So since yesterday, after I started downloading some files, then deleted then, then started downloading them and decided against it again, I lost about 5 GB. No idea how. About 5 GB of pre-allocated files (out of about 18GB) were suddenly gone even if they weren't supposed to be, and I couldn't find them when I looked at Windirstat. I just found about 7GB of "unknown" taken up space I couldn't find out what it what even when using Admin mode in the app.

And slowly, during the day, 1GB of space started disappearing, including today, so I'm down from 35-37GB to 19.9 GB. Now, part of it is probably because I haven't cleared my RAM and pagesys/hiberfilsys as I often put my laptop to sleep, and according to it 9.9 GB are used up on that, however that "unknown" taken up space got bigger and now it's from 7GB whole 11GB!

I'm not downloading any Windows or other updates that I'm aware of, and I'm on Win 7.

I tried using Spacesniffer but it's so convoluted that it doesn't show me that missing space either - does anyone have any tips which software might show me where have those 11GB gone and why is my HDD space slowly going down without me dowloading anything? Or just what to do? I haven't restarted my laptop yet in case it's some kind of HDD error - hoping it's not - so that might get me those 10GB from hibernation back, however there's still thsoe 11GB of unknown stuff that keeps getting bigger!

EDIT: Thanks to TreeSize Free it's apparently my system restore points, which suddenly went up double their size. Any way of deleting individual restore points?

Possibly this?


Microsoft is downloading Windows 10 to PCs, even if you don’t “reserve” a copy

So I used TreeSize free to scan my space and it's much more better than Windirstat - faster and it shows where the unknown space went! Apparently it's being taken up by system volume information, which apparently are system restore points. However I don't have any backups set up, so it's just teh default system restore that happens regularly.

However strangely enough all of my system restore points besides two from December are from January, and two of them are basically identical. And it's taken up more space than it usually does, as out of nowhere more than 5GBs disappeared.

Looking at system settings, I have system restore max space set up for 10GB, yet it shows there actual taken space is 12.6GB. How come? Is there any way how to clear that and not make it go over the limit?

Or delete only some of those restore points.

I've seen this before and I actually took the care to uninstall that update (or some others related to it, I'm sure I never had this one) about a month back, so I'm good on this, haha! :) I double-checked again just in case, but I don't have the $Windows.~BT folder on my PC at all, unless it decided to download it and hide it somwhere else. Thanks for the tip though!

I'd first check to see if MS Update is pre-downloading Win10.

Next i'd check your recycle bin, and empty it if it's stuck in there

Afterwards i'd set your hard drive to do a scandisk, you'll end up just scheduling it so restart and have it fix any obvious allocation errors

Finally you might do a disk cleanup, your temporary files or cached files might be holding unwanted copies of tons of files, usually internet related...

I've got my Windows updates set not to download anything without my permission, so they can't even if they wanted it (and I don't have that update that could do it).

My recycle bin and temporary files do show up on windirtree as their own categories, so that 11 (now 13) GB is from something else and thanks to TreeSize Free I've discovered it's my system restore points! For some reason they are huge this month and are taking more than ever. Any ideas on how to delete individual system restore points? I can only delete all of them...Maybe if I lower the allocated space they'll delete automatically and then I can put the size back up and see what happens.

CCleaner can do that :)

Hmmm... Honestly the few times i've used system restore with windows, it tends to act more like a backup tool, namely backing the whole drive up. That means each save point would get progressively larger and larger, or would be holding all your games and programs.

Alternatively it could just be backing up your personal files, but remember your GoG Downloads folder is in your user folder... Namely (most likely) C:/User/USERNAME/My Documents/GoG.com Downloads. If you have any games there downloaded it might add to your system restore point.

For future reference, when I wonder what is hitting the HD, I go to task manager->Performace->Resource Monitor->Disk tab. You can then see all the processes writing to disk.

Do you need those restore points?

My OS is installed in a relatively small SSD, and these restore points were taking up an unreasonable amount of space. I just disabled them and deleted the restore points. Didn't regret it, since I have never used them in my life.

Uh no, it just copies the registry and some system files.
I don't know exactly about installed programs, however.
It surely doesn't save user data.

.
I'm still using it on a SSD, instead.
SR saved me from a complete reinstallation a few times.
Btw, you can set the max space used by it.

I would afraid of OneHalf :)

If that's all it copied, it would be a lot smaller. If i'd programmed it, i'd probably keep the registry and all newer drivers that aren't included with the base install.

you running windirstat with proper privileges? it detects my restore points just fine.