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Strange problem with FREE

Jul
177
1
Whilst checking the output from a FREE command on my gaming PC (to see whether or not I got any negative values, per the recent thread) I got something that was even more of a surprise:

Code:
C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>dir c:\ /a: /su2

Volume in drive C is Win7_Boot Serial number is 78b7:2090

Total for: C:\*
115,371,125,117 bytes in 126,303 files and 54,996 dirs 115,649,310,720 bytes allocated
6,747,516,928 bytes free

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>dir d:\ /a: /su2

Volume in drive D is Nemesis_Data Serial number is 943f:d398

Total for: D:\*
572,711,007,604 bytes in 196,680 files and 84,978 dirs 573,162,995,712 bytes allocated
425,335,549,952 bytes free

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>free c:

Volume in drive C is Win7_Boot Serial number is 78b7:2090
1,000,202,039,296 bytes total disk space
574,866,530,304 bytes used
425,335,508,992 bytes free
57.5 % in use

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>free d:

Volume in drive D is Nemesis_Data Serial number is 943f:d398
1,000,202,039,296 bytes total disk space
574,866,530,304 bytes used
425,335,508,992 bytes free
57.5 % in use

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>

AFAIC the output from DIR is sensible (I have a 128GB SSD, which is almost wholly taken up by the primary partition from which this system boots, plus a 1TB HD which is filled by a single partition). Why would FREE report the same usage data for both partitions??

TCC 12.11.76 x64 Windows 7 [Version 6.1.7601]
TCC Build 76 Windows 7 Build 7601 Service Pack 1
 
Not reproducible here
Well I wish it wasn't reproducible here either, but it is consistent and I cannot think of anything unusual about my setup at a disk partitioning level. Which API gets called for this?? I'll knock up a little test program and see if I get similar results directly.

Do you have an alias for FREE?
Nope, but it matters not:
Code:
C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>*free c:

Volume in drive C is Win7_Boot Serial number is 78b7:2090
1,000,202,039,296 bytes total disk space
575,286,157,312 bytes used
424,915,881,984 bytes free
57.5 % in use

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>*free d:

Volume in drive D is Nemesis_Data Serial number is 943f:d398
1,000,202,039,296 bytes total disk space
575,286,157,312 bytes used
424,915,881,984 bytes free
57.5 % in use

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>
 
Well I wish it wasn't reproducible here either, but it is consistent and I cannot think of anything unusual about my setup at a disk partitioning level. Which API gets called for this?? I'll knock up a little test program and see if I get similar results directly.

GetDiskFreeSpaceEx().

This would be extremely noticeable if it was widespread, so I strongly suspect it's something specific to your system.

(Did you try it with 13.03.45? I made a couple of changes to work around redirector bugs.)
 
I strongly suspect it's something specific to your system
Well GetDiskFreeSpaceEx returns the correct values on my system, so I strongly suspect that it is something specific to Take Command ;)

I grabbed the sample code from this Microsoft support page and compiled it unchanged (as freedisk) and herewith the output:

Code:
C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>p:\d\develop\c_source\freedisk.exe c:


GetDiskFreeSpaceEx reports

Available space to caller = 4969 MB
Total space = 114370 MB
Free space on drive = 4969 MB

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>free c:

Volume in drive C is Win7_Boot Serial number is 78b7:2090
1,000,202,039,296 bytes total disk space
575,874,138,112 bytes used
424,327,901,184 bytes free
57.6 % in use

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>p:\d\develop\c_source\freedisk.exe d:


GetDiskFreeSpaceEx reports

Available space to caller = 404670 MB
Total space = 953866 MB
Free space on drive = 404670 MB

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>free d:

Volume in drive D is Nemesis_Data Serial number is 943f:d398
1,000,202,039,296 bytes total disk space
575,876,104,192 bytes used
424,325,935,104 bytes free
57.6 % in use

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\JPSoft>

Did you try it with 13.03.45?
I tried but having (very briefly) sampled the v13 beta last August I find myself unable to run an unregistered version as my trial has expired.
 
so I'm throwing it back on your system
Touche :)

Try downloading TCC/LE 13.03.45; it has the same code for FREE as the full TCC.
Okay. It returns the correct result for C: so you've fixed it (either with the latest change or some earlier change made to v13, since I've no idea whether or not it happened with previous builds). I guess now you're going to suggest that I upgrade to get the fix??

I've been racking my brains trying to think of anything on this system that might be 'getting in the way' and I wonder whether it is the Intel 'Rapid Storage Technology' software that was pre-installed. I'd uninstall it but I'm unsure as to how essential it is (eg. I think it handles TRIMming the SSD, but suspect that perhaps native Win7 does that too, but the information I can find is somewhat conflicting)
 
I guess now you're going to suggest that I upgrade to get the fix??

I made a change to v13.03.45 to work around a bug in some redirectors, which may or may not have affected your particular problem.

I might do a v12 update in a couple of weeks (to include a half-dozen fixes for various Windows & third-party bugs). If there isn't anything else in v13 of value to you, I wouldn't recommend updating just to get this fix. (But if you did decide to upgrade, we're running a 20% off special this week to celebrate the new web site; just enter "newsite" in the coupon code field.)
 
If there isn't anything else in v13 of value to you, I wouldn't recommend updating just to get this fix

I was only joshing anyway (perhaps I should have added a smiley) but for me there doesn't seem to be anything compelling in v13 (as a keyboard jockey all of the /= stuff leaves me stone cold) with VIEW being the most likely real benefit (but I'm contemplating getting the full version because as a mainframe techie there are several features in there that would make it a very useful tool)

if you did decide to upgrade, we're running a 20% off special this week
Hmmm, interesting. How long until v14 is likely to be released?? I'd previously decided to wait and jump from v12 to v14 and if the new version is coming along inside a few months I'll probably wait.
 
Well, your 20% discount nearly snared my cash for the upgrade but then the web site wanted to add back 20% for VAT, so I ended up passing (I didn't think that VAT applied to goods purchased outside of the UK, but the law is so complicated and changes often enough that I might well be wrong).
 

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