What I usually do when I run out of space is search the drive for folders over a certain Megabyte size... say 25MBs. Then I sort by size and I can selectively delete the larger files...

Right, exactly. That's what this utility does. Only it shows it to you in one step, in one clear screen, with a super-easy-to-navigate interface.

The thing that this utility helps with is the first step: "Search the drive for the big folders". This utility shows that very thing (which folders are the biggest) in one step, automatically. I don't know how to do that in one step from Windows Explorer or from a batch file. The only way I know how to do it is with a third-party program like this one.

It looks awfully complicated.

It's really just the opposite. It's very simple, actually. The interface looks strange at first, but once you understand it, it's so simple and clear, and presents you with exactly the information you need.

Now that a couple of my issues with the Scanner program have been cleared up (thanks for the summary tip, Tony), here's my two remaining nitpicks about the program that keep it from becoming my tool for freeing up disk space:

One reason is that I like to be able to tell exactly what all the folders are at a glance and how large each of them is. There is no way to do that in Scanner without moving the mouse over an area you are interested in. It seems like an inefficient way of going about it. Plus, if you go down one path, and want to go into a different folder elsewhere on the drive, you first have to go back up the tree before selcting the next folder.

Like I said, I prefer to be able to see all the folders at once.

My suggestion (to the programmer) to make this a little easier is this: toss out that annoying "back" button. Currently, the center circle is never used for anything. no context menus no-nothing. I suggest that clicking on that takes you up a level. That would make navigating much quicker and more intuitive, IMO. You never have to take the cursor off the chart.


The other MAJOR issue I have with it is that it lists things in alphabetical order. How is this useful in any way when you're trying to free up space? The point is that you don't know which folder is taking up space, and which is taking up the most space. I doubt anyone is going into this program and looking for a specific folder by name when they are freeing space.

That said, I think it's fine to have the option to alphabetize the list, but I would think it would be absolutely required that you be able to list them by size around the pie chart. My guess is that it doesn't look as good as the randomness that appears when in alphabetical order.

Those are my last complaints. If you think these are off-base, let me know

I agree. Write him about those things.

I also think that the center circle needs to be able to do things when you click and/or right-click on it. For instance, I'd like the same right-click context menu to be available for the center circle as it is for the sub-folders.

Hehe, well, I think I'd write the guy who wrote Treesize. If he added the option to view the pie charts like you see in Scanner, I would be quite happy, but for now that's the only thing I like better about Scanner. I can still click on the directories in the Treesize pie and it will take me to that directory, so it's almost the same.

Oh well, to each his own