USB External Hard Drive - Slax v5.0.6 says it's full, Windows claims otherwise
 

Hey everyone. I'm very new to all this.

Because Windows XP pretty much packed up due to various mistakes on my part, I can no longer get Windows to boot up. However, before I reformat the C:\ drive, I need to get some files from my hard drive.

I downloaded the Slax v5.0.6 boot disc and inserted my 20gb Fujitsu external hard drive. I copied about 2.5gb of stuff from there, moved it onto my mum's laptop (along with some other files, so I know I have 12gb of free space on my hard drive now) and then loaded up Slax once more.

However, where once under, "Meta Data" it gave me however much free space it had, it showed it as being 100% full.

Now, I deleted some files (about 25mbs worth) and the Meta Data now said I had 25mb free.

Now, how can I get it to recognise that there is in fact 12gb of space free so that I can copy my files over?

Edit: If it makes anything clearer, the hard drive is formatted to FAT32. Formatting this drive is an option.

if you deleted files in windows, it most likely put them in the trash can, which is just a hidden folder, i would hook it backup to windows and empty the trash, or search for hidden folders and delete them in linux.
Disclaimer:check 3 times before deleting, then check 1 more, then delete.

In the end all I had to do was run chkdsk and it fixed it all.

a common cause for that is if you unplug the usb device without unmounting it in linux, or in windows if you unplug it without stopping it first.

Yeah, I may have done the two in my haste... ah well, all done now, and have used Linux to restore it back to Windows from which I post.