Is your PC lagging? Do you no longer have space to download your latest game or store your vacation photos? Wondering where those damn gigabytes that were supposed to still be available on your hard drive went? Good news, I have the solution: WinDirStat. This little free software will show you exactly which files are eating up your disk space and how to effectively clear them out.
Let’s see together how to install, use and optimize your hard drive with WinDirStat, while avoiding the common mistakes that could send you straight into the formatting nightmare. Ready? Here we go!
What exactly is WinDirStat?
WinDirStat is a disk space analysis tool. In short, it scans your hard drive and displays in a very visual way which files are taking up the most space. Its interface is based on a “treemap” graphic representation: each file is a colored rectangle, the bigger it is, the more space it takes up. Simple and effective.
But why use WinDirStat when Windows already offers a disk space analysis tool? Because the Windows tool is as useful as a fork in soup. It doesn’t give you any clear information on what is consuming your storage.
Why use WinDirStat?
Before installing a software, you want to know if it’s really worth it. Spoiler alert: yes. Here’s why WinDirStat is a must-have:
- 100% free and open source: no premium version or hidden subscription
- Clean and detailed interface: no need to be an engineer at Microsoft to understand the results
- Rapid detection of large files: no more manual searching for what is taking up so much space
- Possibility to clean files directly: no need to open Windows Explorer to do the cleaning
Let’s quickly compare WinDirStat with other similar tools:
| Tool |
Free? |
Visual Interface |
Cleaning Features |
| WinDirStat |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
| SpaceSniffer |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
❌ No |
| TreeSize Free |
✅ Yes |
❌ No |
❌ No |
| CCleaner |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
✅ Yes |
If your goal is to find and delete useless files in a few clicks, WinDirStat is clearly the best choice.
Installation and configuration of WinDirStat
Good news: the installation is faster than downloading on fiber.
- Download WinDirStat from its official website
- Run the installation and click “Next” until the end (no need to modify anything)
- Open the software and select the disk or folder you want to analyze
- Wait during the analysis (it may take a few minutes depending on the size of your disk)
And there you have it, in a few minutes you have a complete view of your disk space!
How to use WinDirStat to clean your PC?
Once the analysis is complete, you will come across three main sections:
- The list of files and folders: sorted by size, with percentages to see their global impact
- The legend of extensions: to identify the most voluminous file types
- The treemap visualization: a beautiful colored carpet representing your files
Identifying useless files
The first thing to do is
identify the big files that are of no use. You will be surprised to see how much some elements are space hogs:
- Old game installations that you no longer use
- Windows temporary files
- Your old downloads never deleted
Smart deletion
Once you have identified the useless files,
don’t panic, don’t delete any file randomly. WinDirStat allows you to
delete a file directly by right-clicking on it.
But be careful! Never delete a system file without knowing what you are doing.
If in doubt, a
good practice is to
back up on an external drive before clicking on “Delete”.
Tips to free up even more space
WinDirStat is a great tool, but it doesn’t do everything. To keep a PC healthy, here are some additional tips:
- Use the Windows disk cleaning tool (
cleanmgr) to get rid of temporary files
- Uninstall unused software (
appwiz.cpl in Run)
- Move heavy files to an external hard drive rather than storing them on your SSD
- Enable Storage Sense on Windows to automate disk space cleaning
Alternatives to WinDirStat: just in case…
If WinDirStat doesn’t suit you, here are some alternatives that you might like:
- TreeSize Free: offers a detailed view in list form
- SpaceSniffer: similar interface with a slightly more modern visual
- DaisyDisk (Mac): the best equivalent for macOS
Each has its advantages, but
WinDirStat remains the reference for managing disk space on Windows.
Keep your PC clean (and avoid bad surprises)
If you want your PC to
stay fast and smooth, take a look at WinDirStat
every month. Well-managed disk space means fewer bugs, better performance, and most importantly…
more space for your games, videos, and photos!
So, ready to take control of your hard drive back? Download
WinDirStat now and clean up. And if this article was helpful to you, share it on your social networks or with your friends: who knows, they might also have an overloaded hard drive slowing them down!
