HDD Refusing To Give Me My Space Back

[LT4CAMSS]

Well, this is definitely the most interesting (and absolutely annoying/frustrating) thing I've seen on the PC. My system specs are in my sig...and this was a clean XP install. I have updated everything. My HDD is the only dated thing in this box but that doesn't mean it should be acting this way. It's a WD Caviar 60GB 7200 RPM (WD600BB) (bought just a little over 2 years ago).

The problem started when I needed to get rid of files to free up some space on the HDD. So I deleted MBs upon MBs of space and the space is not returning. The only time it returns is when I delete large sums of filled space at one time (over 1GB...it used to work deleting something like 400mb-700mb). When I delete let's say 4mb here, another 5-6mb there, it won't recover it. I am going to be getting a new Seagate 7200.9 hopefully but I need this thing to do for now. Any suggestions/ideas? It's as if my harddrive has a blackhole or something.

 

[Zepper]

Stuff you "delete" isn't actually gone from the drive (in Windwoes) until you empty the Recycle bin... If you are REALLY SURE that the stuff you are deleting is unwanted, highlight the items and press Shift-Delete - that will delete and skip the Recycle bin safety net.

.bh.

 

[LT4CAMSS]

lol thanks Zepper but I always hit shift-delete. My recyling bin is always empty. This is something bigger. Thanks for the reply though.

 

[HDTVMan]

Right click on your drive in explorer.
Go to properties.
Click on Disk Cleanup
When it completes go under more options
Under system restore select Clean Up.

What partition is this that is filling up? C?

Did you try deleting your temporary internet files?

 

[alcoholbob]

Technically nothing is ever deleted, the references to the file are just removed.

That's why files can be recovered even after a format.

The only way to get rid of something is to save something on top of it

 

[LT4CAMSS]

Well, I think you will all be interested to know what the answer to this problem was.

It turns out somehow Norton AntiVirus gave itself the ability to manage my Recycling Bin again. This is a default setting which it sets for itself when you install. You have to turn that off yourself. However, the weird thing is...I clearly remember turning that off b/c I like to manage things myself. And for a while, it was turned off. Somehow, it just came alive again (and no, Windows didn't roll itself back or anything). It was set to purge deleted files from the Norton Recycling Bin after 5 days. So even though my Recycle Bin was showing itself as being "Empty" on the desktop, Norton was forcing my HDD to still store the files for another 5 days. Interesting huh?


Astrallite-Please do tell me more about that by PM if you'd like. That sounds very interesting. I always thought it was like a CDRW that you can physically erase and then restore information on top of it. I never knew those files are never really erased until you save stuff over it.

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: LT4CAMSS
Well, I think you will all be interested to know what the answer to this problem was.

It turns out somehow Norton AntiVirus gave itself the ability to manage my Recycling Bin again. This is a default setting which it sets for itself when you install. You have to turn that off yourself. However, the weird thing is...I clearly remember turning that off b/c I like to manage things myself. And for a while, it was turned off. Somehow, it just came alive again (and no, Windows didn't roll itself back or anything). It was set to purge deleted files from the Norton Recycling Bin after 5 days. So even though my Recycle Bin was showing itself as being "Empty" on the desktop, Norton was forcing my HDD to still store the files for another 5 days. Interesting huh?


Astrallite-Please do tell me more about that by PM if you'd like. That sounds very interesting. I always thought it was like a CDRW that you can physically erase and then restore information on top of it. I never knew those files are never really erased until you save stuff over it.

for a CDRW, when you "erase" it, the crystal structure of the data layer is restored, so if it's a true full erase, data is technically not recoverable. For a HDD, the file reference is removed. It's like throwing out a book by just throwing out the cover, but digitally. Bits and pieces of the file (typically fragmented) still remain. This is why if you accidentally permanently delete a file, you can still technically recover it, if you have not written over it. It's just that it's more efficient (time and energy) to say a space is "FREE" than actually erasing the contents completely.