Sorry if the other thread of this is still here somewhere but I can't find it. I have a hp computer with windows xp. I saved a movie today on my hard drive and was going to burn it . I thaught that I erased it but I still have no room left on my computer Would it be hidding somewhere? I did a pile of searches looking for it but nothing. Any suggestions would be great thanks . Should I format computer and if so how should I do it?

I don't know how far you got before. If you delete it can you get it back. What I mean do you have another copy of it?

If you remember what extenstion it was do search
*.ext (ext being the extenstion)

That will bring up hundreds of results. Browse through them carefully. If nothing was found then you deleted it, so we got to recover it. Use this program to try to find it:
http://www.download.com/File-Scaveng...-10249736.html

Unfourntely I have never owned an HP computer. Do you have a recovery CD?

Tell me if this site helps at all:
http://www.cyberwalker.net/faqs/how-...stall-faq.html
I will do research on how to use the HP recovery cd. Most of the time you just put them in your cd drive then boot from the CD. Then follow the directions. Have you tried that yet? And remember reformatting will erase everything. Make sure you have that Recovery CD or the acutal Windows CD.

If I'm not mistaking they don't have restore disk. They partition the hard drive and put the restore program there.

Welcome to the forum Jack (again :wink: ).

Are you running Norton antivirus?. If you are, you need to find the protected recycle bin (i think this is the name) which is in the normal recycle bin settings. Empty the bin and your space should return!.

Other things you could try are:
Empty the temp files (Type: %temp% into the run box). Delete them all!.

Turn off System Restore ( Goto Start, right click on 'my computer' and select properties. Select System restore and turn it off. Reboot your pc and turn system restore back on again).

Next: Delete all your temporary internet files and cookies, as well as your history.

All these steps should free up HD space!.

Get back to us if this does not help!

Vidster

Oh. You want more space ops: ! Best way to clean it up is going to your Program files
Win+R
Then type in
%Programfiles%
Go through there and uninstall the programs you don't need. Helpfull is right clicking and organizing the folders by size. Clear up the "biggies" first.

That's good advice Vidster. Unless your having alot of problems with your computer I wouldn't try restoring it yet.

That's cool Tyler. I didn't know that you could do it like that.

You might want to break it down a little more for him. He is just learning how to do this. He said to explain it too him like he was a kid so he could understand it

I emptied norton recycle bin but never gave me all that I was looking for back. I have already deleted all the files and programs that I felt that I didn't need.

How much space do you have aviable now?