How to Find Large Files on Windows 10

Rick Akura on
If you're looking to free space on your Windows PC, the best way is to get rid of large files that are no longer useful to you. Here's how.

There are many reasons why you might want to find large files on your device. One of the most common reasons would be to make space, but many people also want to find large files to change their location or make changes to the file. Whatever your reason is, you can find the solution to this problem in our article.

Below are several methods to locate large files on any Windows 10 operating system. Create more room for new awesome things to download and enjoy a faster operating system by clearing or moving large files.

How to Find Large Files on Your Windows 10 System

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Guide to finding large files or folders on Windows 10

There are several ways of checking where your largest files are located. It’s possible to find them straight from Windows 10 itself, but you may also use third-party applications specifically made for this purpose.

Note: All of the download links below are from official websites dedicated to the applications mentioned. They don’t belong to us — if needed, make sure you have an antivirus application active when downloading.

Let’s start finding those large files and free up some space on your device!

Method 1: Find large files by using the File Explorer

Using specific File Explorer features, you can easily organize your files. This allows you to quickly filter out large files, even if they’re hidden from view by default.

  1. Open the File Explorer by clicking on its icon from your taskbar, or pressing the Windows + E keyboard shortcut.
  2. Click on the “View” tab from the top section of the File Explorer.
    file explorer
  3. Make sure to enable “Hidden items” from the “Show/hide” section. This will make it possible for File Explorer to search for large files even if they’re normally hidden.
    Hidden files
  4. Click into the search box in the top-right of the File Explorer. This will make a new “Search” tab appear next to the “View” tab — click on that.
  5. Click on “Size” then select the appropriate file size you want to look for. You can search for sizes between 0 KB up to 4 GB or more.
  6. After search results appear, right-click on any empty space in the File Explorer and select Sort by → Size → Decreasing. Doing this will place the largest files on top of the list.
    Sort by

Method 2: Search for large files using the Command Prompt

The Command Prompt allows you to give your computer commands to run and reach every single nook and cranny on your system. Using this scripting language, you can locate large files without any hassle.

  1. Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run utility. Next, type “cmd” into the input field and press the OK button.
    command prompt
  2. Once the Command Prompt opens up, input the following command and press the Enter key: forfiles /S /M * /C “cmd /c if @fsize GEQ 1073741824 echo @path > largefiles.txt
  3. The command is going to locate all files larger than 1GB and create a text document titled “largefiles.txt” with their locations.
    Notepad largest file txt

Method 3: Download and use the Largest Files Finder application

One of the most popular applications used for locating the largest files on your computer is the Largest Files Finder. It gives you a direct route to seeing what takes up the most space on your device and allows you to get more insight at a glance.

Here’s how you can download and use it.

  1. Open the Largest Files Finder download page in your browser.
  2. Scroll down and click on the “Free Download” button, then wait for the launcher file to finish downloading.
    Free download
  3. Double-click on the “top100files.exe” file you just downloaded to start the Largest Files Finder application. No installation is required!
  4. Upon launch, the application automatically beings scanning your computer for the 100 largest files. Once it has gone through everything, you’ll be able to see a clear list of which files take up the most space on your computer.
    How to find largest files on windows
  5. To easily delete a file, simply select it in the Largest Files Finder application and press the “Delete” button. Make sure not to delete any Windows files without proper research — they may be core parts of your computer!

Method 4: Download and use TreeSize Free

If you want to see more than the 100 largest files on your device, we commend using a different third-party app called TreeSize Free. It also shows large folders, allowing you to find the root of any large file.

Here’s how to download and use TreeSize Free.

  1. Open the TreeSize Free download page in your browser.
  2. Click on the “Download” button.
    Tress size download
  3. Select “TreeSizeFreeSetup.exe” from the drop-down menu, then select your region and click the “Download” button.
    tree size setup
  4. Wait for the “TreeSizeFreeSetup.exe” file to finish downloading, then open it by double-clicking on it.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions and install the application, then launch it. It’s automatically going to start scanning your device.
    Note: Give the application administrator permissions to scan folders otherwise not accessible. This is optional, however, without administrator permissions, some large files may not be found.
  6. Review the results and find the largest folders and files on your device.

Method 5: Try another third-party application

Not satisfied with any of the previous options? Don’t worry! We have plenty of more applications to choose from when it comes to locating large files on your computer. We were able to compile some of the most recommended applications for this purpose — feel free to use any of them.

  • Qiplex Large Files Finder is a modern application available for both Windows and Mac computers. It sports a clean and slick interface, allowing you to quickly locate large files.
  • Large Files and Folders Finder+ is FtSoft Company’s take on an application to locate the largest files and folders on your device. It’s regularly updated, bringing you new and reliable ways to locate large files on all of your drives.
  • WinDirStat is what you’d describe as old but gold. Many people still swear by its ways of locating large files and showing an interesting visual representation of your drive as well.
  • SpaceSniffer takes finding large files to the next level, as it shows a clear and understandable visual to help you understand your computer more.

Free Up Space on Windows 10 Video (2022) 

Final thoughts

We hope that this guide was able to teach you how to Find Large Files on Your Windows 10 System. If you ever need further assistance, our customer service is happy to guide you through any issues you might have.

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Tags: How To