What could be eating up so much hard drive space?

What could be eating up so much hard drive space?
by

1 Answer

Answer :

Are you on a mac? or a PC? handy free tools tell you where all your space has gone TreeSizeFree for the PC: http://www.jam-software.com/freeware/index.shtml DiscInventoryX for the Mac: http://www.derlien.com/
by

Related questions

I've been using Backup on my Mac to back up my home folder. It has been putting these backups on my hard drive. Now I want to put all my backups on my Seagate external drive. Can I safely delete the backups that are on my hard drive since they're taking up 80 GB of space?

Description : I've been using Backup on my Mac to back up my home folder. It has been putting these backups on my hard drive. Now I want to put all my backups on my Seagate external drive. Can I safely delete the backups that are on my hard drive since they're taking up 80 GB of space?

Last Answer : Plug the seagate in and it will ask you if you want to use the drive for time machine. Say yes, wait until it does a backup then delete the backups on your hard drive.

Does anyone know how to make a computer see the hard drive space on the "other side" of a partition?

Description : Does anyone know how to make a computer see the hard drive space on the "other side" of a partition?

Last Answer : It’s going to keep warning you about that one partition. It sees each partition as a separate drive, so it wants you to know that one drive is running out of room. There is probably a way to turn it off in the Control Panel, but I’m not certain were exactly.

Is there a program that shows you the distribution of space on your hard drive for mac like there is for windows?

Description : Is there a program that shows you the distribution of space on your hard drive for mac like there is for windows?

Last Answer : Grand Perspective seems to be what you’re looking for, and has worked fairly well for me.

How can I figure out where all my hard drive space is going?

Description : How can I figure out where all my hard drive space is going?

Last Answer : Do you use FileVault? If so, do you regularly restart and recover disk space? If you don't, that could be one reason. Otherwise, if you're looking to find what takes up space - best thing I can think ... don't forget to check your drop box! Maybe a friend has left you lots of nice and big files .?

Can you help me set-up my external hard drive so that it functions as my iTunes? There is much more to this. See inside..

Description : Can you help me set-up my external hard drive so that it functions as my iTunes? There is much more to this. See inside..

Last Answer : Have you tried importing the folders to you iTunes library yet?

Could I have a virus on my external hard drive?

Description : Could I have a virus on my external hard drive?

Last Answer : Yes and yes (potentially, it depends on the type of virus you have). I have reinfected clean machines via exactly this method, although it was a thumb drive. I ended up resolving my situation by ... was gone not sure how to resolve it without you infecting your machine, hope others can help :)

How much space do I need to partition my Mac hard drive for Windows?

Description : How much space do I need to partition my Mac hard drive for Windows?

Last Answer : I’d recommend using at very least 8gb. 15, if you can spare it.

How much space does adobe creative Suite 4 use on a pc hard drive?

Description : How much space does adobe creative Suite 4 use on a pc hard drive?

Last Answer : According to the Adobe site 16.3GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation.I'd have to do a lot of housekeeping or buy a new drive.

How do I free up hard drive space on my laptop?

Description : How do I free up hard drive space on my laptop?

Last Answer : answer:A bookshelf can only hold so many books, CD's and DVD's. You probably don't want to compress them and lose quality, so you're either going to have to offload some of the media you don't ... GB of space by deleting Temp files and the like, but your real data hogs are the media you mentioned.

How do I completely wipe and format a hard drive so as to rebuild it with Windows XP?

Description : How do I completely wipe and format a hard drive so as to rebuild it with Windows XP?

Last Answer : Start the computer and during the preboot, press the key that takes you to the BIOS settings. Now look for the boot sequence area, and have it boot from the CD/ROM drive. Put your original disk in the drive, restart the computer, and reinstall the OS.

Hard drive issue.....no space?

Description : Hard drive issue.....no space?

Last Answer : It's a hard drive, nonetheless. I imagine it too may be subject to accumulating junk files, registry errors and other miscellaneous problems that can possibly consume space. I recommend downloading ... you want, but you'll certainly benefit from the software fixing whatever problems it identifies.

I uninstalled several gigs worth of Adobe CS4 components yet gained no hard drive space. Why?

Description : I uninstalled several gigs worth of Adobe CS4 components yet gained no hard drive space. Why?

Last Answer : I think the files are “in” the computer. You need to open up the case and remove them physically. At least it seems that way with Adobe products! ;)

External hard drive is supposed to pick up connection to computer wirelessly. what am I doing wrong?

Description : External hard drive is supposed to pick up connection to computer wirelessly. what am I doing wrong?

Last Answer : answer:Huh? Why is the hard drive plugged into the modem? You might plug a HD into a router, but never into a modem. THe modem doesn’t have the disk management software. You need to be more informative here. WHAT hard drive, and what modem/router/computer do you have?

Hard Drive not starting up, solutions?

Description : Hard Drive not starting up, solutions?

Last Answer : answer:Sounds like it’s fried. When mine went the first thing I got was the audible clicking noise you’re talking about, and then it just went. What OS are were you running on it? That would help if you want to try and save it now.

Besides buying an external hard drive, what's the best way to back up my photos and documents?

Description : Besides buying an external hard drive, what's the best way to back up my photos and documents?

Last Answer : DVDs are an option, but they're not as infallible as we like to think they are. They tend to corrode after a period of time (maybe someone else knows how long - I think it's a few ... REALLY important things in two places. Maybe one DVD of the really important things as well as a small external?

Anyone successful in setting up a shared hard drive for iTunes using AEBS?

Description : Anyone successful in setting up a shared hard drive for iTunes using AEBS?

Last Answer : it could be a slow Internet connection. The ISP’s usually have multiple speeds you can sign up for so you may have broadband Internet but be on the low side compared to the faster speeds they offer. Or is your router a wireless b or g? G would help it a little bit if you don’t already have one.

Can anyone recommend an external hard drive for backing up my MacBook?

Description : Can anyone recommend an external hard drive for backing up my MacBook?

Last Answer : Did you see the announcements that came out of Macworld today? You ought to consider Apple’s newly announced Time Capsule.

Why won't my external hard drive show up on my desktop?

Description : Why won't my external hard drive show up on my desktop?

Last Answer : answer:Open ~/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.app Does it appear in the left-hand sidebar when plugged in?

If I install just my OS and whatever necessary on a 20-30 Gb solid state hard drive, shouldn't it boot up faster?

Description : If I install just my OS and whatever necessary on a 20-30 Gb solid state hard drive, shouldn't it boot up faster?

Last Answer : Yes it should. While the benefits of solid state devices are HUGE, the cost is a bit pervasive to most users AND the amount of things that can go wrong with power surges and outages make me leery about using ... a pagefile or swap partition on it, which you most likely will. All-in-all I'd be leery.

Can someone help me with a Windows hard drive question?

Description : Can someone help me with a Windows hard drive question?

Last Answer : You could trade in the wife for a newer model :-) Yes, what you're saying is not hard to do, at all. The key is to make sure that you have very good backups of C and of the D. Install ... do the copying (correctly) but there's no reason to replace the PC when you can upgrade for about ⅓ the cost.

How can I read this old hard drive?

Description : How can I read this old hard drive?

Last Answer : You can easily hack old windows passwords using a linux live disk. I won’t post a link but Google will tell you how to do it.

Lost external hard drive files due to "partition"?

Description : Lost external hard drive files due to "partition"?

Last Answer : Well, I'm sure you know, that reformatting' is what did you in. Don't do ANYTHING to it right now, and get professional help recovering the lost data. It may not be as expensive as you think. ... or it may be relatively easy for some but I'm sure its a common occurrence they've dealt with before

How can I wipe a hard drive and reinstall a new OS?

Description : How can I wipe a hard drive and reinstall a new OS?

Last Answer : What OS are you trying to put on it? Easiest would probably be Linux. Make a bootable Linux installation CD (download disk image, write it to a CD) and then use a CD drive that those computers ... in good/better condition should be swapped in if someone's really going to try to use the old machine.

How do I make this hard drive docking station work on Windows 10?

Description : How do I make this hard drive docking station work on Windows 10?

Last Answer : -I tried disabling/uninstalling and reinstalling/enabling the docking station through Device Manager but it ALWAYS freezes after I click to uninstall or disable it. My computer then gets weird. After I try ... Themaltake, they may have a solution, or if you need a replacement, can get that started.

If a hard drive is not working, can I still get my movies and files out of it ?

Description : If a hard drive is not working, can I still get my movies and files out of it ?

Last Answer : answer:Because you plugged it into your TV, I am guessing this is an external drive that connects with a USB cable, is that correct? If so, you can take it apart and try the bare drive without the case ... . In that case, yes, there are places that could do the work and yes, it is very expensive.

How do I save emails through cable into a folder on my hard drive?

Description : How do I save emails through cable into a folder on my hard drive?

Last Answer : Do you normally use the web client for email or a standalone application like outlook or thunderbird?

If you purchased a new hard drive for your laptop, what is the best current way to transfer your old drive, OS, files, etc. to the new drive?

Description : If you purchased a new hard drive for your laptop, what is the best current way to transfer your old drive, OS, files, etc. to the new drive?

Last Answer : If you’re tech savvy then I would recommend Clonezilla http://clonezilla.org/

Why can my external hard drive open on my laptop and not my computer?

Description : Why can my external hard drive open on my laptop and not my computer?

Last Answer : Hard to answer when you don't mention which operating system you are using. If you're using Windows it's probably a network problem. Everything that is external to your computer needs to be ... settings in Control Panel. Click the diagnose problems link, it may be enough to solve your problem.

Can I get information off my hard drive without installing it in a new computer?

Description : Can I get information off my hard drive without installing it in a new computer?

Last Answer : answer:You can remove the hard drive from the old macbook and connect it to the new machine with an inexpensive USB hard drive adapter. Here's one at Amazon for illustration. It might be more ... drive was set up, so their may be security/permissions issues. But the physical connection is easy.

How do I format an external hard drive for resale?

Description : How do I format an external hard drive for resale?

Last Answer : Of course it’s true. I don’t re-sale my hard drives for that reason. I think I remember a member (Jerv) on here explaining how the software works on recovery of these things, there should be a program that also infinitely reformats the hard drive as well. It’s been a couple years.

Can I set external hard drive as default for music downloads?

Description : Can I set external hard drive as default for music downloads?

Last Answer : what browser do you use to download? How are you downloading? I’m pretty sure it’s possible, but I need to know that first

What's the best way to fix a mini-usb port on an external hard drive enclosure?

Description : What's the best way to fix a mini-usb port on an external hard drive enclosure?

Last Answer : I do have a spare WD hardrive enclosure that may be the same physical size, but I can’t figure out how to open it as it has no visible screws.

How do I erase password protection on an external hard drive?

Description : How do I erase password protection on an external hard drive?

Last Answer : I will have to double-check how Lacie does things, but I know that there are certain security things that Linux ignores, especially if you use a distro that is geared specifically for intrusion testing.

How full is your hard drive?

Description : How full is your hard drive?

Last Answer : Well, lets see: Do I keep forgetting things? Yes. Where has that information gone? No Idea but since it will pop up later today, I know it is still there so maybe I just need to defrag. Anyone got any ideas on how you do that with a brain?

Without its original hard drive, can your computer's info be viewed by its new owner?

Description : Without its original hard drive, can your computer's info be viewed by its new owner?

Last Answer : The computer’s “original” hard drive is unimportant. If there are any stored media: CDs, solid state hard drives, floppies (they’re still around, and they still work), tape drives or any other backup media (including USB sticks, aka thumb drives or jump drives), then that information can be viewed.

What's the best way to purge a hard drive of everything except the OS?

Description : What's the best way to purge a hard drive of everything except the OS?

Last Answer : Format and reinstall is the easiest, and indeed the only method that I know of. You could also put Ubuntu on it. And there are programs that will over-write the entire drive with noise.

Urgent help needed regarding ejectable hard drive?

Description : Urgent help needed regarding ejectable hard drive?

Last Answer : DO NOT FORMAT. Formatting erases all the data on the drive. Have you tried re-booting your computer and tried a different USB port? What OS and version are you running? Windows XP, Vista, 7? Mac OS X (10.5?10.6?10.7?)

Why is it better to render video data from my computer into an external hard drive?

Description : Why is it better to render video data from my computer into an external hard drive?

Last Answer : Do you mean if you rip a video from a dvd? The only reason I know of is to save space on your internal hard drive. I keep a separate external hd for movies because if you keep the quality of the video, they are huge files and take up too much space.

I have a new computer, and need to transfer my old hard drive to it - how do I do this?

Description : I have a new computer, and need to transfer my old hard drive to it - how do I do this?

Last Answer : You just move it over, then when you boot up, go to computer management, and disk management, and assign a letter to the drive. Since windows is istalled on both drives you might have trouble though, but if youg et in copy everything over, format the old one and copy back.

Is it possible to image a larger hard drive onto a smaller SSD drive?

Description : Is it possible to image a larger hard drive onto a smaller SSD drive?

Last Answer : As long as the HD doesn't have more on it as than the SSD can handle then you can clone the HD on to the other drive. But I wouldn't. When you install windows 7 it detects whether it's ... across then you'll have to change all the settings yourself. You're better off just to perform a clean install.

External hard drive advice?

Description : External hard drive advice?

Last Answer : answer:Hi @AuditoryHaven it's simple. Pick up any Seagate, and Mac has software built in you can use to reformat it to work on your Mac. Don't buy a drive that has the Mac compatible sticker on it ... , and they charge you a 100 dollar premium for it. Look at how extremely easy it is! Good luck.

How should I choose the right external hard drive to store my books, songs and movies?

Description : How should I choose the right external hard drive to store my books, songs and movies?

Last Answer : answer:There are a lot of external hard-drives out there that you can lay your hands on! It all depends on you and I think you should just get one external hard-drive for everything. Don't get ... digital is really good but Iomega works like charm for me. Check out the link up there! Good luck!

Whats the difference if a computer has 2gb mem and a 250 gb hard drive?

Description : Whats the difference if a computer has 2gb mem and a 250 gb hard drive?

Last Answer : hard drive memory is permanent. that is where you store your documents, files, videos, the OS, etc. The 2GB are Ram, which is temporary memory, where programs can store data while they are running. It gets erased every time you shut off your machine. It is also a lot faster than the hard drive.

External hard drive fault?

Description : External hard drive fault?

Last Answer : answer:I did a Google search & couldn't find anything about an access hole or a lock feature. Anyhow, there's lots of advice (some of it contradictory!) on how to open the drive's case, should you care to ... case. If it's not then the hard disk itself is dead and you need a new external USB HD.

How do I update a hard drive to the changes I've made on another one?

Description : How do I update a hard drive to the changes I've made on another one?

Last Answer : Copy and paste, but backup will totally clone the drive over.

Portable hard drive recommendation (mac-compatible)

Description : Portable hard drive recommendation (mac-compatible)

Last Answer : If you want something durable laCie firewire drives are the best.

How long does it take to defrag a hard drive?

Description : How long does it take to defrag a hard drive?

Last Answer : answer:It will definitely take quite a while, I would maybe defrag once every few months. Also, you want to keep at least 20% of your hard drive free, if you can't copy to an external. that ... free for top performance, and keep stuff like movies or pictures on an external, stuff you dont use 24/7

How can I solve my external hard drive problem?

Description : How can I solve my external hard drive problem?

Last Answer : answer:It’s not uncommon for computers to not recognize more than 1 external drive of that size. That is why I have four 1TB drives instead of two 2TB ones. Unplug the first one, then plug in the new one. I bet it will recognize it.

How come files get deleted from the iOmega backup hard drive when I only want them deleted from my Mac Mini?

Description : How come files get deleted from the iOmega backup hard drive when I only want them deleted from my Mac Mini?

Last Answer : Have you tried disconnecting the backup drive before deleting your files off the Mac mini? I suspect it has something to do with the way the iOmega drive is linked to the main hard drive while still plugged in. Do a test with a dummy file and see what happens.

Is there any good software to recover a corrupted hard drive?

Description : Is there any good software to recover a corrupted hard drive?

Last Answer : Try Recuva, that might work, or boot into a PArted MAgic CD