PC problems thread

[Borsuc]

I have 3 partitions on 160, and just 20 for the system partition (although that's too much, should have set it to 10 but meh).

anyway, yes you can reinstall Windows but you'll have missing registry and all the other stuff. You can restore the registry with Registry Clean Expert after reinstallation, however some programs also add some files to the Windows stuff, so it's like you lost them.

The problem here is that we're trying to avoid the damn re-installation of every program, well at least I am.

[Asheera]

Yes I have more than one partition, but reinstalling Windows will corrupt all my installations since many programs add files to the Windows folder as well.

[darknessfood]

You can add some programs to the registery by clicking on the registery button. Automaticly it's added...

[Asheera]

Ok one more 'problem' (not major, but hey why not ask here for help?)

When I defragmented my Hard Disk after installing all the apps, partitions D and E defragmented successfully (no more fragmentation), while C (the one with the OS) says that it's still 49% fragmented.

No matter how many times I try to defragment it, it's always the same. The strange part is, that there are indeed no more Red marks (fragmented files), only Blue (contiguous files) and Green (unmovable files). So, is it possible that the info and report is wrong (saying that fragmentation is at 49%), since there are indeed no Red marks and neither any files listed in the "Fragmented Files" section? Or is it possible that the unmovable files (green) are fragmented and thus the report says that?


Also, if anyone knows a free defragment program that is better than the one from XP then please share it with me.

[darknessfood]

Perhaps this one?

[Asheera]

Ok thanks, I'll try it

[darknessfood]

No problem !

[Borsuc]

is it safe? won't it screw up the files? it's not even version 1.0

[Asheera]

Well I used it and it said that all files are defragmented (after I defragmented with the XP program)

Then why does the XP Defragment Tool give me a report of being 48% fragmented?

[ThunderTitan]

MS quality...

[Asheera]

At least it defragmented properly, since the other program didn't see any fragmented files.

[Asheera]

Weird stuff happening to my C: partition now.

The Free Space lowers each time I enter Firefox. It got from around 4.7 GB to 4.46 currently. I cleared all temporary files, history data, cookies, etc, and still no result in free space (with CCleaner)

The weird part is that if I select all files on the C: drive (and by all I mean including Hidden & System Files, and protected OS files like pagefile.sys), it shows that they are 8.10 GB. If I check the Used space on the entire partition in My Computer, it says it's 8.61 GB used.

From where does that difference come? I'm pretty sure that without this weird stuff meaning if the entire Drive's used space would indeed equal all the files' size, I would get the original free space without this strange thing that happened (my free space lowered every day, and still continues)

The point is, I checked the size of my files since it looks suspicious, and I can tell you they do not get higher. The size of the files stays the same, but the C: drive's used space increases every day for some weird reason which is beyond my understanding.

First I thought it's something related to that System Backup function of Windows (does it save it somewhere where it is not considered a file?), but the decrease in free space just doesn't stop... and that system backup has a limit...

I'm worried I'll run out of space in some weeks this way, if it doesn't stop. What can it be? How can the C: used space be higher (and getting higher each day) than all the files' size on that partition?

[Borsuc]

Some hidden files are only visible with Windows Explorer, or so I've seen in mine. Do you use Total Commander like me? (I remember you said that at HC )

[Asheera]

Tried with Total Commander and Windows Explorer (after allowing it to "see" all kind of files, hidden, system, and even protected windows files), and it's the same result on both: 8.1 GB in size

But the C: drive has 8.61 GB used, and keeps growing. How can this be?

[Borsuc]

File system errors?
Firefox bugs? (even though I use it and I don't)

What OS do you have? XP Professional SP 2?

[Asheera]

Windows XP (Build: 2600 Service Pack 3)

or something like that.

[Borsuc]

not familiar with it, sorry.
Did you try to google? Might be something common.

[Asheera]

Nope, but I did decide to ask here

I'll check Google as well.

[Pol]

metadata (mostly streams)
other file system data

This isn't so uncommon, if these are streams there exists programms how to manage them. It can be also junction points (kind of hard links). Where the link to some actual location is counted like the referenced folder, can be typical with My Documents.

[ThunderTitan]

stupid PC did that white screen, annoying noise thing again... gahhhh......