question #92609 with launchpad

[robinson-59]

why is my hdd getting smaller ?

the disk utility says i have 115 gb free space with 4.9 for swap and 4.9 
for extended ,which should leave me with 105 free space, but the system 
monitor says 97.3 gb free space, the disk usage analyzer says total 
drive space is 105 gb with 102 gb available .. i have a 120 gb hard 
drive . over time of doing reinstalls and updates the gb have just gone 
away . where do they go and how can they be got back..?? the first 
install i did was ubuntu 8.04 it said i had 120 gb with 115 gb free .. 
now i am at ubuntu 9.10 and it says 102 gb free.. the disk utility says 
120 gb with 115 free .the system monitor says today after updates says 
97.0 gb free  . so where is my hdd space going ..... ??