Re: Finding REALLY hidden files?

"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:13gfco9ifdpg65@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Don Stauffer in Minnesota" wrote ...
My wife frequently comes up with this problem. Her working ( D )
drive is almost full. She has a project she is still working on, so
does not want to format disk. She cleans up all the old files she
(and I) can find from old projects. On her drive (a 500 GB unit) the
properties function of WE shows over 450 GB used, but looking in the
various folders we can only account for 200 GB. The remaining 250 GB
is completely hidden. This is AFTER defrag. I have checked the
options in the folder properties dialog, and we do NOT have "hide
hidden files" enabled.

How can we "see" these mysterious files so we can clean them out?

Are you really *DELETING* the files, or are you just "deleting"
them (i.e. putting them into the "recycle bin"). To really, truly
*DELETE* a file, you must use the shift key and then hit [Delete]
Otherwise the file will just be moved to the "recycle bin" and STILL
TAKES UP THE SAME DISK SPACE.

Check the "Recycle Bin" on the drive and clean it out. I just
*DELETE* the Recycle Bin folder completely instead of fooling
around "emptying" the containers.


To actually delete the file instead of moving it to the trash hold down the SHIFT key when you hit the delete key or when choosing delete from the context sensitive menu (right click menu). I do this with very large files or things I know I will not want back or that I know I have a current CD backup of. You can also right click on the trash can and go to properties and turn down the amount of space it uses or tell Windows to just delete the files and not use the trash can.

Psygnosis

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Finding REALLY hidden files?
    ... does not want to format disk. ... options in the folder properties dialog, and we do NOT have "hide ... Otherwise the file will just be moved to the "recycle bin" and STILL ... Check the "Recycle Bin" on the drive and clean it out. ...
    (rec.video.desktop)
  • Re: Finding REALLY hidden files?
    ... does not want to format disk. ... She cleans up all the old files she ... options in the folder properties dialog, and we do NOT have "hide ... Otherwise the file will just be moved to the "recycle bin" and STILL ...
    (rec.video.desktop)
  • Re: Finding REALLY hidden files?
    ... does not want to format disk. ... options in the folder properties dialog, and we do NOT have "hide ... Otherwise the file will just be moved to the "recycle bin" and STILL ... Check the "Recycle Bin" on the drive and clean it out. ...
    (rec.video.desktop)
  • Re: Message at deleting a folder
    ... Right click the Recycle Bin icon/Properties and select: ... > When a folder is deleting by explorer, text 'Folder and files are deleted' ... > But the folder is moved to trash. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Unerasable zero kb files
    ... >No, I don't think, they have been moved to trash. ... >the folder was renamed and moved to the recycle bin. ... >Tks Abraham ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)