8GB of my hard drive has just disappeared!

[maddav]

I was backing up some files to DVD (~4.1GB) and I thought it would be easier if I could just create a .dmg file of the ones I wanted to back up and drag that into disk utility, I found a program called DMG Tool and I chose the folders I wanted to copy into the new disk image.

About halfway through I changed my mind and tried to cancel the copying, nothing, so I just force quit the app, when scrolling through my finder window, I noticed that my available disk space was gradually decreasing, so I waited until it stopped decreasing and looked for the ~4GB. Nothing! I tried again doing the same thing to try and source the files, I let it finish and I ejected the created image. But I have no files to show for it and now I have ~8GB missing.

My 'Macintosh HD' says I have 90.55 GB remaining, however the sum of the folders within 'Macintosh HD' would indicate that I have ~99 GB remaining.

I've searched for files modified today under every letter and number and I still can't account for the discrepancy.

I ran disk utility and I as told my disk was in need of repair, so I started up Mac OS X from the install disc and repaired it, everything was repaired. I've also verified and repaired permissions aswell as verifying the disk after the repair and it says everything is fine.

Apart from the obvious 're-install Mac OS X' is there any way I can resolve this problem?

 

[clevin]

first let me say, Im not sure if your "SUM of the folders in mac HD" really can tell you how much disk space you should have.

2nd, using OnyX's cleaning operation, I did recover 6G of my disk space.

 

[mkrishnan]

Well...first of all, make sure you understand the difference between formatted capacity and stated capacity.

But from what you're describing, it sounds like there is a temp file associated with DMG Tool floating around somewhere. Using either Onyx or whatever else, you have to go find it and get rid of it.

 

[maddav]

I'm aware of the difference, and I know that the sum of the folders is by no means an exact figure I was just trying to illustrate the fact that I know finder said 98.xx GB remaining prior to me watching it decrease to what it says now at 90.55 GB remaining.

Thanks, I'll try Onyx now.

 

[ChrisA]

Have you tried searching with Spotlight for files created within a certain time period. If there is a temp file some place Spotlight will find it for you.

 

[maddav]

Fixed it!

I tried Onyx with no luck, but ChrisA was on the right lines, I'd already searched with spotlight earlier I tried again with no luck. It was just that you said temp, and it reminded me of a neat bit of terminal code that I played with a while ago, the one that shows all the hidden files.

I plugged it into terminal, and I knew that the files would be in the root of Macintosh HD due to the difference in file size between it and it's subfolders, I found the two folders, deleted them and reverted finder back to not showing hidden files!

Thanks guys

 

[mokeyjoe]

A similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago when 6gb of space just vanished. It turned out to be some log file that had gone nuts and grown to 6gig insteas of the few K it should have been. I just deleted it and got my space back.

I downloaded a free program called WhatSize. It makes it a lot easier to see what OSX is hiding away.