Disk Full?

[Emo]

I didn't knwo where to ask this so, I'm asking it here...
yesterday throughout the day when I was on my PC, it giving me the message that my HDD is full. Yes, I'm very low on HDD Space (about 530 MB) but I don't know why was giving me this... I remember I've had my HDD down to about 70MB and it didn't say anything.
I'm guessing some program was using this for swap space. But I can't figure out what program is it... the only one I can think of is 3D Studio MAX, but I didn't have it open... So far today it has not said anything, so I'm hoping it was just yesterday!
If you know what's going on, can you tell me?

Thanks!
-Emo

[marnitzg]

I think windows checks a certain percentage of your hdd. I've had my space down to 2.1 gigs and got that damn message!

[CyberSurfer]

I had this problem a little while ago, and I discovered that it was caused my Windows Swap File. A way round this problem is to specify your own Virtual Memory settings. Hopefully this should solve your problem.

[Emo]

CyberSurfer:
Can you tell me how do I set my own virtual memory setting to the win swap file?

Thanks!
-Emo

[zmerlinz]

Here you go, remember that your swap size should be about two and a half times the amount of ram that you have

right click on my computer and goto properties

then go to the performace tab and click on virtual memory

click specify my own amount and put in the figure that you worked out in the minimum and the maximum then click on ok it will ask you to restart your computer say ok adn that will be done, if you have any problems mail me

[CyberSurfer]

zmerlinz got in before me, but that is indeed how you do it. My swap file is set to:

minimum: 2.5x RAM amount
maximum: 5 x RAM amount

When I first did it, I was amazed at the improvement!

One thing to watch for, if you ever change the swap file back to being automatically sized by Windows, make sure you have at least 200Mb space free, coz your PC will lock up. Speaking from experience!

[Emo]

Thanks you guys for the help...
I just restarted my PC, so I'm hoping that message won't be showing again for a long time!

[Benjamin]

CyberSurfer:

how much ram do you have?

I've got 128, and if I use 5x the amount... thats almost a gig

[Emo]

Now I'm really pissed!!!
Today the message came back! Even though I did what you guys told me!
I have no idea what to do!

I only have 64 RAM so
when I did 64 x 2.5 = 160MB for MIN space
and 64 x 5 = 320MB for MAX space still it tells me this!

-Emo

[fallnwrld]

I do agree setting your on virtual swap file does increase speed, and is recommended in a lot of magazines out there. However, if he got the low disk space because of the windows swap file that means its using up a larger chunk then he would of set it for.

Do your surf the web a lot? You can set it up so you dont save any history. Also if you have the windows cd, you can erase the cab directory if its there. Also when you update windows IE, it creates a directory Windows Update Files or something like that which can be safely deleted, also go to find and search for *.tmp, all those can be erased. Ummm, also can do a DLL search, if you see a lot of common ones just through it in the system directory. Aight, hope that helpz. Peace!

[zmerlinz]

does the message say you are running low on disk space, if it is something like that i know how to stop the message but i need to get home to remember where to change it, i don't have a million and one nt restrictions at home, i will post it later

[Rudy]

what would be the best setting for a 450mhz 128mb of ram and 15 gig of HD (almost empty) running Windows 2000

[CyberSurfer]

Rudy, I wouldn't bother.

I'm running a PII 266MHz with 32Mb RAM and a 4.3Gb Hard Disk, so I need it a lot!

[Rudy]

Well i dunno but 450 isn't that much and 128mb of ram is quite LOW

[Guv]

Wild Ass Guess: Maybe you should defrag your hard drive.

Perhaps you have enough space, but it is not usable for a swap file. Perhaps the swap file (or something else)needs one big chunk of contiguous space or several chunks of contiguous space.

If your drive is badly fragmented, it might have a lot of unusable space.

The above is just a WAG, not a SWAG (Sophisticated Wild Ass Guess).

[Rudy]

heheh nah i defragment my HD every night and i don't miss one (even if windows tell me my drive doesn't need to be defragmented lol) and im just trying to find a way to speed it up, i mean my computer is fast and i have no problems with it but if i can make it better

[Emo]

Ok, I've tried everything that you guys said here and I still get this message. You can see what I'm talking about here: http://www.angelfire.com/sd/Emil/untitled.JPG When I click on "Disk Cleanup" and erase all of the stuff there, the message comes up the next time I want to mess with the NDD, mybe download a file, make a new one, stuff like that!

Guv: Thanks for the advise but I've tried that and when I do, it tells me I need to run ScanDisk because it has errors that need to be fixed first. So when I do that, it still tells me the same thing...

One thing I've noticed, I get the message usually when I've been on my PC for a long time, surfing the net, doing this and that... and I don't get it when I've just restarted my PC...

Thanks for any help!
-Emo

[Rudy]

Hum.....i had a problem once with my Windows ME machine, the HD would fill up to a few kb in sec, i would delete like 300mb come back after 5 min and it would be full again, but then i ran scandisk and it fixed it (but i had to restart a few time

[Guv]

Perhaps you really need more disk space. Maybe you will have to delete a lot of files or get a second Hard Drive, which can always be useful. I have my Swap File on a second drive, and my system runs a bit faster.

If it is not really a hard drive space problem, there must be some program eating up space somehow. Assuming it is not a virus, why not use Ctrl-Alt-Delete and check what is running. Try this at various times and try to identify each program which is running. Maybe you can identify a culprit and keep him from running.

[Emo]

there must be some program eating up space somehow

I think that's the problem, because I remember a few days ago, I had about 600MB and the next day it was down to only 70MB!!! I had to delete some stuff so I can get it up, but now it's still only 200MB
I tried CTRL+ALT+DEL and there is no culprit so I don't know...

BTW: If I get a second HDD, how do I connect it to my PC so I have the two working as one?

Thanks!
-Emo

[HarryW]

Hmm, I've never really considered the possibility of using two HDDs as one partition. I'm not sure if you can to be honest. Perhaps you can do it with Partition magic or some other kind of partitioning utility.

[HarryW]

I've never heard of anything like it either, except for using it for the same data as you say.

I've heard that one good system is to keep your system files and applications on one partition, and all your data files on a seperate partition. Then, when Windows gets its knickers in a twist as it so often does, you can reformat the system and application partition and retain your data. It sounds sensible to me.

I originally left my 27 gig drive as one big partition with the intent of seperating it into smaller partitions later on, but I've never got around to it. I'd like to install DOS 6.22 and Linux on a couple of partitions too. Preferably on partitions that have no visibility of each other. Just a question of time and effort really, but at the moment I have better things to spend both on.

Oh yes, another good idea - use Norton Ghost to make a ghost image of your system and application partition, and keep it on another partition. Then you don't have to reinstall everything if it goes wrong, just stamp the ghost image back onto it.

[Guv]

Installing a second hard drive.

You might have to buy a cable with connectors for two drives for 3-5 dollars in addition to the hard drive. There might be such a connector already in your system. I suggest buying the cable to make sure you have a long one.

Most motherboards less than 3-4 years old allow for four IDE devices, two on each of two slots on the motherboard. Sometimes a CD or DVD is connected with a single hard drive, sometimes the CD is on the second motherboard slot by itself (this is the standard way for one hard drive & one CD-like device).

These instructions will be easier to understand and comply with when you actually start doing the work. If you read them before opening the case, the job might seem more complicated than it really is. I figured this stuff out for myself when I first starting upgrading my own system. You could probably figure it out without my help. I would advise doing a quick scan before buying the new drive. There are some questions you might want to ask the seller.

I have done this stuff for others. I usually charge $25 to $100 to install a new hard drive, depending on various options desired (transfer of operating system, doing the formatting and partitioning, et cetera). Everybody who watched me do it felt they could have done it themselves.

I cannot go into all the permutations possible, so I will assume that your current hard drive is plugged into a motherboard slot which it does not share with another device. If not, you could tell me what the story is when you open your system, and I could answer your questions.

You will not need more than one or two screw drivers to do this. One Phillips head will probably be required. If you have certain propriety systems like Compaq or IBM, you might have some extra problems. I always use a generic clone system which I put together myself. These systems are easier to upgrade than the proprietary systems.

First, be methodical. Do not do anything which you cannot figure out how to undo. Slow and patient and you will not get into trouble. There is nothing much you can do to damage your system if you are patient and not impulsive.

First unplug everything, especially the power. Turning off the power for modern devices is not always enough: Printers, VCR's, TV's, some computers, et cetera are always drawing a little current (That is why the remote can turn your TV on when it seems to be dormant). If the connections are not color coded, make some notes before unplugging your keyboard, mouse, phone connections, monitor, et cetera. You will probably be able to figure out how to reconnect everything without the notes, but why make it tougher than necessary? Hardly anything fits into the wrong slot. If there is a choice and you guess wrong, something will not work, but nothing terrible happens. You fix it by switching the connections you screwed up.

Next, figure out how to open your case. Some have sides than slid out without requiring you to take out any screws. For others, you have to remove 4-6 screws. Some have one big piece which gets removed, instead of the sides & top being individual pieces. If you do not have a manual, study your case carefully and you will probably figure it out. This does not require a degree in Quantum Mechanics.

Once the case is opened, identify the hard drive and its connection to the motherboard, and its connection to the power supply. It may also have a connection to an indicator light on the case (For newer systems, this connection is from the motherboard to the light in the case, and you do not have to mess with it). You will have to remove all connections from your current hard drive, but first make sure you know how to re-plug them. The motherboard connection is a flat cable (about 2 inches or 5cm wide) with 40 females connections at each end (two rows of 20). This flat cable should have red color coding along one side. I usually put some red nail polish on the hard drive near where the red side is connected. You should do the same or at least note which side is which. I also use nail polish to mark where the red side plugs into the motherboard. It is standard for the red side to be connected to the "one" pin side. This flat cable can be connected the wrong way. The Hard Drive will have small numbers which indicate which male connection is "one" and which is "40." It will be easy to see these numbers when you remove the drive. The corresponding numbers on the motherboard might be tuff to see without removing the motherboard. I advise figuring it out before you remove the cable, and making notes or using red nail polish. The power connection has four wires (It only fits one way). I expect that the drive will be plugged into the motherboard without sharing the motherboard connection with any other device.

Some cases allow you to remove a hard drive assembly from the case, which makes it easier to remove, add, and/or replace hard drives. It should be obvious if you have that kind of case. You will be able to see that removal of a screw or two will allow removal of the entire assembly. If you have this option, you are lucky. Otherwise you will have to use a little intellectual resourcefulness, and it will be a little awkward to install the second drive. You will have to figure out where to put the second hard drive. It should not be too hard to work this out. it is just a little more complicated than arranging living room furniture. The longer the cable you have, the easier it will be to arrange your two drives I suggest buying a long cable and not relying on what is in your case now.

Most systems require screwing each hard drive to the case or to the removable assembly. You will need 2-4 screws to do this for your new drive. The seller of the drive should be able to supply them if you do not have a friend that has some.

I suggest setting your new drive up as the master, and doing the extra work required to reinstall or transfer your current software to the new drive. Reinstall is better than transfer if the current system has some problems.

There should be some instructions with your hard drive. Most have the necessary instructions printed right on the drive itself. The idea is that there are Jumpers which indicate that a drive is a master, a slave, or a stand alone (single drive). Your current drive should have no jumper, or a jumper indicating single drive, or a jumper indicating master. You will have to make one drive the master and one the slave, by putting the jumpers in the appropriate positions. If you do not know what a jumper is, ask somebody or try searching the web for a picture. They are trivial to understand when you see one, but tuff to describe in text. You will probably be able to figure out what a jumper is when you see one on a hard drive or on the motherboard. The master drive goes at the end of the cable, and the slave is plugged into the middle connector (I am pretty sure it is this way and not vice versa. To be sure, ask the guy you buy the hard drive from, he will know).

At any rate, set the jumpers on the hard drive, put the drives into the case, make all the connections, and close the case. When you restart the system, it will probably recognize the new drive automatically (the newer systems do). Otherwise, you might have to fiddle with the CMOS setup. You might need some help on this, but it is not tuff to do.

If you need help with reinstalling or transferring your software, I can give some advice. Otherwise, ask a friend or hire somebody to do it.

You will have to run Fdisk & Format utilities on your new drive. These are user friendly, and you will be able to hack them. If your current drive is partitioned into more than one logical drive (I doubt it), you might need some more advice (this is not a big problem).

At this point, your life will be easiest if you made your current hard drive the master. However, your system should run better if you made the new drive the master, assuming it is bigger and/or faster than your current drive. The problem is that your OS and all your current software must be on the master.

If your current drive is still the master, just run Fdisk and Format on the new drive. With this option, you are likely to have the same problems you have now.

If your new drive is the master, you must reinstall all your software. Then reformat your old drive. Until you reformat the old drive, you have the option to recreate your original system. This might be the best option. Reinstalling the OS tends to make a lot of problems go away.

As an alternative, you could buy or borrow a copy of PowerQuest Drive Image (or a similar utility) to do the transfer. This approach would require setting the system up with your current hard drive as the master, transferring the software, and then swapping the cabling and jumpers to make your new drive the master. After all this, reformat your old drive (now the slave drive). You are likely to need some help with this option. If you get Drive Image and its manual, it might give you enough clues to do the job. After all that you reformat your old hard drive.

When everything has been done, I strongly recommend putting your swap file on the slave drive (probably the D-Drive).

If you partition either or both your drives, there are a lot of options. Perhaps you should read up on the benefits/disadvantages of partitioning a large physical drive into multiple logical drives.

If you have a lot of space, one cute idea is to use Partition magic to create partitions about the size of a CD. then copy CD's you use a lot into those partitions. After the copy, use partition magic to resize each a partition to a minimum. If you do this correctly, each partition shows up in Explorer showing the App's CD Icon. For example, say you copy a dictionary, map software, and a phone directory this way.Then install the applications as if installing from the CD's. You now get the app's running fast with no need to load a CD. If you go this route, and want to add a CD copy, use Partition Magic to make the new partition, the last on the Drive or else you have to re-map paths.

[HarryW]

One thing I would like to say is that if you have an earthed power supply, it is best to leave your computer plugged in but with the power turned off both at the wall and at the case if possible. This way, by touching any bare metal part of the case you are earthed, and don't risk electrostatic discharge which can potentially damage CMOS microchips. If you aren't in an area which has an earthed power supply (I live in the UK and we do) then I suggest you try not to shuffle your feet too much (don't want to build up static), and try to keep some part of your skin in contact with the bare metal of the case most of the time so that if you do build up any static you will equalize with the case. I'm not sure what other ESD precautions you can take without an earth. Try not to touch the chips too much anyway. Even when I wear a conductive wrist band with a wire to the case, keeping me earthed, I try not to touch chips if I don't have to.

I'm not sure if it matters which IDE connector on your IDE cable you plug the master and slave into. I suspect that it doesn't make a difference so long as you have your jumper settings correct. Jumpers are small plastic things a few millimetres square which are used to connect two pins on a circuit board together. They are very easy to deal with, just don't drop one in the case or it could take ages to find it I suggest you have a small torch nearby in case you need some light.

With IDE cables, one of the pins that there is space for in the connector is actually not used and is uaually not present on the motherboard's connector. The corresponding hole in the cable where that pin would usually fit is often filled in with plastic, so be careful that you don't try to attach the cable the wrong way around or you may bend one of the pins where the plastic is filled in.

A general rule for ribbon cables in computers is that pin 1 will be brightly coloured (usually red) and will almost always (I have never seen otherwise and I was told of the rule by someone else with more experience) be the end of the cable that attaches nearest the power supply on your peripheral IDE device. This is a good rule of thumb if you cannot make out the markings on your hardware.

Don't worry too much about the CMOS setup, it's not so hard. You will almost certainly be able to just use an autodetect option anyway if it's not detected already.

[Emo]

Thanks you guys for all the help!

In the past few days I haven't the darn message... so I'm guessing it's gone...

I'm still low on HDD space though (450MB)
But as long as it stays like this, I'm happy

Thanks!
-Emo