DiskState can spot temporary files and left-over files by system crashes. It will suggest its findings to you in a list of files.
You can activate the Volume Cleanup (DiskClean) from the Volume Analysis window. Click on the "DiskClean" icon at the bottom of the window for the volume you would like to clean.
Tip: If you only want to clean a particular folder, for example the C:\Windows, simply browse to this folder in the "Folder Usage". Then click DiskClean to clean from this folder and downward the folder structure.
The DiskClean in DiskState is fully configurable, but we will briefly mention a few type of files below:
- Backup files of various kinds, but safely ignores backups belonging to Psion Series 5 PDA synchronization etc.
- Dead file links. Ideal for your start menu.
- Dr. Watson memory dumps. Large files generated by crashes.
- Files with zero size.
- A whole bunch of temporary files.
- Help files search results and word list. These are generated when searching help files, and does not contain any documentation.
- Recent documents folder. Note: This is not enabled by default.
- Various log files.
- Temporary internet files from both IE and Netscape.
You can make DiskState include all the hidden files and folders of your volume. This is normally not recommended. However, if you feel like an expert - enable both the two checkboxes you are presented with when you click "DiskClean". The expert mode will override all safety rules run internally in DiskState. It is not recommended for use. You are hereby warned of this.
On the other hand, if you leave the two options unchecked, you should be perfectly safe. Please click "Next" to start analyzing the volume for temporary files. No files will be deleted unless you choose to remove them (to backup, of course).
If you have any temporary files, broken links, temporary internet files, zero length files and so forth (the types are configurable from the settings), you will be presented with a results window.
From this window, you can see a file listing to the right of temporary files found on the selected volume from the current folder specified in the Volume Analysis window.
The button column to the left offers the following:
There is also a context menu available from this window. Clicking the right mouse button to bring it up.
- Select all files for deletion. This is safe, but remember to delete to backup as the general rule. Better safe than sorry ;-)
- Select none of the files.
- Print the file list for review later.
- Export the file list to clipboard or ASCII file. Tip: DiskState can generate comma-separated reports, which can be processed by third-party software. If you want to do this, untick the "human readable file sizes" option. This makes DiskState emit file sizes like 1234567 instead of 1'234'567.
- Delete the select files to backup. Be sure to have the checkbox "Move to zip file(s) as backup" enabled.
- View the selected file or opening it with its associated application.
- Find files. Use the powerful regular expressions to find and select or unselect files of your choice.
- Close the results window when you are done.