XP sp3 Thinks all drives are full

**Inventor3006** · 2012-05-24 14:20

I've got something like 750 GB in two drives.
I've partitioned them to about 50 Gb drives (avg.)
I've been running this system for several years, and
have over 300 programs installed, but now all of a
sudden XP seams to think they are all full. (Most are
80 to 90% free.)

How do I fix this?

**Xircal** · 2012-05-24 14:53

Check to see if it's caused by an excessive amount of temp files first of all. Here are instructions.

Hit Windows logo key + R to launch the Run command.
Type: cleanmgr and click OK.
In the next menu which appears it will default to C: so just click OK again.
In the following menu, checkmark all the boxes except the option to compress all files.
Click OK and then repeat for your other drives by changing C: to your other drive letters.

System Restore by default claims 12% of a drive or partition. To reduce it hit Windows logo key + Pause/Break to take you to System Properties and then click the System Restore tab. Drag the slider backwards to reduce the amount of disk space to it to about 2000MB which is enough for about four System Restore points.

You can delete all but the last Restore Point in the same menu by clicking the "More Options" tab and then in the menu at the bottom, click the "Cleanup" button.

You can download this free utility which shows where the space has all gone: http://www.disktective.com/

This Microsoft document might also be helpful: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315688

**Inventor3006** · 2012-05-24 15:18

The clean manager comes up for EVERY drive when it says the drive is full.
I've got drives: C: to R: with Q: as my removable drive, then O/X/Y are my
network drives and they don't give me that "Drive Full" error/alert.
I can go into Admin-tools and see the free space on every drive.
I can open PerfectDisk defragging program and see the same free space.
It's only XP that "DOESN'T SEE THE FREE SPACE".
As for system restore all drives are set to 1% (about 600 megs)

**Xircal** · 2012-05-25 01:51

Please open a command prompt and then type the following command and hit Enter.

fsutil dirty query C:

You will get one of two responses which are:

Volume C: is dirty
Volume C: is not dirty

Substitute "C:" with the other drive letters to check the other partitions.

If you get the first response i.e. that the volume is dirty, run this command from the Recovery Console:

chkdsk c: /p /r

Substitute "c:" with the other drive letter(s) where necessary.

You can install the Recovery Console on your HD if you wish which will produce a menu every time you boot up, Installation instructions here: How to install the Recovery Console

You can also simply run it from the Windows XP installation CD.

**Inventor3006** · 2012-05-25 02:39

Here's the results.

**Xircal** · 2012-05-25 02:50

If you right click a drive and go to Properties, what does it report as free space?

**Inventor3006** · 2012-05-25 03:18

Originally Posted by Xircal

If you right click a drive and go to Properties, what does it report as free space?

Free Space: (Worse one is "D:" with 30%)

**Xircal** · 2012-05-25 03:39

OK, here's your problem.

You've formatted your partitions in FAT32. The largest size FAT32 supports is 32GB.

What I suggest you do is to purchase an external USB hard disk and then move all your files out a single FAT32 partition on to that, then reformat it in NTFS. Then move the files from the other FAT32 partitions on to the NTFS drive and reformat them that way one at a time.

**Inventor3006** · 2012-05-25 05:16

Originally Posted by Xircal

OK, here's your problem.

You've formatted your partitions in FAT32. The largest size FAT32 supports is 32GB.

What I suggest you do is to purchase an external USB hard disk and then move all your files out a single FAT32 partition on to that, then reformat it in NTFS. Then move the files from the other FAT32 partitions on to the NTFS drive and reformat them that way one at a time.

A: Don't need to buy any... got 4 or 5 laying around here... Only have to find a clear drive to put in it.
B: I can reformat the drives in the Computer Management window, but once it's changed and I dump
the files back in there -- Will they still work? Will it effect the registry?
I sure don't want to reinstall over 300 programs. (Many of them can't be replaced.)

**Xircal** · 2012-05-25 05:45

Originally Posted by Inventor3006

A: Don't need to buy any... got 4 or 5 laying around here... Only have to find a clear drive to put in it.
B: I can reformat the drives in the Computer Management window, but once it's changed and I dump
the files back in there -- Will they still work? Will it effect the registry?
I sure don't want to reinstall over 300 programs. (Many of them can't be replaced.)

Your C: drive where Windows is installed together with any programs you installed yourself on that drive is formatted in NTFS already, so you don't have to make any changes there, but if you've installed programs on any of the FAT32 partitions, you should uninstall them first via Add/Remove Programs before you wipe the drives. Simply moving them from one drive to another won't work I'm afraid and they'll need to be reinstalled again.

The only exception will be standalone applications i.e. programs that can be run without the need to install them first.

Any files you created yourself such as txt, mpg, flv etc., can be moved without a problem.

Looking at the image you posted again, your R: and N: drives appear to be formatted in NTFS already, so you could move files which don't need to be reinstalled again to either of those two.

**CLiNT** · 2012-05-25 05:48

I can reformat the drives in the Computer Management window, but once it's changed and I dump the files back in there -- Will they still work? Will it effect the registry?

It will depend largely upon what exactly you have in there, program files or any other files with hooks back to the operating system will produce errors when you go to use them.

**jwitalka** · 2012-05-25 12:58

You can non destructively convert a Fat 32 partition to NTFS in XP by following the instructions here:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.php

Jerry

**Inventor3006** · 2012-05-28 08:44

Originally Posted by jwitalka

You can non destructively convert a Fat 32 partition to NTFS in XP by following the instructions here:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.php

Jerry

Hey Guys,
First off I want to thank all of you for your great help and advice.

Jerry: I never got the email update of your post about that program option,
(Wish I had, it would have save me a lot of hours.)

By the time I got back here I had already moved two drives and formatted them.
As Xircal reminded me that I had the "R" drive sitting there basically empty.

I did have a few problems transferring some programs over, but surprisingly little
to no problems going back to the original drive, but it sure took a l-o-n-g time.

After doing two drives from within windows I started getting errors/failures; One
big one was my AV kept blocking things and I could only pause it for 15 minutes
at a time.... Two: was all the .dll's/services running in the background.

So I rebooted into straight SafeMode, (No network), then went into services
and disabled a bunch of programs.

Another problem:
Some of the programs had several layers of subfolders and that would block
or stop the transfer cold. I would de-select that one and restart the transfer
till done, then go back into that program and transfer each layer of folders
one-by-one.

Surprisingly I've test many of the programs and they all work.(SO FAR)

The strange part is that upon rebooting my desktop rez. was all screwed up
(1600X????), and the icon looked smaller than a thumb tack from 20 feet away;
it's still not the way I had it, but it's workable.

Thanks again Guys,

Grandpa Bill
Now onto my Windose7 problems after a

and some sleep.
(It NEVER ends)

Thread: XP sp3 Thinks all drives are full

Thread Tools