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FolderSizes 5 - The Amazing New Release is Here!

Scale to New Heights with Native 64-bit Support

Until now, FolderSizes has always been a purely 32-bit application. It would indeed run under 64-bit Windows operating systems using the built-in Windows 32-bit emulator subsystem known as WOW64. So if FolderSizes v4 would already run on 64-bit Windows platforms, why is a native 64-bit release important?

The one-word answer: scalability. Enterprise storage subsystems are growing at an incredible pace. Our customers are using FolderSizes to scan, analyze, and report against huge, multi-terabyte network attached storage volumes. But all 32-bit processes are limited in how much memory they can allocate and use, and previous FolderSizes releases were no exception.

FolderSizes 5 blows away the limitations of the 32-bit world with a 64-bit edition that is first in its product class.

Reload File System Analysis Data On Demand

It has always been possible to export FolderSizes disk space analysis results in a variety of formats, including XML. However, if you wanted to perform additional review of that saved data, you would have to do it with a third-party application such as MS Excel, etc.

In FolderSizes 5, however, users can now re-load file system analysis data that has been previously saved in XML format. This enables users to take snapshots of their disk space usage and review it in an iterative fashion - a very powerful capability indeed.

In fact, FolderSizes 5 can handle XML files of nearly any size without undue memory strain. This is possible due to an extremely advanced pull-based XML processing subsystem, again providing an extreme level of scalability to our customers.

Compare File System Analysis Snapshots

Not only can FolderSizes 5 re-load existing file system analysis data from XML files, it can also load such data in comparison mode.

This powerful new feature effectively "subtracts" the file system analysis data stored in the target XML file from what currently exists in memory. The result is a differential report, showing you how much specific portions of the file system have changed.

Combined with the new file system data load support, IT administrators can now compare file system snapshots from any point in time, improving their ability to understand growth rates and improve storage capacity planning.

Analyze Multiple File System Paths - Concurrently!

FolderSizes has always had support for multiple paths within its File Report generation facility, but not within the main report view. The reason is that previous versions provided users with no clear means of visualizing file system analysis data with multiple roots.

Again, this all changes with FolderSizes 5. A combination of new features now provide access to superior multi-path file system analysis:

Improve Efficiency with Calculated Date/Time Fields

The modified, created, and accessed date/time stamps maintained by the Windows file system aren't always terribly useful. In fact, Windows has a somewhat arcane and confusing set of rules controlling how and when NTFS date/time stamps are maintained.

FolderSizes 5, however, provides another unique vantage point with its new calculated date/time fields. These fields show the most recent modified, created, and accessed date/time stamps within a given file system branch (folder). This information is exposed in the form of three new columns, available in addition to the "actual" date/time stamps reported by NTFS, improving your ability to enforce proper retention and archiving policies.

Search & Filter With The Amazing New Rules-Based Engine

Both the scan filtering and search tools have been overhauled to support the expression of multiple, discrete rules. Rules have file system object match criteria associated with them (e.g. all files with names matching *.txt), along with actions that can either include or exclude the results.

Rules are now also file or folder specific. This is a very powerful feature, going far beyond what was possible in previous versions of FolderSizes. For example, you can now specify a scan filter rule that includes only folders with a specific string in their names (or within their full paths) and ignores everything else. Folder exclusions are also now handled by scan filter rules (there is no longer a separate folder exclusion window), allowing them to be saved / reloaded as needed.

Scan filters can now also be applied to searches, allowing more experienced users to control not only how the search matches file system objects, but also where the application looks for such matches (e.g. the file system enumeration scope).

Slice & Dice Your File System Analysis Data

The file system analysis detail report that appears in the main application window has been completely overhauled, and is now far more flexible. Improvements include:

Be More Productive with Enhanced Performance

Overall application performance has been improved significantly in FolderSizes 5, with a new multi-threaded file system analysis engine and numerous optimizations relating to file system interaction.

Quite simply, in FolderSizes 5 everything is faster.

Your File System Analysis, Your Way

FolderSizes 5 provides an entirely new user interface experience through the use of a Microsoft Office 2007 style Ribbon bar. This design was chosen for its unique ability to expose features and functions to end users, with smart layout capabilities ensuring efficient use of screen real estate regardless of resolution.

Theme support has also been enhanced and extended throughout the application for a more consistent look and feel.

Visualize Disk Space - Like Never Before

All of the graphs displayed within FolderSizes have been improved (or replaced entirely). The bar graph view has been enhanced with tighter tolerances and improved performance, the pie graph view has been replaced entirely (and is now far more attractive), and the map graph (technical a "treemap" implementation) has received multiple enhancements (including support for visualizing file blocks within subfolders).

Main window graphs are now also contained within docking panels, providing a much greater degree of customization support. For example, if you have a larger monitor you could arrange the graph panels so that they're all visible at the same time (impossible with previous releases). Or you could arrange them in a vertical orientation (vs. the default horizontal) - or even close them entirely.

The File Report system graphs have also been replaced with enhanced versions.

Experience Hundreds of Enhancements

There are literally hundreds more enhancements in FolderSizes 5, including:

Download FolderSizes 5 now, and experience it for yourself.

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