Hard drive question

[blueonblack]

I have a 1TB drive that I keep pictures of my kids on. I just did a manual copy to a separate 500GB drive. When I check the properties of the original drive in Windows (My Computer/right-click/properties) it shows 135GB used, but I notice that the backup I just made only shows 63GB used??

Putting them side by side on the screen, every file and folder seems to have made the transition, and when I select all of the folders in the initial drive and right-click/Properties, it comes out to 63GB, exactly the same as the copy I just made. A quick check in Partition Wizard shows 135.29GB used in the original drive and 63.14 GB used in the (seemingly identical) copy.

Where did the lost 72GB of capacity go??

Thanks in advance, I'm somehow sure this will come back to make me feel stupid...

[Kayin]

Do you happen to have a shadow copy on that drive?

[blueonblack]

Do you happen to have a shadow copy on that drive?

Not that I am aware of or that I can detect, though the numbers do seem to indicate a duplication of some kind.

[Outlaw]

Try changing your folder view to show hidden files?

If there is, they will appear like this

[TLHarrell]

Also, if it's a pre-configured system (Dell, or other) there might be a recovery partition.

[blueonblack]

Try changing your folder view to show hidden files?

If there is, they will appear like this

A good idea, and it did reveal one AVG-related folder but it's only 2.55MB.

Also, if it's a pre-configured system (Dell, or other) there might be a recovery partition.

Also a good thought, but it's strictly user-configured, bare OEM drives originally, and Partition Wizard shows no unknown partitions on the drive, and all of the "used" (by something) space is within this single partition.

[Outlaw]

When you showed hidden. Did you un-check 'Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)'? This can show additional hidden files that the 'show hidden' wouldn't show.

[blueonblack]

When you showed hidden. Did you un-check 'Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)'? This can show additional hidden files that the 'show hidden' wouldn't show.

THERE IT IS!! That option showed the $recycle.bin folder. Doh! It's 72GB, may be time to empty the trash.

Thanks VERY much. +rep to all

[blueonblack]

Ok, so I emptied the trash and the space is still being taken up. I know "deleting" a file doesn't actually erase it, just allows that section to be overwritten, but shouldn't it show up as available space?

[Outlaw]

If this in an internal, that hidden recycle bin may just be a copy of the one on your desktop. Is that one clear?