missing files are still using disc space

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I have created a real problem for myself. I was moving a 4Gb folder to a
remote PC and in the process of doing other things I forgot the folder was
moving. I then held down the power button to force a shutdown due to another
issue I was having. Of course I realized afterwards what I had done. When I
restarted my laptop the folder was no longer there and it wasn't on the
remote machine either. The files are still using up 4Gb of space on my hard
drive but i have no way to retrieve them. Even file recovery software doesn't
seem to find them, maybe because they are still being read somehow (used
space). Either way I need to know how that I may eiteher delete these files
or recover the entire directory. They are not of great importance so I would
rather lose them than the disc space. I deleted the original (now empty)
folder in which they were located in an attempt to get the disc space back
but it did not work. Also recovery software would only recover the files and
i would still be stuck with the used disc space which i need back. I just
reformatted less than two weeks ago and would LOVE to not have to do it
again. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
skidmore said:
I have created a real problem for myself. I was moving a 4Gb folder to a
remote PC and in the process of doing other things I forgot the folder was
moving. I then held down the power button to force a shutdown due to another
issue I was having. Of course I realized afterwards what I had done. When I
restarted my laptop the folder was no longer there and it wasn't on the
remote machine either. The files are still using up 4Gb of space on my hard
drive but i have no way to retrieve them. Even file recovery software doesn't
seem to find them, maybe because they are still being read somehow (used
space). Either way I need to know how that I may eiteher delete these files
or recover the entire directory. They are not of great importance so I would
rather lose them than the disc space. I deleted the original (now empty)
folder in which they were located in an attempt to get the disc space back
but it did not work. Also recovery software would only recover the files and
i would still be stuck with the used disc space which i need back. I just
reformatted less than two weeks ago and would LOVE to not have to do it
again. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

If recovery software doesn't find the files, then forget about them. Do
a Chkdsk to fix the file system.

How to use Chkdsk - http://tinyurl.com/2obcd
How to perform disk error checking in Windows XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265/en-us


Malke
 
I have tried chkdsk several times with different parameters and it doesn't
fix anything. by using the command dir /a/s i can see the files are still
listed but are listed in the nethood directory instead of their original
directory. i have tried system restore as well and it did give back the
directory folders but no files within. i have also tried using the command
prompt to copy/ move/ delete/ rename the folder in the nethood directory but
nothing works. i admit that i am not very familiar with the command prompt
but i do use it from time to time. maybe i am not doing something correctly
when trying to fix the directory with it. i do know that chkdsk doesn't work
alone or with any parameters. the directory structure is still intact there
is just no way to see it other than running the dir /a command. is there
anything else i might try?
 
skidmore said:
I have tried chkdsk several times with different parameters and it doesn't
fix anything. by using the command dir /a/s i can see the files are still
listed but are listed in the nethood directory instead of their original
directory. i have tried system restore as well and it did give back the
directory folders but no files within. i have also tried using the command
prompt to copy/ move/ delete/ rename the folder in the nethood directory but
nothing works. i admit that i am not very familiar with the command prompt
but i do use it from time to time. maybe i am not doing something correctly
when trying to fix the directory with it. i do know that chkdsk doesn't work
alone or with any parameters. the directory structure is still intact there
is just no way to see it other than running the dir /a command. is there
anything else i might try?
Click to expand...

How unfortunate that I didn't know you'd already tried Chkdsk or I
wouldn't have bothered suggesting it. Since you had some "other issue" -
unname - perhaps you didn't solve whatever it was.

I'm sorry I was unable to help you. Perhaps someone else will have a
better idea for you - as for me, I'd just do a clean install again and
start over. Image the finished product for ease of restoration next time.


Malke
 
skidmore said:
I have created a real problem for myself. I was moving a 4Gb folder to a
remote PC and in the process of doing other things I forgot the folder was
moving. I then held down the power button to force a shutdown due to
another
issue I was having. Of course I realized afterwards what I had done. When
I
restarted my laptop the folder was no longer there and it wasn't on the
remote machine either. The files are still using up 4Gb of space on my
hard
drive but i have no way to retrieve them. Even file recovery software
doesn't
seem to find them, maybe because they are still being read somehow (used
space). Either way I need to know how that I may eiteher delete these
files
or recover the entire directory. They are not of great importance so I
would
rather lose them than the disc space. I deleted the original (now empty)
folder in which they were located in an attempt to get the disc space back
but it did not work. Also recovery software would only recover the files
and
i would still be stuck with the used disc space which i need back. I just
reformatted less than two weeks ago and would LOVE to not have to do it
again. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Run chkdsk.
Mike.
 
Back
Top