I'm experiencing a problem similar to one I've seen described before, but the solution to my instance of it should vary significantly. I've spent my last week trying to create a DVD of the first season of Clone High (now canceled and otherwise unavailable), which I have in thirteen .avi files sized around 250MB each. Now, I've tried the software bundled with my DVD burner, Intervideo's WinDVD Creator 2 (which performed illegal operations and was shut down every two minutes, Ulead's program, a method using six odd programs to extract ac3 audio and mp2 video which could be authored a certain way, and now NeroVision Express 3. I has a tendency to crash at random, but eventually I put together all the menus and such. Now, I've come in a roundabout manner to the issue: I've had this assembled for a few days, and have made several attempts to either burn it to a disk, make an image of it, or creat the DVD file structure on my hard drive. This is a lengthy process of leaving the computer alone for four hours to do its work, to find out it failed for some damn reason. However, the last time around, in burning to my hard drive, the DVD file structure only totalled 454 MB in total, where it should be 3.95 GB. Now, I have a small hard drive, only 9.6 GB, 8 of which were free, and a 16 gig storage drive which is full up. So, I deleted all the 0KB .vob files and such, and thought to just try it again for the umpteenth time when I noticed that after purging my system of temp files, its recycle bin, and everything else, 4GB REMAINS MISSING. It's completely unaccounted for. Any folder it ought to be in is empty, and yet all scans report that 4GB is in use god-knows-where. I know I should probably leave more room for temp swapping when burning these, but I think eight gigs ought to be enough for a disk half that size anyway, it should just take longer to swap out memory once space runs out. So yes, I get a prompt to clean out my drive at 99 per cent completion, but the job eventually finishes. I've heard about this before, but in those cases, the plaintiffs reported having Windows XP Pro and its System restore eating up space, Norton's recycle bin doing the same, and a few invisible floating .nrg files. Except I am writing the project to disk, have Windows 98-SE, use AVG (and leave it turned off) and have been in and out of safe mode a few times. If you had the patience to read all that, I salute you. But HELP! 2.4gHz Celeron, 512MB DDR-RAM, GeForce 4 MX 64MB DDR-RAM, Win98 SE of course, and drivers more current than thou.
File size http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/system/fwdisktools.html Clean up http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/system/fwdiskclean.html
I needed a disc tool myself so I just picked up http://www.snapfiles.com/get/treesize.html looks like a winner.
Without a doubt you haven't allotted enough space. When you look at free space it isn't exactly what you see. i.e. If you have a 20GB of space, when your HD is 95% full, that means you're seeing 1GB of space, your HD is totally max'ed out. You need some space to move around. When you indicate you have 8GB free, the recommended amount is 8GB to 11GB. Since you have less than 8GB you don't have the room to work. I suggest that you add a HD with a USB connecter so your PC can move. cheers, Pete
I am using FAT32. And yes, I should have a good deal more room for these operations. but the problem is that until I can backup my 16GB drive and clear that up (which I can't so long as DVD burning is an issue for me), I won't have that room available. The problem is only exacerbated when 4GB disappear without a trace.
Thank you for the referrals, I found some good applications, but the missing space doesn't show up on any conventional scan that looks at the space taken up by any folder. I think it may be that the missing space is simply a more general cloud over the potential write areas of the disk than any series of files. This incident did not occur during the other occasions where all the space on my drive was eventually used. As the space was used as a swapping area for the procedure, and not as the eventual destination for the DVD file structure, it stands to reason that wherever the space is, it MAY HAVE NO ADDRESS. The system may simply have contrived some unintelligible temporary root for the data and immediately erased record of it. It was under some stress, I know.
Even if yo do find the "missing 4 gigs" you won't have enough space for video projects. I'd have to agree with scubapete- time to get a bigger drive, however, you might still get restrained by file size limits on fat32 drive. I'm new to this video stuff but have quickly found out that I wouldn't even attempt it with Win98 and/or fat32 file structure. So the bigger picture you could be looking at is a new drive and WinXP cause Win98 doesn't support NTFS. How about this then as a temp. solution: Copy your project to cd/dvd, copy the stuff on your 16gig on to cd/dvd and now clean out that 16gig drive to give you some space to complete your project. That may provide you a solution using your current set up.
Cleric, scuba pete is correct. You need more space. If you have a dynamic swap file in Windows, (the default) the size of the file will change when Windows needs more workspace, thereby reducing your available space. This is done automatically by the Operating System and you will not know it is using extra space.
Short of formatting my C: Drive, isn't there anything I can do to reclaim that space? I'm aware that I should have more room, as only you can be when you've been working under these constraints as long as I have. But that isn't part of the solution now. If I need the space to write disks in the first place, how will I back up my data, in order to move things over to my larger drive?
Purchase a new larger HD, used a clone program like Drive Image, Ghost etc., and transfer “everything” from your old to your new completely. End of the old story and the beginning of a much much larger one, or should I say Hard Drive. Then you can use your old HD as a backup!
Scubabud Is exactly correct. You should have a second drive any way to back up critical files. I recomend a large second drive for all work including files and use your "old" smaller drive for your OS and primary programs such as drivers and printers ETC. I would highly recomend XP It is faster and much more reliable. if you go to tigerdirect.com you can buy a 200 gig western digital drive for under a hundred bucks they are plug and play.... its a no brainer. Bob
Well, thanks for the help... I've needed a new hard drive for a while, but I managed to play tower of Hanoi with my existing drives and got everything over to my existing backup drive. I formatted my C: drive, reclaimed the space, and put my OS on the larger drive and arranged for it to be the master. So problem solved... for now.
Clerick, Good, You should now notice a faster response in operating time and no problems should follow the backup guides in my sig exactly - Cheers and Happy burning . . . Pete
Hey Clerick, You might be able to help me.....I have a different problem. I downloaded most likely the same bunch of avis, about 250 meg each like you said. Problem is, I cannot figure out what codec they are encoded in. I have not been able to play them, and therefore have not been able to make a dvd like I had planned. Could you help me out in figuring out what codec these are encoded in?
ginsuboy: I know of two programs (there are probably more) that show was codecs a video file is using, AVIcodec and GSpot Codec Information Appliance. Use those and they even have links to where you can get codecs you don't have supported. Clerick: I had the same exact problem...except with 1Click DVD Copy instead of NeroVision. Do you have Norton? if so, I found my "hidden" files in the Norton Protected Files in the Recycle Bin. You probably figured out how to solve the problem, but in case anyone else had the problem. I dunno what to do if this isn't the problem though.
Hi RguyK128, If you're trying to locate the files used by 1clickCopyDVD then open "options" and lQQk at the address under the "Temporary Folder". Option 2. I suggest that the next time you run the program, you open your "Search" function and put that day's date in and locate the files that way. Cheers, Pete
