WinDirStat - cool disk map

I thought this was a cool program. It makes a map of how diskspace is allocated: by file type and folder location.

http://windirstat.info/

I'll post my diskmap when it's done.

Edit:

This is my HP.

 

I don't have a single idea what this is but it sounds interesting enough for me to try it out Thanks.

 

It just shows how diskspace is allocated on your diskdrive by file type. I included mine as an example. It looks kind of cool, without the text boxes I put it on mine.

 

technically, that is known as a "treemap"

http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/treemap-history/index.shtml

There are several programs that use this concept--to me, the best has always been Spacemonger

http://www.sixty-five.cc/sm/

but there is also spacesniffer and sequoia to name some others.

 

I've been using WinDirStat for a while, to prune my hard drive usage down. It's a very useful program.

 

spacemonger is ugly and doesn't have pacmans, so you can't qualify it as "best"

i love windirstat and use it since years in tons of usecases, from huge company-file-shares that need cleanup to searching for some duplicates on some flashdrive.

it's really a cool thing.

 

Pretty sure I can call it best, since best can be a subjective label. Ugly is also in the eye of the beholder. Spacemonger more easily identifies where the space is being used as the data consuming directories are within the treemap.

windir has pretty colors.

The difference between windir and spacemonger is not unlike the difference between a macbook and a top end notebook; with a macbook, people say "oooh, you have a macbook." With a top end notebook, it gets the job done quickly and efficiently.

 

well, there is no gain in the monger, as the layout of windirstat is about perfect to show where what file or folder consumes how much space compared to the rest of the disk.

so any real reason why you call it best? (and i don't like macbooks, espencially because of the "ooh you have one" crap)

 

Windirstat shows you that large sections are being used, but then you have to click on that section to see what it is. Spacemonger labels the spaces.

Spacemonger treemaps network drives.

Switching between drives is as simple as clicking the icon, to switch in windirstat requires a little more effort.

Sometimes, windirstats directories "bleed" together.

I don't care for the "chromey" look and prefer a more muted environment.

I'm sure it is more a question of personal preference

 

hehe i was actually just joking (except for the colourisation, i think it's better on windirstat, and i personally don't want labels on the graphics).

btw windirstat treemaps networked drives, too.


but the pacmans can't be beat

obviously it's personal preference, and "first known -> fixed preference".


but you stated "yours is best", not "i prefer mine". so you stated something non-personal, a.k.a. windirstat is worse than the other. which it isn't. just a bit different.

 

Well, better to me means more useful and more useful means being able to look at the treemap and say "Ahh, all my space is being eaten up by..." rather than, "Hey, let me click on that big purple shinny blob and after I click on it I will know where all my space is going."

Spacemonger favors function over form, windirstat favors form over function (I mean, c'mon, it has pac-men...who the heck can take something seriously if it has pac-men)

 

windirstat is indeed nice but beware of depending on pretty graphics for any aspect of system management. If you don't fully understand what is being shown to you, get some help. It's way to easy to point and click on the pretty pics.

 

I had used WinDirStat before but had never heard of SpaceMonger. So I grabbed the freeware version of it and tried it out. At first blush I liked what I saw. But then realized what I saw was all there is.

So, it's a toss up as which is "better". Yes, in WinDirStat, you have to click on a blob to identify it, but when you do you also get a directory tree showing the file and other things in the same folder, +1 for WinDirStat. You can also navigate via that tree and the map below updates to reflect what you pint to in the tree. +1 WinDirStat. And I like the file type display in the upper right. Click on a file type and all files of that type highlight in the map at the bottom. +1 WinDirStat. Click on on of them and the directory tree updates to show the directory contents, but the file type highlight disappears. -.5 WinDirStat. I like the Subtree percentage in the directory tree. And I really like the "Explore here, Command Prompt Here, Copy Path" right click functions in WinDirStat. +1 WinDirStat.

Granted the SpaceMonger version is quite old but I wanted to pit the free versions against each other. The shareware version of SpaceMonger may be better, and I am sure it is but you do have to pay for it. Gerryf19 do you have the paid version? How does it stack up against the pluses I gave WinDirStat?

Edit:The download page on the SpaceMonger site is unavailable! So much for trying out the current version. It also appears it has not been updated since 2006 and from the screenshots and other info on the site doesn't seem to have any of the functions I "plused" for WinDirStat. Think I'll stick with the latter for now.

Gary

 

I'm curious about SpaceMonger now. Gotta check it out.

 

You can grab the freeware version here:

http://download.cnet.com/SpaceMonger/3000-2248_4-10050288.html

Have no clue how to get the shareware version since the download page on the SpaceMonger site is down. <sigh>

Gary

 

Yes, I do have the paid for version. I had the original free version and when I found out the developer was making a new version I signed on as a beta tester and later paid for the version that came out.

I want to be clear, I don't think windirstat is bad--for me, though, the key is being able to see things as quickly as possible and also showing it people whose computers I am working on.

I have used spacemonger, windirstat, treesize, spacesniffer, jdiskreport, overdisk and a dozen or so others. When I show people the results and tell them, "This is a graphical representation of where your space is on a harddrive" they seem to get it better with spacemonger than all the others.

Yes, you can click and get added info with squoiaview and windirstat, but something about the interface doesn't compute with a lot of people--maybe it is the extra windows and having to look at three different places...I don't know.

I just have an easier time when showing the average joe what is going on with their harddrive with Spacemonger than the others. Perhaps that is a difference here--most people posting tend to be a bit more tech savvy whereas I am dealing with less technical people.

There is a tree view in the newer spacemonger and navigating it allows you to zoom in a certain part of the treemap, but windirstat does win on going the other way (clicking the map reflects changes in the tree directory.

I'm not sure what that specifically does for you....I guess you can see how much of your drive is taken up by MP3s? There is a STATISTICS page that accomplishes this in the paid for version of the program, which also shows you some other interesting things--how much of your drive is being chewed up by files in the 2-4kb range? 2-4mb? 4-mb? etc...

there is a directory information screen that doesn't show by default, but it gives actual size rather than percentages.

Command Prompt Here is a great feature in WinDirStat. That is the one useful feature that is really missing here. Props to WinDirStat on that. The rest are there (Open Location, copy path)

 

http://en.kioskea.net/telecharger/download-1160-spacemonger

Here's a live link (server 2)

Too bad--I see the forum is overrun with spam, too.

I'm glad I purchased my license when I did. The shareware version is fully functional-just has a nag.

 

Downloaded and tried it out. Much improved over the original. I do see your point about the simpler interface for dealing with clients. Trust me I know how dense they can be. ...big ol' grin...

I still think I like WinDirStat a bit more. The "command line here" function tips the scales quite a bit. But the balance is much more even after seeing the newer version. Thanks and +rep. (Jeeze the stupid rep system won't let me give you rep again since you were the last person I gave it to. ...sigh... )

Gary