Comments on: <Unknown> again … http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/ News and discussions around WinDirStat Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:29:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Oliver http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10296 Oliver Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:10:10 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10296 Alright, for any readers of this post. There is another issue that has surfaced recently. WDS is not aware of some special "virtualized" folders on Windows for x64. This means that at the moment the results will - to some extent - be inaccurate for those platforms. This is being fixed for the next release. // Oliver Alright, for any readers of this post. There is another issue that has surfaced recently. WDS is not aware of some special “virtualized” folders on Windows for x64. This means that at the moment the results will - to some extent - be inaccurate for those platforms. This is being fixed for the next release.

// Oliver

]]> By: romeojk http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10293 romeojk Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:17:01 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10293 I had a similar problem: 150 gig hardrive in a T61 Lenovo thinkpad. unknown space was at 115 gig's. My machine was running into trouble. I went to the ThinkVantage>system backup and restore>Advanced, and deleted all but the most recent backup...nothing changed (took a few hours). Then I went in and deleted the most recent backup (it said it was about 7 gigs), and shazam!!...bingo!! the unknown space went away and my machine is back to normal. Thank you so much for this site, I found it doing a search on google. I really think it was just the last backup/restore that was done and something went wrong with it to fill everything up, my machine was running fine until around when this backup occurred about 3 weeks ago. Thanks again so much, I really appreciate the help. I had a similar problem: 150 gig hardrive in a T61 Lenovo thinkpad. unknown space was at 115 gig’s. My machine was running into trouble. I went to the ThinkVantage>system backup and restore>Advanced, and deleted all but the most recent backup…nothing changed (took a few hours). Then I went in and deleted the most recent backup (it said it was about 7 gigs), and shazam!!…bingo!! the unknown space went away and my machine is back to normal.

Thank you so much for this site, I found it doing a search on google.
I really think it was just the last backup/restore that was done and something went wrong with it to fill everything up, my machine was running fine until around when this backup occurred about 3 weeks ago.

Thanks again so much, I really appreciate the help.

]]> By: Oliver http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10277 Oliver Mon, 26 May 2008 09:19:03 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10277 Hi, there could be one reason only, that I can imagine here: sparse files. NTFS offers to create totally or partially sparse files where the contents will be filled in over time. This means that not all the space is occupied when this sparse file is created. Depending on the tools you use, it will either show the real size on disk or the one that is reserved. // Oliver PS: Everything else would boil down to corruption of the file system. In this case run CHKDSK. Hi,

there could be one reason only, that I can imagine here: sparse files. NTFS offers to create totally or partially sparse files where the contents will be filled in over time. This means that not all the space is occupied when this sparse file is created. Depending on the tools you use, it will either show the real size on disk or the one that is reserved.

// Oliver

PS: Everything else would boil down to corruption of the file system. In this case run CHKDSK.

]]> By: feeblemind_99 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10276 feeblemind_99 Mon, 26 May 2008 02:44:07 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10276 hi oliver, i have an HP dv2730tx laptop run in vista home OS with 250gb hard drive. i have my drives partition plus it has another 12GB recovery. So all in all i have 3 partitions, my C: and D: drives have equal spaces. my problem is, when i look in the windows explorer and see the bar of how much space is still free, it says 63.0gb of 112gb. but i know it could not be because only few programs are installed in my laptop, when i go inside my C: and selected all the folders then right click --> properties, only 20GB are used. I even used windirstat and it also produces the same result 20GB used, i wonder where does the remaining 30++Gb go? thanks hi oliver,

i have an HP dv2730tx laptop run in vista home OS with 250gb hard drive.
i have my drives partition plus it has another 12GB recovery. So all in all i have 3 partitions, my C: and D: drives have equal spaces.
my problem is, when i look in the windows explorer and see the bar of how much space is still free, it says 63.0gb of 112gb. but i know it could not be because only few programs are installed in my laptop, when i go inside my C: and selected all the folders then right click –> properties, only 20GB are used. I even used windirstat and it also produces the same result 20GB used, i wonder where does the remaining 30++Gb go?

thanks

]]> By: funfunfer http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10251 funfunfer Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:34:56 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10251 Great information. Thanks. I was able to clear my problem. I have Restore Points turned off on both drives, but it appears that the install of either Sophos or Microsoft Search triggered a 7.5 Gb RP file. Exactly what I needed, and without the flaming that goes on in many other boards. Great information. Thanks. I was able to clear my problem. I have Restore Points turned off on both drives, but it appears that the install of either Sophos or Microsoft Search triggered a 7.5 Gb RP file.
Exactly what I needed, and without the flaming that goes on in many other boards.

]]> By: linkhyrule5 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10250 linkhyrule5 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:29:02 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10250 I have a 2GB USB with 400MB unknown. I have both U3 and PortableApps on it. After running WinDirStat as System, it still turns up as unknown. I have a 2GB USB with 400MB unknown. I have both U3 and PortableApps on it. After running WinDirStat as System, it still turns up as unknown.

]]> By: Oliver http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10248 Oliver Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:32:23 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10248 Hey. Good to hear you could fix it for yourself. Just as a side-note. CHKDSK is supposed to be able to fix this even without running as SYSTEM. Sometimes this will involve a restart (if the volume is mounted and in use and can't be unmounted forcibly), but all in all this is supposed to work from a normal admin account as well. // Oliver Hey. Good to hear you could fix it for yourself. Just as a side-note. CHKDSK is supposed to be able to fix this even without running as SYSTEM. Sometimes this will involve a restart (if the volume is mounted and in use and can’t be unmounted forcibly), but all in all this is supposed to work from a normal admin account as well.

// Oliver

]]> By: hackabusa http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10247 hackabusa Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:18:04 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10247 I just remedied a major problem with . Basically, what had happened was at one time or another, Windows allocated about 260gb of free space on a WD Mybook as used. Chkdsk did nothing, disk management reported the disk as 100% full, and windirstat showed a huge chunk of <Unkown>. I don't use system restore, and the chances of me getting a virus are pretty slim (I run Linux 90% of the time. Windows is only for light amounts of gaming), so basically the way I found to fix it was fairly simple: just run chkdsk /f X: under CMDasSys.exe. It spit out the message "CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap." almost immediately, and repaired it within a fraction of a second. I just remedied a major problem with . Basically, what had happened was at one time or another, Windows allocated about 260gb of free space on a WD Mybook as used. Chkdsk did nothing, disk management reported the disk as 100% full, and windirstat showed a huge chunk of <Unkown>. I don’t use system restore, and the chances of me getting a virus are pretty slim (I run Linux 90% of the time. Windows is only for light amounts of gaming), so basically the way I found to fix it was fairly simple: just run chkdsk /f X: under CMDasSys.exe. It spit out the message “CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap.” almost immediately, and repaired it within a fraction of a second.

]]> By: Oliver http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10246 Oliver Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:24:54 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10246 Hi, it really depends whether you have some other backup measure in place. If you do, I - in your stead - would turn of system restore points and remove everything. There are indeed a few files in SVI which are vital, so be careful. Better use the controls the system offers you. // Oliver Hi,

it really depends whether you have some other backup measure in place. If you do, I - in your stead - would turn of system restore points and remove everything. There are indeed a few files in SVI which are vital, so be careful. Better use the controls the system offers you.

// Oliver

]]> By: pauldebell http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10245 pauldebell Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:07:32 +0000 http://blog.windirstat.info/20070321/unknown-again/#comment-10245 Oliver, Thank you so much for this information, it really helped me with my computer problem. I'm running Win XP Home Edition on a Dell with 100GB and lately I've found that all of my free space is gone even though I should have about a third of the space free. Your post helped me find the culprit, using windirstat and your program I found that my system volume information file is taking up 28.7 gigs. I've had system restore disabled for a while. I actually had about 36 gigs in the svi file but by enabling system restore and telling it to delete everything but the most recent snapshot I gained 8 gigs. I'd really like a way to get rid of all of these files in the svi but from research online it looks like I could do a lot of serious damage that way. How should I proceed? Thank you so much for all of your advice, it really helps the less tech-savvy. -Paul Oliver,

Thank you so much for this information, it really helped me with my computer problem. I’m running Win XP Home Edition on a Dell with 100GB and lately I’ve found that all of my free space is gone even though I should have about a third of the space free. Your post helped me find the culprit, using windirstat and your program I found that my system volume information file is taking up 28.7 gigs. I’ve had system restore disabled for a while. I actually had about 36 gigs in the svi file but by enabling system restore and telling it to delete everything but the most recent snapshot I gained 8 gigs. I’d really like a way to get rid of all of these files in the svi but from research online it looks like I could do a lot of serious damage that way. How should I proceed? Thank you so much for all of your advice, it really helps the less tech-savvy.

-Paul

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