200 GB are lost in C drive at SBS 2008
Hi,
It's a 5 months old Dell PowerEdge T410 running sbs2008.
3 SAS Disk drives 146 GB each at Riad5.
8 GB RAM
All disk space is used for C.
Actions that has been taken already:
1. Clean iis logs
2. Clean WSUS.
3. Deleting shadow copies by remaining the last 3 days.
4. Following this article: http://www.sbsfaq.com/?p=1597
5. Opening "Computer" and then "tools > Folder Options >view > selecting "view hidden files and folders" and deselecting "hide protected operating system files (Recommended).
6. By entering "computer" select all by CTRL+A and then "Properties" = 56GB of system and data files and folders.
7. Right click on C and then properties shows only 30 GB of free disk space.
It is a 272 GB disk, total of files and folders 56GB .
Where is the missing 216 GB ????
Screenshots attached !
Any ideas?
1.JPG
2.JPG
3.JPG
4.JPG
It's a 5 months old Dell PowerEdge T410 running sbs2008.
3 SAS Disk drives 146 GB each at Riad5.
8 GB RAM
All disk space is used for C.
Actions that has been taken already:
1. Clean iis logs
2. Clean WSUS.
3. Deleting shadow copies by remaining the last 3 days.
4. Following this article: http://www.sbsfaq.com/?p=1597
5. Opening "Computer" and then "tools > Folder Options >view > selecting "view hidden files and folders" and deselecting "hide protected operating system files (Recommended).
6. By entering "computer" select all by CTRL+A and then "Properties" = 56GB of system and data files and folders.
7. Right click on C and then properties shows only 30 GB of free disk space.
It is a 272 GB disk, total of files and folders 56GB .
Where is the missing 216 GB ????
Screenshots attached !
Any ideas?
1.JPG
2.JPG
3.JPG
4.JPG
Can you reboot?
Boot to a CD to eliminate any OS/Malware that might be on the disk.
then do a: dir c:\ /s/a
This should show you better numbers.
Boot to a CD to eliminate any OS/Malware that might be on the disk.
then do a: dir c:\ /s/a
This should show you better numbers.
ASKER
The rest of the loss is simply filesystem overhead. The larger the drive, the more you lose to filesystem overhead.
Hope this helps.
I think that this is not the case here, and it make no sense.
Usually we configure a server with 2 disk as raid 1 for C and 3 disks as raid 5 for D.
In your words, in that case i should get the same problem at other servers but in drive D.
I think you are wrong, sorry!
Best Regards
Eran
So you dont believe that 20Gb is appropriate disk overhead on a 292Gb drive?
A 160Gb drive formats to 148...
You are chasing your tail. Sorry.
A 160Gb drive formats to 148...
You are chasing your tail. Sorry.
Your system looks like it is working as it should. RAID5 works using parity. So you effectivley lose the 3rd disk (you should also have a 4th disk to protect for failures which would be used as a hot spare) So 146GB disk x 3 = (I'm going to round up to 150GB) 450GB - 125GB for parity = 300GB - again for the space you lose when creating partition and you are about right at 272GB. You could always add more disks into your raid but as I said before I would never recommend a RAID5 without a hot spare.
ASKER
slightwv,
I can reboot in one hour from now, but the server located in office of one of my customers.
I'm connecting via RDP
I can reboot in one hour from now, but the server located in office of one of my customers.
I'm connecting via RDP
If the missing 216GB was a typo and infact you mean where is the missing 21GB... then try a defrag a couple of times and this should restructure the hdd. (Also untick hide system files when selecting files to get the count.)
Sorry! I think I understand now... Information overload I think. I see so your C drive contents has 46GB but the display thinks it only has 37GB free on a 275GB hdd... Again I think a defrag and a reboot would be the best thing to try first.
Sorry for the confusion...
Sorry for the confusion...
Apologies...I misread your issue.
I'm far from an nuts-and-bolts Windows expert but I cannot think of anything off the top of my head that would use that much disk and not properly report itself.
The reboot to a non-involved disk will give you the clearest picture of the drive in question.
I'll see if I can track down our resident Windows GURU to see what tricks he might know.
The reboot to a non-involved disk will give you the clearest picture of the drive in question.
I'll see if I can track down our resident Windows GURU to see what tricks he might know.
ASKER
OK,
I'm running defragmentation at the moment.
I'll post the results when it done.
Thank for now.
Eran.
I'm running defragmentation at the moment.
I'll post the results when it done.
Thank for now.
Eran.
Again apolgies for the earlier confusion.
Was this always server 2008? Was it upgraded or somehow formatted using 2003 or the like? I have seen similar issues where this kind of issue occurred and the only solution was starting over as there was no way to convert the filesystem.
Was this always server 2008? Was it upgraded or somehow formatted using 2003 or the like? I have seen similar issues where this kind of issue occurred and the only solution was starting over as there was no way to convert the filesystem.
ASKER
Everything is cool man !
The system installed from scratch, no upgrade.
I really hope that this no case of starting over, in that case i would prefer to P2V it and see if it helps.
Best Regards
Eran.
The system installed from scratch, no upgrade.
I really hope that this no case of starting over, in that case i would prefer to P2V it and see if it helps.
Best Regards
Eran.
Checked with our GURU once I tracked him down and this goes WAY above my head so please don't ask for clarification.
He mentioned Alternate Data Streams might do it.
One other thing he mentioned that isn't: run a CHKDSK to see if there is a LOT of METADATA being used.
He mentioned Alternate Data Streams might do it.
One other thing he mentioned that isn't: run a CHKDSK to see if there is a LOT of METADATA being used.
ASKER
OK,
I'll try that later and post the results.
The defrag process can take some time.
Thanks.
Eran.
I'll try that later and post the results.
The defrag process can take some time.
Thanks.
Eran.
ASKER
Alternate Data Streams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U34PpkZ5cQ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U34PpkZ5cQ8
When you ran treesize did you run as admin? There are two modes "Treesize Proffessional 5" Treesize Professional 5 (administrator)". Many folders, especialy the contents of user's redirected folders are hidden from view in windows, as well as non-administrator mode of Treesize and show as 0MB. Your "Users" folder seems quite small. Often with administrator mode I have found a client has 20GB of baby pictues in their redirected My Documents folder. One had a 300GB backup of their PC.
ASKER
Hi,
Problem Solved!!!!! :)
The folder: "C:\Program Files\Windows Small Business Server\Logs\MonitoringServ
I don't know why i can see this folder now and i couldn't see it before!
I don't know what made that change!
Suddenly I can see the contents of this folder, maybe it is the defragmentation process that help maybe not.
Is it safe to delete all of these files?
Eran.
Problem Solved!!!!! :)
The folder: "C:\Program Files\Windows Small Business Server\Logs\MonitoringServ
I don't know why i can see this folder now and i couldn't see it before!
I don't know what made that change!
Suddenly I can see the contents of this folder, maybe it is the defragmentation process that help maybe not.
Is it safe to delete all of these files?
Eran.
That is a known issue. Please see the following link to address:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2010/03/02/recovering-disk-space-on-the-c-drive-in-small-business-server-2008.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2010/03/02/recovering-disk-space-on-the-c-drive-in-small-business-server-2008.aspx
Glad you finally found it!
Not an SBS person. Seems to be a lot of info out there on the loge. Check out: http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2010/03/02/recovering-disk-space-on-the-c-drive-in-small-business-server-2008.aspx
Not an SBS person. Seems to be a lot of info out there on the loge. Check out: http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2010/03/02/recovering-disk-space-on-the-c-drive-in-small-business-server-2008.aspx
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ASKER
I found one log file that is 182 GB of size and delete it.
Thanks All for the help.
Best Regards.
Eran.
Thanks All for the help.
Best Regards.
Eran.
This is how RAID 5 provides fault tolerance. Your useable space is 2x146Gb or 292Gb.
The rest of the loss is simply filesystem overhead. The larger the drive, the more you lose to filesystem overhead.
Hope this helps.