how do you find out which folders are taking up space windows 10? – Explore all details

Hard disk space can be depleted faster than expected in the digital age. Our computers are flooded with data, from high-resolution video and image files to software programs. It’s crucial to identify which folders take up the most space on your Windows 10 computer. This article will outline how to manage and identify large folders in Windows 10.

Using Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer’s integrated file manager in Windows 10 can help you identify which folders consume significant amounts of space on your hard drive.

Step by Step Process

1. Click the folder icon on the taskbar, or press Windows Key +E to open Windows Explorer .
2. Access this PC: Select ‘This PC” from the left-side panel.
3. Check Drive Property: Right click on the drive that you want to inspect, and choose ‘Properties.
4. Initiate Disk Cleanup: Click on ‘Disk Cleanup’. Windows will calculate the amount of space that you can save.
5. Clean System Files Click on “Clean System Files”. Windows will then perform another calculation.
6. View results: Now you can see what types of files take up the most space.

This method does not allow you to identify folders. We will use another technique to do that.

Using the Storage Options

Windows 10’s ‘Storage Settings” feature gives a detailed breakdown of the space used.

Step by Step Process

1. Accessing Storage Settings Press Windows Key + I in order to open “Settings”. Navigate to “System”, then click on “Storage”.
2. View storage usage Click on the drive that you want to examine. You’ll see how much space is being used by different categories.
3. Drill down further Click on the category for a detailed breakdown. Clicking on ‘Apps and Games’, for example, will reveal which applications take up the most space.

This method gives an overview of the space used by categories, but it does not identify specific folders. We can use an external tool to get this information.

Using the Disk Analyzer tool

Third-party disk analysis tools can give you a detailed view of your disk use. WinDirStat is one of the most popular tools.

Step by Step Process

1. Download WinDirStat You can download WinDirStat directly from the official website. Follow the instructions to install WinDirStat after downloading.
2. Run an Scan : Open WinDirStat, select the drive that you want to check and click “OK”. The tool will run a thorough scan of the drive.
3. View results WinDirStat displays a colorful treemap of your file system. Each block represents a single file and its size is reflected in the block.

WinDirStat, or an equivalent tool, can help you quickly identify the biggest folders and files in your system.

Conclusion

Windows 10’s disk space management is not a difficult task. You can manage space-hogging folders using Windows Explorer, Storage Settings, or third-party tools like WinDirStat. You can now take charge of your digital storage and maximize your space.