Basic data partition almost full

Topic

New Reply

I have to say up front that I know nothing about “partitions”. So, when Macrium Reflect shows a red bar for my Basic data Partition, (92% full) I don’t know if this will be an issue in the next several weeks/ months/ years  or not. The below partitions scheme was made by my PC supplier when the unit was newly purchased. This is what I see:

1 – (None) Basic data partition {F82FA2E4 – DF55  plus more characters ……}
Primary – NTFS ; 486.6 MB; Free Space: 42.4 MB; Total Size: 529.0 MB

2 – NO NAME (None) ; Primary – FAT32 (LBA); 26.7 MB, 99.0 MS

3 – (None); Primary – unformated; 16.0 MB, 16.0 MB

4 – (C:);  Primary – NTFS; 175.00 GB, 465.13 GB

I was curious to see which files are in that partition (its unlabeled, don’t know how to find the files), and if I should ever delete selected ones to provide more space (don’t know which ones). Or perhaps the best thing is to simply leave it alone and let Windows 10 Pro do the work, if any, in the background .

I read about partition managers like MiniTool Partition Wizard (“a multifunctional tool which makes it easy to extend partitions, merge unallocated spaces, resize Ubuntu partitions, etc.”) but I do not have that tool nor know how to use it.

Thus, I turn to you who are very experienced in this matter for your advice. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide

 

Reply | Quote

Replies

Macrium Reflect shows a red bar for my Basic data Partition, (92% full)

With a current Macrium image at the ready,

Get WizTree here:  https://antibody-software.com/wiztree/

It will show you what is using all your disk space you can clean easily things up.

Another good option is to run the built-in “Disk Cleanup” tool.  It’s in the start menu under “Windows Administrative Tools” as “Disk Cleanup”.   Select the  “Clean up system files” option on the tool screen.

Then load Macrium again and see if the red bar warning is gone.

If it’s not, post a screen shot of the opening Macrium window for “Local Disks”.

Desktop mobo Asus TUF X299 Mark 1, CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X Skylake-X 8-Core 3.6 GHz, RAM: 32GB, GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti 4GB. Display: Four 27" 1080p screens 2 over 2 quad.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DKThompson

Reply | Quote

I ran disk cleanup tool as you suggested, but the Basic data partition is unchanged. My system was relatively clean since on Nov 20 I ran a “Repair Install Windows OS” after a bad MS WIN 10 patch experience.

Based on all of the excellent suggestions so far, I think the best thing for me to do is be aware of the situation but don’t try to expand the partition or delete files in the partition

Reply | Quote

Do NOT touch that partition.

It will be part of the machine setup and is not used for data storage. The files on is are static.

Windows and your data are stored on partition 4 (C:) and you currently have 175GB free.

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

windbg, DKThompson

Reply | Quote

When you create an image backup you copy all 4 partitions and they must all be restored as part of a disk replacement.

When you make a Windows system / data backup you copy files from partition 4 (C:).

cheers, Paul

1 user thanked author for this post.

DKThompson

Reply | Quote

Partitions are like rooms in a house. Each one holds data.
The important drive is C: drive which hold Windows OS and installed software.

Right click on ‘This PC’. Select ‘Manage’
In the windows that opens select ‘Disk Management’
Print screen the windows that opens and upload here.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DKThompson

Reply | Quote

Per request:

Right click on ‘This PC’. Select ‘Manage’
In the windows that opens select ‘Disk Management’
Print screen the windows that opens and upload here.

 

Reply | Quote

The one that counts is

4 – (C:);  Primary – NTFS; 175.00 GB, 465.13 GB

When that one gets full the computer really starts complaining.  The others shouldn’t be touched (there are some rare occasions when some of the boot partitions have been too small but that’s a deep conversation for another day and I haven’t seen OEMs do that in a while.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

DKThompson

Reply | Quote

DKThompson wrote:

if I should ever delete selected ones to provide more space

175 GB free of a basic 500 GB drive means you have 65% of the drive in use. I’ve found Window to become sluggish when the drive hits 70 – 75% in use and become more sluggish as it becomes more full. If a lot of that data is personal files such a pictures or videos, then I suggest moving the personal data to another drive. I also suggest to have windows clean up unneeded files such as temp files to create more free space.
If after the above you still need to free space on that Windows drive, you can move large installed apps to another drive and still have them work using symlinks.

HTH, Dana:))

Reply | Quote

Thank you for pointing this out to me. I now am in the process of moving documents / photos / videos / etc to the secondary drive.

Reply | Quote

Not on a SSD drive, I’ve not seen that happen. When they get really full, yes, but that’s still quite a bit empty in my book.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

1 user thanked author for this post.

DKThompson

Reply | Quote

DKThompson wrote:

Per request:

Right click on ‘This PC’. Select ‘Manage’
In the windows that opens select ‘Disk Management’
Print screen the windows that opens and upload here.

 

Read what @Drcard said above.
C: drive shouldn’t be so full.
You should move data from C: drive to D: drive.
Data in folders such as documents, pictures, video, music..
You should move the data leaving the original (now empty folders) as is.

2 users thanked author for this post.

DKThompson, TechTango

Reply | Quote

Alex5723 wrote:

C: drive shouldn’t be so full.

It’s got 62% free space.

(Mine has 14%!)

1 user thanked author for this post.

DKThompson

Reply | Quote

b wrote:

It’s got 62% free space

175 GB free of 500 GB isn’t 62% free space.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DKThompson

Reply | Quote

Did you not look at the Disk Management screenshot you requested?

Reply | Quote

DKThompson wrote:

So, when Macrium Reflect shows a red bar for my Basic data Partition, (92% full) I don’t know if this will be an issue in the next several weeks/ months/ years or not. The below partitions scheme was made by my PC supplier when the unit was newly purchased. This is what I see: 1 – (None) Basic data partition {F82FA2E4 – DF55 plus more characters ……} Primary – NTFS ; 486.6 MB; Free Space: 42.4 MB; Total Size: 529.0 MB 2 – NO NAME (None) ; Primary – FAT32 (LBA); 26.7 MB, 99.0 MS 3 – (None); Primary – unformated; 16.0 MB, 16.0 MB 4 – (C:); Primary – NTFS; 175.00 GB, 465.13 GB

What I would like to see is a screenshot of what Macrium is reporting. I suspect that what’s listed above in the original post as “Free Space: 42.4 MB” in the 529.0 MB partition, actually may well be 42.4 MB in use rather than free, and that it’s the 486.6 MB figure that represents the amount of free space. This would jibe with the numbers I see in Macrium for the corresponding partition on my own PC:

Let’s see a screenshot of the whole width of the Macrium screen, as that might help us to figure out what’s going on.

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

1 user thanked author for this post.

TechTango

Reply | Quote

The latest Macrium screen info. NOTE: I have moved some documents from (C) to (D) Drive.

Thanks for your help. Dave T

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

Reply | Quote

Thanks for the new screenshot.

That first 529 MB partition looks like it might be the recovery partition, or something along those lines. As others have said, that (partially hidden) partition is best left alone.

The C: drive, which you’ve been moving stuff away from, now has 160 GB in use. The 175 GB figure that it’s down from, was also for the space used (as @b pointed out based on your Disk Management screenshot), not for the amount of free space available which was what many of us had thought based on the table in the original post. So you have plenty of free space there and there’s no rush to move files off it.

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

1 user thanked author for this post.

DKThompson

Reply | Quote

As I had the figures backwards (175GB used), there is no need to move your files off C, especially as it’s an SSD. Move them back to simplify backup / management.

As Susan said, SSDs retain full speed until they get very full (less than 10GB free) because they have plenty of cells to write the new data, giving them plenty of time to clean up (TRIM) the used cells. As your free space approaches the amount of data written during use the SSD can’t clean up quickly enough.

cheers, Paul

p.s. to add a screenshot don’t use Word. Save it as PNG then attach direct, as Cybertooth did above.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

Reply | Quote

Thank you for the advice and guidance. I needed to move data from (C) to (D) anyway, just to clean up many duplicates (photos, Itunes, Word, Txt, etc) that I’ve allowed over time.  Sloppy maintenance habits on my part, sadly.

I will use PNG rather than Word in the future.

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

Reply | Quote

Thanks for all of your help and suggestions

Reply | Quote