Is your hard drive overloaded with files? Do you have a stack of floppy disks the size of a sturdy child on your desk? It’s possible many of those files are duplicates.
More Space is a program that can help you find and eliminate these space-hoggers. This program allows you to search for duplicates of documents and extremely large files. You can then delete the spare copy of the file, copy the information on the file to the Windows Clipboard, or archive the file in ZIP format. You remember how to ZIP don’t you?
First, More Space creates an outlined directory of all your files. Then you determine which files or folders you may not need and delete them. (You can set the program to show the age of your files if that helps.)
You can print this information or copy it to the Clipboard with the More Space program. More Space also allows you to build a “Safe Harbor” area for important files and clear the stored files of Internet websites you have accessed. A free version of More Space is available, but it contains ads. The new, ad-free version of More Space costs US$20 for registration.
Space Watch Pro is another program that looks for available room. Space Watch Pro comes in two types of programs: Standard or Network. Space Watch Pro Standard is similar to More Space, but it looks at whole networks of PCs. Space Watch Pro also allows you to look for room from a remote server.
With Space Watch Pro Network, you can make color-coded diagrams of space use and monitor how much room the products and programs on your computer take up. This program makes it possible to build reports using this information so that you can view graphs of space distribution by a user over time.
Space Watch Pro Standard costs US$39 and the Network version costs US$149. Both programs come with at least three months of free technical support. There is a free download available if you want to try before you buy.
Creating as much free memory as possible on your computer is good for the machine’s central processing unit (CPU). When the computer doesn’t experience delays in saving and bringing up data, your hard drive is saved from wear and tear – and eventual costly replacement.