Disc is full but I can't find source

[scott_h]

I have a 111-GB SSD drive that is used only for program files. All my user files (pictures, videos, music) are kept on a NAS. But my disc is 90% full. When I used File Explorer Properties, it reported only these significant file usages:
Program Files: 3.65-GB
Program Files (x86): 2.8-GB
Windows: 6.3-GB
Users: 19.9-GB

I don't have any backups on C:, nor any previous versions of Windows.
I have run Disk Cleanup. I have uninstalled all the apps that I dare to (and none of them report to use more than 0.6 GB, most are insignificant). When I looked at the folders & files listed under the one User, it shows less than 1-GB used. What is the other 19-GB that doesn't show up?
By my calculation, my disc should have only 13-GB used. What is using up all my disc space? It must be hidden files, but what? And how do I get rid of them?

 

[davehc]

Have yuo tried UNhiding the System an hidden files, on the Windows Explorer? It might reveal the culprit.

 

[Trouble]

I've often found
WinDirStat (free)
OR
TreeSize (free)
Helpful in such cases.

Just be careful of the source you download from.
Some download sites often bundle some worthless crap, so....
Always perform an advanced custom install where available.

 

[Grizzly]

My Windows folder is 21GB in size and my users only 6GB. All in all my system disk is only 31.2GB (out of 55GB) full and I have my files "outsourced" as well....

You may have a bunch of restore points or Windows error reports that fill up the drive. Try a disk cleanup and see how much space you can recover (including system files clean up)...Sometimes it can give you quite the space back....

 

[Saltgrass]

I have a 111-GB SSD drive that is used only for program files. All my user files (pictures, videos, music) are kept on a NAS. But my disc is 90% full. When I used File Explorer Properties, it reported only these significant file usages:
Program Files: 3.65-GB
Program Files (x86): 2.8-GB
Windows: 6.3-GB
Users: 19.9-GB

You can use Settings-System-Storage and select partitions and other options to drill down in a certain area...

 

[Ian]

If you run the cleanup tool, how much space does it think you can recover?:

https://www.windows10forums.com/articles/free-up-disk-space-in-windows-10.105/

I agree that it's likely hidden files/folders somewhere - perhaps even the swap/paging file.

 

[scott_h]

I uninstalled iTunes & all the other apps I could. The cleanup tool said it cleaned up 0.6 GB.
How do I turn off restore points?

 

[scott_h]

OK. I clicked on "delete all restore points". I don't think there were any, system restore was turned off.
I checked the paging file. It was set to only 200 MB.

 

[scott_h]

I installed TreeSize. It shows 64.5-GB for "This Folder" when I select "C:\", but it says 99.5-GB used for the drive. Is this normal???
The biggest files are the hibernation file hiberfil.sys (6.0-GB). I don't usually use hibernation. Should I disable it & delete this file?
Another big file is C:\users\Scott\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\iobw.tst (13.9-GB). Anybody know what this is and whether I can safely delete it? I googled iobw.tst but all I found was stuff about IOMeter, which may have once been installed on this machine, but isn't any longer.

 

[Trouble]

When you disable hibernation the file will automatically be deleted
powercfg -h off
As far as iobw.tst
I'd move it to an external drive (just to be on the safe side).
Those two alone should give you back about 20 gigs.

 

[Saltgrass]

You can look up the extension to see what it might be but one thing looks like a TestPoint file if you have such software..

You might be able to check the properties of the file and see who supplies it..

 

[scott_h]

I deleted iobw.tst, emptied the recycle bin and rebooted. iobw.tst is b

 

[Snuffy]

I have a 111-GB SSD drive that is used only for program files. All my user files (pictures, videos, music) are kept on a NAS. But my disc is 90% full. When I used File Explorer Properties, it reported only these significant file usages:
Program Files: 3.65-GB
Program Files (x86): 2.8-GB
Windows: 6.3-GB
Users: 19.9-GB

I don't have any backups on C:, nor any previous versions of Windows.
I have run Disk Cleanup. I have uninstalled all the apps that I dare to (and none of them report to use more than 0.6 GB, most are insignificant). When I looked at the folders & files listed under the one User, it shows less than 1-GB used. What is the other 19-GB that doesn't show up?
By my calculation, my disc should have only 13-GB used. What is using up all my disc space? It must be hidden files, but what? And how do I get rid of them?

You might Right click "This PC" then open manage then disk management and see if by chance you have a partition that has not been set or unformated.

notice the 623.56 Unallocated partition and the 176.17 (New Volume partition) they are not seen due to they have NO DRIVE LETTER, so when you look at my 1TB SSD you do not see more than 132 GB. when you use Explorer... I'm sure that is why your Drive is FULL. due to you are not using all of the Drive.
PS: you might also change view to show Hidden folders and see how big the Windows~BT is and Windows.old

 

[scott_h]

Thank you for that tip. I actually gave up on the SSD disk and installed a 1-TB HD that i had laying around. I did a fresh install of Windows, and after installing my apps I had 62-GB used, 868-GB free. I just checked and now it is at 364-GB used. WTF? I checked the partitioning like you showed me and it's using 0.5-GB at front and 0.5-GB at the end. Lots of space still but i'm going to run disk cleanup again. Just got major Windows update, so that might be part of it.

 

[scott_h]

Nix that. I was looking at wrong disc! LOL. Only 33-GB used, 897-GB free. When i get some free time (over the holidays?) I'll re-install the SSD, try your tip, and reformat it i i have to.

 

[Snuffy]

Thank you for that tip. I actually gave up on the SSD disk and installed a 1-TB HD that i had laying around. I did a fresh install of Windows, and after installing my apps I had 62-GB used, 868-GB free. I just checked and now it is at 364-GB used. WTF? I checked the partitioning like you showed me and it's using 0.5-GB at front and 0.5-GB at the end. Lots of space still but i'm going to run disk cleanup again. Just got major Windows update, so that might be part of it.

and even the worse full download of windows should only use in the 17 to 21 GB range - where did you get the ISO for fresh install. to suddenly go from 62 to 364 seems you have a bad boy installing junk on your system.
make sure you change view to show all hidden file/folders

 

[Snuffy]

Nix that. I was looking at wrong disc! LOL. Only 33-GB used, 897-GB free. When i get some free time (over the holidays?) I'll re-install the SSD, try your tip, and reformat it i i have to.

in that case i recommend you use HDDLLF - HarddriveLowLevelFormat program... it is free (google it)

 

[scott_h]

That's for that tip too Snuffy. I don't know how i actually recovered 30-GB. My PC froze up this morning (Windows update last night?) and i had to do a hard reboot. I hope I haven't lost something. I better run a disk check.

 

[Snuffy]

Ok reference when you dl a update from MS sample it is 4 gb compressed, and doing the upgrade you finish with about 15 to 17 GB in the clean up. so a crash could leave you with 15 to 17 GB still there and the new update to continue would add another 15 to 17 gb therefore when you do a cleanup it will remove the sum of both 30 to 36 GB. due to ms has to save your current file, change - merge the new info into the 2 file, then on the last reboot, it removes or should remove the original files from you and make it windows.old I have seen some (old computers with 2 or 3 Windows.old - hidden folders) like Program Data (hidden folder). open view and check the show hidden folders.