I'm setting up my first Server 2025 and I've run into a peculiar problem. After installing the default settings for a server VM along with SQL 2022 and Netwrix Auditor, I'm noticing some kind of hidden files on the D: drive that keep growing until it fills up the 300GB space. A reboot temporarily clears the issue, but it keeps happening. Netwrix support says they don't create any hidden temporary files except in a specific folder, which is currently empty.
I've tried using TreeSize to identify these files, but it didn't show anything substantial. The System Volume Information folder is mostly empty, shadow copies are off, and there are no backups running. I'm looking for suggestions on what might be causing this issue and how I can track down what's using up the space.
2 Answers
It sounds like those hidden files might be SQL logs, particularly the TEMPDB logs. When a reboot clears them, it’s a strong hint. The default settings for SQL installations often aren’t optimal. I’d recommend checking if TEMPDB is located on your D: drive, as it can expand and consume all the available space. You could allocate a dedicated volume for TEMPDB and configure its size effectively to prevent it from eating up your whole drive.
You might want to check the SQL settings, as they can default to using all your RAM and hard lock it, which isn't ideal. Right-click the SQL instance, go to properties, and adjust the memory settings. Setting the maximum RAM to just under what your system has can help. Also, consider splitting TEMPDB into multiple parts with fixed size limits instead of letting it auto-grow. That should help control the space it takes up on D:.
Great advice! I never thought to limit SQL’s memory usage before; I tend to just let it run. Thanks!
Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely look into reallocating TEMPDB. Lines up with some other SQL best practices I've heard.