a good balance.

I think I’m set for about 3-4 years. At the rate they’re going, I’m going to need to run a dedicated 20 amp circuit to my office to run a 2 kW PSU for these new GPUs in the pipeline.

 

[BidingMyTime]

And now, only 3 months since I bought it, and my new computer died yesterday. Very dead. Went through the 1st & 2nd level of support, 3rd level is supposed to call me back within 48 hours. 1st level support thinks it is a hard drive issue, but my suspicious is it a power issue. Either way, not happy. At least my kid's computer, my old computer is still set up for me to use. Kid's keyboard totally suck, I'm going to have to do some upgrades on their computer, if I'm forced to use it long.