this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2023
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[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Here's how you actually free space on your computer in a way that matters without installing some malware "fix-it" program or need a computer divining rod to find every random file:

  • WizTree: Scan your entire computer hards drive(s) in a matter of seconds and display a very useful graph and data about where your space it being taken up. It's eons faster and easier to use than the leading competitor WinDirStat to the point where I can't imagine why anyone would use something that isnt WizTree.

  • BCUninstaller: It helps uninstall as many apps and programs off of your computer automatically with little to no user interaction needed beyond hitting the "start" button

  • BleachBit: It deletes all the temporary and nonessential stuff that gets accumulated over time. It won't clear as much as BCUninstaller or deleting stuff with WizTree and a lot of apps will generate most temporary files again anyways but I do typically see a decrease of around a gigabyte or two. Worth a shot in any case.

  • Winget: While not a software in the general sense, Winget is a package manager built into Windows 10/11 itself that lets you automatically download, configure, and install a ton of programs in one command via command prompt or PowerShell.

Every single program I've listed here are available on Winget.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I still use windirstat because I hadn't heard of WizTree. How doe Winget compare to chocolatey (https://community.chocolatey.org/)?

* edit: Found a few articles that compare winget to chocolatey (1: Make use of, 2: techcybersec).

tl;dr: They're both really good, but chocolatey is established with a lot more packages and better community support.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I tried using Chocolatey briefly but Winget is already installed and is still pretty dang fast that I have hardly any reason to look for other options.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

WizTree is sooooo much faster than WinDirStat. Give it a try.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Didn't know about winget. But I've been using Chocolatey for years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I tried using Chocolatey briefly but Winget is already installed and is still pretty dang fast that I have hardly any reason to look for other options.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That's cool, I've been passively wanting a brew/apt alternative for windows for years. I had no idea Microsoft made one.