The Mother Board

[tedybear]

Ok campers. I've got a major headache I just finished with.

Working with a "Compaq/HP" big mean box computer at my folks place. I managed to clear the garbage and a nasty virus from the system, however there is still a major issue where it will kick up a flag that says the "D" drive is almost full, please click here to free up space...blah blah blah.

The drive it is talking about is actually the hidden drive built into the main "C" drive that holds the entire system recovery files. Under properties of the drive it is supposedly set for "read only", and is under extreme heavy security. The only way I managed to figure out why it was "empty" for free space? I ran AVG on the hidden part of the drive and watched it work.

Everything was normal until it hit a part of the i386 folder. Seems every internet based game ever downloaded? All the "Setup" programs somehow got installed to that drive as well into one of it's sub-directories, and it hogged up some crazy real estate on that partition. Seriously..I was watching it scan, when I spotted the game "Fate" and the "FateUpdate" kick on the screen as being scanned?!?? And yeah I'm sure I was scanning in the partitioned drive supposed to be "read only" according to properties.

There has to be at least 20-30 games and such stored in there. I am at a total loss as to how anything could have written to that section of the drive, heck--says it's read only!

Now I did the usual stuff, went into properties and turned off the read-only part and all that for what I figured was the entire partitioned drive. However there is no way I can find to access that drive in order to delete those old game setup downloads. Tried under 'my computer' and it kicked up a warning with a "locked padlock" on it, and denies all access. (same under system management, even under admin) Same with using the command prompt--I can access the drive, and the listing states "RECOVERY". But it appears empty with "Zero" space used, and no sub-directories.

The only way to get rid of the "low warning" for the partition would be for me to access it, and trash-can those game setup files. As we all know? Those files can be HUGE in size.

I managed to get the rest of the system working better, something "hidden" was enabled in the startup menu--Thanks to the virus that was on the computer, MSCONFIG (2 copies??) both where found in the virus vault infected. So I downloaded MSCONFIG from a website and used it to disable the item in the startup files that had no information listed. Kinda like a ghost? But once I unchecked the box and restarted? The system was about 80% faster. Plus a first time install of spybot updated? Took an hour to clean out the internet trash.

So any ideas on how to get into that drive and nuke out the game setup files? Once that's done the system should be back to full normal again.

S-

[Karlsweldt]

Thick gray area here. About the only advice that can be given is to start up in 'Administrator' mode, and see if permission is provided for access.
A virus gives no heed to "No Trespassing" signs.. and can infect even secured drives and folders.
When files are zero-length in content, each will take 512 bytes of space per sector. If you have a high count of these "no content" listings, then a drive or partition can be empty.. but the FAT listings show otherwise.
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F@H.. to solve mankind's maladies.. in our lifetimes!

[tedybear]

[evasive]

Tried an Ubuntu liveCD?
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We hate rut, but we fear change.



System error, strike any user to continue...

[tedybear]

[Mr T]

Download Ubuntu linux from here as an .iso... Burn it to CD, then boot the PC with it, then using its partition manager, access the hidden partition and free up all the c**p...
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I have been programming on computers since the ZX81.
I am an apprentice trained Electronics Engineer with qualifications to back it up.
I have been repairing computers since 1996.
Yet to some people I still know nothing...

[tedybear]

[evasive]