Windows 10: Windows 10 Hard Drive Keeps Filling Up

This is a common problem, but in my case there is an uncommon cause. Everyone complains about this problem at some point in time, but it's usually because people have downloaded too much stuff, installed too many apps, or haven't cleared out temp files and cache etc.

In my case, I've literally deleted over 15 gig of data, and Windows still keeps telling me that I'm out of space. The other day, I moved all my movies, music etc. which was at least 15 gig of data on to an external drive, and give minutes later, I got the message telling me to clean up space.

This is driving me nuts. I've been using DOS and Windows for over 15 years and I've never had this problem. I've searched for gigantic files, and I deleted heaps of them. I have run C Cleaner (which got rid of about a gig), and still most of my hard drive is filled with garbage and I can't find it. I did a disk analyze in C Cleaner and it says about 90% of my disk space is "Other" types of files. Not movies, apps, or music.

How do I find out where it's all going?

15 gig belongs to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft but this is only a drop in the ocean. There is about 250 gig unaccounted for.

:)

 

SINCE upgrading to win 10 my hard drive keeps filling up with trash

SINCE upgrading to win 10 my hard drive keeps filling up with trash

 

Drive C keeps filling up ,

Yes this is as I thought - this is a known bug at the moment . . .

Using the process below, delete the entire contents of that CBS folder - leave the folder, just delete all contents, including CBSPeristXXX.log and CBS..log

Click your Start Button, type services and hit Enter to open the Services app

Scroll down to find the Windows Modules Installer service and double-click on it

Set its startup type to Manual

Restart your System

Then open Windows File Explorer

Go to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS

Delete all of the files in the CBS folder

Restart your PC

Then go back into the Services App and set Windows Modules Installer Service back to Automatic Startup

 

First step is to identify what all that is, obviously. Not always easy to see, especially if they are system files or otherwise hidden. Try this little freebie app which will display everything on the machine, system, hidden, or otherwise. Sort it by size, descending. It's safe (and free), lot's use it. It's called Tree Size, and is very useful.

Do you have your One Drive files on there? Just a thought....

JAM Software - Customer Area

 

If you don't want to use third-party tools, Settings > System > Storage.

*Arrow View Storage Usage of Drives in Windows 10

 

Have you got sky news or simliar On mine sky new cached 12gig if you got programs and look at some of these types of apps it often tells you the cache and you can clear it

 

Another thing to check is the System Protection Settings / Max Usage Size... It might be set to high and eating up space.

See this tutorial .... Change System Protection Max Storage Size for Drive in Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

 

Thanks. This does help a lot!

But, this is getting insane now. The above showed me where a lot of the space was. It showed me that there were 15 gig of Android emulators on my machine for development. So, I deleted them and emptied the recycle bin. 15 minutes later, Windows tells me my hard drive is full again.

I've got nothing to go on here! I've used C Cleaner, I've deleted everything I possibly can. Something is just eating space and I cannot figure out what it is! I'm really starting to get worried that it's malware.

Also, I don't have system restore turned on.

 

You still have to find where those "extra" files are and what's making them. Could be some malware too, maybe some automated backup, things like that. Using OneDrive ? Could be syncing from it.
The key is to find out where and what is doing it.

 

have you tried a virus scan (adware plus(. that shit can also fill your hard drive in no time.

 

TreeSize has a bug for several months already, it includes symlinks into the allocated size. Not a good tool to recommend.

 

I'm not using any backup utilities. I really can't figure out where it is going! I've been using DOS and Windows for decades so I know what the usual tricks are, but I'm really stumped now. It must be some hidden system files or something. Windows says that it's all being swallowed up by apps but that makes no sense.

 

I am a developer so I have some hefty apps, but I've been using this computer for at least six months with all of my dev software running and it was fine. I've freed up at least 30 gig without installing any new software, and it's just getting chewed for no reason.

 

Sure, I could delete some of these apps, but I just know that 10 minutes later Windows will be telling me that I've got no space left. I had DropBox and OneDrive but these were some of the first things to go.

 

You really need to run some disk analysis software. The numbers on the Apps and Features in your post 2 above is just taken from the registry and is a figure that is written by the installer based on whatever the developers decided to put as a size.

It may be completely wrong (or missing) and takes no account of compression or anything. See here for example Windows Doesn't Calculate App Sizes On 1709? - Windows 10 Forums

Try WinDirStat or TreeSize or WizTree - it doesn't matter (@TairikuOkami is correct about TreeSize size reporting errors - they are all not perfect).

What they will tell you is what is taking the space which is what you need to know. Only then can you do something about it.