The utility for analyzing the used space on the disk allows you to visualize how the space on the hard disk is used, 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.

Overview of seven paid and free utilities for analyzing the occupied disk space for Mac OS X, I described it 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 conducted 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
Site: diskwave.barthe.ph
Apple AppStore: No

The application uses simple and at the same time convenient way data presentation, different from all other utilities - directories and files are represented by 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 becoming an excellent free utility for analyzing disk space, if not for one "but": I was able to analyze a separate folder, but when analyzing the entire disk, the application stably crashes, 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
Site:
Apple AppStore: No

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
Site: 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:
Site: 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
Site: 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, once during the review Disk 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
Site: 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 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.

Good free app, it is a pity that new versions do not come out 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)
Site: 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 are willing to pay, then the best way 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.

User question

Hello.

Tell me how I can find out what is taking up space on my disk. The fact is that I looked at the size of all the folders on it, folded them - and it turned out to be less than the total occupied space in the properties of the disk (on my computer). What to do?

Good time!

Yes, it's time here to remember one saying: "no matter what size your HDD- sooner or later it will be filled ... ".

In general, in your case, it is possible that the place was taken away by various hidden and system files (by default, the explorer does not display them). In my opinion, the easiest way to analyze the occupied disk space (ie to get a convenient and visual "picture" of who "chopped off" the entire space) is to use the help of specials. utilities.

As a rule, they can take 1-2 minutes. analyze your entire HDD, and display the results in the form of a convenient diagram (and on its basis, any, 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 the hard drive is clogged with [Analysis!]

WinDirStat

A very small utility (less than 1 MB) that can show you in a matter of minutes which folders and files are taking up the most space. Moreover, all this is done very clearly, and the search for the "culprit" is very fast!

Below I will show with my own example how I found a file that "took away" 12 GB!

And so, after installing and running the utility, just select the disk (s) you want to analyze, click OK. See screenshot below.

Then 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 you can start deleting them ...

Analysis of my disk / Clickable

For example, on my disk 12 GB of space was occupied by a file pagefile.sys(see screenshot above). For those who have a problem with the same file, I will say that this is a swap 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, I give the link below).

Out of disk space? Removing all the trash and configuring system files(including pagefile.sys) in just 5 steps-

TreeSize

TreeSize - main program window

This program, unlike the previous one, does not build diagrams, but it conveniently sorts folders according to their size. Moreover, opposite each of the folders "burns" a certain value in percentage, relative to its size (the entire disk is 100%).

I will note one more convenient thing: from its window you can open any of the folders (files) in the explorer. TreeSize "sees" all files and folders on the disk (including hidden and system ones), so be careful with deleting everything and everything ...

Approx. : it is possible to import the analysis results into an HTML file.

Scanner

A similar utility, however, its size is even smaller. After launching, the utility will quickly scan the disk and show you a pie chart: by hovering the 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 the hard drives that your Windows OS sees.

SpaceSniffer

Note: the program does not need to be installed.

SpaceSniffer differs from other similar programs in a very original interface and a slightly different approach to business (perhaps due to this it is in demand).

At the first start, the program will show you all disks, and after you select one of them, it will start scanning. After that, a visual diagram will appear before you: moving along it you will quickly find what has "chopped off" the extra space on the disk (see the screen above).

The program also allows you to delete or move files directly from the window, search for files by a specific filter (for example, by their extension).

In general, the program deserves a high rating, I recommend it for use!

DiskView

DiskView main window

This program differs from the others in that it works even on relatively old Windows NT 4, 2000, XP ( new windows 7, 8, 10 - of course supported).

The rest of the work is similar: a disk layout is built, using which, you can easily determine which file occupies certain clusters.

The program is free, Russian does not support.

JDiskReport

Supported: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X

An excellent program for analyzing HDD. Allows you to find a lost place in a matter of minutes! Thanks to the ultra-convenient pie chart, you can immediately see which folders have taken up all the space.

I will note that, entering 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 top 50 - it will show all the largest files on the disk!

Spyglass

A simple free program that allows you to quickly build diagrams based on the occupied space on the HDD. Note that Spyglass also includes a "locator" that detects full duplicate files.

From the program window, you can open any folder or file, or even send them to the trash (it will not work this way only with system files).

Additions on the topic will be very useful!

That's all for now, good luck!

Ever wonder what your hard drive is clogged with? 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 anything that takes up disk space, such as saved files, videos, installation files programs - everything - and then provide you with one or more reports that help you clearly identify what is taking up all of your storage space.

If your hard drive (or flash drive, or external drive, etc.) has overflowed 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 hard disk or deleting files certain expansion that are in the 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 operating system Windows.

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 - Professional and Professional Plus. Free of charge CCleaner version 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 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 one useful function- the ability to see a list of the 100 most large files or folders. You can even export the list to your computer to view them later.

A professional version of Disk Savvy is also available, but 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 separate folders and whole 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 that Windows Explorer lacks.

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 of large files in a specific folder or on the whole 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 that 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
• 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 for everyone to use, 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
• Works on Windows operating system only

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 different sizes for demonstration large folders/ files versus the 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 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.

If you click right click mouse over any folder or file in SpaceSniffer, it 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 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.

Size of modern hard drives is calculated in terabytes, but the free space on them still disappears somewhere. And if you are the owner of a high-speed, but much less capacious solid state drive, then the situation can become completely catastrophic.

With these three programs you will be able to visually assess what and how much space is taking up on the disk, and decide on how to clean it.

The most popular Windows cleaner has a special tool for finding large files in its arsenal. It is located in the "Service" section and is called "Disk Analysis".

The use of disk space is illustrated with a pie chart showing the distribution between the main types of files - images, documents, videos. Below is a table with detailed information for each type.

After starting and preliminary assessment the fullness of the hard disk WinDirStat produces a complete map of its state. It consists of various squares, the size of which corresponds to the size of the file and the color to its type. Clicking on any element allows you to find out its exact size and location on the disk. Using the buttons on the toolbar, you can delete any file or view it in the file manager.

SpaceSniffer is a great alternative to CCleaner and WinDirStat. This free application is able to show a map of the disk fullness in the same way as the previous utility does. However, here you can easily adjust the viewing depth and the amount of detail displayed. This makes it possible to first see the largest catalogs, and then dive deeper and deeper into the bowels. file system until you get to the smallest files.

Operating Windows system is equipped with the Explorer tool that allows you to get an idea of ​​what is on the disks. In addition to the list of files, we also see information about their size and date of creation or modification. This, however, is too little information to find the data that clogs up the disk the most.

The applications in this article can be divided into two categories. The first is programs that specialize in disk imaging. This graphical representation of the data is more readable than a list of files. The second group of tools is applications that show statistics on the participation of individual file types, among all the information stored on the selected storage media.

WinDirStat

Presents the size and number of files on the computer's hard disk in a graphical form, as well as on the removable media of our choice.

Benefits of WinDirStat

• Accessible form of graphical rendering
• Also works in old Windows versions
• You can define how items are displayed
• Tree maps

Disadvantages:

• The inability to determine the color of more types of files

Distribution type: freeware
Price: is free

SpaceSniffer Portable

SpaceSniffer scans and shows you the contents of the selected drives in an easy-to-read hierarchical color scheme.

SpaceSniffer advantages

• No installation required
• Extensive filtering capabilities for data that is visualized

Distribution type: freeware
Price: is free

TreeSize Free

TreeSize Free allows you to quickly scan the contents of any media, and the results are displayed in a drop-down tree.

TreeSize Free Benefits

• Convenient sorting by size, number of files or folders
• Copes with alternate file data streams NTFS systems
• Interface adapted for touch screens

Disadvantages:

• English version only

Distribution type: freeware
Price: is free

JDiskReport

JDiskReport - for statistics lovers in the form of charts resembling Excel charts. Instead of trees, we have bar and pie charts.

JDiskReport benefits

• Interesting graphic schemes
• Many different statistics, including division by size and creation date
• A Java version is available that works on any platform with Java

Disadvantages:

• Windows version requires Java installed

Distribution type: freeware
Price: is free

FolderSize

FolderSize is highlighted by the summary window. It displays charts and a list of files or folders that can be sorted according to various criteria.

FolderSize Benefits

• Displays charts and file list in one window
• Allows you to pause and resume the scanning procedure, promptly takes into account changes in already checked places

Disadvantages:

• The free version does not allow scanning mapped hard drives and network drives

Distribution type: freeware
Price: is free