Question Cloned C drive is less in size than original, yet everything is there and working, how!?

[captain86]

After cloning my C drive (system migration) to a new SSD, it is now taking less space than before, yet all the data and software is there. Unfortunately, I deleted old drive after seeing everything is normal.. I never assumed to size will differ.
C size was 470 GB but now it's occupying just 140 GB. So, we are talking about 330 GB gone without causing any issues!! This is puzzling me and driving me suspicious. What was taking all that space but not related to windows or data or apps!?

I understand that restore points won't copy forward from cloning, but that is no way 330GB. I had a limit of 16 GB for restore points. I searched around and couldn't find correct answer. It's not unallocated space issue as widely known, all space is allocated perfectly but C drive is just with less space on disk!

info:
- I used Diskgenius software for the cloning
- I cloned from 1TB Gigabyte M.2 SSD to a 2TB Samsung 990 pro M.2 SSD (only cloned the C drive 470GB)
- Everything is working, it booted fine.

Its driving me crazy as I can't understand how such amount of space can be used without having tangible effect and this is making me suspicious of some malware, spyware or such!

 

[Lafong]

My guess would be that all is OK and that you simply have a big chunk of "unallocated space" on the new SSD that can be added to C.

Can you post a screen shot of Windows Disk Management?

You say "it booted fine"....was that with the old drive totally disconnected?

 

[USAFRet]

The current clone tools leave off non-essential stuff.
pagefile, hibernation, system restore, often temp files.

Please show us a screencap of the Disk Management window.

 

[captain86]

The current clone tools leave off non-essential stuff.
pagefile, hibernation, system restore, often temp files.

Please show us a screencap of the Disk Management window.

Here it is.
The issue is that I used to squeeze my old drive because of space shortage, which is why I bought new SSD to clone, so I used to delete the trash bin and temp files periodically. What surprised me is how big the size difference indicating there was something taking space passively.

 

[captain86]

My guess would be that all is OK and that you simply have a big chunk of "unallocated space" on the new SSD that can be added to C.

Can you post a screen shot of Windows Disk Management?

You say "it booted fine"....was that with the old drive totally disconnected?

its not unallocated space (check image above) its SIZE ON DISK difference comparing new C to old C. I deleted old C drive after checking apps and system, so it has no relation to boot/system now and its only for data.

 

[Lafong]

Dynamic disk 1.

Is that intentional?

How much space was occupied on C on the OLD drive, before the clone?

 

[USAFRet]

So the Disk 1 was 2x Dynamic Volumes? Or only is now?

Almost impossible to tell what went on, because we can't see the original size and composition of the C.

If it all works, ignore the supposed size diff.

 

[captain86]

So the Disk 1 was 2x Dynamic Volumes? Or only is now?

Almost impossible to tell what went on, because we can't see the original size and composition of the C.

If it all works, ignore the supposed size diff.

Dynamic disk 1.

Is that intentional?

How much space was occupied on C on the OLD drive, before the clone?

Its dynamic only now. After deleting old C I extended the D drive and Windows asked for making it dynamic.. so I frankly did not know what that is and just clicked yes.

Old C was ~ 470GB now its 150GB after being cloned.

 

[USAFRet]

Its dynamic only now. After deleting old C I extended the D drive and Windows asked for making it dynamic.. so I frankly did not know what that is and just clicked yes.

Old C was ~ 470GB now its 150GB after being cloned.

Well, there is rarely a need for a Dynamic disk.
Given that there is nothing on that drive, I would undo it completely.
Delete ALL existing partitions, and have it as one contiguous space.

Test first. Verify the system actually boots with that drive physically disconnected.

 

[Lafong]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_Disk_Manager

Some info on dynamic disks above.

They are a complication that the typical user would never need to get involved with.

I'd do what I had to do to get rid of all things "dynamic".

 

[captain86]

Well, there is rarely a need for a Dynamic disk.
Given that there is nothing on that drive, I would undo it completely.
Delete ALL existing partitions, and have it as one contiguous space.

Test first. Verify the system actually boots with that drive physically disconnected.

any reasonable explanation for the disappeared 300+ GBs that caused no noticeable issues at all?

 

[USAFRet]

any reasonable explanation for the disappeared 300+ GBs that caused no noticeable issues at all?

Without a before pic of the original C drive, no idea.
But if it works, and all your stuff is there....

 

[Lafong]

C drive was 470; how much of that was occupied is unknown I guess. Nor do we know in detail what C contained.

Don't know the details of how Disk Genius works either. It may simply not transfer stuff that Windows does not require.

 

[fzabkar]

Are we to understand that your original 1TB configuration consisted of a 403GiB C: volume plus a 527GiB D: volume? You then cloned the C: volume to your 2TB drive, deleted the C: partition on your 1TB drive, and then merged the deleted C: partition with your remaining D: partition?

If that's what happened, then that would explain why Windows needed to create a dynamic volume. Because C: preceded D:, Windows was unable to simply merge the two areas.

That leaves the question, where does the figure of 470GB come from?

 

[USAFRet]

This is one of the reasons, in my oft quoted clone steps, I recommend waiting a day or two to wipe the old drive.

Just to see if any issues arise.

 

[captain86]

Are we to understand that your original 1TB configuration consisted of a 403GiB C: volume plus a 527GiB D: volume? You then cloned the C: volume to your 2TB drive, deleted the C: partition on your 1TB drive, and then merged the deleted C: partition with your remaining D: partition?

If that's what happened, then that would explain why Windows needed to create a dynamic volume. Because C: preceded D:, Windows was unable to simply merge the two areas.

That leaves the question, where does the figure of 470GB come from?

Yes, and it appears it was 403GB (also I remember it was more than 470GB, probably mistaken). Anyway, the issue remains the following: C in my older SSD was running out of space and occupying 400+ GB on disk, after cloning to new SSD (as I needed space apparently) I found out its just 150GB on the new disk. Everything is there, apps, data and system.

Puzzling indeed, but I am asking this because I am afraid of something that could be occupying my space passively. A 250GB disappearing can't be just restore points and cache.

 

[USAFRet]

Puzzling indeed, but I am asking this because I am afraid of something that could be occupying my space passively. A 250GB disappearing can't be just restore points and cache.

Right.
But at this point, it is impossible to tell. We can't see what is no longer there, or speculate on what it might have been.

 

[captain86]

Right.
But at this point, it is impossible to tell. We can't see what is no longer there, or speculate on what it might have been.

one thing was also active, its file history backup.. where windows would periodically backup some files from C to E. Does that process make any duplication on the C? or some sort of cache?!

 

[USAFRet]

one thing was also active, its file history backup.. where windows would periodically backup some files from C to E. Does that process make any duplication on the C? or some sort of cache?!

It may have been counting that space, even though it was on the E drive/partition.

 

[Lafong]

Puzzling indeed, but I am asking this because I am afraid of something that could be occupying my space passively. A 250GB disappearing can't be just restore points and cache.

Looks like 2 choices:

1; watchful waiting to see if problems develop.

2; clean install after backing up personal data. How big of a headache would that be and are you willing to endure that headache to relieve your apparent anxiety?