8 Best Free Disk Space Analyzer Tools to Streamline Your Hard Drive Management

Managing disk space efficiently is crucial for the optimal performance of any computer. Free disk space analyser tools are essential for identifying and removing unnecessary files, thereby freeing up valuable disk space. This blog presents a comprehensive overview of the top eight free disk space analyser tools that can aid in streamlining and optimizing hard drive management.

1. TreeSize Free : TreeSize Free supports the removal of files within the program, scans individual folders and entire hard drives, and offers a portable option. It operates exclusively on Windows. This is my personal favourite.

2. Disk Savvy : Disk Savvy offers a user-friendly interface with extensive features, including the ability to categorize files in several ways, perform simultaneous scans of multiple locations, and export results to a report file. It supports various Windows operating systems.

3. Windows Directory Statistics (WinDirStat) : WinDirStat provides unique visualization methods to analyse disk space and configure custom clean up commands. It can scan entire drives or specific folders and works exclusively on Windows.

4. Disktective : Disktective is a portable tool that allows scanning of large files in specific folders or entire drives. It provides two ways to view disk space usage and is suitable for Windows users.

5. JDiskReport : JDiskReport displays disk space usage in five perspectives and is suitable for users on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.

6. RidNacs : RidNacs features a minimal and simple interface with a portable option. It scans large files in specific folders or entire drives and is exclusive to Windows.

7. SpaceSniffer : SpaceSniffer provides results that can be filtered in multiple ways, backed up, and opened without rescanning. It is only compatible with the Windows operating system.

8. Folder Size : Folder Size integrates with File Explorer, allowing users to sort folders by size. It is extremely user-friendly but is designed only for older versions of Windows.

Conclusion:

Selecting the right disk space analyser tool depends on specific requirements and the operating system used. The featured tools provide a range of functionalities, from user-friendly interfaces to visual representations of disk space usage. By leveraging these free applications, users can efficiently manage their hard drive space, leading to enhanced system performance and productivity. 

How To Return Remote Desktop View To Full Screen

At times while switching between users or computers, Remote desktop screen tend to set to one user profile desktop resolutions. This might be problem for new users who logged in after that.

To over come this issue and to fit to your screen resolutions, here are the simple steps to do on Windows machine.

1. Just make sure you can see the hidden files on your Windows PC, I guess you know how to do that
2. Close any Remote Desktop connection that is running.
3. Go to your Documents (Start - Documents)
4. Find this file, Default RDP (this file will be hidden format)
5. Delete that file, and then start remote desktop connection now.

Hope this helps for people who will get annoyed with changing remote desktops screen resolutions with multiple user logins!!

How to Enable or Disable Fast User Switching in Windows PC

Fast User Switching is an easy way for another person to log on to the computer without logging you off or closing your programs and files. Follow the steps below to for Fast Switch User.

1. To begin, make sure that you have logged in as Administrator or have required administrative rights to change local group policies.

2. Press the Windows +R button.

3. Run dialog box will pop-up,type gpedit.msc. This will open Local Group Policy Editor. (see pic 1 for reference)

4. Now, go to the following location and look for Local Computer Policy in the left pane.

5. Click on Local Computer Policy/Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Logon. (See Pic 2 for refrence)

6. Just double-click Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching to bring up a dialog box to change Fast User Switching policy setting.

7. At the top, there are Not Configured, Enabled and Disabled options available. Selecting each setting will let you read its affect in Help section. To disable Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching, just select Enabled from the list and click OK.

If you need to diable this option, you need to select Disabled from the list. Rest all process is same.

8. Once done, you will have to enforce this change made to Fast User Switching policy setting. To do so, close the Local Group Policy Editor and open the Run dialog box (Windows +R button). Enter the command “gpupdate /force“ and click OK. The policy will be updated and applied on all user accounts.

9. To re-enable Fast User Switching, just choose Not Configured in its policy setting dialog and apply the changes via gpupdate /force command.

Hope this helps setting up mutiple users to login on your PC.

Hosts File in Windows 10 : Locate, Edit and Manage

Locating the Hosts file in Windows 10, navigate to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc to find your Windows 10 hosts file. You can see it in the image given below

Editing the Windows 10 Hosts File

Before you can edit this file, you have a pre-requisites that need to be done, Make sure that your account has Administrator privilege as only administrators can modify this file.

New partition created after Windows 10 update 1803

A new partition of size 450 MB was created after this Windows 10 1803 recent update.

Resolution:

This is a known issue in the 1803 Update
It is the recovery drive created during the windows 1803 update, we are not meant to see this partition. Since we are seeing and update was successful we can remove the drive letter and everything will return to normal.

1. Click your Start Button, type cmd, then right click Command Prompt and choose 'Run as Administrator'
2. Run this command and hit Enter
3. diskpart
4. Run this command and hit Enter
5. list volume
6. Note down the letter associated with that new drive
7. Run these commands one at a time and hit Enter (replace X with the correct drive letter)
8. select volume X
9. remove letter=X
10. Close Command Prompt and restart your PC

Different versions of Windows 10

There will be seven different versions, Microsoft says in a blog post .

Here they are:

• Windows 10 Home, which is the most basic PC version.
• Windows 10 Pro , which has touch features and is meant to work on two-in-one devices like laptop/tablet combinations, as well as some additional features to control how software updates get installed - important in the workplace.
• Windows 10 Enterprise, which will have extra management features.
• Windows 10 Mobile  for smartphones.
• Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise , which is like the one above, but with more business management features.
• Windows 10 Education, which is optimized for schools.
• Windows 10 IoT Core, which is for robots, smart sensors, and - well, if you need it, you'll know it.

How to turn your Windows 10 PC into a wireless hotspot

Windows 10 includes a feature called "Hosted Network" that allows you to turn your computer into a wireless hotspot.

Whether you're connecting to the internet using a wireless or wired adapter, similar to previous versions, Windows 10 allows you to share an internet connection with other devices with a feature called "Hosted Network".

Hosted Network is a feature that comes included with the Netsh (Network Shell) command-line utility. It's was previously introduced in Windows 7, and it allows you to use the operating system to create a virtual wireless adapter – something that Microsoft refers to "Virtual Wi-Fi" — and create a SoftAP, which is a software-based wireless access point.

Here is nice tutorial that is use full with step by step process. Blogger has given full details for setting up this process

How to Copy Files in Command Prompt using xCopy

The Windows Command Prompt can be very powerful once you understand some of the commands. You can get a lot more control with the Command Prompt than you would by copying and pasting in Windows Explorer. Knowing how to make the most out of the copy commands is essential if you're remotely operating a Windows server. It's also great if you want to be more efficient with your own system.

There are different ways to copy files using the Windows Command Prompt. All the commands can copy files from one place to another, but there are several cases where you may want to choose one command over the others.

• XCOPY - The xcopy command allows you to copy files and directory trees. This makes it much more suitable for copying folders. xcopy also has many modifiers which gives advanced users more control over the copying process. xcopy has been deprecated in favor of robocopy, but still works.

Example: C:\>xcopy c:\webshare\AppData\runtime\bin\admin\*.* c:\_backup\backup_20161208\admin /e /i

XCOPY source [destination] [/A | /M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W]
                           [/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/G] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U]
                           [/K] [/N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z] [/B] [/J]
                           [/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...]

  source       Specifies the file(s) to copy.
  destination  Specifies the location and/or name of new files.
  /A           Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
               doesn't change the attribute.
  /M           Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
               turns off the archive attribute.
  /D:m-d-y     Copies files changed on or after the specified date.
               If no date is given, copies only those files whose
               source time is newer than the destination time.
  /EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...
               Specifies a list of files containing strings.  Each string
               should be in a separate line in the files.  When any of the
               strings match any part of the absolute path of the file to be
               copied, that file will be excluded from being copied.  For
               example, specifying a string like \obj\ or .obj will exclude
               all files underneath the directory obj or all files with the
               .obj extension respectively.
  /P           Prompts you before creating each destination file.
  /S           Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones.
  /E           Copies directories and subdirectories, including empty ones.
               Same as /S /E. May be used to modify /T.
  /V           Verifies the size of each new file.
  /W           Prompts you to press a key before copying.
  /C           Continues copying even if errors occur.
  /I           If destination does not exist and copying more than one file,
               assumes that destination must be a directory.
  /Q           Does not display file names while copying.
  /F           Displays full source and destination file names while copying.
  /L           Displays files that would be copied.
  /G           Allows the copying of encrypted files to destination that does
               not support encryption.
  /H           Copies hidden and system files also.
  /R           Overwrites read-only files.
  /T           Creates directory structure, but does not copy files. Does not
               include empty directories or subdirectories. /T /E includes
               empty directories and subdirectories.
  /U           Copies only files that already exist in destination.
  /K           Copies attributes. Normal Xcopy will reset read-only attributes.
  /N           Copies using the generated short names.
  /O           Copies file ownership and ACL information.
  /X           Copies file audit settings (implies /O).
  /Y           Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /-Y          Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /Z           Copies networked files in restartable mode.
  /B           Copies the Symbolic Link itself versus the target of the link.
  /J           Copies using unbuffered I/O. Recommended for very large files.

The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable.
This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line.

How can you two run two instances of Skype on PC?

I have to separate work contacts and family in skype, so I need two Skype instances on my PC.

Here is how you can do. Once you install you will get a skype shortcut on your desktop. Now do the following to create another instance of skype.

Step1: Copy skype shortcut and paste again on desktop. This will create another shortcut.

Step2: Rename new shortcut to your choice. I have renamed it to Skype II

Step3: Now go to properties of Skype II short cut that was created recently and update

Step 4: Update Target path like below from

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe"

to

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe" /secondary

Now apply and click Ok.

This should work now. I have tested this on Windows 7, 8 and 10