Hi,
Hope this isn't too simple (and I have looked for an answer to no avail....): I have a 40 G hard drive. It works FINE, but the system shows that it is full. When I go to Windows Explorer (to see what I can delete) and add up the data in the various FOLDERS, I get only 30G of data. Where is the rest, I wonder?
The drive contains no system files and is only used to back up music and data. I have revealed the hidden files as well, but still can't do better than 30G. Any ideas?
Thanks!Did you allow for overhead? Most files take up more space than their PHYSICAL size. You should also allow for the fact that manufacturers consider 1000 bytes to a kilo, but there is actually 1024 bytes. Windows reports the latter.Do you have anything on the drive that is compressed?  Windows will reserve enough room for the uncompressed  size of the file/folder.System Restore...
$NTUninstallers$...

If you have Nortons it's probably protected Recycle Bin files...

The possibilities are endless and we don't even know your OS yet.

patio.  Try running - chkdsk /r - and see if the size report changes.

Then do a good CLEANUPYou guys (and gals?) are great. Thanks for your help.

The culprit is a gobackio.bin file which is 4G large!! This, in addition to the overhead space and some space for the compressed files, adds up to the 40G HD specs.

I don't fully know whether gobackio.bin is there as a result of an earlier instance of Norton that I had or whether it is used by AVG Anti-virus (which I do have - but how it uses GoBack is beyond me - I only have the free HOME edition. Also, with AVG it is supposed to be resident in the C folder, which for me is on the other hard drive).

I wonder ..... do you think I can delete the entire file? PLEASE give me your thoughts. All I really want to use that particular hard drive for is a place to hold my music, photos and some videos.

Thanks again!!If it isn't an OEM restore file (?) it should be OK to delete it, as gobackio.bin is just that, a part of Roxio's GoBack system.