Windows server 2019 drive size not correct

Question

Hello,

I'm facing an issue with a server which has a F drive which displays that 25 GB are used but when I check on other tools like TreeSize or WinDirStat it shows that it has only 5 GB used.

I've been looking for a solution to this issue for a while and can't come up with one that really works.

Checked different things found like System Volume Information directory not having the good permissions, the $RECYCLE.BIN folder also....

I've found with WinDirStat that 20 GB are used by "unknown" files.

The problem is that I'm unable to find where are those files located to see what are them.

Can anyone help me find a solution to this?

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Well that could be a solution if I did not have services running that point to this partition...

I could copy the data, stop the services and change the drive letter replacing the old partition with the new one but honestly, before doing this like so, I was wondering if there is another cleaner way to solve this issue.

Answer 2

I'd suggest starting a case here with product support.
https://support.serviceshub.microsoft.com/supportforbusiness

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Answer 3

I can't find the contract ID requested to open an On-Premise case....

Answer 4

You can also call them here.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4051701/global-customer-service-phone-numbers

--please don't forget to Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

Answer 5

Hi,

Please run "winver" command to check your system version.

"Checked different things found like System Volume Information directory not having the good permissions, the $RECYCLE.BIN folder also"

It is an expect behavior, Windows will use this folder for certain system-level features. The permissions are set to prevent users—and programs without the appropriate permissions—from tampering with the files inside and interfering with important system functions.
For more information, we could refer to: What Is the “System Volume Information” Folder, and Can I Delete It?

I noticed you checked with 2 third party software tools and show F drive as 5 GB. Did you checked if any changes on that size just using File Explorer to assessment it? We also could open F drive in file explorer and choose all folders to get totally size after right click it. (You should show unhidden files at first.) As I know third party software is not available to check file size which it have not right to access. To avoid this, I recommend to check some big files' size which also have not right to access separately in file explorer. A capture would be useful to get a clear understanding for it.

By the way, as I know, if you have file name longer than 260 characters, it will cause calculate issue in file explorer. So please check file name size on your side.

Please note: Information posted in the given link is hosted by a third party. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy and effectiveness of information.

Bests,

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