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Triple_R · 2015-03-18, 15:30

For awhile now, my computer has had a strange problem of losing GBs worth of disk space on a daily basis. This even for some days when I don't download anything, or put any games on the computer, or anything like that.

I couldn't figure out what was causing it, so I started using a program named WinDirStat. The program is pretty good, and was helpful for awhile. It enabled me to find some old files that I thought were removed a long time ago but were still clogging up my hard drive.

However, I've recently ran into a problem that even WinDirStat doesn't seem to be able to help with. The "Unknown" files that I see coming up when I run WinDirStat just keeps getting bigger and bigger in disk space use. And unlike the other file types, WinDirStat does not seem to enable me to delete these.

So does anybody here know what these "Unknown" files might entail? Are they something that's necessary for the computer to run properly, or do they reflect something more worrisome that should be deleted? Is there a way to get rid of them and/or a way to determine what exactly they are?

Any help with any of this would be greatly appreciated.

0utf0xZer0 · 2015-03-18, 16:37

From the bit of Googling I've done, WinDirStat will include system restore backups in unknown, and those can get pretty big. How much disk space are you set to allow system restore to use before it will delete the oldest backups?

On my Windows 7 machine the fastest way to find out is:
-Open start menu and type "system"
-select "system" under the control panel tab
-open system protection on the left sidebar
-go to configure for the relevant drive

Also, just to check you do run disk cleanup on occassion?

IceHism · 2015-03-18, 18:30

Do you have any errors on your computer? They might be crash dumps which are generally very big. Hibernation files can be quite big too.

I think it might be good to check if there are any viruses on your computer right now. Any free antivirus and a malwarebytes scan would be good.

Anyways, look around folders and see which folder takes up the most space.

demonix · 2015-03-19, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

Also, just to check you do run disk cleanup on occassion?

I would suggest doing that on a regular basis since it allows you to remove all but the most recent system restore point (if you select the clean system files option after the first scan which also allow you to clean up redundant update files).

Triple_R · 2015-03-19, 18:04

Thanks to 0utf0xZer0, IceHism, and demonix for the help.

I run disk cleanup about once a week, but I might try doing it more often for the next little while.

I also did a virus check late last night, and it did turn up a few viruses. I've had them taken care of, and (knock on wood) the problem has stopped for now. So it may well have been a virus issue.

0utf0xZer0 · 2015-03-19, 21:54

What anti-virus were you running previously? Even among the free ones some are better than others.

Flower · 2015-03-19, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

What anti-virus were you running previously? Even among the free ones some are better than others.

In terms of free versions....

I was recommended to give x360 a try and think it is pretty good so far. On other machines I am using the comodo suite, which is pretty all encompassing but can use a fair amount of resources, it seems.

Aside from that I like to use malwarebytes and sophos - neither are automatic per se, but if you remember to run them regularly they can catch quite a bit.

Triple_R · 2015-03-19, 22:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

What anti-virus were you running previously? Even among the free ones some are better than others.

I've been using Avast for awhile now.

Do you consider that a good one, or would you recommend a different one?

0utf0xZer0 · 2015-03-21, 12:45

I personally use Avira for its slightly higher detection rates but Avast is solid. I'd probably advise keeping with it for the moment - AV programs are a bit more intrusive than most so I worry a bit more about something going wrong when switching them than other programs.

Kazu-kun · 2015-03-21, 18:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I also did a virus check late last night, and it did turn up a few viruses. I've had them taken care of, and (knock on wood) the problem has stopped for now. So it may well have been a virus issue.

Virus infections usually aren't so easy to deal with. And antivirus can help you detect an infection but chances are it won't totally eradicate the problems.

Anyway, there are some websites where you can ask for help on these kind of things. They will tell you what to do to make sure the problem was dealt with, and if it's not, they'll help you deal with it.

From starters you can try asking for help here:
https://forums.malwarebytes.org/inde...-removal-help/

SlendermanHD · 2015-03-23, 11:09

Did you remove the hiberfil.sys?, if you have a SSD i do actually recommend to do it, if this is not the problem then it could be a virus i guess.

2015-03-18, 15:30	Link #1
Triple_R Senior Member Author Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Age: 42	Hard Drive Disk Space Issue - Mysteriously Losing Space For awhile now, my computer has had a strange problem of losing GBs worth of disk space on a daily basis. This even for some days when I don't download anything, or put any games on the computer, or anything like that. I couldn't figure out what was causing it, so I started using a program named WinDirStat. The program is pretty good, and was helpful for awhile. It enabled me to find some old files that I thought were removed a long time ago but were still clogging up my hard drive. However, I've recently ran into a problem that even WinDirStat doesn't seem to be able to help with. The "Unknown" files that I see coming up when I run WinDirStat just keeps getting bigger and bigger in disk space use. And unlike the other file types, WinDirStat does not seem to enable me to delete these. So does anybody here know what these "Unknown" files might entail? Are they something that's necessary for the computer to run properly, or do they reflect something more worrisome that should be deleted? Is there a way to get rid of them and/or a way to determine what exactly they are? Any help with any of this would be greatly appreciated. __________________

2015-03-18, 16:37	Link #2
0utf0xZer0 Pretentious moe scholar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Vancouver, Canada Age: 37	From the bit of Googling I've done, WinDirStat will include system restore backups in unknown, and those can get pretty big. How much disk space are you set to allow system restore to use before it will delete the oldest backups? On my Windows 7 machine the fastest way to find out is: -Open start menu and type "system" -select "system" under the control panel tab -open system protection on the left sidebar -go to configure for the relevant drive Also, just to check you do run disk cleanup on occassion? __________________ Signature courtesy of Ganbaru.

2015-03-19, 18:04	Link #5
Triple_R Senior Member Author Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Age: 42	Thanks to 0utf0xZer0, IceHism, and demonix for the help. I run disk cleanup about once a week, but I might try doing it more often for the next little while. I also did a virus check late last night, and it did turn up a few viruses. I've had them taken care of, and (knock on wood) the problem has stopped for now. So it may well have been a virus issue. __________________

2015-03-19, 21:54	Link #6
0utf0xZer0 Pretentious moe scholar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Vancouver, Canada Age: 37	What anti-virus were you running previously? Even among the free ones some are better than others. __________________ Signature courtesy of Ganbaru.

2015-03-21, 12:45	Link #9
0utf0xZer0 Pretentious moe scholar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Vancouver, Canada Age: 37	I personally use Avira for its slightly higher detection rates but Avast is solid. I'd probably advise keeping with it for the moment - AV programs are a bit more intrusive than most so I worry a bit more about something going wrong when switching them than other programs. __________________ Signature courtesy of Ganbaru.

2015-03-18, 18:30	Link #3
IceHism Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2014	Do you have any errors on your computer? They might be crash dumps which are generally very big. Hibernation files can be quite big too. I think it might be good to check if there are any viruses on your computer right now. Any free antivirus and a malwarebytes scan would be good. Anyways, look around folders and see which folder takes up the most space.

2015-03-23, 11:09	Link #11
SlendermanHD 青竜 Join Date: Jan 2015	Did you remove the hiberfil.sys?, if you have a SSD i do actually recommend to do it, if this is not the problem then it could be a virus i guess.