Windows 10: 706 GB in my backup? How is that possible?

I don't even remember doing a backup but I was looking for my external hard drive in C and I saw that it says that I have 10 files, 0 folders in Backup2. Totally 706GB. I only have used maybe 20 GB. I went to the system backup and keep a history of your files and they are both turned off. I got a fixmestick but that can't be it. I also have Webroot Secure Anywhere so I don't seem to have any viruses. I'm confused. I did disc clean up and that only fixed like 200mb. I am now compressing them. I saw someone said to download a software to tell where they are and I will do that now.

I will post a picture of what I am talking about.



:)

 

where this 706 gb storage has been used - need to free up disk space

Original title: storage

Under settings tab in Windows 10, I go to storage usage. I see that I have 30 gb of pics and 70 gb of music. Everything else is very small compared to these filles. Yet, under "other" i see that i have used 706 GB of storage but does not tell where this
706 gb has been used. I need to free up disk space.

 

Disk space

I have a 1TB computer (HP Touchsmart) and I keep getting low disk space notification. I have 70 gb of pictures and 70 gb of music and thats about it for big users of storage. What can I do to find out where all of the other storage went. The computer did
say 706 GB of "other" storage but I cannot find this other storage. Thanks to anyone that helps|.

 

Welcome to the TenForums @beachinmoney

Did you discover what / where these are?

It appears this folder is right on the root of C:\.

Any chance you had an old machine and someone transferred its entire contents onto this device?

The bracketed (2) would mean at one time there was a folder System Backup(1) and before that System Backup. Can't have the same folder or file name in Windows in the same place so it adds numbers to them. They could still be present.

Are you able to open the folder and see the file names? If not what message are you getting?

One trick I do if I don't know what a thing is, I rename it, something like System Backupold(2). If a function wants it I can restore the name. I also set a task in Outlook for a month out. Nobody screams in a month it is deleted. Of course I have backups of backups. One month might not be the right timeframe for you.

There is another Backup process in Windows 10 called Backup and Restore (Windows 7). It might be worth checking it. 700GB is a lot if only 20GB is your data. Maybe it is just set for Images. Still seems high. Type Backup and restore in Cortana

Do you have any other software imaging your machine, Acronis, Macrium, etc.


Ken

 

Unlikely to be the source. The native 'Backup and Restore (Windows 7)' will not let you back up to the same drive, it insists on (at least) using a separate partition. Also, there are only two top-level folders it creates, one that has the same name as the machine when you back up files/folders, the other named WindowsImageBackup for holding system images.

Does the date of the folder, 20 Dec 2016, give any clues?

 

No, Can I just go in and delete it? My machine is moving really slow. At one point I had Aomei backup and Ashampoo but I just recently deleted them. Also something called Re image. I just got this computer and I was paranoid because my last all in one computer's hard drive crashed three times. I unplugged my external hard drive and so I think Aomei backed all this up but why would it be so huge? Just please tell me how to effectively delete. I will run a backup after that. Any help on software? Free. Backup confuse me!

 

I just deleted them all and now I have over 916GB back.

 

Excellent.

You may wish to look up Macrium Reflect to Image system. Free and recommended by members. Tutorial in the tutorial section.

I mentioned the Backup and Restore (Windows 7). It has an Imager and data backup. Some have had very good success with Image portion. The data backup piece works well and nothing special access the files in data backups.

To generate conversation you may wish to start a specific thread with a question as to what members are using for an Imager and a data backup.

I built a little backup routine, for data, using a Window command line called Robocopy. Lots of switches to customize needs and I find it very quick.