Help, lost 50gb of diskspace

Z

zazjay

New Member
Hi, if someone could help me it would be much appreciated. I was wiping my unused free space on my hard drive with Erasure, and I stopped Erasure from completing the task of wiping my free unused disk space. Erasure software I think has put all my available memory (50gb) into .wpi files and won't free up my 50gb of disk space that is was wiping. Can anyone tell me how to get my disk space back, how to wipe out the .wpi files so it will free up my disk space again. I would really appreciate if someone can help me solve this problem, I need that extra 50gb of free space :( . Thank you in advance.

Gary
 
Dear Gary:
You may try using System Restore if you are using a Windows OS. If you are unfamiliar with it go here [for Win XP]:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixthepro ... ore-xp.htm. I don't know what caused your problem, but if System Restore works for you, then you may want to play it safe and download CCleaner from
here: http://www.filehippo.com/. CCleaner if very simple to use and has a Drive Wiper in the tools section. It is very easy to use to wipe the free space; and you can set it on 1 pass or 3 passes [that is what I use] or many more if you wish. I use it frequently on all of my computers. Eraser is good...but whatever caused you a problem is not good. Give this a try and let me know how it works. You can email me if you want at:
richfowler.com@gmail.com.
Rich

"WHAT IF JESUS REALLY MEANT WHAT HE SAID?" - Shane Claiborne
 
Thanks for your reply. I did what you said and looked into a restore point to go back tooo, but unfortunately I haven't set a restore point yet on my computer :(. I have CCcleaner and saw where I can wipe free space on it's software, also unfortunately it won't help get back my disk space that I lost. I was doing some reading before I made my post on here, and read that, my problem is that I stopped the wiping process before it was finished, and it put all my available disk space into (.wpi files), when Erasure finishes the wiping process, it deletes all the .wpi files and my disk space that had been wiped is restored-- being that I stopped the process of wiping before it finished left my disk space on .wpi files, hence why I don't have any disk space available. I need to find a way to wipe the .wpi files, from what I read that will solve the problem and give me free unused disk space back. I apologize for my redundancy, I'm new to all this. Thanks again for your reply.
 
Okay, Gary...here is what I would try next. There is an application which I have been using for many years. It is called, "Everything search engine". You can find it here: http://www.voidtools.com/ Download the latest version which is version 1.2.1.371.exe. It is a pretty simple user interface. Then open it and go to: tools>options>Volume tab, then left click on your main drive [probably 'C' drive]. Then go to the General tab and [at least I do this] uncheck "run in the background". I don't need it to run in the background; I just open the app when I need it.
Then, in the search bar just type, ".wpi" without the quotation marks. Be sure that you hit the space bar after you type that. It should bring up all the .wpi files on your computer. Then you should be able to just delete them one by one or if you are familiar with how to do it then you can select them all and then delete them all at once.
Then go to "Start", "Computer" and check to see if you got your 50 GB back.
At least that is what I would do next. I don't know why that would not work. But if not then let me know and we can try something else.
I always create a restore point before I do any operation on my computers. If you have XP then you can go here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948247 to see how to create a restore point before trying this operation.
In your next post maybe you could put in what operating system you have. I have been assuming XP just randomly...but I don't really have a clue.
Again, if you feel the need to contact me directly you can email me at: richfowler.com@gmail.com. I have an audible email notifier so I will hear your email come in right away and will try to answer you asap.
Rich

"WHAT IF JESUS REALLY MEANT WHAT HE SAID?" - Shane Claiborne
 
Thank you so much for replying and trying to help me with this problem, Rich. I did as you said, downloaded the "search everything" software, clicked on C:drive and type .wpi in the search box, and no wpi files came up? I am running Windows 7 (sorry, should have mentioned that earlier). Still at a loss on what to do? Thanks, for your help, Rich.

Gary
 
Okay, Gary...it seems really strange that the search did not show up any .wpi files. Where did you see any of them originally? Anyway, here are a couple of things you can try... go to Documents then Tools [up at the top] then Folder Options. Then click on the "View" tab. Then go down just a little ways to "Hidden Files and Folders" then click the "radio dial" that says, "Show hidden files, folders, and drives". You want that radio dial filled in. Then "uncheck the box just under it that says, "Hide empty drives in the Computer folder". Then just under that uncheck the box that says, "Hide extensions for known file types"...this one should be left unchecked when you are finished with this plan, but you may be best to change the others back to the way they were [after you finish with this plan] so that you don't accidentally delete something important. So then "back out" of there the way you came in. Now try to run the Everything Search again. Those files may show up now.
So go ahead and try that and I will prepare the next thing in case that one doesn't work.
---Just as a side note I am wondering if you would run Eraser again if it is designed to erase those .wpi files. That may be worth a try also.
So try the folder options plan and see if that works and I will start on another answer for you in case that fails.
Rich
 
Gary, if the last plan did not work and if you then ran Eraser again and it did not erase the .wpi files, then you may want to consider running the System Recovery Module. If you are not familiar with how to do that I can write you some guidance. It would be better to use our email addresses though because I have just written some and it is a lot...takes up a lot of space.
Sorry you are needing to go through all of this. This is the first time I have ever been on a forum so it is new to me too. I do much better with "hands on". But you need help and I know how frustrating it can be when in a situation like that.
God bless you, and let me know how you are doing.
Rich
 
By stopping eraser in mid task means the space used by the erasing process remains un deleted. If you run eraser freespace erase again and this time let it finish you should get the space back.
 
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