Problem with Microsoft Windows XP SP2?

Hey !!


My C drive has started acting weird. My C drive displays free space differently every time, it changes every time I refresh the page or open an application. For eg. its 56 kb at one instance and when I go to the windows folder or any other folder ( for that matter) and check again, it displays the free space as 80 MB, 256, MB, 114 MB or any random number. I know that the space on my C is different than the one thats displayed because when it displayed the free space as 1 MB, i tried copying a 2 mb file from D drive to the C drive and it was pasted there!!! I am sure there is no spyware, adware, virus on my system. What could possibly be the issue ? THE OS is Windows XP Pro with SP2.

Problem with Microsoft Windows XP SP2?
Sounds like you are on the way to a crash/dead hd/loosing everything. Or you have a very badly programmed trojan virus whcih is hiding itself. An anti-virus may not find it. Also your hd is saturated. This may be the problem, but not so important for the moment.


1.Try emptyig the trash can. That may free up some space and give you time to breathe. Do NOT defragment under any circumstances. (later yes, not now).


2. Back up everything of value to you - mp3s, photos. You could try backing up to a cd but you may not have any useable space left to even do that. The best would be a USB memory stick - you can get a 4Gb one for $15 these days. If you have more than 4Gb you need to keep, then backup 4Gb worth, delete the files you backed up. See if things return to normal now you have mmore space. Back up any remaining files NOW If things are not back to normal, then


3. Open My Computer, right click on drive C:, select properties, go to the tools tab and press Error check now. Select Repair Automatically. It will tell you you can't do that now, and ask for a reboot. Tell it OK. Watch the screen as it checks the disk as it restarts. That may give you some idea what is going on.


Once it has restarted see if you get the same problem or not. If you do then your only chance may be a full reformat/reinstall of XP. That may or may not do the job, but it may return. If it is stable for a few days then re-run the error check/fix on C:, defragment. Head for Windows Update


4. As a last resort, before you reformat, you can try two things,go to the Kaspersky site and run their on-line virus check overnight. It will find almost anything. Just in case your existing anti-virus has missed something. None of them get all the intruders. Then check your Control Panel Add/Remove programs list for anything you dont think is your software. If there are any weird ones then Google to see if you can find them. If not then remove them. Restart the computer again. If not fixed by now then you have a weirdo or a dieing disk.





Reformat Reinstall. The whole drive including any partitions. If that doesn't fix it then get a new HD. If you have other drives then disconnect them until you are happy with the way it runs for a few days. Then reconnect them.





If you can't understand any of the above then take your box or laptop down to the local repair shop. It might be something really simple that they can find by opening her up and checking everthing inside-cables, connectors, battery etc. It is a weird one. Never heard quite the same symptoms in many years. Similar, but not the same.





Pray that your backups were good.





Ask more if you get confused. I'm slow on email replies don't get angry, its not my fault. .Just post a detailed new question with a list of what you tried and what the results were (keep good notes as you do things.)





Good luck
Reply:This happened to me also. Restart your comp and load it in safe mode. Then restart it again and start it normally. If this doesn't work, boot it with CD
Reply:sounds like your file allocation tables and stuff are shot away.





you need to do a full drive scan (start the procces in windows by right clicking the drive, select properties and then the tools tab) click error checking and select both tabs then run it...





if this fails you may well have to reinstall windows...if that too fails you have to consider that the hard drive may be broken.
Reply:which drive has your OS..?


well try degfragmenting and also...





download uniblue regisry repair
Reply:Hopefully, you are not REALLY at 80, 256 or whatever Mb of free space on your primary drive. XP is like a big dog, it needs room to run around in. You are setting yourself up for a crash, if thats all the free space you have. If so, you could remove uneeded proggies, files, then look at virtual memory, swap file, etc. ACTUALLY, forget all that... you need some room! LOL! Get another drive or change your partition if thats the case.... My rule of thumb is to always leave 20% of the drives size free and clear. I mean, right now, I doubt you could do a defrag.....

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