I'm missing space on my HDD - Can someone help? (with pic)

[Ferozban]

hi,
i just kopied all my data from an older sata with fairly little space to a new and bigger one.
the problem i have now is the follwing:
windows xp tells me there is still 2 gigs data on the HDD, but i dont see it. of course i have the option checked to view all hidden and system folders, but its not there.

the only 2 folders left on the HDD are the System Volume Information and the RECYCLER and as you can see on the following picture both of them have only a few kb.

so...where are my 2 gigs? does anyone know? is there any method of windows occupiing empty space that i dont know of?
i also set the pagefile for the HDD off.

please help.

 

[johnb35]

There is no specs for the recycler folder. However, most likely the 2gb is the 2 folders left.

 

[Ferozban]

what do you mean? the left window in the picture is for both folders.
i made a new picutre with both specs of both folders:

so, what could cause this?
my fear is that some data is lost due to errors on the HDD, and that the data is still occuping the 2gig physical space, somehow. i dont know if that is even possible.


PS: i just emptied another but bigger HDD and there is even 4 gigs missing

 

[johnb35]

The only thing I can recommend at this point is to download sequoiaview and it will show you where your data is at.

http://download.cnet.com/SequoiaView/3000-2248_4-10549662.html

 

[Ferozban]

i tried it just now. but the programm shows the files inside the recyler folder and nothing more. as if nothing else would be on the HDD

 

[johnb35]

Well, the recycler folder only has files that have been deleted already so whatever is in there isn't important if you deleted it. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Ferozban]

i just defragmented the HDD and strangely the defrag-tool sees the data (blue) thats occupieing space on the hdd:

i cant click on it to find out what it is, but i think i read something about "A01XXX" beeing shifted to another place. XXX stands for numbers.
the file is not inside the recovery folder and i cant see it with the SequoiaViewer too. so this might be the culpid.

anyways, the defragment tool shows me that the missing data is indeed one big connected file.
my best guess now is that the file is some sort of system file that even with all options for viewing checked will not be shown.
strange...but harmless i think.

what makes me wonder is, that the file was not there when i bought the HDD. it was completely empty back then...

Edit:
hmm ok i seached for A01 stuff with a recovery tool but it seems these files are part of the System Volume folder and are quite small. so that's not it...
here's a pic

 

[Cromewell]

You can't really read the files in System Volume Information. Try logging in as an admin if you are not already, open a command prompt and type 'vssadmin list shadowstorage'. That should show you how much system volume information is actually using.

 

[tyttebøvs]

You just need to give yourself access to the system volume information folder, if you want to browse it

 

[Ferozban]

thx guys. you are my heroes. one last pic to show you my success:

seems like i found my missing 2 gigs
and there i thought my HDD had some errors.
really why does windows make it so hard for their users?
if it had just shown me that the system volume folder is almost 2 gigs big and not 0 byte...