would there be a rational reason why i lose disk space without adding anything? i got down to 199mb of space. i deleted a hundred mb of programs, and came up with 167 mb of disk space. would what is causing this also cause the windows to not shut down? it will stay on the windows shutting down for ten minutes and i have to unplug the computer to shut it off

This is just a guess here, but it could be that the size of the swap file is changing. What size is the swap file, and are you letting Windows choose what size it is ?

Deleted files still occupy drive space until the Recycle Bin is emptied. Could that be the reason?

Download CCleaner or Sweepi and install it, and use it to clean your PC. It will delete many unnecessary stuff like temporary files, history, cookies, and other things that take up space, as u keep using the computer. You will be surprised to see how much space will clean up. Disable the registry cleaner of CCleaner. Also, you can install TreeSize Free, or WinDirStat on your computer, and it will show you what folders or files are taking up the space, and how much. Anupam