Hello, I have Norton Utilities v15 (complete extension of version number cannot tell as it is still running but not accesable(better explained in pic(s) below)). NU15 is being used for the clean free space (bleach) feature. It was the only feature selected to run in NU at the time and is being used on a WinXp Home system with a 2.4Ghz CPU and 1.5GB of RAM.
It has now been running for over 3 hours (usually somewhere around a couple of hours or less for the amount of space it is dealing with which when it began was 23.7GB on a partitioned Western Digital 160GB HD. The 1st (root drive) partition is at about 127GB total.
The main reason I believe it has an issue (other than happening once before but did not let it run for so long) is that it got down to 384KB at one point but then jumped back up to a few MB and back down and has been bouncing up and down ever since. Like at the moment it says I have 13.4MB free... The reason not to just turn off the computer and try again... There are the bleach files (over 200 and the last time I believe I started it over the files sat there for a very long time before apparently just disappearing (and perhaps reporting as being on the HD as a result even though I couldn't find large 1GB bleach files during searches before this happened). I also cannot see the window so I can't pause or stop it in that way. Calling tech support concerns me as well. I had contacted them once for a NU15 issue (it may have been concerning the bleach files left over, I am a little foggy on that, after they took control of the system and entered commands I could not even begin to recognize told me everything was fine. Had it reboot and had issues with program and WinXp (Windows files that were suddenly corrupted). I cannot take that chance again especially if something worse were to happen. This computer means a great deal to us and no one will take responsibility or care if it craps out.
There are of course the 1GB files and then the other couple hundred or so are made up of 100MB, 10MB, 1MB and then some smaller KB Bleach files. I'd be (happy) to write and post the names of each of the files (some have long numbered names) if it is of any help. I am leaving it running in the hopes that I can find out what to do to help it finish or at least what I can do to have the files properly remove and any other cleaning up that might need to be done.
Task manager says NU is running.so it does not look crashed. Although the CPU is at 100% (will also include pic of Task Manager). I had instructed NU15 to clean both partitions however it is still only on root (C:/) drive. - Applications on Task Manager all report running and Hard Drive is barely flashing so I am dismayed at what it is doing. Now approaching four hours. (applications reported in taskmanager when NU was begun: NU, notepad, explorer. (funny doesn't list taskmanager).
I have tried to post as much hopefully useful information as I can. Should you need something else posted please let me know and as long as I understand how to access and post such information I would be more than happy to do so.
Thank you very much for your time and assistance.
(will post pics on next post, already long window for text).
Hello, I have Norton Utilities v15 (complete extension of version number cannot tell as it is still running but not accesable(better explained in pic(s) below)). NU15 is being used for the clean free space (bleach) feature. It was the only feature selected to run in NU at the time and is being used on a WinXp Home system with a 2.4Ghz CPU and 1.5GB of RAM.
It has now been running for over 3 hours (usually somewhere around a couple of hours or less for the amount of space it is dealing with which when it began was 23.7GB on a partitioned Western Digital 160GB HD. The 1st (root drive) partition is at about 127GB total.
The main reason I believe it has an issue (other than happening once before but did not let it run for so long) is that it got down to 384KB at one point but then jumped back up to a few MB and back down and has been bouncing up and down ever since. Like at the moment it says I have 13.4MB free... The reason not to just turn off the computer and try again... There are the bleach files (over 200 and the last time I believe I started it over the files sat there for a very long time before apparently just disappearing (and perhaps reporting as being on the HD as a result even though I couldn't find large 1GB bleach files during searches before this happened). I also cannot see the window so I can't pause or stop it in that way. Calling tech support concerns me as well. I had contacted them once for a NU15 issue (it may have been concerning the bleach files left over, I am a little foggy on that, after they took control of the system and entered commands I could not even begin to recognize told me everything was fine. Had it reboot and had issues with program and WinXp (Windows files that were suddenly corrupted). I cannot take that chance again especially if something worse were to happen. This computer means a great deal to us and no one will take responsibility or care if it craps out.
There are of course the 1GB files and then the other couple hundred or so are made up of 100MB, 10MB, 1MB and then some smaller KB Bleach files. I'd be (happy) to write and post the names of each of the files (some have long numbered names) if it is of any help. I am leaving it running in the hopes that I can find out what to do to help it finish or at least what I can do to have the files properly remove and any other cleaning up that might need to be done.
Task manager says NU is running.so it does not look crashed. Although the CPU is at 100% (will also include pic of Task Manager). I had instructed NU15 to clean both partitions however it is still only on root (C:/) drive. - Applications on Task Manager all report running and Hard Drive is barely flashing so I am dismayed at what it is doing. Now approaching four hours. (applications reported in taskmanager when NU was begun: NU, notepad, explorer. (funny doesn't list taskmanager).
I have tried to post as much hopefully useful information as I can. Should you need something else posted please let me know and as long as I understand how to access and post such information I would be more than happy to do so.
Thank you very much for your time and assistance.
(will post pics on next post, already long window for text).
Apparently this is stranger than I thought as no one has any comments on it so I have since turned off the computer. After turning it on today it scared the heck out of me as one application told me it was running for the first time and my local mail client had nothing in the inbox (normally over 200 messages at any given time(some are saved there)). After several minutes, deleting the files I could and a reboot things appear normal at least ATM.
Except I have 25 very long named bleach files that do not want to go away. At first I asked it to delete all the bleach files and hit a few that gave the message - I believe it was 'invalid file names' or something such, I apologize for not notating the exact wording as now when I ask it to delete any of the remaining files it acts like it's doing something but they just sit there highlighted with no further error messaging of any kind.
The shortest file name is: pgbleach5.11111111112222222222333333333344444444445555555555666666666677777777778888888888999999999910101010101010101010111111111111111111111212121212121212121213131313131313131313141414141414141414141515152
I just realized that the 'type' of file listed is:
11111111112222222222333333333344444444445555555555666666666677777777778888888888
I am wondering if the type of file is changed if it makes a difference or if I can mess anything further by playing around
with such files as they are all 0KB files that are left and I assume are stored in the MFT.
Hello mumford,
it seems like there is something wrong with the bleach function/or it is continiously running in the background?
Bleaching works by filling the HD with data then removing them once the bleach has completed. The bleach function is to ensure that no information can be recovered by using recovery software.
Which scan did you run prior to this happening?
Troubleshooting steps:
1. Can you please open NU > Select 'Clean your disks' > Free space 'Bleach free space' and make sure that the function is not active.
2, Once that is done select save
3. Remove all the files starting with pgbleach on your HD
4. Restart your PC to check if there are more pgbleach files on your PC.
Let me know how this goes.