[Pesqueeb]

Windows 10

I've been getting warnings for several month now about running out of storage space on the home desktop. At first I thought maybe malware of some sort, but I ran windows defender and it came back clean. So I delete a game or two, clear out temp files, etc, shit's good for a couple days, then all the sudden, C: is jam packed full again. Rinse/repeat, ad infinitum until the point where almost all the games are gone, pictures have been moved to another drive, and temp files practically don't exist on my machine any more, and I keep running out of space. As in, mere MB are remaining in a 1.8TB drive. I did some digging, and according to TreeSize, I have this one weird folder buried in chrome that is JAM FUCKING packed with mystery shit. Specifically this file: C:\Users\(User)\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Storage\ext\trash10328_269263974\fahmaaghhglfmonjliepjlchgpgfmobi\def\File System\primary\t

A google search doesn't bring up much, but it appears to be related to Google play music doing something fucky. I believe I have replica of this issue, but to the tune of 1.6 TB!

I've unistalled/reinstalled chrome, removed the google play music extension, rebooted the computer, and done everything just short of trying the old forced "right click/delete" and yet this file(the entire tree to be exact) remain. I need some help on this. Any suggestions from the more computer literate crowd? I don't want to fuck anything up by just removing things I don't understand.

 

[Westy]

I'm no 'puter guy but I would make a backup, make a bootable ubuntu disk, change the file/directory names and see what happens. If it fucks something up revert back. If not delete the fucker.

 

[Westy]

Actually, I would just delete the fucker.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

So I have no trash* files in the cited path:

I would suggest as a first step installing the free trial version of MalwareBytes and let it scan.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Also: try it nao.

 

[StiHacka]

Looks similar. https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/9d84j8/chrome_user_data_filling_entire_hard_drives/

 

[Pesqueeb]

So I have no trash* files in the cited path:
View attachment 149575
I would suggest as a first step installing the free trial version of MalwareBytes and let it scan.

MalwareBytes found a thing, but a brief read doesn't lead me to believe this is a/my problem.

Edit: I did remove what MalwareBytes found, didn't seem to change anything that I've noticed yet.

I'm actually super tempted to go the @Westy suggested route. Can I just delete a file that large, or do I need something to help remove a file that large?

 

[SkaredShtles]

MalwareBytes found a thing, but a brief read doesn't lead me to believe this is a/my problem.

Edit: I did remove what MalwareBytes found, didn't seem to change anything that I've noticed yet.

I'm actually super tempted to go the @Westy suggested route. Can I just delete a file that large, or do I need something to help remove a file that large?

Select the folder, hit <Shift> <Delete> - it'll avoid trying to dump it in the trash and rather just permanently delete it.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Select the folder, hit <Shift> <Delete> - it'll avoid trying to dump it in the trash and rather just permanently delete it.

Processing now, this may take a while. Wish me luck!

 

[StiHacka]

1.6TB is a lot of data. Hopefully your PC is not a part of some botnet / P2P file sharing network.

 

[Westy]

This is probably where all the Credits ended up

 

[Pesqueeb]

1.6TB is a lot of data. Hopefully your PC is not a part of some botnet / P2P file sharing network.

LOL

So, out of curiosity, how does that work for the botnet/P2P if a whole bunch of it just suddenly vanishes? How would that effect my computer?

 

[StiHacka]

LOL

So, out of curiosity, how does that work for the botnet/P2P if a whole bunch of it just suddenly vanishes? How would that effect my computer?

If they got a remote access to your system, they may try to resume operations and upload / start sharing a shitload of files again. It does not sound like a plausible explanation though, you would have noticed terabytes of data uploaded to your disk, I think.

 

[jstuhlman]

i swear there was an article in the wall street journal about this..like yesterday. hang on...

 

[jstuhlman]

Four Ways to Stop Chrome From Slowing Down Your Computer

Is your web browsing slow and battery draining? WSJ's Joanna Stern explains how to stop Google’s popular browser from hogging all your computer's RAM and resources. (Guest starring Safari, Firefox and Edge.) Photo illustration: Zoe Soriano for The Wall Street Journal

www.wsj.com

 

[Pesqueeb]

Four Ways to Stop Chrome From Slowing Down Your Computer

Is your web browsing slow and battery draining? WSJ's Joanna Stern explains how to stop Google’s popular browser from hogging all your computer's RAM and resources. (Guest starring Safari, Firefox and Edge.) Photo illustration: Zoe Soriano for The Wall Street Journal

www.wsj.com

If anything, it's another reminder that I need to switch back to firefox.

 

[SkaredShtles]

If anything, it's another reminder that I need to switch back to firefox.

I'm getting pretty close to doing this as well...

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I'm getting pretty close to doing this as well...

Just as Mozilla's folding, laying off staff. Carry on.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Just as Mozilla's folding, laying off staff. Carry on.

Hmmm...

 

[Pesqueeb]

Just as Mozilla's folding, laying off staff. Carry on.

Really? Boooo........

 

[6thElement]

Microsoft Chromium version of their latest browser here with no issues.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Fer reference, I'm on Windows 10 Professional, Chromium browser, don't let Google have anything to do with my music library, which is about 34 GB of MP3s...

 

[Pesqueeb]

Went to bed with the delete process still running. Up this AM and the desktop was.....Funky. Reboot, windows went into repair mode. Walked dogs, by the time I got back windows was up and running. Some space was freed up, but the file tree in the OP remains, and remains fucking huge. Not sure if something stopped the process over night after I went to bed or if it's something more malicious. It's just stacks and stacks of numbered files in the 430-550kb range. Something is creating them 4-5 times a minute. I'm trying to delete more of them as I type.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Went to bed with the delete process still running. Up this AM and the desktop was.....Funky. Reboot, windows went into repair mode. Walked dogs, by the time I got back windows was up and running. Some space was freed up, but the file tree in the OP remains, and remains fucking huge. Not sure if something stopped the process over night after I went to bed or if it's something more malicious. It's just stacks and stacks of numbered files in the 430-550kb range. Something is creating them 4-5 times a minute. I'm trying to delete more of them as I type.

 

[StiHacka]

Went to bed with the delete process still running. Up this AM and the desktop was.....Funky. Reboot, windows went into repair mode. Walked dogs, by the time I got back windows was up and running. Some space was freed up, but the file tree in the OP remains, and remains fucking huge. Not sure if something stopped the process over night after I went to bed or if it's something more malicious. It's just stacks and stacks of numbered files in the 430-550kb range. Something is creating them 4-5 times a minute. I'm trying to delete more of them as I type.

Did you check what user creates those files? Also, according to this, you should be able to learn what process accesses that folder using a free Microsoft utility: https://superuser.com/questions/348881/how-can-i-find-out-which-program-creates-a-file-folder-in-my-c-drive

 

[Pesqueeb]

Did you check what user creates those files? Also, according to this, you should be able to learn what process accesses that folder using a free Microsoft utility: https://superuser.com/questions/348881/how-can-i-find-out-which-program-creates-a-file-folder-in-my-c-drive

I will now!

 

[Pesqueeb]

It's all gone. 1.58TB now free, everything seems to work just fine. I just sat here and babysat the computer while it removed everything, didn't let it go into sleep mode. Not sure what happened last night. Will update, I guess.

 

[Westy]

Perhaps it became self aware and you just deleted it's consciousness.

Lucky computer.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Perhaps it became self aware and you just deleted it's consciousness.

Lucky computer.

You should read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

 

[canadmos]

The built in Windows 10 reset function is handy for things like these, I find. Rather than troubleshooting a stupid problem, just reset the entire thing.

Just be sure to backup any personal files beforehand, in case it lunches itself.

 

[binary visions]

For future reference, most of what is stored in AppData is expendable, and virtually guaranteed to not screw anything serious up if it's in a named application folder. You might screw up the particular application that put it there (e.g. Chrome), but uninstalling the app, deleting its folder, and reinstalling it should put everything right again.

AppData is, as the name suggests, a general storage location for any application that wants to write arbitrary data to your drive. Could include temp files, or important files, but they are specific to the app.

 

[Pesqueeb]

FWIW, no unusual file growth noted as of late.