Bizarre computer problem

[andicap]

This I've never seen but I can't figure it out
This info I got off of my System Suite utility. Shows only 1.5GB of space left.
BUT when I run the program showing individual components it shows only 11 GB used on the C: Drive out of 19 GB. Thus there should be 8 GB left.
As of a few days ago I had 8 GB left and I haven't gone crazy adding stuff tho I've been tinkering trying to figure out boot and freeze up problems.
What's going on here? The only thing I can think of is that something went haywire in some hidden system folders. Or something in the file allocation tables that the C: Drive doesn't show in terms of hard drive space used. Note it says only 1.59 GB "accessible."


Sorry for the format fiasco below but you can get the idea

:confused: :confused:
C: 19.00 GB

Drive Type Fixed
Total Storage Space 19.00 GB
User-accessible Free Space 1.58 GB
Sector Size 512 bytes
Total Sectors 39873267
Cluster Size 16.00 KB
Reserved Sectors 16.00 KB
Number of File Allocation Tables (FATs) 2
Track Size 31.50 KB
Reported Number of Heads 255
Hidden Space 31.50 KB
Volume Name DRIVE_C
Serial Number 07D0:0C14
Maximum Filename Length 255
File System Name FAT32

File System Attributes

Filename case is preserved on disk
Filenames are stored as Unicode strings

[michiken]

I am siting the obvious here...

a. When was the last time your ran a scandisk or defrag on your hard drive?

b. When was the last time that you cleaned temporary internet and useless files? (Click on My Computer and then highlight C: Right Click and choose properties/tools I think).

A neat little utility for cleaning your hard drive is called BCWipe. (http://www.jetico.com/) Run it over nite without your computer connected to the net. It uses Department of Defense wiping.

Also read this thread (http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24665)

[gillenr]

If you are using OE for mail, try "compact all folders".

[andicap]

Well, the problem cleared up overnight kind of by itself or unless I did something by accident.

The problem is that my event log for Win XP shows an imminent hard drive failure (Bad Block) but none of my hard drive utilities show anything in the least wrong with the HD.

Computer also freezes at least twice a day, and hangs when I reboot so I have to turn it off and then on, which is probably why the HD may or may not be failing.
(I'm backing it up plenty)

of course none of the utilities like System Suite or Windows diagnostics can tell me what's wrong except for probably a device driver conflict (or maybe an IRQ one) which I'm spending hours trying to resolve.
GRRRR..

[Tom]

"Well, the problem cleared up overnight kind of by itself or unless I did something by accident."

Santa heard you were a good boy this year. (What happned in Vegas STAYED in Vegas!);)

[GameTheory]

If you never ever defrag, that could do it. Immenent and total hard drive failure is another possibility, these things do wear out -- make sure you backup everything immediately...