HDD space issue

udidwht · 16 Oct 2016

Just installed a 1TB drive I had and after formatting it (Non quick method) it shows 929GB free of 931GB. Within Storage it says 1.60GB used out of 931GB but opening the drive using explorer it's empty. This is with the options set to show folders/files enabled for the drive.

Clicking on the drive within storage shows under 'System & Reserved' 1.60GB used. Hibernation and System restore is off for all drives except C: and I've made sure there are no shadow copies on all but C:

This normal?

dalchina · 17 Oct 2016

Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows?
Why does the space used by files on my hard drive show different numbers depending on how I look? - Ask Leo!

Bree · 17 Oct 2016

@dalchina your links refer to the 'is it 1024 or 1000?' confusion for disk sizes. But the OP specifically said 'System & Reserved' 1.60GB used. The 'missing' space would appear to be due to there being two partitions on the newly formatted second drive, a similar layout as in this thread...

MikeC07 said:

I currently have one drive that contains a System Reserved partition (which includes the boot files). The status is System, Active, Primary Partition.

I have another drive with the C: partition. The status is Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition.

I've been told that if I remove the disk (it's a bit flaky) with the System Reserved partition, I won't be able to boot up. If this is true, is it possible to transfer that partition to another drive? If so, does it have to be at the start of the drive?

Alternatively, can I make the C: partition include System status?

A Disk Management screenshot from @udidwht would help us see if that's the case and what (if anything) can be done about it.

udidwht · 17 Oct 2016

Neither the Windows disk management shows the drive fully allocated as 931.50.GB after partition of the drive.

CountMike · 18 Oct 2016

Did also set to show hidden system files/folders ?
"Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)"

jimbo45 · 18 Oct 2016

Hi there

Check also that there's no re-cycle bin files left on the HDD -- ensure in Windows that recycle bin is empty.
I agree a newly formatted drive shouldn't have any files but sometimes if data has been written and deleted the recycle bin files aren't shown on individual drives.

Cheers
jimbo

CountMike · 18 Oct 2016

Windows makes at least couple of folders on all drives it formats.
$RECYCLE.BIN, .TRASH and possibly System Volume Information. They can only be seen if that option I mentioned before is enabled.

RolandJS · 18 Oct 2016

"...Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows?
Why does the space used by files on my hard drive show different numbers depending on how I look? - Ask Leo!..."

Years, I too wondered, somebody somewhere gave me this: Windows sets up a housekeeping framework on each HD it formats. Like our houses, we have total square footage, living space square footage; mess with the framing, and the house "might come down".

addendum: I realize my answer was missing the question :)

CountMike · 18 Oct 2016

RolandJS said:

Years, I too wondered, somebody somewhere gave me this: Windows sets up a housekeeping framework on each HD it formats. Like our houses, we have total square footage, living space square footage; mess with the framing, and the house "might come down".

Recycle bin properties can turn off it's folder creations on any disk. Than it would delete files without putting them in recycle bin first. Even then you could revive deleted files with special programs unless they are over written.