Question
What's taking up all the space on my hard drive?
Answer
Identifying what is using up drive space is easy with the help of free software tools. This article describes how to do so using both SpaceSniffer and WinDirStat (both are freeware tools that have no association to AccessData). Other available tools can be just as useful.
SpaceSniffer
1. Download and run SpaceSniffer (this application does not require an install).
2. Select the desired drive(s) and click Start.
3. SpaceSniffer will begin scanning and organizing your drive contents.
4. Once it finishes, expand a directory by double-clicking it.
5. Hovering over a directory or file will display more information about it.
WinDirStat
1. Download and install WinDirStat.
2. Open WinDirStat, select the desired drive(s), and click OK.
3. The application will begin scanning and categorizing the contents of your hard drive.
4. Upon completion, it will display a graphical view, file breakdown, and tree structure of those contents.
5. Select an object (directory, file, or file type) to see more information.
6. Drill into any directory, item, or file type by double-clicking.
Both of these applications contain more functions that are not covered in this article. Using the Search, Compare, Copy path, and other features may also be useful in identifying and interacting with the contents of your hard drive.
Overview
Identifying the files or objects that are taking up drive space is the first step in cleaning up your hard drive so that it doesn't run out of space.