Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Why won't WinDir

Sep 8, 2011 8:04AM PDT

Now add some detail so that smart CNET users (like you!) can answer. If you're lucky, a CNET editor might choose your topic for a How To article or video.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Clarification Request
Unable to download WINDIRSTAT
Sep 8, 2011 12:58PM PDT

There is a dialogue box stating I have low disk space. Beneath that message it says "Credit: Tiny Hacker". I right-clicked the message and here's what I got lowdiskspace.png. I have a Sony Vaio XP Pro SP3 and have never experienced any kind of a problem before. However, I do know that I have some low HD space which is why I'd like to download WINDIRSTAT. Is this some kind of a trojan, or what. Never saw this before. I do have MS Security Essentials which runs daily and also Ad-Aware (run it several x's per week). Thanks! K

- Collapse -
Re: windirstat
Sep 8, 2011 6:16PM PDT

That "Credit: Tiny Hacker" is strange. I only can find it without space, for example in http://www.versionsdesign.com/2011/09/clean-up-your-windows-hard-drive-with-windirstat/
Are you sure you spelled it correctly?

Even then it's strange. It's certainly not something that comes with Windows, so either it comes from something you installed yourself, or it's malware. The last seems more likely. Time to try Malwarebytes' AntiMalware (MBAM) and SuperAntiSpyware (SAS) to find it. Both are free and reputable programs.

Now about your hard disk space on your c:-drive. From the right click properties of that drive in My Computer can you tell the real figures: total, used and free disk space?

If you feel you too much is used and it needs cleaning, I'd start with the Disc Cleanup Wizard (including the advanced option of deleting all but the last system restore point). If still not happy, download ccleaner (free also) and use that in its default settings for (maybe) an even better cleaning.

If still not happy it's time to start analyzing what all that file space is used for. That's where a program like windirstat is useful for. You say you can't download it, but you don't tell why. What exactly happens when you save the install program to your hard disk (download from http://sourceforge.net/projects/windirstat/) and run it to install it.
A very comparable program is Treesize Free (indeed: free also) that you can download from http://www.jam-software.com/freeware/
Be sure not to delete anything that is essential to your system!

Kees

- Collapse -
WINDIRSTAT (undownloadable)
Sep 10, 2011 8:25AM PDT

Kees - Thanks for all the suggestions. It is spelled "lowdiskspace.png" & below says CREDIT: TINY HACKER This dialogue box is OVER the download button to enable me to download windirstat. I use CCleaner everyday; AdAware several x's per wk. & Microsoft Essentials is run according to my setting which is everyday. I ran Disk Defrag & printed it out. FREE SPACE: 3.72 GB now. Yikes! (I put a new HD in about 1.5 yrs. ago .... 320GB.

I have read about "TreeSizeFree". I'll try MBAM or one of them that you suggested, but not until I hear back from you. Wish you were here to just analyze it yourself. I am getting close to just hammering this PC and get a new laptop ... but cannot afford it at this time. Until I hear back from you, again, thanks for your interest, time and suggestions. K

- Collapse -
Re: disk
Sep 10, 2011 8:05PM PDT

Treesize Free is a program that's quite comparable to windirstat. It will help you to determine how many space is used by what folders (and subfolders and so on). Or you could download windirstat from any site it's available on in stead of pressing that particular download button you can't see.

These programs won't clean anything, that's up to you after the analysis. So it's quite harmless (until you start deleting the wrong things!). Just as an example: if you happen to have 250 GB of movies, you could consider to delete the ones you've seen already, move them to an external hard disk or rely on your current backup of them only.

MBAM and SAS are well-known and powerful antimalware programs. Just run the free version and see what they have to say.
And, sorry, we're a world wide forum, and it's quite unlikely you are so near to me that you could come with your PC so I could have a look myself.

Kees

- Collapse -
windirstat
Sep 11, 2011 1:34AM PDT

I'll give one of them a whirl & will let you know what transpired.
Many thanks,
K