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first- you're always gonna lose some HD space when you format a drive, this is where the file table/ file system /swap resides. that is normal as far as I know, unless you had that space to begin with and then it <YIKES!> vanished. if thats the case, uh-oh.
As a tech guy the best advice I can give is this: Invest in a good hardware router. especially is you suspect foul play online.
WinXP has an OK firewall, but software is always the last ditch effort in network security. Get a router that will let you block unused ports and secure your xDSL connection.
the only other thing that springs to mind <baring any OC of your system> would be signs of an imminent HD failure. Run a scndisk, making sure to do a physical scan if your data is getting bunked. This isn't the end-all solution wise, but sometimes you can rope off a few bad sectors until you can replace the drive. (and if it is bad, replace it).
this will also make sure you don't throw more files into the black hole on your drive (yes, you'll lose that space it fences off). one question- did it stop after you removed files from the drive? did it start back up after a certain space was taken up?
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