HELP: missing HDD Space on my Mac Mini... where'd they go?

I have a mac mini 1.42ghz, 512 RAM and 80GB HDD (so that's 74.5GB of useful space). recent;y, my mac's been saying that it has only 1.72gig left of free space BUT when i got the info on all the main folders, here's what i got:
applications: 5.99GB
Library: 5.57GB
System: 1.49GB
USers: 42.93
totalling that, it's only 55.98 GB, plus my 1.72GB of free space, 57.7... my question is, where did my 16 or so GBs of space get to and why is it unaccounted for?!?! how did this happen? i also queried my macintosh HD, and true enough, it says 72.69 used, 1.72 free space on disc, but that doesn't equal all of its parts...
i've emptied my recycle bin, run OnyX already, and still the problem remains... any help please? thanks~!

hi bgreg, i did what you suggested and got omnidisksweeper, and it came up with the same results as i did:
Macintosh HD - 57.1GB
it didn't come up with anything more useful, other than telling me that my HD has 57.1GB worth of files. it didn't tell me where the remaining 14+GB went to. i checked my hardware stats as well, and it says capacity: 74.53 (so 74.53 - 57.1 = 14GB, but my finder keeps saying i only have 1.8GB free space)...
if you have anymore suggestions, i'd be glad to try them; otherwise, i may have to reformat my HDD, which is something i don't want to do as much as possible, since i don't have most of my installer discs with me at present, plus i'd need to go through the whole process of updating everything again.
i have this paranoid notion that my computer might have developed bad sectors (but 17GB worth, and considering this is still a relatively new comp?) that's why it's not showing up. i hope not though.
thanks for the help everyone!

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The first thing to do with a second-hand computer is to erase the internal drive and install a clean copy of OS X. You — not the previous owner — must do that. How you do it depends on the model, and on whether you already own another Mac. If you're not sure of the model, enter the serial number on this page. Then find the model on this page to see what OS version was originally installed.
1. You don't own another Mac.
If the machine shipped with OS X 10.4 or 10.5, you need a boxed and shrink-wrapped retail Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) installation disc from the Apple Store or a reputable reseller — not from eBay or anything of the kind. If the machine has less than 1 GB of memory, you'll need to add more in order to install 10.6. Preferably, install as much memory as it can take, according to the technical specifications.
If the machine shipped with OS X 10.6, you need the installation media that came with it: gray installation discs, or a USB flash drive for some MacBook Air models. For early MBA models, you may need a USB optical drive or Remote Disc. You should have received the media from the previous owner, but if you didn't, order replacements from Apple. A retail disc, or the gray discs from another model, will not work.
To boot from an optical disc or a flash drive, insert it, then reboot and hold down the C key at the startup chime. Release the key when you see the gray Apple logo on the screen.
If the machine shipped with OS X 10.7 or later, you don't need media. It should boot into Internet Recovery mode when you hold down the key combination option-command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a spinning globe.
2. You do own another Mac.
If you already own another Mac that was upgraded in the App Store to the version of OS X that you want to install, and if the new Mac is compatible with it, then you can install it. Use Recovery Disk Assistant to create a bootable USB device and boot the new Mac from it by holding down the C key at the startup chime. Alternatively, if you have a Time Machine backup of OS X 10.7.3 or later on an external hard drive (not a Time Capsule or other network device), you can boot from that by holding down the option key and selecting it from the row of icons that appears. Note that if your other Mac was never upgraded in the App Store, you can't use this method.
Once booted in Recovery, launch Disk Utility and select the icon of the internal drive — not any of the volume icons nested beneath it. In the Partition tab, select the default options: a GUID partition table with one data volume in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. This operation will permanently remove all existing data on the drive.
After partitioning, quit Disk Utility and run the OS X Installer. You will need the Apple ID and password that you used to upgrade. When the installation is done, the system will automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant, which will prompt you to transfer the data from another Mac, its backups, or from a Windows computer. If you have any data to transfer, this is usually the best time to do it.
Then run Software Update and install all available system updates from Apple. To upgrade to a major version of OS X newer than 10.6, get it from the Mac App Store. Note that you can't keep an upgraded version that was installed by the previous owner. He or she can't legally transfer it to you, and without the Apple ID you won't be able to update it in Software Update or reinstall, if that becomes necessary. The same goes for any App Store products that the previous owner installed — you have to repurchase them.
If the previous owner "accepted" the bundled iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band) in the App Store so that he or she could update them, then they're linked to that Apple ID and you won't be able to download them without buying them. Reportedly, Mac App Store Customer Service has sometimes issued redemption codes for these apps to second owners who asked.
If the previous owner didn't deauthorize the computer in the iTunes Store under his Apple ID, you wont be able to authorize it immediately under your ID. In that case, you'll either have to wait up to 90 days or contact iTunes Support.

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http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnidisksweeper/download/
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