SOLVED Where has all my storage space gone?

[Nikilet]

In trying to work out some other problems, I stumbled across the fact that I'm showing only about 60 GB storage left out of 287 GB. It's showing that 203 GB is system and reserved.

The last time I checked, probably several months ago now, I had more than half of my storage still free and I haven't done anything to suddenly use up all this so can someone tell me what's going on?

Maybe this is why my computer has slowed down so much in the last couple of months.

 

[Trouble]

You may want to use some third party disk inspector to see if you can identify any specifics as to what is consuming space on your drive.
For years, I've used WinDirStat from here https://www.fosshub.com/WinDirStat.html
There are some others listed here https://www.howtogeek.com/113012/10-best-free-tools-to-analyze-hard-drive-space-on-your-windows-pc/

It sounds to me, a bit like, you have some backup software running. I know we've heard from some Dell users regarding their backup and recovery software doing something similar.
Maybe if you could provide some specifics regarding your system it might help someone with similar equipment provide some insight.

 

[Nikilet]

I am downloading that WinDirStat right now. I don't know how much good that will do me because I doubt I'll understand it. My HD space has gone down another 5 GB since I posted this and I have not done a single thing except shop, read email, etc.

I checked on the Windows Backup and I've got that set to go onto my external HD. I don't know what else to check unless this WinDirStat will tell me something.

Well, I was right. I don't understand anything about this program. But pretty soon this computer is going to lock up because all the HD space will be used up. Are there any other suggestions you can make?

 

[Comp Cmndo]

Is System Protection on or off?

 

[Nikilet]

Is System Protection on or off?

System Protection is on for Local Disk (C (System)

At present I have 4 restore points total.

 

[clifford_cooley]

Is there a "windows.old" folder that may be hanging around from a build update? If windows update installed a new build, you may have old system files waiting to be restored or removed from the drive.

 

[Nikilet]

Is there a "windows.old" folder that may be hanging around from a build update? If windows update installed a new build, you may have old system files waiting to be restored or removed from the drive.

Where would I look for this folder?

 

[clifford_cooley]

Next to the regular "windows" folder on C:\, there may be another folder named "windows.old"

 

[Nikilet]

No. I looked there and I looked inside the Windows folder too. I don't see anything. If I knew how to read these programs like WinDirStat or WizTree, maybe they would lead right to whatever is causing this, but I don't.

 

[clifford_cooley]

WinDirStat is easy. It is a graphical representation of what is using space. Mouse over (or click I can't remember exactly) each area and it will tell you what is using the space. The larger the box, the more space is being consumed by the files the box represents.

 

[Nikilet]

WinDirStat is easy. It is a graphical representation of what is using space. Mouse over (or click I can't remember exactly) each area and it will tell you what is using the space. The larger the box, the more space is being consumed by the files the box represents.

Thing is, it doesn't mean anything to me. I have WizTree open right now as I kept getting a message with the WinDirStat that it wasn't responding. Anyway, for instance, under Windows it shows Infused Apps at 796 MB, Packages at 769 MB, assembly at 685 MB. All of this means nothing to me. I don't know what it is or what to do with it.

All I know is that I have not made any significant changes to my system and several months ago I had over half my 300 GB hard drive free, and now it's getting close to full. I'm just not computer savvy enough to know how to deal with something like this I live out in the country and the nearest computer repair is 100 miles.

But I know something doesn't look right to me about Storage showing 203 GB is system and reserved. I have a laptop and it shows a little over 60 GB as system and reserved.

There's another file under Windows called Panther. What is that?

 

[Trouble]

Perhaps rather than using the graphical representation you can use the directory tree at the top left of the WinDirStat screen.
You can drill through your directories and perhaps discover something that way
I've included an image, as you can see my C: drive is using 30.9 GB of stoage and half of that is consumed by "Windows" (15.4 GB) and over a third of that is in turned consumed by "WinSxS" (6.0 GB)

You need to determine if there is one particular large container (folder) that is consuming a lot of storage and then the contents of that folder as to the names and or files it contains, paying particular attention to the file extensions.

 

[Trouble]

But I know something doesn't look right to me about Storage showing 203 GB is system and reserved.

You are correct that does seem to be exponentially more space than normally consumed by "System & reserved", when you look at that in detail can you tell what is taking up that space

 

[Nikilet]

Where do I go to get the screen you are showing above? I went into STorage, but that does not give me Virtual Memory, Hibernation, System restore.

 

[Trouble]

Just click on System & Reserved

 

[clifford_cooley]

Just click on System & Reserved

I'm not seeing it either. Did a search and still nothing.

 

[Trouble]

Start Button -> Settings -> System -> Storage -> This PC ( C: ) -> System & reserved

Clicking the above, for me at least, produces this

 

[clifford_cooley]

Ahh ok! I wasn't clicking on "This PC" or I would have seen it. Thanks

Edit:
Mine is real close to yours Trouble. Only a few GB difference.

 

[Trouble]

I just hope that we are not confusing the issue as the Original Post was concerning Disk storage space and there is likely another partition on the "Disk" which might be called "System reserved" which has nothing at all to do with the above "Windows" reference to System reserved.

 

[Nikilet]

I just hope that we are not confusing the issue as the Original Post was concerning Disk storage space and there is likely another partition on the "Disk" which might be called "System reserved" which has nothing at all to do with the above "Windows" reference to System reserved.

I think I meant to say HD space. I don't always use the correct terms (not intentional).

Attached is SS of my System & Reserve and I would say that something appears to be totally out of whack here.

I just hope that we are not confusing the issue as the Original Post was concerning Disk storage space and there is likely another partition on the "Disk" which might be called "System reserved" which has nothing at all to do with the above "Windows" reference to System reserved.

If there is another partition on the disk, how would I identify that? I am attaching two SS; one showing all drives listed under My PC, and the other showing drives listed when I open Optimize. I'm wondering what that last item on Optimize is, the one in blue.

I installed yet another program called TreeSize. I have expanded some things in the C Drive SS attached.