Phantom disk space use in Windows 2008
I am running a server with Windows 2008 Web Server 32 bit. The system drive (C:) is 40GB and is reported as having 6GB free, which should leave 34GB in use.
The size of all files reported in Explorer (highlighting all files and folders and then using Properties) and also by a utility called TreeSize Free is only 16.9GB, leaving 17GB unaccounted for.
Folder view options are set to display hidden files and system protected 'super hidden' files. The recycle bin is also empty
The usual culprit is System Volume Information folder but Shadow Copies is disabled on all drives and the SVI folder is empty (I have grabbed ownership of this to access the folder and there is one empty folder inside it called WindowsImageBackup).
Are there any other system folders like SVI that may appear empty because only the SYSTEM user has access, or can anyone think of another reason why this phantom disk space use may be happening.
Geoff
The size of all files reported in Explorer (highlighting all files and folders and then using Properties) and also by a utility called TreeSize Free is only 16.9GB, leaving 17GB unaccounted for.
Folder view options are set to display hidden files and system protected 'super hidden' files. The recycle bin is also empty
The usual culprit is System Volume Information folder but Shadow Copies is disabled on all drives and the SVI folder is empty (I have grabbed ownership of this to access the folder and there is one empty folder inside it called WindowsImageBackup).
Are there any other system folders like SVI that may appear empty because only the SYSTEM user has access, or can anyone think of another reason why this phantom disk space use may be happening.
Geoff
Page file?
Could be the installed MS updates ($KB****) which are eating up your space. Also profiles eat up lots of space. One other feature which might be enabled is hibernation.
ASKER
joshqeake:
It's not the page file - I can see that in Explorer and TreeSize so it is included in the 16.9gb of files and folders
ieden:
There aren't that manu updates, all user profiles take up only 350MB and hibernation is not enabled as this is a production web server.
Any more ideas?
It's not the page file - I can see that in Explorer and TreeSize so it is included in the 16.9gb of files and folders
ieden:
There aren't that manu updates, all user profiles take up only 350MB and hibernation is not enabled as this is a production web server.
Any more ideas?
some crazy hidden embedded recovery partiton??! I'm all out of ideas!
Run Windirstat tool and see where does it show the occupied space: www.windirstat.info
ASKER
noxcho
Thanks for the link. Windirstat is similar to Treesize and shows the use of the disk, but is also highlights the <unknown> portion of the disk (15.9GB in my case) which is causing the concern.
It shows it as unknown but cannot tell me why!
Thanks anyway - I will try a reboot overnight to see if that clears the issue.
Thanks for the link. Windirstat is similar to Treesize and shows the use of the disk, but is also highlights the <unknown> portion of the disk (15.9GB in my case) which is causing the concern.
It shows it as unknown but cannot tell me why!
Thanks anyway - I will try a reboot overnight to see if that clears the issue.
Can you take screen shot of Windirstat screen and post it here?
ASKER
Screenshot attached showing almost 50% of the c: drive is Unknown
WinDirStat.jpg
WinDirStat.jpg
Did someone boot this machine to a LINUX CD to do repair? If so, it could have left behind a tidy little package or image of the existing HDD install in a debugger...
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noxcho
I have tried O&O defragger and although it didn't directly find the issue it did point me in the right direction.
The unknown file area on the disk is actually made up of 294 folders full of temporary files generated by a faulty installation of Clam Anti-Virus which forms part of our Smartermail mail server. These folders each contain files of 60mb, giving a total space used of 18GB. These are all set with SYSTEM as the only user that can access them, which is why they didn't show up in WinDirStat or TreeSize.
I have tried O&O defragger and although it didn't directly find the issue it did point me in the right direction.
The unknown file area on the disk is actually made up of 294 folders full of temporary files generated by a faulty installation of Clam Anti-Virus which forms part of our Smartermail mail server. These folders each contain files of 60mb, giving a total space used of 18GB. These are all set with SYSTEM as the only user that can access them, which is why they didn't show up in WinDirStat or TreeSize.
Thanks for feedback. That is the role of O&O in this test - to point to right direction.
Glad to hear it helped you.
Nox
Glad to hear it helped you.
Nox