Duplicate File Finders

[Starwind51]

I have yet to figure out why my laptop hard drive is filled to capacity.

Is anybody familiar with this product or anything like it?  Are they truly free products?
http://techsalsa.com/find-duplicate-files-in-your-computer-with-searchmyfiles/

I already read elsewhere on CH that some files are duplicated in case the original gets corrupted.  How would I distinguish between need duplicates and un-need duplicates?

Would finding duplicates weed out different versions or just exact duplicates?

It's not my own work or temporary versions of my own work I'm trying check on.

[BC_Programmer]

A more useful tool for investigating disk space usage would be something like WinDirStat.

[Starwind51]

I have TreeSize Free, but I don't think that's quite what I'm going for.  I would have to look at everything individually to find any duplicates - wouldn't I?

[BC_Programmer]

I have TreeSize Free, but I don't think that's quite what I'm going for.  I would have to look at everything individually to find any duplicates - wouldn't I?

Yes. But duplicates aren't using up the majority of your disk space, either. The only type of duplicate files that would take up a lot of space would be files you created, and since you excluded that as something you are looking for in your Original Post, and since your goal is to reduce- or at least determine- disk space usage, finding duplicate files is not the way to do so.

[Starwind51]

   But what am I going to do?  I only have 162 MB left on my C drive.   

I don't know what else to transfer to the G.

Modified: Well, I'm down to 8.85 MB.  I had to move two personal files to the G, the C couldn't save them anymore.    How do you get less space after you move things than you had before you did?

And with every move you apparently get a free HotFix.  I had to delete that from the G, again.


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[BC_Programmer]

What is taking up the space in C:\Windows?

WinDirStat shows the same information as TreeSize but more graphically so you can visually identify the largest files and folders on the drive.

[Starwind51]

Very pretty!  Now what? 

[BC_Programmer]

Now you find the largest files or directories. By using the provided information present via the image-based interface. selecting a directory will show the percentage of the total drive it takes up by highlighting it's border within the lower pane. Large files are more visible as larger, solid blocks.

[Starwind51]

I'm trying to post a screen shot of the WINDOOWS details, and a screen shot of the WINDOWS Installer details.  Should I be    at the numbers?

The list of Installers is much too long to fit on the screen, and the screen print would exceed the allowable attachment size anyway.   

I would classify myself as being clueless as to what these things are (other than being installer programs) and what, if any I can get rid of.  I clicked on a random item expecting to see details of what it was.  To my horror it started installing and I cancelled the installation.  How do I find out what each item is?

                                                                         

[Starwind51]

WINDOWS

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[Starwind51]

WINDOWS Installers

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[evilfantasy]

.....and since your goal is to reduce- or at least determine- disk space usage, finding duplicate files is not the way to do so.

Good point!

I bricked my first computer with a duplicate file finder. They are advanced tools and can be dangerous if you don't know exactly what you are looking at.

Duplicate files can be two or more of the same files (size and name) in different directories and they can also be two or more files of just the same size with the same or similar name. One or both, even being the same name and size, could be critical to Windows and removing one or both could result in an unbootable computer.

Windows has protected files/folders for a reason and you usually want to leave them alone.

It's not my own work or temporary versions of my own work I'm trying check on.

Maybe not but you had better be sure to backup everything (not to the computer you are working on) before continuing. Flash drive, CD, Online "cloud" services, etc...

[BC_Programmer]

regarding C:\Windows\Installer

Those numbers are not extremely atypical; my win7 machine has around 10GB in that folder alone. However your drive is a lot smaller so that is a sizable chunk of the disk.

The folder itself stores the installers for all programs installed using Windows Installer. The purpose is so that you can add or remove features from those programs. without the original installer.

You can use a tool such as the Windows Installer cleanup utility to clean-up that folder. Bear in mind that this will mean you need "original media" (either the disks or the original setup programs) for some programs to change them using add/remove in the control panel.

[Starwind51]

Maybe not but you had better be sure to backup everything (not to the computer you are working on) before continuing. Flash drive, CD, Online "cloud" services, etc...

I have an external hard drive that has lots and lots of room - but before I back up my entire C drive, at your best guess, would this be something that happens quickly or is more likely to take hours?

Two reason I need to know:

1.  I have to charge my other laptop so I don't have to be alone for a moment (alone meaning without internet or with just my cell phone internet, lol)

2.  Old Bessie here tends to overheat when information is exchanged rapidly.  I tend to overheat when old Bessie snaps off in the middle of me doing something. 

[Starwind51]

regarding C:\Windows\Installer

The folder itself stores the installers for all programs installed using Windows Installer. The purpose is so that you can add or remove features from those programs. without the original installer.

You can use a tool such as the Windows Installer cleanup utility to clean-up that folder. Bear in mind that this will mean you need "original media" (either the disks or the original setup programs) for some programs to change them using add/remove in the control panel.

But I have to know what each file is to know if I have the original media.  All I can recall having on disk is Office, Works, my printer, and my phone tools,, and I'm not sure my games, the only things I remember downloading and having keys for, would run if I tried to re-install them, because I didn't know, when I first got them, to make a folder that was obvious to me, to keep the keys in, so they would be hard to find.