HD showing full

[mnkypprs]

not sure where to post this, so ill start here.   32gig hd is showing full, with only windows and norton installed. ran virus scan. no results.  Any ideas?

thanks

[Salmon Trout]

How is it "showing full" - where do you see this information?

[Allan]

And 32Gb is a very small drive these days. You can start by disabling system restore - that will immediately free up a lot of space. NOTE: all restore points will be deleted.

[mnkypprs]

downloading updates for norton, message pop up..low on space..

then viewing properties on C drive shows 108k left

[Allan]

Disable system restore, delete files in Temporary Internet Files folder, empty recycle bin. In the end though, you should buy a larger drive.

[mnkypprs]

cant disable system restore, not enough free space. you need 200 mb free. did others.

[mnkypprs]

a larger drive isnt the issue. the issue is why this one is reading the free space as used.

[Allan]

Never heard that before. Anyway, just use Disk Cleanup and use it to delete all but the most recent restore point

[Allan]

And a larger hard drive IS the issue. 32Gb is a very small drive. Regardless, follow the above instructions to delete the restore points.

[mnkypprs]

the computer isnt....reading....the free space....that should be available on the drive that is available..

[mnkypprs]

OK I'll humor you. what if the drive was 2 tb. and i did everythign you already said about cleaning the drive. what would you suggest then

[mnkypprs]

Salmon Trout...do you have any ideas?

[Allan]

You're asking for help. Lose the attitude - I'm trying to help you.

Download and run treesize to see where the space is being used
http://www.jam-software.com/freeware/

[Salmon Trout]

Salmon Trout...do you have any ideas?

Allan has given you all of the advice that you need; including this:

Lose the attitude

He is very knowledgeable and experienced: if you ignore him you will be a fool. I will just add: Consider the possibility that the disk is failing.

[mnkypprs]

when you tell someone your question is why your computer is reading an empty drive as full..and they tell you the drive is too small, the credibility fails. And ive seen his posts on other threads... what he might have in experience, he lacks in forum side manners.

anyway...for some reason the computer was hiding an itunes folder and a norton backup folder. both held files totaling the gigs that were being read as full.

it was a simple, yet hidden, solution. she doesnt need a larger hd for what she uses the computer for. she just needs to stop storing all her music on there, and she needs to adjust the norton backup, if not get a diff means of backup altogether.

so...thank you for the advice and time spent. i appreciate it.

[Salmon Trout]

when you tell someone your question is why your computer is reading an empty drive as full..and they tell you the drive is too small, the credibility fails. And ive seen his posts on other threads... what he might have in experience, he lacks in forum side manners.

He does not lack anything in manners, and yours are very poor, it seems to me. 32GB is very small these days.

[Allan]

I appreciate the support & kind words ST, but let's let it go. The problem is solved - that's all that matters.

[BC_Programmer]

she doesnt need a larger hd for what she uses the computer for. she just needs to stop storing all her music on there, and she needs to adjust the norton backup, if not get a diff means of backup altogether.

Isn't that sort of a contradiction of terms? If she is using it to store all her music, than clearly a larger HD would be required for what she uses it for, because one of those uses is storing music, which is a not uncommon requirement these days for most users. 32GB, by today's standards, is a small drive, no question about it; should all the space have been used with what was installed? No. But at no point did anybody suggest that was the cause of the problem. They were suggestions provided in addition to more direct advice, such as the info the clean temp files and disable System Restore, and use WinDirStat.

 The point being made was that a 32GB drive is going to fill up a lot faster than a more typically sized drive for today's use cases. Your response is basically "They don't need a larger drive, they just need to stop using the drive they have to store files" which seems a tad silly.

Notes for the future:

1.It helps to know what Operating Systems you (or they, or whomever) are using.
2.If the drive is 32GB, it's probably a few years old, too. (As a drive ages the chances it will fail catastrophically rise)- just something to consider. If they are making backups presumably they do have data they would rather not lose.
3.I've never seen a iTunes (or any music player) Library that was "hidden". The Default Location that iTunes stores it's music is in the My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music folder; (My Music might be titled 'Music' depending on OS, bringing us back to point 1. I've not seen it actually "Hidden", though.

when you tell someone your question is why your computer is reading an empty drive as full..and they tell you the drive is too small, the credibility fails.

Except your, or their, computer wasn't reading an empty drive as full. It was reading a full drive as full. The drive was full because the user of the machine had the audacity to store music on their system. (paired with a badly configured and even pointless backup configuration).