What is my hard drive full of (or where has the free space on the HDD gone). Hard drive content analysis
Question from a user
Hello.
Tell me how I can find out what space is occupied on my disk. The fact is that I looked at the size of all the folders on it, added them up - and it turned out to be less than the total occupied space in the disk properties (on my computer). What to do?
Have a nice time!
Yes, it’s time to remember one saying: “no matter what size your hard drive- sooner or later it will be filled...".
In general, in your case, perhaps the place was taken away by various hidden and system files(by default, Explorer does not display them). In my opinion, the easiest way to analyze the occupied disk space (i.e., get a convenient and visual “picture” of who “chopped off” all the space) is to use the help of a special tool. utilities
As a rule, they can do it in 1-2 minutes. analyze your entire HDD and display the results in the form of a convenient diagram (and based on it, anyone, even a novice user, will be able to find out in which direction to “dig” and what to delete...).
And so, now closer to the topic...
How to find out what's clogged up your hard drive [Analysis!]
WinDirStat
A very small utility (less than 1 MB) that can show you in a matter of minutes which folders and files take up the most space. Moreover, all this is done very clearly, and the search for the “culprit” happens very quickly!
Below I will show with my own example how I found a file that “took up” 12 GB!
And so, after installing and launching the utility, simply select the disk(s) that you want to analyze, click OK. See screenshot below.
After which you will see a color diagram: each "rectangle" is a file, the size of the rectangle is drawn relative to the file size. Those. thanks to this work, you immediately find the largest files on the disk and can start deleting them...
Analysis of my disk / Clickable
For example, a file took up 12 GB of space on my disk pagefile.sys(see screenshot above). For those who have a problem with the same file, I will say that this is the page file. It is used automatically by the system, but it can be limited or transferred to another disk (how to do this is described in one of my articles, the link is given below).
Not enough disk space? We remove all garbage and configure system files (including pagefile.sys) in just 5 steps-
TreeSize
TreeSize - main program window
This program, unlike the previous one, does not create charts, but it conveniently sorts folders according to their size. Moreover, opposite each folder, a certain percentage value is “lit” relative to its size (the entire disk is 100%).
I’ll note one more convenient thing: from its window you can open any of the folders (files) in Explorer. TreeSize "sees" all files and folders on the disk (including hidden and system ones), so be careful when deleting everything...
Note : It is possible to import analysis results into an HTML file.
Scanner
A similar utility, although its size is even smaller. After launching, the utility will quickly scan the disk and show you a pie chart: by hovering your mouse over its individual sections, you can find all the folders and files that have begun to take up too much space...
Please note that on the left in the program menu you can select any of hard drives that your Windows OS sees.
SpaceSniffer
Note: the program does not require installation.
SpaceSniffer differs from other similar programs in its very original interface and slightly different approach to business (perhaps this is why it is in demand).
When you first launch it, the program will show you all the disks, and after you select one of them, it will begin scanning. After which, a visual diagram will appear in front of you: by moving through it, you will quickly find that the extra space on the disk has been “chopped off” (see screenshot above).
The program also allows you to delete or move files directly from the window, and search for files using a specific filter (for example, by their extension).
In general, the program deserves high praise, I recommend it for use!
DiskView
DiskView main window
This program differs from others in that it works even on relatively old operating systems Windows NT 4, 2000, XP ( new Windows 7, 8, 10 - of course supported).
Otherwise, the work is similar: a disk diagram is built, using which you can easily determine which file occupies which clusters.
The program is free, it does not support Russian.
JDiskReport
Supported: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X
An excellent program for HDD analysis. Allows you to find a lost place in a matter of minutes! Thanks to the extremely convenient pie chart, you can immediately see which folders have taken up all the space.
I note that when you enter the largest folder: the diagram is rebuilt, and you again see which files/folders are already taking up space in it, etc.
By the way, the program has a top 50 - it will show all the largest files on the disk!
Spyglass
A simple free program that allows you to quickly build charts based on the occupied space on the HDD. I note that Spyglass also includes a “locator” that detects complete duplicate files.
From the program window, you can open any folder or file, or even send them to the trash (this will not work only with system files).
Additions on the topic will be very helpful!
That's all for now, good luck!
The Disk Space Analysis utility allows you to visualize how your hard drive space is being used by determining the size of all directories, including subdirectories and files stored on that drive.
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 them, freeing up maximum space with a minimum of effort.
I described a review of seven paid and free utilities for analyzing used disk space for Mac OS X below in the article.
Review of seven utilities for analyzing free space on a Mac disk
I have arranged the applications in ascending order of impressions of the utility, from negative to positive.
The release date of the latest version is indicated at the time of writing: January 2014.
Application testing was carried out on MacBook Pro Mid 2012 and OS X 10.9.1.
DiskWave
Price: Free
10.08.2012
0.4.0.246
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 and higher
Website: diskwave.barthe.ph
Apple AppStore: No
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 (the font color depends on the size). The list can be sorted by name or size.
The settings are also laconic, but it seems to have everything you need. I don’t like it when there are too many settings and figuring them out becomes a task comparable to flying an airplane.
DiskWave had every chance of becoming an excellent free utility for analyzing disk space, if not for one “but”: I was able to analyze separate folder, but when analyzing the entire disk, the application crashes steadily, and given the date last update, you shouldn’t expect a quick fix.
But suddenly it works for you, try it.
GrandPerspective
Price: Free
Latest version release date: 25.08.2012
Reviewed version: 1.5.1
Website:
Apple AppStore: No
GrandPerspective immediately after launching the application asks you to select a directory to scan. Unlike DiskWave, GrandPerspective coped with scanning the entire disk. After the scan is completed, you can see this slightly psychedelic picture:
Very similar to an image of a processor chip under a microscope. But in terms of practicality, perhaps I don’t understand something, because Disk Inventory X and Space Gremlin also use a similar display, but it’s uncomfortable for me to look at these multi-colored squares and rectangles. You have to force yourself to associate them with files. But maybe this display method will be convenient for you, I don’t know.
Photo of a processor chip under a microscope What is definitely and objectively inconvenient is the need to click on the squares or hover 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 otherwise this application copes with its task.
Space Gremlin
Price: 129 rub. (at the time of publication there was a discount on purchase).
Latest version release date: 1.03.2011
Reviewed version: 1.2
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 and higher
Website: www.spacegremlinapp.com
Apple AppStore: itunes.apple.com - Space Gremlin
This utility bears a strong resemblance to Disk Inventory X and GrandPerspective in the way it visualizes data, but with the distinct advantage that instead of boxes, files are shown as, believe it or not, files, and directories as containers that contain other directories and files.
The application has no settings, although this may be a limitation of the demo version. Considering that the result of the disk analysis cannot be viewed as a list, but only as 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 rub.
Latest version 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. Data on used disk space is presented in the form of a pie chart. The list of files cannot be seen, 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 rub.
Latest version release date: 22.12.2011
Reviewed version: 1.0.1
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 and higher
Website: nektony.com/disk-expert
Apple AppStore: itunes.apple.com - Disk Expert
Disk Expert uses a pie chart for visualization, just like Disk Inspector and DaisyDisk. In my opinion, this is the most convenient and visual representation of the contents of the disk that I have seen.
Instead of a list of files, Disk Expert displays the largest files, which is better than nothing, but I find it more convenient when, along with the graphical display, there is also a simple list of directories and files on the disk, sorted by size, for example, like Disk Inventory X, DiskWave and DaisyDisk.
Disk Expert does not have a separate window with settings.
Although this application coped with the analysis of the entire disk, but only once at a time Disk review 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
Latest version release date: 9.10.2005
Reviewed version: 1.0
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 and higher
Website: www.derlien.com
Apple AppStore: No
Despite the fact that the last version of this application was released almost 10 years ago in 2005, it continues to remain not only functional, but also the best among its free counterparts.
Although colored squares are used 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.
good free application, it’s a pity that there are no new versions coming out and it looks like it has been abandoned by the developer.
DaisyDisk
Price: 329 rub.
Latest version release date: 26.11.2013
Reviewed version: 3.0.2
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 and higher (10.5 support available)
Website: www.daisydiskapp.com
Apple AppStore: itunes.apple.com - DaisyDisk
This utility is constantly installed on my Mac and, in my opinion, it has only one drawback - that it is paid.
The data is presented in the form of an easy to read pie chart, and there is also a list of files and directories. Navigation through directories is also made simple and convenient.
The application has everything you need to analyze the used disk space, and there is nothing unnecessary.
Just spartan settings.
This is also the only application in the review that is regularly updated by its creators and continues to have new versions, 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 applications reviewed that are worth paying attention to.
- If the freeness of the application is important to you, then you should stop at Disk Inventory X.
- If you are willing to pay then best option- this is DaisyDisk.
Other applications either lose functionality or have stopped updating, which may lead to them stopping working after the next OS X update.
But it is, of course, up to you to decide which application to choose.
If you have a problem with a lack of free disk space, then it’s time to analyze the occupied disk space. This will allow you to find outdated unnecessary files and folders as well as duplicates. Of course, you can solve this problem by purchasing new hard a larger disk, but not everyone has such an opportunity, given the current economic situation in which prices for components have doubled. It's better to use this special programs which will help you analyze a disk or a specific partition. Let's look at the three most popular and free programs.
Three best programs for analyzing used disk space
It has a fairly user-friendly interface and all information is presented in graphical visualization form, which is quite easy to perceive. The program not only helps analyze disk space, but also with its help you can immediately delete unnecessary identified files. Installation is always on English but in the process you can choose Russian.
After launch, you need to open the main program window. In order to carry out the analysis, you need to select in the window called “disk selection” required disk for analysis and just click “ok”. During scanning, the program window will always display information about the ongoing process. It is also possible to pause this process if necessary. At the end of such a check, all results will be displayed in this window.
Download WinDirStat— https://windirstat.net/
This is another free program that is also trusted by many users. This is no coincidence, since it does not require installation at all, plus it has quite broad data filtering capabilities, and it is ready to cope with alternative data streams even file system NTFS.
Using this program is easy, just open it and select the disk or partition that you want to check, then just click the button in the corner with the ellipsis and the scan will start. During operation, you can see both the scanning progress and the files themselves. The window where the results will be displayed after checking will be divided into special blocks. The block on the right will show the results for files, there is always an indicator of the percentage of memory and extension in the folder. The left block already contains information on folders. Everything is convenient for analyzing and viewing the results.
Download SpaceSniffer Portable— http://www.uderzo.it/main_products/space_sniffer
The last one on the list is a program called TreeSize Free. It is also provided in free version. Can instantly scan content from any media. The results are visible here in the form of a drop-down tree.
Although the interface of such a program is in English, you can figure it out and work with this program is also pleasant. The button called “Scan” is responsible for the scanning itself in this program. You just need to select the disk to scan and you can start the scanning process. The program can also print reports based on the results of the current scan.
Download TreeSize Free— https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/.
Here they are useful programs, which are absolutely free, help analyze disk space and also clean unnecessary files, which only take up space on the device and make it work slower.
Among the innovations in the operating room Windows systems 10 – a utility for analyzing disk space. It is strange that such a useful tool was not present in the arsenal of Microsoft's operating system earlier, when computer hard drives provided much less capacity compared to the volume of modern hard drives.
Thus, the peak relevance of the problem with the lack of free space on system disk occurred at the time of the massive transition of users from Windows XP to 7. These versions of the system were radically different in the size of the disk space used for their needs. Whereas for a full Windows operation XP was quite sufficient for a system partition of 25-30 GB, a computer with the same disk space on which the then-new Windows 7 was installed, after installing a couple of programs and an accumulation of temporary files, was left without free disk space.
Users Windows versions 8.1 inclusive, when faced with the problem of not enough space on the system disk even after using the standard Disk Cleanup utility or third-party cleaning programs, they are forced to resort to a special type of software - the so-called disk space analyzers. This convenient tools, allowing you to quickly find heavy files and immediately get rid of them, either by deleting them or moving them to another location. Such analyzers scan the contents of the computer and provide data on the disk space occupied by various categories of files. Tabular data in such utilities is often accompanied by charts for a visual assessment of the occupied disk space.
1 The built-in disk space analyzer in Windows 10 is the “Storage” section in system settings. It is a synthesis of simplified versions of several system utilities, which many users are accustomed to seeing in separate programs or individual modules of complex software packages. In addition to having, in fact, a tool for analyzing the occupied disk space, the utility built into Windows 10 is equipped with some system cleaning functions and a primitive uninstaller of installed software.
Windows 10's Disk Space Analyzer is found among other system settings inside the Settings app. This is the “Storage” subsection, which can be opened by selecting the “System” section in the main window of the “Settings” application.
2 Like any other settings section, you can quickly get to the “Storage” section using the system search.
“Storage” contains a list of disk partitions and connected storage devices, if any. For each section, data on the total and occupied volume is presented.
4 By opening each disk partition individually, you can see detailed information about the disk space occupied by various categories of files.
5 One of the items in the system partition of the disk is “System and reserved”. Since the utility is designed for ordinary people, there is only information about how much space individual system files take up. Naturally, Windows 10 does not provide any tools for deleting these files. The only thing that is offered to the user is the “Manage System Restore” option, which opens the system properties window with settings for rolling back to a restore point.
6 The “Applications and Games” item is the primitive uninstaller mentioned above installed programs, which doesn't even include removing pre-installed universal apps.
7 Documents, images, and multimedia files are presented in separate categories, but the standard utility does not provide a table of them with the ability to sort them by size. When you click the detailed view button for these files, the system transfers to the corresponding user profile folders inside Explorer to manually delete unnecessary files.
8 The “Temporary files” item, unfortunately, does not provide enough detailed information, which files will be deleted. Experienced users are unlikely to experiment with such an understatement, and novice researchers are likely to free up disk space without realizing what was deleted. Read a separate article for more details.
9 The most sensible item in the Windows 10 disk space analyzer can perhaps be considered “Other”. Here, in descending order of size, folders with files that are not categorized as music, video, document, or image are displayed. Files of these categories are usually stored in user profile folders or specially created directories on non-system disk partitions, and you can view their contents in Explorer or file manager without any disk space analyzers. The latter would be much more useful to remind the user, for example, about storing heavy files, possibly unnecessary distributions operating systems or backup copies.
10 The integrated system analyzer, of course, is far from perfect and is inferior to many third party utilities this software niche both in functionality and in ease of data presentation. In general, little can be said about the new tool: Microsoft has built into the system a good simulator for beginners in computer science, but nothing more.
Have a great day!
