how to find whats taking up hard drive space

Summary :

If your hard drive is full, yous can detect large files on Windows 10 and then delete information technology. MiniTool shows you how to find large files and folders on Windows ten and and then tells you what files and folders can exist deleted.

Quick Navigation :

• Find Large Files Through File Explorer
• Find Large Files Through Control Prompt
• Find Large Files Through MiniTool Partition Wizard
• What Files Can Exist Deleted?
• Lesser Line
• Find Large Files Windows x FAQ
• User Comments

When the computer is used for a long time, well-nigh people will find that the hard disk drive space is slowly filling up, and Windows volition be slower and slower. To free up infinite, the easiest way is to find large files windows 10 and then delete them permanently, or move them over to cloud storage infinite or to an external hard drive.

So, how to find large files on windows 10? Which files should or shouldn't be deleted? You may wonder nigh these bug. Please read the following content to get answers.

Observe Big Files Through File Explorer

File Explorer, formerly known as Windows Explorer, is the basic tool for viewing files in Windows. It is too a file management application and a navigation tool. Therefore, File Explorer is the most common tool to find large folders and files on Windows 10.

How to find large folders Windows x with File Explorer? Please refer to the following steps:

Stride 1: Prove hidden files. Equally we all know, mutual file attributes include: read-but, archive, hidden, and system. If files are marked every bit hidden or arrangement files, they will not be displayed in File Explorer. Therefore, you should enable the subconscious files pick and then that Explorer can look for large hidden files too in addition to searching for the normal files.

• Open up File Explorer past clicking its icon on the taskbar.
• Click File in the left upper corner and choose Alter folders and search options. Then a Folder Options window volition pop up.
• Skip to View tab and check Evidence hidden files, folders, and drives. And then, click the Apply and the OK After that, y'all can see those subconscious files in File Explorer.

Note: Most hidden files are related to the system and apps. Deleting them will crusade your apps to malfunction and even atomic number 82 your unabridged system to crash, and then y'all should know what kind of file it is before deleting anything.

Footstep 2: Discover large files to delete or transfer.

• Click This PC and and then double-click a segmentation to open it, for example, Local Deejay (C:).
• Click search box on the upper correct corner. Then, the hidden search tab volition appear.
• Click Size and choose one size choice from the drop-down menu. Then, File Explorer will search for and display eligible files. The size options include: Empty (0 KB), Tiny (0 – 10 KB), Pocket-sized (ten – 100 KB), Medium (100 KB – 1 MB), Big (1 – 16 MB), Huge (16 – 128 MB), and Gigantic (> 128 MB).
• If there are too many files, y'all tin can correct-click on the files and navigate to Sort by > Size. Click Size and then files will be displayed from large size to minor size.

Tip: If there is no suitable size pick, y'all customize your own size filters. What you need to do is typing the desired filter condition in the search box of File Explorer equally follows: size: >300MB.

And then, if you lot want to delete this file, you tin can right-click on information technology and cull Delete. If you desire to transfer this file, you lot can right-click on it and choose Open up file location. Then, you can transfer it to some other location.

Accept you ever come up across file explorer not responding Windows 10 event when trying to utilize file explorer? If you exercise, try the following top nine ways now to fix information technology!

Find Large Files Through Command Prompt

Yous can also use Command Prompt to observe big files Windows 10. To do that, please refer to the post-obit steps:

Step 1: Printing "Windows + R" keys to open Run box. Then, type "cmd" into the Run box and hit Enter fundamental to open Command Prompt window.

Footstep 2: Type the following control then hit Enter key: FORFILES /Due south /C "cmd /c if @fsize GTR 1048576 echo @path".

Annotation: In this command, 1048576 stands for 1MB (1024 * 1024 = 1048576 bytes). You should supersede it accordingly. Through this command, y'all will become a list of files larger than the size (eastward.grand. 1MB) you defined in the command line.

Step three: According to this listing, discover these files to transfer or delete.

Further Reading:

FORFILES control's office can be defined as selecting a file or a fix of files and executing a command on that file. Information technology is helpful for batch jobs. In the to a higher place command, /S and /C are FORFILES command'due south parameters.

1. /Due south: It instructs forfiles to recurse into subdirectories.
2. /C: It indicates the command to execute for each file and the control strings should be wrapped in double quotes. In improver, if you want to execute internal CMD.exe commands, the commands should be preceded with cmd /c.

Then, let's larn about the command cord if @fsize GTR 1048576 repeat @path. This command string is the core of the FORFILES command.

• If: Information technology is used to perform provisional processing in batch programs.
• @fsize: It means the size of the file in bytes.
• GTR: Information technology means "greater than". In the above command, it can exist replaced past GEQ which means "greater than or equal".
• Echo: It instructs the computer to displays letters.
• @path: It means the total path of the file.

If you want to know more nigh the FORFILES control, you lot can go particular by inbound the post-obit command: forfiles /?

If yous want to know more than almost the IF command, you can become more data past entering this command: If /?

Autonomously from the above two means, you can also employ a third-party program to detect large files on Windows. So, I recommend you lot to employ MiniTool Partition Magician, which offers yous a gratis feature to observe large files.

Free Download

How to find large files on Windows 10 with MiniTool Partition Wizard? Delight refer to the following steps:

Pace 1: Click the to a higher place button to download MiniTool Partition Wizard and so follow the wizard to launch information technology. So, go to its main interface and click Space Analyzer.

Step ii: Cull the partition where you want to find big files and folders. Then, click Scan.

Tip: Y'all can browse for and notice big files in a specified folder past clicking Select Folder.

Step 3: Subsequently scanning, MiniTool Partition Wizard volition display the results through iii tabs: Tree View, File View, and Folder View. The event also includes subconscious files even if you lot didn't prepare your PC alee to brandish them. In these tabs, detect large files or folders to delete them.

The Tree View is shown like the following picture:

The Tree View presents you lot with a hierarchical view of files and folders in the partitioning that has been analyzed. Each binder may contain a number of subfolders and you tin can expand it to show subfolders or plummet it to hibernate subitems.

To observe the large files or files taking upward a lot of infinite on the partition, you can click Size or Percentage of Parent to make all files and folders listed according to their size or the percentage they take upwardly.

If yous have institute out the large files you want to delete, you can right-click them to choose Delete (to Recycle Bin) or Delete (Permanently). It's up to you.

The File View is shown like the following movie:

File View but displays files, not folders. Similarly, click Size or Percent of Drive and all files volition exist listed according to their size or the pct of bulldoze they have up. Then, you lot can find large files to delete them.

The Folder View is shown like the following picture:

Contrary to File View, Folder View will but list folders. If y'all desire to detect the verbal folders that take up a lot of infinite on the drive, yous should cheque Bear witness last level directories. Then, make these folders listed according to Per centum of Drive or Size and find the big folders to delete them.

To know more about Infinite Analyzer feature, please read this sorcerer.

What Files Can Be Deleted?

After finding large files on Windows, you may want to delete files to free upwards disk space, especially the C drive. Nevertheless, to delete files in C drive, you should know what files volition non bear upon the system and can be deleted. And then, here are some tips:

ane. Delete personal files and programs. If you lot have stored personal files like documents, photos, and videos on C drive, you can delete them without worry. As for program folders, they are almost under Program Files directory or Plan Files (x86) directory. The former stores 64-scrap software while the latter stores 32-bit software.

• Under the two directories, Common Files folder stores common library files that software will employ. Therefore, it shouldn't be deleted, otherwise some software volition not piece of work properly.
• Under the 2 directories, folders whose names showtime from Windows are generally programs that came with the system. I propose you lot retain them. Every bit for other programs y'all installed later, you lot can delete them.

ii. Delete PerfLogs. PerfLogs, namely Functioning Logs, stores the information log of the arrangement. You tin can delete information technology.

three. Delete subconscious folders whose names start or end with $. These folders by and large store backup files made when upgrading Windows. You can delete them if you are sure that you don't want to restore to the original organisation in the future.

four. Delete unnecessary patch files. Every version of the system is non perfect. From the moment yous install it, the arrangement development company is constantly replenishing or adding more suitable functions to the organisation. These upgrades and patches are finally installed in i place, the WinSxS binder under Windows.

• Under WinSxS directory, you just demand to delete Backup folder, because other folders may incorporate necessary patches.
• If you are running Windows vii or 8.ane, you can install Service Pack to supercede original hoarded patches. This way can likewise free up some deejay infinite.

v. Delete program source files. When installing software, Windows volition save the source files that you extracted into C:\Users\Linda\AppData\Local\Temp. That is user-friendly for the next installation and saves the decompression time. Notwithstanding, this kind of things is rarely used, and so you tin delete it.

C bulldoze keeps filling upward for no reason? Hither we provide y'all best solutions to free up deejay infinite in Windows 7/viii/10.

Here are three ways to find large files and folders on Windows 10. If your hard drive is full and yous don't know what files and folders tin can be deleted, you lot should read this post. It volition testify you lot how to observe unnecessary large files to delete them. Click to tweet

Lesser Line

Practice you lot have whatsoever trouble in finding big files and folder? Practice you lot have any doubt about what files can be deleted? If yous have any problem, please leave a comment below or email us at [email protected]. We will replay to y'all every bit presently every bit possible.

Detect Large Files Windows 10 FAQ

How do you find what'southward taking upwards space on Windows 10?

• Correct-click Windows 10 First bill of fare and chooseSettings.
• SelectSystemin the pop-up window.
• Navigate toStoragewhere yous are able to view the used space and free space of each drive.
• Double-click the bulldoze you wish to see its details, and and so Windows 10 volition show you the types of files saved in this drive.

How do I view file sizes in Windows ten?

• Open File Explorer.
• ClickThis PCand so double-click a segmentation to open it.
• Click search box on the upper correct corner.
• ClickSizeand choose 1 size option from the drop-down menu.
• Right click on the files and navigate toSort by>Size.
• ClickSizeand so files volition exist displayed from large size to pocket-size size.

How exercise I find the largest files on my hard drive?

You can find the largest files on a hard drive through File Explorer, Control Prompt, and a third-political party plan.

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Source: https://www.partitionwizard.com/partitionmagic/find-large-files-win10.html