(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

What filled up my external hard drives so quickly?

S

Stan in Oly, WA

Well-known Member
My desktop computer has an internal HD, designated C, with a capacity of 918GB, of which 717GB is still free space. I have two external HD's: E which is 1.81TB, with only 12.1GB free space remaining, and F which is 465GB with only 77GB free. The 2TB (nominal) external HD was purchased about 18 months ago. Since all my program and data files are on the internal HD, and fill only 201GB, why are my external HD's filled up? I let the Western Digital backup program do the backups on the smaller (465GB) HD, and use MS Security Essentials Backup for the 2TB HD.

Also, can I clear the external HD's by reformatting, or do I have to do it some other way?

Stan
 
i agree.. check the drive usage.

might be setup as striped or some other raid setup using space redundantly with another drive.

or formatted for speed vs space.

might also be using HUGE cluster size ( drive overlay? ) and have lots of small files on it. each small file might eat up a cluster. IE.. a 1k file can eat up a 32k cluster...
 
Could be you have more than 1 backup on the drive. Apple's backup program (time machine) keeps each backup until the drive is full, then deletes the oldest backup as needed to add new ones.
Check your backup software's preferences, it may be backing up several times a day.
 
There is a utility called FolderPrint Plus that will scan a drive and give you a report that you can sort however you wish. I've been using it for nearly 10 years to report the contents of drives both local and on servers. It will quickly pinpoint "where the space went" and let you identify what can be deleted.

I'm sure there are dozens of similar utilities out there but this is one of the best.
 
Most backup software allows you to set the number of backups. So if you set it to 3 backups it will erase number one when it backs up the 4th time. Otherwise it will simply fill the drive with backups.
 
I do a lot of phtography with massive digital files and can fill memmory like crazy. If you do not do photos you may have a bunch of bugs in your computer. They can fill up a crazy amount of space on your computer with all kinds of crap. Follow what the other guys have suggested.
 
You should be able to see what's on the drive using Windows Explorer.

Right click on a directory and select properties. That will tell you how much data is in the directory and all its subdirectories.

It may be you have your backup set to "keep everything forever" and all the backups are taking up space on the drive.
 
Or, you have a virus, or trojan, or someone has hacked your system and is using it to store their pornography.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

jd2cyl1943
The story of my Bs restoration up to this point.
Replies
6
Views
863
jd2cyl1943
jd2cyl1943
jd2cyl1943
Here's the story of my JD Bs restoration up to this poi
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
jd2cyl1943
jd2cyl1943
J
External Hard Drive Question
Replies
10
Views
916
whizkidkyus
W
D
OT: Re: Coincidence, I dont think so!
Replies
8
Views
997
Joe T (CO)
J
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top