Short answer
To find large files with WinDirStat, scan the drive, then press Ctrl+F2 or click the Largest Files tab under the folder tree. It lists the 50 biggest files in the scan with their full paths; click the Physical Size header to sort them biggest first. For big folders rather than single files, sort the All Files tree by size and expand the top entries one level at a time.
How do I list the biggest files on a drive with WinDirStat?
- Scan the drive. Open WinDirStat, choose Individual Drives, tick the drive and click OK. Say Yes to the administrator prompt for a faster scan.
- Open Largest Files. Press Ctrl+F2, or click the Largest Files tab below the folder tree.
- Read the top of the list. Click the Physical Size column header until the biggest file is at the top; the path column shows where each file lives.
- Check a file before acting. Select a file and press Ctrl+E to open its folder in File Explorer with the file selected.
- Show more than 50. To list more, open Options > Settings > Advanced and raise Large files display count.
What does the WinDirStat Largest Files tab show?
The Largest Files tab is a flat list of the biggest individual files anywhere in the scan, so you do not have to open folder after folder to find a forgotten disk image or video export. It keeps 50 entries by default; the Large files display count setting on the Advanced page takes any number up to 10,000. The list updates while the scan runs, which is why its order can change until the status bar says Ready. The tab has been part of WinDirStat since version 2.2.1.
How do I find large folders instead of files?
Large folders are what the All Files tree is for. Each folder has a Size Proportion bar and a Percentage column; click the Physical Size header to sort by size, so the top entry at each level is the biggest. Expand the largest folder, then the largest one inside it, and stop when the size is spread across many items. That path usually ends in a downloads folder, a game library, a phone backup or a virtual machine disk. The treemap tells the same story visually: see how to read the treemap.
Can WinDirStat search for big files of one type?
Yes. Edit > Search (Ctrl+F) matches names by plain text or regular expressions, and since version 2.9.0 it also filters by size range, item type and owner and shows a size total for the results. Searching \.iso$ with regular expressions on, for example, lists every ISO image with its size. Results appear in the Search Results tab (Ctrl+F4), where the usual right-click actions work.
What should I do with a large file once I find it?
First confirm what it is. Right-click it and choose Select in Explorer, or check the folder it sits in: files under C:\Windows, Program Files or pagefile.sys and hiberfil.sys at the root of C: belong to Windows and its programs. For your own files, move them to another drive with Move to… or delete them with Delete (to Recycle Bin). The cleanup guide covers the safe order. Large files often come in pairs, so check for duplicate copies next. Checked against WinDirStat 2.9.0.
| Question | Where to look | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Which single files are biggest? | Largest Files tab (top 50 by default) | Ctrl+F2 |
| Which folders are biggest? | All Files tree, sorted by Physical Size | Ctrl+F1 |
| Which file types use the most space? | File-type list beside the tree | F8 shows or hides it |
| Which files over a size or of one type? | Search with size range and type filters | Ctrl+F |
| Where are big files on the map? | Treemap below the tree | F9 shows or hides it |
Tabs, shortcuts and the default count (LargeFileCount = 50) from windirstat.rc, Options.h and lang_en.txt at the checked release tag.
Frequently asked questions
Can WinDirStat show files over 1 GB only?
Yes. Press Ctrl+F to open Search, tick Use Regular Expressions and enter .* to match every name, then set a minimum size in the size range fields. The Search Results tab then lists only matching files, with a total size for the results.
Why is a large file missing from the WinDirStat list?
It may be in a folder WinDirStat could not read without administrator rights, behind a junction or symbolic link (excluded by default), or on a different drive than the one you scanned. Restart it with File > Run Elevated and scan again.