"Users" hiding files?

[DarknessTroller]

Lately I've been noticing that my ssd's storage is almost full and today I took it upon myself to clear some stuff up uninstall useless apps or just the ones I dont use anymore. The thing is my ssd is 250gb (231 usable gb) and it says that I have 60 gb free. When I open it up and calculate every thing apart from both Program Files folders, Windows and Users, it's only 1gb. Then there's the program files that occupie 8 and 61, as expected. But then there's users that is 53gb! Yet when I open it up (and open the folder  with my name), and select everything its only 22gb. I suppose that there are files I cant see with the explorer but is there anyway I can delete them or download a program to see them?

Yes Im am farely new to Windows and there are still some things that I dont quite get...

 

Another quick question I have is if in "Programs and Features" there is a way to see on what hard drive they are installed on?

 

Thanks in advanced!

[Dingus]

Check the disk using spacesniffer (here). What you probably have is a metric buttload of user appdata.

[DarknessTroller]

10 minutes ago, Dingus said:

Check the disk using spacesniffer (here). What you probably have is a metric buttload of user appdata.

Using it right now... 30gb of AppData haha! 

[DarknessTroller]

12 minutes ago, Dingus said:

Check the disk using spacesniffer (here). What you probably have is a metric buttload of user appdata.

But how do I know whats important and whats not?

[BiscuitMassacre]

2 minutes ago, DarknessTroller said:

But how do I know whats important and whats not?

I would run Window's Disk Cleanup as admin and select and delete all the boxes. Then Just carefully go through AppData and find out which program is associated to it and if you need that. 

[DarknessTroller]

4 minutes ago, BiscuitMassacre said:

I would run Window's Disk Cleanup as admin and select and delete all the boxes. Then Just carefully go through AppData and find out which program is associated to it and if you need that. 

Yeah, I'll probably do that next time but I already did it with SpaceSniffer. Thanks anyway!

[Cracklingice]

You may also want to look into system restore.  That eats up a ton of space too if left unchecked.

[GoodBytes]

Yes for sure!

 

In Program & Features panels, you can right-click on the column header, and a menu will show. On it, pick More.

 

When you do, you'll see this panel:

Simply, check the box "Location" as above, and click on OK. Now, you'll see a new column added to Program & Fetaures panels, where you can see where the program it is installed.

 

While we are it, might as well show you how it will be with the Creators Update for Windows 10 coming in April. It is easier.

The option is right there. So all you do is go to: Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & Features.

Then you'll see a list of all the installed applications Win32 and Universal Apps, Games, and themes listed. You have "Filter by:" option, and when you click on it, you can pick, as you see from the menu above, All Drives, C:\, and your other drives. and it will show you only the apps installed in this drive, if any.

 

 

 

As for where you space has gone, you do have hidden files and folders in Window. It is best to see that Windows OS tries to be in between MacOS and Linux in terms of general usage. Meaning it tries to be simple to use, while giving you the most control out of your system. It can't go as far as Linux based OSs, nor go all out easy to use as MacOS, but it tries. So while you have hidden files, you are not locked out, you can tell Windows to display them.

 

To display hidden file and folders, open File Explorer, then on the top, click on "View", and check the box "Hidden items"

And you can display "more hidden" files (although I don't suggest to delete them without good knowledge on them, it is for a reason they are "double hidden"), by click on "Options" on the bar above, to reveal this panel:

Where you can go under "View" tab, and check the box in the list bellow "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)", and click on OK. But, you don't need this.

 

Where are hidden folders that you'll notice once you enable the first option to display hidden items.

 - A folder called: ProgramData under C:\

 - A folder called AppData, under your account folder.

 

ProgramData is a data that the programs wants to store that affects all users on the system.

AppData is sub-divided in 3 folders: Local, LocalLow, and Roaming, and affects your account only.

 

AppData contains program configurations, program cache, your account settings, temp files amongst other things.

 

The reason why you have 3 folders in there, has to do that Windows is an OS that can be deployed in an enterprise environment. And you need to see it as such to better understand these folders.

 

- Local, is a folder where the program information stored inside is not expected to exists the next time the program is executed, and isn't sync with company servers. Meaning, if you put something in there, go to another computer, login with the same account, the file(s) won't be there.

 

- Roaming, is a folder where the program information stores inside is SYNCED with the server. Programs expects to see these files when you open them again. This how you can, say, change the layout and settings of a program, switch computer at a company, login, and have these changes follow you (the registry can also be used instead to do this.)

 

- LocalLow, is a special hybrid folder, used for very special cases. I won't go into it.

 

That said, It doesn't mean you can select "Local" folder and hit the Delete key to save space. Programs and Windows expects a folder structures, and it isn't cut and dry as mentioned. Things are always more complicated :), so if you do, things will not work properly.  If you are really inclined, you can read the documentation in details on them from Microsoft very own documentations. It also contains account settings and built-in programs settings that Windows needs, and when you login to a system in an Enterprise environment that you never logged in before, these are created.

 

But inside AppData\Local, you can find folders where their CONTENT can be deleted, like Temp, or your web browser cache. To simplify your life, you can use a program like CCleaner (free) to scan your system and delete files that are safe to delete (just don't use the "registry cleaner" feature). You can also, in combination, use Windows Disk Cleanup Utility. To open it, just type in the Start Menu search box: Cleanup,and it will show a panel asking you pick your drive, pick: C:\, it will scan, wait. Then a new panel will show once done, where you can click on Clean up system files, it will scan some more, and now you can check all the boxes, and click on OK, and it will clean up everything.

 

 

You can also use a program called Spacesniffer, as suggested above, to visualize how much what consumes what. It is free, and a neat, easy to use program.

 

Hope this helps.

[GoodBytes]

8 minutes ago, Cracklingice said:

You may also want to look into system restore.  That eats up a ton of space too if left unchecked.

Only consumes 10%, and you want it, so that you can bring your system back in time to cancel out a virus infection, malware attack, or simply a bad corrupted update.

[BiscuitMassacre]

@GoodBytes

Dang that is a long post. You deserve some sort of medal.