T61p lost disk space

[sktn77a]

I swapped the HDD in my son's T61p from a 160gb to 320gb. When I first installed everything a few weeks ago, Windows Explorer correctly identified just over 100Gb used and about 200 available. Explorer now shows 275gb used! He has about 100gb in windows visible and hidden (unhidden) files/folders and a 5gb recovery partition.

Nothing else is reported by any of the windows utilities. Any ideas???

[carbon_unit]

Rescue and Recovery backups?

[ZaZ]

System restore is another good candidate.

[sktn77a]

R&R and SR I considered but I can't file the files anywhere. Where would they be stored that windows disk management couldn't find?

[ZaZ]

You can disable system restore, which will remove the files, and this may be of interest.

[carbon_unit]

The Rescue and Recovery backups are hidden files. In windows go to Start, All Programs, Rescue and Recovery and look for the backup section. You can delete the backups from there. Then change the backup schedule to suit you.

[dr_st]

This R&R thing keep coming up for many users. It really puzzles me that Lenovo ships their laptops preconfigured in a totally idiotic way that basically assumes that the only purpose of a user's hard drive is to store backups of their stupid backup program.

[i.thinkpad]

I am sure Rescue and Recovery will ask the user each time if a scheduled backup is needed. Just click 'No' if you don't want to create a backup. Don't simply click 'Yes' to all system message. Read it before you do something. Besides, the backup schedule is also configurable (e.g. right at the first time when you turn on your new thinkpad). You can permanently disable or uninstall it if you don't need it.

Rescue and Recovery is useful for somebody. IMO it is justifiable for Lenovo to offer a choice of backup to the end user. And bear in mind that the program always asks if you want to process.

[sktn77a]

Well, it was a clean install from the recovery CDs about 4 weeks ago. R&R didn't pop up and ask me anything and I havent changed any R&R settings from default. He uses uTorrent and I was wondering if this does any mischief?

[SkiBunny]

He uses uTorrent and I was wondering if this does any mischief?

I use uTorrent and P2P's a lot with no such problem (just other trojans you gotta watch for). But I had that problem at work (where I don't use uTorrent, lol) on an SSD, obviously a very different drive, and unfortunately in the end they had to reformat to recover the lost disk space.

[ZaZ]

I like to use True Image. I do a clean install then make an image. I can put back in five minutes if need be. I keep the data on a separate partition.

[sktn77a]

Well, I was able to get to it this weekend. Opened up R&R and eventually found an 8GB (original) backup and a 75Gb subsequent backup. I deleted both and got just over 80Gb back but I still have 60+ Gb unaccounted for. If I go to My Computer it shows approx 130Gb available and 170GB used (the recovery partition is visible in Disk Manager, along with the C: partition; nothing else). However, when I look at the properties of all the visible folders and files on the C: drive (after unhiding all the hidden files and folders), they are less than 100Gb.

So, about 60Gb has gone AWOL.

[HFat]

Is your torrent app set to use sparse files? If you have a bunch of large files with physical and logical sizes which are at odds, I can see how this could lead to some confusion. Don't use the OS partition for torrenting if you can help it (note that there are probably temporary files somewhere in the user directory on top of the actual downloads).

There are ways to hide files in Windows but I wouldn't go all out paranoid right away.
First, use another tool than (i)explorer to tally your files (I wouldn't trust it). But it could also be an issue with the state of your filesystem (NTFS isn't close to robust). Have you tried chkdsk?
If nothing else works, as a last resort you might try a Linux CD featuring a decent NTFS driver, mount the partition and compare the output of df -h /mountpoint and du -sh /mountpoint. That information should be reliable.

[dr_st]

Have you checked that System Restore (another potential resource hog) is disabled as well?

I concur with not trusting Windows Explorer to count total free space right. I'd suggest some graphical disk usage display tool (you can google a few of them), or at least a serious file manager, like Total Commander, FAR, etc.

[sktn77a]

I was in the process of checking system restore also but got interrupted and then forgot to do it. I'll check that too.

D_mn kids and their downloading - my other daughter got a nasty virus a couple of months ago requiring a complete wipe and re-image!

[carbon_unit]

Something like WinDirStat can show which files are hogging up the space.

[EAkamai]

Something like WinDirStat can show which files are hogging up the space.

I use that and i still also use the old DiskPie 2 utility from PC Mag. Haven't tried it on Vista but it's flawless on XP. I think there's even an update for it. Search for "Diskpie PC Magazine" and it'll come right up.

Whoa! They made these subscription based now! Drat...

[sktn77a]

I'll try those. Thanks!

[sktn77a]

Well, number 3 offspring was home again this weekend and I checked the offending T61p. Windows restore had 30Gb in backups so I deleted those, and all disk space appears present and accounted for. I've found that when the computers get fouled up with viruses, etc, it's usually time for a clean wipe and install anyway.

[SkiBunny]

D_mn kids and their downloading - my other daughter got a nasty virus a couple of months ago

I've found that when the computers get fouled up with viruses, etc, it's usually time for a clean wipe and install anyway.

Is the notebook AV set to always automatically scan everthing as soon as it's downloaded? Do the kids heed any issues or warnings? Continuously updated commercial-grade AV like symantec corporate should (and does, I believe) protect against those viruses... no re-installs or malware removal tools ever needed.

[sktn77a]

Yes, Symantec AV is set up to do real time file scanning; no they're retarded (I think they're the milkman's!) and no, it's the ones that Symantec misses that cause the problems. I don't know who thinks up all these viruses but if we could only get them to direct their efforts towards economic and healthcare reform, we'd be "In Like Flint"!

[SkiBunny]

I don't know who thinks up all these viruses but if we could only get them to direct their efforts towards economic and healthcare reform, we'd be "In Like Flint"!

Writing viruses (and games) are very interesting topics in the realm of computer science. Some universities teach it as it's also motivating for students.
Thought symantec would catch it... i use NOD32 corporate AV myself instead lately but an I/T consultant I know swears by symantec, and says he'd lose his corporate clients if they ever got a virus on their machines or network.

[sktn77a]

Oh boy, he's living on borrowed time - all kinds of real nasty stuff gets past Symantec on our computers! But like I say - they're Torrenting this and Limewiring that...........

[HFat]

It seems you can get quite far in this business by lying confidently and promising the impossible.

EDIT: Most malware relies on poor configuration and even a shoddy default-deny type of configuration would stop the nusiance in its tracks. But good configuration is hard work compared to installing a "security products". Plus it might require some devs and users to change their habits or even to stop doing what they're not supposed to. Unthinkable! So better tack a few security products on a poor configuration and plead best effort.

[dr_st]

I have Symantec Corporate on all my personal machines...

If anything gets past it, I don't know about it, and it must be harmless.

Experience shows, that no matter what anti-virus you have, some things get past it, which won't get past others. I've personally witnessed things that Symantec catches but NOD32 doesn't, and vice versa.

Today, anti-virus programs in most cases tend to catch too many things rather than too few. Most of the "threats" they detect can be rather harmless (not always, though!). Especially true in our age where the difference between virus, spyware, malware, and trojan horse is blurred.

[HFat]

Nothing gets past my lack of AV on my personal machines either. But the average user is another matter...