Windows 10: Disk Space Vanishes by Uninstalling files improperly

I'd suggest trying TreeSize anyway but there is nothing to suggest you have lost 14GB unless you can see it as a file or in as a directory somewhere. More likely you are just seeing reporting differences.[/quote] Thank you for all your research!!!! But I was having a near look around before my diskspace vanished. I have around 15Gb free space at that moment, then i figure out there are plenty of old nvidia drivers which are stored in file repository inside C: Drive which occupied tons of spaces, nearly 13-15GB, so i managed to delete those through Cmd commands guided by one technical site. Then what i can see was, all those old nvidia drivers were gone, i mean deleted, but it doesn't add up to my free space. I tried different diskcleanup softwares, but nothing worked. Due to unmanaged deletion of those files, although the files are deleted, system still presumes that the file are there( i think).

 

Hi,

Not sure it can resolve the problem but to remove old driver versions from the system I use this:

DriverStore Explorer AKA Rapr:

https://github.com/lostindark/Driver...ses/tag/v0.9.5


Cheers, *Wink

 

How did you delete them? pnputil?

Anyway they are either still there and you'll see them here:





Or alternatively you'll not see them. If they aren't there then they aren't there. The one I circled is Intel Display driver - it is 300MB. I don't have NVidia but 15GB of drivers seems a lot - it is bigger than the whole of my Windows *Smile

Anyway if you can't see them in that directory they aren't there. Run a chkdsk but I don't think there is anything wrong.

 

Excellent tool! I was amazed first time I ran it. I believe even Kari uses it, and he's a die-hard Windows Fan!

Maybe not pertinent, but with NVidia, there can be tons of installer files left after updating their drivers. They are pack-rats! Look here. Mine is empty because I empty it after NVidia does it's thing. First time I did (way back) there were > 5GB of installer files. Every last version they ever tried to install on my machine. Theory is, they want you to have them so you can install earlier versions instead of downloading again. Well.....

 

To uninstall GPU drivers, DDU download ddu is best tool although "Revo uninstaller" can do it too and also delete all files and registry settings associated with them. To avoid installation of all the files associated with particular driver, it's best to unzip/rar downloaded drivers and update them thru Device manager.

 

Yes, RAPR.exe (DriverStore Explorer) is indeed a great tool. Do be sure to grab the 0.9.5 version (updated in February 2018). It's got some terrific new enhancements including a safe and effective "Select old drivers" button that works pretty nicely:



Good stuff.
--Ed--

 

• When using Windows Properties page. Windows is having problem dealing with the Hard Link files, the result normally will be larger than the actual storage space.
• When running WinDirStat. The program is having permission problem with folders that you don't have access such as "System Volume Information" etc.... You must run the program as Admin. The result will be larger than what you see now

The screen shots show the differences between the 2's for Windows, Program Files, Program Files (86) etc...
Run as regular user:




Run as Admin:

 

Great advice, TopGun! I'd forgotten about the "Run as administrator" trick with WinDirStat (even though that's how I run it routinely). I'm also wondering if the OP might not benefit from downloading and running the HomeDev PatchCleaner utility as well. On machines that haven't had a clean install in some time, and have been through multiple feature upgrades, this can recover multiple GBs of disk space if the orphaned items are deleted (not recommended) or moved to another drive (the developers' recommended action).
HTH,
--Ed--

 

Hi,
@EdTittel: The link you provided points to HP's support pages. Assuming this was unintentional :

PatchCleaner can be downloaded using this hyperlink:

PatchCleaner - safely clean your windows installer directory | homedev - software development out of the box

Cheers, *Wink

 

Oops, thanks Frank! It must've been a paste buffer hangover (that was the previous link I'd posted to the previous thread I answered). I need to start testing my hyperlinks to make sure I've got them right. Thanks for catching that. Much-appreciated!
--Ed--

PS: Just fixed the original thread so it, too, points to the right place. Thanks again!

 

Hi,

You're most welcome, Ed.Happens to the best of us.

Cheers, *Wink

 

Here's a better example. Take a look at Program Files folder: On the LHS=1.6GB On the RHS = 3.3GB
LHS==>WindowsApps= 0GB (inaccessible)
RHS==> WindowsApps = 1.7GB

 

Out of interest if you press F6 on the Admin one to get free space as well does the total match your disk properties (like the first post) because mine doesn't.

I don't think it should actually as they are comparing 2 different things. Disk properties says total usage is volume size less freespace while WinDirStat says volume size is sum of allocated space + freespace.