Member Avatar for cool_zephyr

hey i'm using windows 7..since last 2 days my D: drive has been filling up space itself..i deleted some files and created 2GB free space..but again that space is automatically filled up..my D: drive has total 90GB allocated to it..but all the files stored in it make only 87GB..so i'm confused about where the 3GB space has vanished because it shows only 4KB free space..please help

  • 8 Contributors
  • 13 Replies
  • 932 Views
  • 2 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by BigPaw

Dani AI

Generated

Thread summary and focused next steps based on the existing replies from , , and .

A 3 GB gap on a 90 GB volume with Explorer’s folder sums ~87 GB usually means space is held by protected/system data (Volume Shadow Copies in System Volume Information, a pagefile or hiberfil on D:, backups/VHDs, or NTFS metadata), filesystem corruption, or malware that hides itself. The quick way to find the culprit is a combination of a visual disk map and a few administrator checks.

Diagnostic checklist (run an elevated Command Prompt or use the UI equivalents):

  • Use a visual scanner (WinDirStat or TreeSize Free) on D: to see large consumers at a glance.

  • Reveal protected OS files in Explorer (View hidden files + uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”) and check Recycle Bin size for D:.

  • Check Volume Shadow Copy usage:

    vssadmin list shadowstorage
vssadmin list shadows

    Large shadowstorage means System Volume Information is holding space; Disk Cleanup → Clean up system files → More Options can remove old restore points safely.

  • Check pagefile/hibernation:

    wmic pagefile list /format:list
powercfg -h off

    powercfg -h off removes hiberfil.sys (only if hibernation is not needed).

  • Run filesystem check if sizes look inconsistent:

    chkdsk D: /f

If antivirus websites are blocked (as reported), suspect active malware altering the hosts file or blocking tools. Inspect the hosts file:

notepad %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

If entries redirect antivirus domains, remove them from a clean environment. Best practice in that case: download scanners or a rescue ISO from a different, known-clean PC, transfer by USB, boot to Safe Mode or bootable rescue media and run full offline scans.

Cautions: deleting shadow copies removes restore points; resizing/removing pagefile/hiberfil is reversible but should follow a backup of important data. After cleanup, an offline full scan is recommended to prevent re-infection.

Recommended Answers

All 13 Replies

Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

Are the new files going into a specific folder? What types of files are being created? Are they being creted at a particular time of day? Are the new files associated with a particular program?

Member Avatar for cool_zephyr

no i don't see new files being created..i added the sizes of all the files/folders in D: drive..the sum is 3GB less than the size of the D: drive..if I delete some files and free some space, it'll again be filled up but I don't know by what..because the files/folders are not occupying that space

Member Avatar for JorgeM

Maybe the mystery files are set to hidden. Go into the folder settings and enable to view hidden files.

Member Avatar for Ritesh_4

Have you tried running a virus/malware scan on the drive? Check also whether your hibernate option is switched on and if so where it is storing the file

Member Avatar for cool_zephyr

i just installed avg free version and tried to update it..but i can't update it, i can't even go to avg's website..though all the other websites are opening fine..i also can't access any antivirus' websites for online scanning

plus I already did the "Show hidden files too"..there aren't any

Edited by cool_zephyr
Member Avatar for gerbil

Check also what system restore size is set to, and the pagefile specification, if there is one on your D: drive.
A program like MyDefrag will identify the "stolen" space for you.

Member Avatar for Webville312

Check your back up settings. You may have selected your "D" as the destination for back ups. It happened to me, and all I did was to change the destination of the back ups to a disk with more space.

Member Avatar for Webville312

Also it could be that the files that you have stored there are infected with a virus, coz a virus always executes itself, thus taking up your space. You may want to try scanning your computer with a more sophisticated antivirus.

Member Avatar for cool_zephyr

i freed some space and the filling up has stopped up for time being..i think it was some kind of virus..thanks everyone for your suggestions

Member Avatar for BigPaw

This has all the hallmarks of something malicious. You would be very wise to run the likes of Malwarebytes and then Superantispyware.

Ditch AVG, Avast covers a lot more bases than most virus checkers.

Member Avatar for cool_zephyr

hey I can't open the site for Malwarebytes though other sites are opening fine..How do i download that??

Member Avatar for BigPaw

The virus may be blocking your access, try downloading it from here instead.

Malwarebytes

Have you made back-ups of your important data? If you have already, then be careful what you reintroduce to your system later, get a good antivirus and Malwarebytes to sweep through it all.

Edited by BigPaw
Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.