20GB Missing =S

[Random Hero]

I cant get my head around this one, i have an 80gb hard drive, and when i go into c drive and highlight all the folders in there and click properties it says they only total 45GB, and yet when i hover over the c drive icon it says i only have 20GB free..... wheres that other 15-20gb? ive run defrag and stuff and still no avail, but im just wondering if anyones got any ideas. (when i highlighted folders it included windows, program files, and documents and settings, just to validate) thanks

[fo3nix]

Go into my computer, right-click your hard drive, and click properties. What's the used space and free space for it?

Also, do you perhaps have two hard disc drives showing in my computer, maybe C: and D:? Mine does, because it's a compaq machine and uses D: as a recovery partition.

[Catso]

Have you emptied the recycle bin? Of all users?

Have you got Explorer to show all files, including hidden ones and system files?

[bj292]

By default Windows XP hides system folders. This includes the system restore folder which can get quite large.

To see these folders from Windows Explorer go to Tools, Folder Options, View - Show Hidden Files and Folders.

Try www.explorerxp.com for a freeware file viewer that should work for you.

[boink]

if you highlight these folders, the figure 45gb shows you how much room these take up not the amount of room on your drive, so if the "programs" had 5 gb and the "my documents" folder had 7 gb if you highlight these two it would show 12gb in the properties.... or am i missing something?

[Catso]

Oddly, it depends how you highlight them. If you are 'hiding' files, if you highlight all the files in a folder, it only totals the files you've highlighted NOT any hidden ones, that aren't displayed.

[Random Hero]

firstly, im the only user and yes my bin was empty, secondly when i right click it it says 20 free 45 used, i didnt see the point in saying this in my first post because its pretty much covered. thirdly, even if they are hidden it still registers their file sizes. so, still open for suggestions

[Catso]

No, it doesn't necessarily include the sizes of hidden files. I've tried it, before my previous post, that's why I said it. It depends upon how you select them.

Go to the Windows/Winnt folder (as this will have hidden stuff). Set the view to hide files, highlight the first subfolder, go to the end, shift-highlight the last file, so all are now highlighted. The total size you get is the total of the highlighted files. Which excludes an hidden ones.

But if you do ctrl-a, it understands you may be wanting to select all the files, and asks you.

I haven't tried to find out what exactly happens re subfolder sizes and hidden/not, but I just suggested making sure you weren't hiding files, as it might have some effect.

[Catso]

What figures does the properties of the drive give you?

[Random Hero]

the hidden folders thing worked thx, now it says 56gb used 22 free which is correct, thankyou :)