Need help with Space Sniffer

[sorcerer]

Working on a friend's desktop machine that's running Windows XP. There's a WD 200GB drive (single partition) in it that's supposedly only got 7GB free space left but I can't see why that is because she hasn't got a lot of programs installed and she doesn't use the "My Documents", "My Pictures", or other folders like that. Instead, she keeps her documents, pictures, music etc., etc., in one folder called 'Helen's Stuff', which is just 1.79GB in size and is in the root of the drive.

I used Space Sniffer but I haven't got a clue what the results mean and I'm still no wiser as to what's using all the space, so if someone could help interpret or offer suggestions as to what I should do next, I would be grateful.

Space Sniffer obviously reports a hell of a lot of info but the following will hopefully give you a clue:

• C: 164.6GB
• Windows 7.1GB
• Pagefile 1.5GB
• Hyberfil 1023.5MB
• PROGRAM FILES 148.3GB
• COMMON FILES 146.5GB
• SYMANTEC SHARED 146.4GB

I don't know what I'm looking at but surely those last three can't be right?

Oh, I should also say that, as always, I ran full hardware diagnostics (Memtest86+ for 12 hours; WD Data Lifeguard and GSmartControl on the drive etc., etc - all good) and also Kaspersky TDSS Killer; HitmanPro and MBAM, which all came up clean.

TIA

 

[Xander]

Try WizTree and see how/if that concurs.

Any chance you could post a screenshot of what SpaceSniffer's showing you?

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

The Symantec Shared dir is within the Common Files dir which is within the Program Files dir.

If you click on the Symantec Shared bit, it should give you more of a breakdown of where the space is being eaten up.

I seem to remember a few times in the past where Norton has eaten up loads of space with temporary update files. You should be able to look in that dir and see where it's all being used, and probably delete anything temp shaped

 

[Rosco]

The Symantec Shared dir is within the Common Files dir which is within the Program Files dir.

If you click on the Symantec Shared bit, it should give you more of a breakdown of where the space is being eaten up.

I seem to remember a few times in the past where Norton has eaten up loads of space with temporary update files. You should be able to look in that dir and see where it's all being used, and probably delete anything temp shaped

zone alarm takes up a ton of space too. Had a computer in last week 105 GBs taken up by zonealarm.

Space sniff is a great tool use it all the time.

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks for your replies folks, much appreciated. However, it's now 9pm and my wife is shouting at me to stop for today (the downside to working from home is that you're always at work) so I'll follow up - with a screenshot - tomorrow.

Now for a beer and some TV - NCIS or Criminal Minds I wonder?

 

[mraikes]

So . . . use Spacesniffer and drill down into those ridiculously large folders to see exactly what is there.

I know the 9pm end of work whistle blew, but other than that there's no reason to stop at such a high level overview and then wonder why the folder size is so large. Double-click and find out!

 

[sorcerer]

...there's no reason to stop at such a high level overview and then wonder why the folder size is so large. Double-click and find out!

You may have missed the part in my original post where I said:

I used Space Sniffer but I haven't got a clue what the results mean

Having only even seen Space Sniffer once before in my life, I didn't even know I could drill down by double-clicking - ironically, I've just noticed a tool-tip pop up at the mouse cursor telling me that, but last night the cursor was up at the very top of the screen, not showing any tool-tips

Xander, two screen dumps attached.

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

I'd just delete all but the latest 3 dirs in there, and reboot. Make sure Norton is running happily.

If that doesn't do it, blow away Norton, run the SymNRT and make sure that all the space is freed up and then re-install.

 

[Xander]

Screenshots look pretty normal (not in the sense that Norton is wasting space but that it's displaying properly).

I'd follow Kev's advice above. There's no valid reason why Norton should be taking up all that room.

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks very much guys. Kev, from your advice I decided to just run the removal tool and reinstall - the machine is now like lightning and Norton is running sweet as a nut.

Cheers all