I often get questions related to the occupied space on the hard disk: users are interested in what the hard disk space is used, what can be removed to clean up the disk, why the free space is constantly decreasing.
This article provides a quick overview free software for analysis hard disk(or rather, the space on it), allowing you to visually obtain information about which folders and files take up extra gigabytes, figure out where, what and in what volumes is stored on your disk and, based on this information, clear it. All programs claim support for Windows 8.1 and 7, and I myself tested them in Windows 10 - they work flawlessly.
Note that most often, "leaking" disk space is due to automatic file downloads. Windows updates, the creation of restore points, as well as the crash of programs, as a result of which temporary files, occupying several gigabytes, may remain on the system.
At the end of this article I will provide additional materials on the site that will help you free up space on your hard drive, if such a need arises.
WinDirStat Disk Space Analyzer
WinDirStat is one of the two free programs in this review, which has an interface in Russian, which may be relevant for our user.
After starting WinDirStat, the program automatically starts analyzing either all local disks, or, if you wish, scans the occupied space on the selected disks. You can also analyze what a specific folder on your computer is doing.
As a result, a tree-like structure of folders on the disk is displayed in the program window, indicating the size and percentage of the total space.
The lower part displays a graphical representation of folders and their contents, which is also associated with a filter in the upper right part, which allows you to quickly determine the space occupied by individual types of files (for example, in my screenshot, you can quickly find a certain large temporary file with the extension .tmp) ...
You can download WinDirStat from the official website https://windirstat.info/download.html
Free Disk Analyzer
Free Disk Analyzer by Extensoft is another utility for analyzing hard disk usage in Russian, which allows you to check what is occupied by space, find the largest folders and files and, based on the analysis, make an informed decision on how to clean up the space on the HDD.
After starting the program, you will see a tree-like structure of disks and folders on them in the left part of the window, in the right - the contents of the currently selected folder, indicating the size, percentage of the occupied space, and a diagram with a graphical representation of the space occupied by the folder.
Additionally, Free Disk Analyzer has "Largest Files" and "Largest Folders" tabs for quick search such, as well as buttons for quick access to the Windows utilities "Disk Cleanup" and "Add or Remove Programs".
Official website of the program: http://www.extensoft.com/?p=free_disk_analyzer (On the website at this moment it's called Free Disk Usage Analyzer).
Disk savvy
The free version of the Disk Savvy disk space analyzer (there is also a paid Pro version), although it does not support the Russian language, is perhaps the most functional of all the tools listed here.
Among the available options are not only a visual display of the occupied disk space and its distribution by folders, but also the flexibility to classify files by type, examine hidden files, analyze network drives, and view, save or print diagrams different types that represent information about disk space usage.
You can download a free version of Disk Savvy from the official website http://disksavvy.com
TreeSize Free
The TreeSize Free utility, on the contrary, is the simplest of the programs presented: it does not draw beautiful diagrams, but it works without installation on a computer and for someone it may seem even more informative than the previous options.
Once launched, the program analyzes the occupied disk space or the folder you have selected and presents it in a hierarchical structure, where all the necessary information on the occupied disk space is displayed.
Additionally, it is possible to launch the program in the interface for devices with a touch screen (in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1). TreeSize Free official website: https://jam-software.com/treesize_free/
SpaceSniffer
SpaceSniffer is a free portable (does not require installation on a computer) program that allows you to understand the structure of folders on your hard drive in much the same way as WinDirStat does.
The interface allows you to visually determine which folders on the disk take up the most space, navigate through this structure (using a double click), and also filter the displayed data by type, date or file name.
You can download SpaceSniffer for free here (official site): www.uderzo.it/main_products/space_sniffer (note: it is better to run the program on behalf of the Administrator, otherwise it will report the denial of access to some folders).
Have you ever wondered what your HDD? The Disk Space Analyzer, sometimes called the Storage Analyzer, is a program specially designed to tell you about this.
Of course, you can easily check how much free disk space is from Windows, but understanding what is taking up the most space is another matter entirely - something that the Disk Space Analyzer can help with.
These programs scan and interpret everything that is taking up disk space, such as saved files, videos, program installation files - everything - and then provide you with one or more reports to help you clearly identify what is taking up all of your storage space.
If your hard drive (or flash drive, or external drive, etc.) is full and you're not entirely sure why, one of these totally free disk space analyzer tools really comes in handy.
WinDirStat
What we like
- In Russian
- You can scan an entire drive or a single folder at once
- Provides unique ways to visualize disk space
- Includes the ability to customize commands to delete data
What we don't like
- Unable to save scan results to a file that can be opened later
- Slightly slower when scanning than similar tools
- Works on Windows only
WinDirStat Overview
I consider WinDirStat the number one disk space analyzer because it is easy to use and full of extremely useful features that are sure to help you free up disk space.
This program includes the ability to create your own cleaning commands. These commands can be used from the software at any time to quickly perform actions such as moving files from the hard drive or deleting files of a specific extension that are in a folder of your choice.
You can also scan different hard drives and folders at the same time, and see which file types are taking up the most space, both of which are pretty unique features not found in all of these disk usage analyzers.
You can only install WinDirStat in the operating room Windows system.
CCleaner
What we like
- In Russian
- The program is free
- Easy to use
CCleaner Review
CCleaner, developed by Piriform, is another file size analysis tool designed to clean up your disk. Unlike others, it is available in different versions, including a free and two paid versions. Paid versions are Professional and Professional Plus. Free version CCleaner helps you secure your computer and protect your privacy. In addition, the next two versions add more features in sequence.
Disk savvy
What we like
- Very easy to use than most disk space analyzers
- Categorizes files in several ways
- Constantly updated and improved
- Ability to scan multiple locations at the same time
- Results can be exported to a report file
- Also works from File Explorer
What we don't like
- Not all of the features you see in the program are free; some require upgrading to the Pro version
- It can only show 500,000 files per scan, after which the program will not work unless you scan a folder with fewer files or buy the program
Overview
You can analyze internal and external hard drives, search by results, delete files from the program, and group files by extension to see which file types are using the most memory.
Another useful feature is the ability to see a list of the 100 largest files or folders. You can even export the list to your computer to view them later.
There is also a professional version of Disk Savvy available, but the free version seems 100% perfect. You can install Disk Savvy on Windows 10 through Windows XP and also on Windows Server 2016/2012/2008/2003.
JDiskReport
What we like
- Shows disk space usage in five different angles
- Really easy to understand how to use, even for beginners
- Works on Linux, Windows and MacOS
What we don't like
- Doesn't allow deleting files from results
- Noticeably slower than other disk space analyzers
JDiskReport overview
JDiskReport - Shows how files use storage in a list like explorer, pie chart or bar chart.
A visual representation of disk usage can help you quickly understand how files and folders behave in relation to available space.
On one side of the JDiskReport program, you will find the folders that were scanned, and on the right, ways to analyze this data. Follow the link below to see my review for specific details of what I mean.
Unfortunately, you cannot delete files from the program, and the time it takes to scan your hard drive seems to be slower than some of the other apps on this list.
Windows, Linux and Mac users can use JDiskReport.
TreeSize Free
What we like
- Can scan individual folders and entire hard drives
- Supports both internal and external hard drives
- Portable version available
What we don't like
- Doesn't work on Linux or MacOS
- Filtering options are not very helpful
- No unique perspectives as with similar tools
TreeSize Free Review
The programs mentioned above are useful in different ways because they provide a unique insight into the data. TreeSize Free is not very useful in this sense, but it certainly provides a feature missing in Windows Explorer.
Without a program like TreeSize Free, you don't have easy way find out which files and folders are taking up all the disk space. After installing this program, determining which folders are the largest and which files take up the most space among them is as easy as opening the folders.
If you find any folders or files that you no longer need, you can easily delete them from the program to instantly free up that space on your device.
You can get portable version that works on external hard drives, flash drives, etc. without installing it on your computer. Only Windows can run TreeSize Free.
RidNacs
What we like
- Minimal and simple interface makes the program easy to use
- There is a portable version
- Supports scanning large files in a specific folder or an entire disk
What we don't like
- Will not work on Linux or MacOS
- Missing advanced features found in similar apps
RidNacs Review
RidNacs is for Windows and is actually very similar to TreeSize Free, but just doesn't have all the buttons that might put you off using it. Its clear and simple design makes it more attractive to use.
You can scan a single folder with RidNacs or entire hard drives. This is an important feature in Disk Analyzer because scanning an entire hard drive can be time consuming when you just need to view information for one folder.
The functionality of RidNacs is very simple, so you know exactly how to use it right from the start. Just open the folders like in Windows Explorer to see the largest folders / files listed from top to bottom.
Because of its simplicity, RidNacs only includes the basic functionality required for what a disk analyzer should have, but obviously does not have all the functionality you would find in a more advanced program like WinDirStat described above.
Extensoft's Free Disk Analyzer
What we like
- Includes useful and unique features
- Allows you to find files that match certain criteria
- Find the largest folders and files easily with a tabbed interface
What we don't like
- Works on Windows only
- Doesn't support exporting results to a file
Free Disk Analyzer Review
Free Disk Analyzer is a really great free disk space analyzer. First of all, I like it because of how simple and familiar the interface is, but there are also some really useful settings that I want to mention.
One option forces the program to search for files only if they are larger than 50 MB. If you are not going to delete smaller files, you can significantly clean up the list of results by enabling this.
There is also a filtering option, so that instead of each individual file type, only music, videos, documents, archive files, etc. are displayed.This is useful if you know that, for example, videos take up the most memory - searching only for them saves time while browsing other file types.
Largest Files and Largest Folders tabs at the bottom Free programs Disk Analyzer provide quick way view all storage resources in the folder (and its subfolders) that you are viewing. You can sort folders by size and location, and by the average file size in that folder plus the number of files contained in the folder.
While you cannot export the results to a file, as most disk space analyzers allow, I still highly recommend taking a look at Extensoft before moving on to the other applications on this list.
The free disk analyzer is available for Windows users only.
Disktective
What we like
- It is portable
- Ability to scan large files in a specific folder or on an entire hard drive.
- Provides two ways to view disk usage
- Allows you to export the results to a file
What we don't like
- Cannot be uninstalled directly from the program
- The exported results are hard to read
- The way the units of size are displayed makes the results difficult to read.
- Only Windows users can install it
- The update has not been released since 2010
Disktective Review
Disktective is another free disk space analyzer for Windows. It is completely portable device taking up less than 1MB of disk space, so you can easily carry it with you on your flash drive.
Every time Disktective opens, it immediately asks which directory you want to scan. You can select any folder on any connected hard drive, including removable drives, as well as all hard drives.
The left side of the program shows the sizes of folders and files on the familiar Windows Explorer-like screen, and the right side displays a pie chart so that you can visualize the disk usage of each folder.
Disktective is easy enough to use for everyone, but there are a lot of things that I don't like: the HTML export function does not create a very readable file, you cannot delete or open folders / files from within the program, and the dimensional units are static, i.e. everything they are in bytes, kilobytes, or megabytes (whichever you choose).
SpaceSniffer
What we like
- Shows data usage with simple blocks
- Results can be filtered in several ways
- Results can be saved to a file and reopened without the need to re-scan
- Allows you to remove files from the program
- Large files report can be saved in a text file.
- Fully portable
What we don't like
- A bit confusing interface
- Only works in operating system Windows
Most of us are used to viewing data on our computers as a list, where we open folders to see the files inside. SpaceSniffer works the same way, but not in
in the same way, so it may take some getting used to before you get comfortable with it.
The image here immediately shows how SpaceSniffer visualizes disk usage. It uses blocks of different sizes to showcase large folders / files versus smaller ones, where the brown boxes are folders and the blue boxes are files (you can change these colors).
The program allows you to export the results to a TXT file or a SpaceSniffer (SNS) snapshot file so that you can download it to another computer or at a later time and see all the same results - this is really handy if you are helping someone else analyze your data.
Right-clicking any folder or file in SpaceSniffer will open the same menu that you see in Windows Explorer. This means you can copy, delete, etc. The filtering function allows you to search results by file type, size and / or date.
I added SpaceSniffer to this list because it is different from most other disk space analyzers, so you may find that its unique perspective helps you quickly find what is taking up all of your memory space.
Folder Size
What we like
- Integrates with Explorer
- Allows you to sort folders by size
- Extremely easy to use
What we don't like
- Shows results in an additional window rather than the original window you are viewing
- Works on Windows only
Folder Size is the most simple program from this entire list, because it has practically no interface.
This disk space analyzer is useful because Windows Explorer does not give you the size of the folder you are browsing, only the size of the files. Folder Size shows a small additional window that shows the size of each folder.
In this window, you sort the folders by size so you can easily see which ones are using the most storage. The folder size has some parameters that you can change, such as turning it off for CD / DVD drives, removable storage, or network shares.
A quick look at the picture of the folder size shows that it does not look like another software from above. If you don't need charts, filters and advanced features, but you just want to sort folders by size, then this program will do the trick.
The question "What is taking up so much space on my hard drive?" sometimes bewildering. It would seem - all weighty folders with documents, music, films, and installed programs we know, but ... When we click on the "Properties" of a hard disk and look at the ratio of the total and occupied volume, we understand that there is an obvious discrepancy - several (or maybe a dozen or two) gigabytes of our precious disk space have been lost somewhere.
In such cases, you can revise the content of user profiles, check hidden system files and folders, the size of the paging file (Pagefile.sys), the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys), the System Volume Information folder, which stores the system restore checkpoints, run the standard Windows utility - "Disk Cleanup" and so on. But these manipulations are not always able to shed light on the truth.
This entry lists several programs, the function of which is to analyze the structure and amount of information that is stored on the hard disk of a computer. For me personally, it is important that these programs are free, understandable to use, and most importantly, provide reliable information. With the programs that meet the specified conditions, I suggest we get to know better.
SpaceSniffer is a portable, free program that helps you understand the folder and file structure of your hard drive. The SpaceSniffer visualization diagram will clearly show you where the large folders and files are located on your devices. The area of each rectangle is proportional to the size of this file. You can double click on any sector to get more detailed information about him. If you are looking for specific file types, such as JPG files, or files older than a year, use the “Filter” option to select the conditions you specify.
The program has many settings, but its interface is in English. The information that it gives out seemed to me not very convenient for visual perception and, as a consequence, for their assessment. But in principle, it works quickly and efficiently. In any case, having got used to it, having rummaged in the settings, it is quite possible to use it.
WinDirStat collects information from the selected disk and presents it in three forms. A directory listing, which resembles the tree structure of Windows Explorer, appears in the upper left corner and sorts files and folders by their size. The extended list that is displayed in the upper right corner shows statistics about different types files. The file map is at the bottom of the WinDirStat window. Each colored rectangle represents a file or directory. The area of each rectangle is proportional to the size of the files or subtrees.
The program is not portable, but it has a Russian-language interface. I did not go deep into its settings, but one nuance immediately caught my eye - the System Volume Information folder, according to the program, is empty. In fact, this is not the case, System Restore is turned on and a little over 3 GB is currently used for it. So the program lied.
TreeSize Free
Not portable, choice of languages from two: German and English. Microsoft certified. Allows you to launch the program in the usual way or from the context menu of a folder or disk. This is a very convenient feature, in my opinion. The program shows you the size of the selected folder, including subfolders. The results are presented in a Windows Explorer tree view, so you can expand the selected folder or drive and navigate to the file at each level. To analyze hidden system folders, the program asked to restart the PC.
Disktective is a free, portable utility that reports the actual size of directories and the distribution of subdirectories and files in them. The selected folder or drive is analyzed and the result is displayed in the form of a tree and a diagram. The interface is English, the collection of information is fast.
The interface is English, not portable. DiskSavvy is a fast and easy-to-use disk space analyzer that allows you to monitor disk usage on hard drives, network drives and NAS servers. The main window shows the percentage of disk space used by each directory and file. You can also easily view pie charts showing the results in graphical format. Has a large number of settings.
DiskSavvy is available as a free version, as well as a full, Pro version that provides additional features and technical support... The free version allows you to scan the maximum number of files - 500,000, with a maximum hard drive capacity of 2 TB. It supports long filenames, unicode filenames and allows you to copy, move and delete files directly from within the program. Cool program, I liked it.
For each selected folder or drive, GetFoldersize displays the total size of all files in that folder or drive, as well as the number of files and their attachments. You can use GetFoldersize to scan an unlimited number of files and folders on internal and external hard drives, DVDs, and network drives. This program supports long file and folder names and unicode characters and has the ability to display file sizes in bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, and gigabytes. GetFoldersize allows you to print the folder tree and save the information to a text file.
GetFoldersize versions are available in both portable and installable versions, so you can carry it with you on a flash drive or external USB drive. However, if you set GetFoldersize, the launch option from the context menu will be added to all of its capabilities in Windows Explorer to start scanning the volume of a folder or disk by right-clicking on it. The interface is English, a good choice settings.
RidNacs is a fast disk space analyzer that scans local drives, network drives or individual directories, displaying the results as a tree and a bar graph as a percentage. You can save scan results in several formats (.TXT, .CSV, .HTML, or .XML). Files can be opened and deleted directly in RidNacs. During installation, you can add an option to launch the program in the context menu of Windows Explorer. When you scan a folder, it is added to your favorite discs list. You can also change the appearance of the histogram by installing special skins (shells). The program is not portable, it has 2 interface languages - English and German. She could not analyze some folders, as you can see in the screenshot.
The portable Scanner program shows a pie chart with concentric rings to display the usage of space on hard drive, external hard drive, network drive. Moving the mouse over the segments in the diagram displays the full path to the object at the top of the window, as well as the size of directories and the number of files in the directory. Right-clicking on a segment provides additional options. It is possible to delete selected directories to the Trash directly from the program. The archive with the program contains 2 reg-files, one of which is used to add the scanner to context menu Windows Explorer and another to uninstall it.
I liked Free Disk Analyzer more than any other program. The installation process offers a choice of 5 languages, Russian is present. The free disk analyzer displays disks on the left side of the window, similar to Windows Explorer, which allows you to quickly navigate to the desired folder or file. On the right side of the window, all subfolders and files in the selected folder or drive are displayed, the size and proportion of the disk space that the folder or file is using. Tabs at the bottom of the window allow you to quickly select and view your largest files or folders. You can manage your files directly within the program in the same way as in Windows Explorer. Among the additional features, it is worth noting the launch of the uninstaller, as well as the settings menu, which allows you to filter only certain files:
If you have previously encountered problems with the "loss" of disk space, tell us how and with what programs (or actions) you solved them.
The utility for analyzing the used space on the disk allows you to visualize how the space on the hard disk is used by determining the size of all directories, including subdirectories and files stored on this disk.
This can be very useful if you want to free up disk space on your computer. Having determined which directories and files take up the most space, it is easy to find unnecessary ones among them and delete, freeing up maximum space with a minimum of effort.
I described an overview of seven paid and free utilities for analyzing disk space usage for Mac OS X below in the article.
An overview of seven utilities for analyzing free space on a Mac's disk
I ranked the applications in ascending order of impressions from the utility, from negative to positive.
release date latest version quoted at the time of this writing: January 2014.
Application testing was carried out on MacBook Pro Mid 2012 and OS X 10.9.1.
DiskWave
Price: Free of charge
10.08.2012
0.4.0.246
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 or higher
Website: diskwave.barthe.ph
Apple AppStore: Not
The application uses a simple and at the same time convenient way of presenting data, different from all other utilities - directories and files are presented in a regular list. Next to each directory and file their size is written (font color depends on the size). The list can be sorted by name or by size.
The settings are also concise, but it seems to have everything you need. I don't like it when there are too many settings and dealing with them becomes a task comparable to flying an airplane.
DiskWave had every chance of being great free utility to analyze disk space, if not for one "but": I was able to analyze separate folder, but when analyzing the entire disk, the application crashes stably, and given the date last update, there is no need to wait for a quick fix.
But suddenly it will work for you, try it.
GrandPerspective
Price: Free of charge
Latest release date: 25.08.2012
Reviewed version: 1.5.1
Website:
Apple AppStore: Not
GrandPerspective immediately after starting the application asks you to select a directory for scanning. Unlike DiskWave, GrandPerspective coped with scanning the entire disk. After completing the scan, you can see a slightly psychedelic picture:
Very similar to the image of a processor crystal under a microscope. But in terms of practicality, perhaps I do not understand something, because Disk Inventory X and Space Gremlin also use a similar display, but it is inconvenient for me to look at these multi-colored squares and rectangles. You have to force yourself to associate them with files. But maybe this way of displaying will be convenient for you, I don’t know.
Photo of a processor crystal under a microscope What is accurate and objectively inconvenient is the need to click on the squares or move the cursor over them to find out what kind of file is hidden behind them.
But in the settings you can choose a color palette for the squares, for example, "blue mountain tulips"! :)
If this method of visualizing files on disk is convenient for you, then the rest of this application copes with its task.
Space gremlin
Price: 129 RUB (at the time of publication there was a discount on the purchase).
Latest release date: 1.03.2011
Reviewed version: 1.2
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 or higher
Website: www.spacegremlinapp.com
Apple AppStore: itunes.apple.com - Space Gremlin
This utility has a strong resemblance to Disk Inventory X and GrandPerspective in the way of data visualization, but with a noticeable advantage - instead of squares, files are displayed as, you will not believe, files, and directories as containers that include other directories and files.
The application has no settings, although, perhaps, this is a limitation of the demo version. Considering that the result of the disk analysis cannot be viewed in the form of a list, but only in the form of a visual display, and that the application has not been updated for several years, I would not spend money on it.
Disk Inspector
Price: 269 r
Latest release date: 08.02.2013
Reviewed version: 1.0.4
System requirements:
Website: nektony.com/disk-inspector
Apple AppStore: itunes.apple.com - Disk Inspector
Simple both in functionality and in appearance utility. Disk space usage data is presented in the form of a pie chart. You cannot see the list of files, there is no window with settings. A very simple, I would even say, primitive application.
Considering the limited functionality, price and lack of updates after the first release, I cannot recommend Disk Inspector for use.
Disk Expert
Price: 329 r
Latest release date: 22.12.2011
Reviewed version: 1.0.1
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 or higher
Website: nektony.com/disk-expert
Apple AppStore: itunes.apple.com - Disk Expert
Disk Expert uses pie charts for visualization, just like Disk Inspector and DaisyDisk. In my opinion, this is the most convenient and visual representation of the disk contents that I have seen.
Instead of a list of files, Disk Expert displays the largest files, which is better than nothing, but it's more convenient for me when, along with a graphical display, there is also a simple list of directories and files on the disk, sorted by size, for example, like in Disk Inventory X, DiskWave and DaisyDisk.
Disk Expert does not have a separate window with settings.
Although this application coped with the entire disk analysis, but once at a time Disk overview Expert closed with an error. Considering its price and the fact that updates have not been released almost since the release of the application, I would not recommend spending money on it, although Disk Expert copes with its task.
Disk Inventory X
Price: Free of charge
Latest release date: 9.10.2005
Reviewed version: 1.0
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or higher
Website: www.derlien.com
Apple AppStore: Not
Despite the fact that the last version of this application was released almost 10 years ago in 2005, it continues to remain not only workable, but also the best among the free analogues.
Although colored squares are used here for visualization, there is also a list of directories and files with their sizes, which makes it easier to understand the information presented. You can also view statistics by content type.
There is nothing supernatural in the application settings.
A good free application, it is a pity that new versions are not released and it looks like it has been abandoned by the developer.
DaisyDisk
Price: 329 r
Latest release date: 26.11.2013
Reviewed version: 3.0.2
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 and higher (version with support for 10.5 is available)
Website: www.daisydiskapp.com
Apple AppStore: itunes.apple.com - DaisyDisk
This utility is permanently installed on my Mac and, in my opinion, it has only one drawback - it is paid.
The data is presented in the form of a well-readable pie chart, and there is also a list of files and directories. Directory navigation is also made simple and convenient.
The application has everything you need to analyze the occupied disk space, and there is nothing superfluous.
Just the same Spartan settings.
Also, this is the only application from the review that is regularly updated by the creators and new versions continue to come out, which is important for an application, especially a paid one.
Conclusion
It seems to me that there are only two options out of all the reviewed applications that are worth paying attention to.
- If the free application is important to you, then you should stop at Disk Inventory X.
- If you're willing to pay, then the best option is DaisyDisk.
Other applications either lose functionality or have stopped updating, which may lead to the fact that after the next OS X update they stop working.
But it's up to you to decide which application to choose.
This is the one that over time there is little space. On the one hand, we bought ourselves 1 TB and it seems to be good, now everything will climb. But over time, it turns out that it "clogs up" and does not want to delete the old (and suddenly come in handy), but there is no place for a new place.
Then there comes a moment during which you can release something. But sometimes this is not enough.
Then a reasonable question arises in my head " what is taking up so much space on my disk?".
First of all, they "go" to folders with films, then games and programs. And you have to remove them by grinding your teeth.
So, I will not torment you, but I will write about several programs, the purpose of which is to show how many and which files (folders) take up the most space on your disk. Of course, all of them (like all the programs that are provided on my site) are free.
Looking ahead, I will let you know that the meaning is the same for everyone - to analyze the system and show in a visual form what and how it takes place, while showing some additional features. As a result, you can see and delete (if desired) unnecessary large files.
The first program to analyze the disk and find large files and folders is WinDirStat.
After installation and launch, the main program window will look like this:
In it, you can specify what exactly you want to scan: all disks, a specific drive or a separate folder.
After selecting (I selected one system drive), the scanning process will begin:
As a result of which the result will be given. The program window is divided into 3 parts:
1 - result by folder
2 - result for files (types /) with indication of their legend
3 - general diagram. The point is simple - the more space it takes, the larger the display.
For convenience, the results are shown in descending order, i.e. the "largest" files are displayed at the top.
Thus, you can clearly see which files and folders take up how much space on the disk.
Now let's look at what you can do with this information besides just viewing it, namely, pay attention to the top menu with buttons:
Since the program is in Russian and the buttons contain tooltips, I can only list what you can do with a folder or file directly from this program:
As you can see - all the most needed functions.
By the way, using this program you can also check external and network drives.
Another similar program is JDiskReport.
It differs from the previous one primarily in the absence of the Russian language.
After starting it will offer to select a directory for scanning and open the saved file with analysis.
You can specify the whole disk and forward:
The window is divided into two parts: on the left, the location is indicated, and on the right, a diagram is formed.
Let's deal with the left side.
It displays a list of directories sorted by "most", ie. the more space a folder takes up, the higher it is. The subfolders are the same story.
The right side is much more interesting.
At the bottom, you can change the view of the diagram (of the four provided) and enable the display of files (checkmark Show files).
At the top, you can switch to 50 "best" files ( top 50), see how many files take up certain places in size ( Size Dist), when and how many files were last modified ( Modifed) and how much space certain types of files ( Types).
In the top menu of the program itself, only two switches are of interest: the first, for sorting alphabetically (and not by "most"), the second for displaying the number of files (not size).
But you can only view this information. To delete files, you will have to open Explorer and look for this folder or file there. But you can also right-click on the folder and select Open Explorer ... to open.
The next program for analyzing and searching large files is Scanner.
The program differs from the previous ones in that it does not require installation (portable).
After starting, it immediately scans all disks and shows the summarized information:
You can select a specific drive, the scan will show the size of the folders: