SpaceSniffer – Download for Windows
Track down storage-heavy folders with the classic SpaceSniffer treemap view. The current official x64 build stays portable, filter-driven, and fast to scan even while you keep drilling deeper into the drive.
What SpaceSniffer is and why people still use it
SpaceSniffer is a portable Windows disk space analyzer from Uderzo Software that turns a crowded drive into a map you can read in seconds.
SpaceSniffer is built for one job: showing you where storage went without making you dig through endless folder trees. Instead of a long text list, it draws your files and folders as a treemap. Big folders show up as big blocks. Smaller leftovers shrink into the corners. That sounds simple, but it changes how fast you can spot trouble. A bloated cache, an old game library, a forgotten archive, or a runaway temp folder becomes obvious almost right away.
That visual shortcut is the reason SpaceSniffer still holds up on a modern PC. You can click into a folder while the scan is still running, zoom deeper with another click, and keep narrowing the view until the storage hog is staring back at you. SpaceSniffer also avoids the usual install baggage. Uderzo Software ships it as a freeware portable x64 utility, so you can keep it on a USB drive, drop it onto a support machine, and carry your settings in an XML file instead of treating it like a permanent system tool.
The audience is broad, but the appeal is practical. Home users can clear a full SSD before Windows starts complaining. Power users can compare filtered views of the same drive, tag problem areas with color labels, and export a text report for cleanup notes. IT staff and repair shops get something even better: a fast visual answer when a customer says, “My disk is full, but I do not know why.” SpaceSniffer does not pretend to be a cloud dashboard or a full file manager. It answers one question – where did the space go – and it answers that question fast.
- Treemap navigation shows large folders and files by size, so the biggest space users are visible at a glance.
- Filters can narrow results by file pattern, size, age, and tag state, which helps when a full drive has several suspects.
- Four color tags and multiple views let you compare one scan in different ways without starting from scratch each time.
- Portable deployment, report export, and NTFS alternate data stream scanning make it useful beyond a one-time cleanup.
See where the drive space really went
SpaceSniffer turns a packed drive into blocks you can read at a glance. The layout stays close to the utility itself: warm treemap panels, compact detail, and practical controls that help you move from scan results to cleanup decisions without hunting through folder trees.
Zoomable treemap view
SpaceSniffer maps files and folders as size-based blocks, so heavy directories stand out right away instead of hiding several levels deep. A single click drills into a folder, and a double click zooms that branch to fill the work area when you want to inspect one part of the drive without losing the visual scale.
Work while the scan is still running
The scanning engine does not force you to wait for a complete pass before you can start moving around. You can navigate inside results during an active scan, which is useful when one oversized cache folder is already obvious and you do not need to sit through the rest of the disk first.
Filters that go past file names
Filters in SpaceSniffer can target patterns, file types, size ranges, age, and tag states. That makes it easier to isolate old ISO files, large archives, or one color-coded review set instead of staring at the entire volume and trying to spot a pattern by eye.
Multiple views from one scan
One of the more practical touches is the ability to open multiple views on the same scanned media. You can keep one broad treemap open, set another view to a filter for video files or installers, and compare both without rescanning or changing the main workspace each time.
Four-color temporary tagging
Tagging gives you four color states for marking files and folders during review. It is a small feature, but in SpaceSniffer it helps separate “delete soon,” “check later,” and “keep” candidates while you move through a busy treemap that would otherwise blur into one large block field.
Secondary scan refinement
After you zoom into a specific area, SpaceSniffer can refine that region with a secondary scan. That extra pass helps when a large branch needs closer inspection, especially on drives where the first overview found the rough shape but you want cleaner detail inside one problem folder.
Live change tracking
The app can track file system changes and blink updated areas as activity happens. If logs are growing, temp folders are refilling, or a background process keeps writing data, the treemap does not stay frozen. You get a clearer read on what is actually changing while you watch.
Custom text report export
When you need something shareable, the export module can produce customizable text reports. That is useful for documenting storage audits, sending findings to another user, or keeping a simple before-and-after snapshot after a cleanup pass without relying only on screenshots.
Explorer-style actions on right click
Right-click access to the Windows file and folder context menu keeps cleanup work grounded in familiar actions. Instead of switching tools, you can move from the SpaceSniffer treemap to the operating system commands you already use for opening paths, checking properties, or acting on a target item.
Portable setup and XML settings
SpaceSniffer ships as a portable zip package and stores its settings in an XML file. That keeps the tool easy to carry between machines, handy for USB-based support work, and simple to reset or back up when you want the same filters, colors, and behavior on another Windows PC.
NTFS ADS inspection
For users who need a deeper look, the scanner can inspect NTFS Alternate Data Streams. That is not a feature every disk map tool exposes. Here it gives SpaceSniffer extra value on technical cleanup jobs where hidden storage details matter and a basic folder size report would miss part of the picture.
System requirements for SpaceSniffer
SpaceSniffer is portable and light. The developer never published a formal hardware matrix, but the release notes tell us enough to set reasonable expectations.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Official notes still mention Windows 7 fixes, so SpaceSniffer has at least some attention there. Current releases also reference Windows 10 and Windows 11 high DPI work. | A modern 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 setup is the safest target for the current SpaceSniffer x64 package. |
| CPU | 64-bit processor required. The official package is distributed as an x64 executable. | Any recent 64-bit desktop or laptop CPU is fine for normal drive scans. |
| RAM | Not officially specified by the developer. | Not officially specified. More memory simply helps when Windows is already busy with other tasks. |
| Disk space | Portable zip download with no full installer. Local space needed is modest, but the official site does not list a fixed number. | Keep enough free space for the portable folder plus any exported text reports you plan to save. |
| Display | No published minimum resolution. SpaceSniffer includes DPI fixes for Windows 7 and high DPI support updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11. | A display that can show the treemap clearly is preferable, especially if you use multiple filtered views. |
| Network | No network connection required to run SpaceSniffer after download. | Internet access is only useful when downloading SpaceSniffer updates or checking release notes. |
If you need a strict vendor-certified matrix, SpaceSniffer does not publish one. What the official material does confirm is simpler: current SpaceSniffer releases are portable, x64, and built for Windows, with recent maintenance notes still calling out Windows 7, Windows 10, and Windows 11 behavior.
Install SpaceSniffer, scan a drive, and read the treemap without guessing
This guide stays close to how SpaceSniffer actually works today: a portable Windows utility built around one job, finding what is eating your disk space. Start with the official download on this site, keep the package unmodified, and you can move from zip file to first scan in a few minutes.
Downloading SpaceSniffer
Use the download area on this page and stick to the /#download anchor rather than hunting around mirrors. The current public build is the official x64 release, which fits most modern Windows machines. If you see an older 32-bit package in archives, only use it for a legacy PC that cannot run 64-bit software. Stable releases are the safe choice for everyday cleanup. Beta builds are for people who want to test new fixes and are comfortable with the chance of odd behavior.
SpaceSniffer is usually delivered as a portable archive, not a heavyweight installer. Inside that archive you will find the executable that launches the app. That is different from an .msi package, which normally writes files into Program Files and registers uninstall data, and different again from .dmg or .AppImage, which belong to macOS and Linux workflows. In practice, the format question is simple here: download the official archive, extract it to a folder you control, then run the main .exe.
Choose the current stable x64 build unless you are maintaining an older Windows system with hard 32-bit limits.
SpaceSniffer does not need an MSI-style install. The portable archive is the normal release model, and that keeps the tool easy to move or remove.
Installation walkthrough
On Windows, setup is mostly extraction and permission handling. Create a folder such as C:ToolsSpaceSniffer or keep it on a utility USB drive. Extract the downloaded archive there, open the folder, then launch the main executable. If User Account Control asks for elevation, allow it when you plan to inspect protected folders. A standard launch still works, but some system locations will stay partially hidden.
- Download the archive from /#download and verify you have enough free space to unpack it.
- Right click the archive, choose Extract All, and point it to a simple path without sync restrictions or temporary browser folders.
- Open the extracted folder and run the SpaceSniffer executable. Pin it to Start if you plan to use it often.
- When prompted, grant admin rights if you want fuller visibility into system directories and other protected locations.
- At first launch, pick the drive or folder to scan and let the treemap build. You can already move around while the scan continues.
There is no native macOS .dmg and no Linux .AppImage in the official release flow. If you need the tool off Windows, the practical route is a Windows VM or a compatibility layer such as Wine. That is a workaround, not the main path, so expect minor rendering or permission quirks. Post-install behavior is simple: SpaceSniffer opens quickly, asks what location to analyze, and starts drawing blocks as data arrives.
PowerShell example
Expand-Archive -Path "$env:USERPROFILEDownloadsspacesniffer.zip" -DestinationPath "C:ToolsSpaceSniffer"
Start-Process "C:ToolsSpaceSnifferSpaceSniffer.exe"If you launch from a temporary download folder, Windows cleanup tools or cloud sync conflicts can remove the files later. Extract to a permanent folder first.
Initial setup and configuration
SpaceSniffer keeps its settings in XML, which makes the first run feel lighter than a typical setup wizard. There is no account step, license key screen, or background service to babysit. The first decision that matters is where you want the settings file to live. If the program folder is writable, the portable model keeps configuration beside the executable. That is useful when you carry the app on removable media and want the same filters, colors, and behavior everywhere.
Right after first launch, set the basics you will notice every day. Pick a treemap color palette with enough contrast to separate folders at a glance. Check the refresh and flashing options if visual updates feel too noisy on large scans. Then review filter behavior so hidden items, temporary files, and size conditions work the way you expect. If you are comparing multiple problem areas, open more than one view on the same scan instead of starting over each time. That is one of the better SpaceSniffer habits because it lets you keep a broad drive overview in one pane and a narrow filtered branch in another.
Migration is manual but simple. Because configuration lives in XML and snapshots can be exported, you can move your setup from one machine to another by copying the program folder and related config files. There is no direct importer from competing disk analyzers, so plan on rebuilding favorite filters the first time.
Good first tweaks: disable flashing if the live updates distract you, keep filtering syntax visible, and save the folder in a path where the XML settings file can be written without admin tricks.
How to use it: core workflow
The main SpaceSniffer job is plain: scan a drive, spot the biggest blocks, and drill into the branch that explains the missing space. Start by choosing the drive or folder you want to inspect. The treemap begins filling with rectangles where larger blocks mean larger files or directories. Single click a block to inspect it. Double click to zoom that area so it takes over the working view. That zoom action matters because broad scans can get crowded fast, and the zoomed branch gives you enough room to tell whether the problem is a cache pileup, a giant VM image, or a forgotten download stash.
The top controls are where most everyday work happens. Use the filter field to narrow by name pattern, file size, age, or tag state. Right click items to reach the Windows context menu, which saves time when you want to open a folder in Explorer, jump to properties, or delete with more care. Tags are useful when you are triaging rather than cleaning right away. Mark suspicious blocks, then come back after you confirm what can safely go. If a scan is still running, keep moving. SpaceSniffer lets you navigate before the entire job finishes, which makes it far more practical on big disks than tools that freeze you until the end.
A clean first session usually looks like this: scan the whole drive, zoom into the largest branch, apply a size filter to strip out tiny noise, tag candidates you may remove, then open a second filtered view to compare file types or age. If you need a record for a help desk ticket or your own notes, export a text report after narrowing the scope.
Largest rectangle first. Then ask whether it is a folder you recognize, a cache that can be trimmed, or an application payload that should stay put.
Try patterns like *.zip;>500mb or focus on old content before deleting anything from live application folders.
Sample workflow notes
1. Scan C:
2. Double click the largest Users block
3. Filter for *.iso;*.zip;>1gb
4. Tag review candidates
5. Export report before cleanupTips and best practices
For the fastest experience, scan the local drive first and narrow your scope before touching slow external storage or network shares. SpaceSniffer performs best when it can build a broad map, then refine a smaller branch. Resist the urge to delete straight from the first huge block you see. Big is not the same as safe to remove. Program folders, VM disks, backup sets, and sync caches all look similar until you inspect the path and context. That extra minute saves a lot of repair work.
Another habit that pays off is keeping one portable copy just for diagnostics. Because SpaceSniffer does not depend on a formal install, you can carry a known-good folder between systems and keep the same filters ready. Advanced users should spend time with multiple views, tagging, and report export. If you need help, start with the official documentation and release notes referenced throughout this site, then compare your results with the export report before making permanent changes.
Do not use treemap size alone as a delete rule. Verify the full path, check whether the file is active, and keep backups intact before removing anything large.
For ongoing reference, keep this page bookmarked, return to /#download for the current package, and review the official feature and release-note material when a new build changes behavior.
Download SpaceSniffer for the Windows machine you actually use
The current official archive is version 2.1.0.21 x64, released 20 Jan 2026 (2.9 MB). Pick your platform below – every button goes straight to the file.
This is the current SpaceSniffer package from Uderzo Software. Unzip it, launch the x64 executable, and start scanning without an installer or background service.
Download SpaceSniffer v2.1.0.21Official release notes for SpaceSniffer 2.1.0.21 still mention a DPI fix for Windows 7. That matters if you keep an older maintenance PC around, but the package remains x64 only.
Download SpaceSniffer x64If you want the newest SpaceSniffer release, use the current archive. If you need to compare behavior after a recent change, the previous 2.0.5.18 x64 build is still listed on the official alternative download page and works as a sensible fallback.
Download previous v2.0.5.18SpaceSniffer does one job well: showing you where the disk space went. Version, size, and checksums are all listed above so you know exactly what you are getting.
Questions people ask before downloading SpaceSniffer
These answers stay close to how SpaceSniffer actually works: portable, Windows-only, and built around a live treemap that helps you spot storage hogs fast.
Does SpaceSniffer need installation?
No. SpaceSniffer is a portable application, which means there is no installer, no setup wizard, and no registry entries to worry about.
Here is what the setup process actually looks like:
- Download the ZIP archive from the official Uderzo Software site. The file is roughly 2.9 MB.
- Extract the ZIP to any folder you like – your desktop, a USB drive, or a dedicated tools directory.
- Run the SpaceSniffer.exe file directly. No background services get installed, and nothing writes to Program Files.
Because the whole application lives inside a single folder, you can copy it between machines, carry it on a thumb drive, or delete it by removing that folder. Settings are saved in an XML file next to the executable, so your filter presets and preferences travel with the program.
Tip: If you work in IT support, keeping SpaceSniffer on a USB toolkit alongside other portable utilities means you always have a disk analyzer ready without needing admin rights to install anything on a client machine.
Which Windows versions can run SpaceSniffer?
The current build (version 2.1.0.21) is a 64-bit executable, so it requires a 64-bit edition of Windows to run.
Based on the official release notes from Uderzo Software, the tested platforms include:
- Windows 11 – fully supported with high DPI rendering improvements in recent builds.
- Windows 10 (64-bit) – the primary target for the x64 package. DPI scaling fixes were added specifically for Windows 10 setups.
- Windows 7 (64-bit) – version 2.1.0.21 includes a DPI-related rendering fix for Windows 7, which suggests the developer still tests against it.
Older 32-bit systems are not supported by the current release. If you need a 32-bit build, the legacy version 1.3.0.2 is still available on SourceForge, but it has not been updated since 2018 and lacks the newer treemap engine introduced in the 2.x line.
Worth noting: SpaceSniffer does not require .NET Framework or any runtime libraries beyond what Windows ships with by default, which helps avoid compatibility headaches on older machines.
Do I need administrator rights to scan a drive?
You can launch SpaceSniffer without admin rights, but the results will only include folders and files your user account can access. Protected system directories like C:WindowsSystem32 or other user profiles may appear empty or be skipped entirely.
For a more complete picture, especially when scanning the system drive:
- Right-click SpaceSniffer.exe and choose Run as administrator.
- Accept the UAC prompt if it appears.
- Start your scan – protected directories should now be readable.
Running as admin matters most when you are trying to figure out why the C: drive is full and suspect that system folders, Windows Update caches, or another user profile might be responsible. For scanning personal folders, external drives, or USB sticks, standard permissions are usually enough.
Where does SpaceSniffer store its settings?
SpaceSniffer saves all user preferences to an XML configuration file stored in the same folder as the executable. There is no registry involvement and no AppData folder usage.
The configuration file stores things like:
- Your preferred treemap color scheme and layout settings.
- Custom filter presets you have saved.
- Window size, position, and toolbar state.
- Tag color assignments and display preferences.
This design is what makes the application truly portable. If you copy the entire SpaceSniffer folder to a different PC or a USB drive, your settings come along for the ride. To reset everything back to defaults, delete the XML file and SpaceSniffer will recreate it on the next launch.
Can it scan external drives and USB storage?
Yes. SpaceSniffer can scan any volume that Windows recognizes as a mounted drive, including:
- External USB hard drives and SSDs.
- USB flash drives and memory cards (via a card reader).
- Mapped network drives (though scan speed depends heavily on your network connection).
- Secondary internal drives and partitions.
When you launch SpaceSniffer, it shows a list of available drives. Pick the one you want to scan, and the treemap starts building. Keep in mind that scan speed depends on the drive itself – a USB 2.0 flash drive will take noticeably longer than an NVMe SSD. For very slow drives, the live-scan feature still helps because you can start browsing results before the scan finishes.
What does the treemap actually show?
The treemap is a visual representation of your disk where every file and folder is drawn as a rectangle. The size of each rectangle is proportional to how much disk space that item uses.
In practical terms, this means:
- A 50 GB game folder shows up as a large block that immediately catches your eye.
- A 200 KB text file is almost invisible unless you zoom into its parent folder.
- Nested folders stack inside their parent rectangles, so you can see the hierarchy at a glance.
You interact with the treemap by clicking and double-clicking. A single click selects a folder and shows its details. A double click zooms that folder to fill the entire view, which is how you drill deeper into a branch. To go back up, click the parent path in the breadcrumb bar at the top.
The color coding helps distinguish between different types of content. You can also apply filters to highlight only certain file types – for example, showing only video files or archives above a certain size – which turns the treemap from a general overview into a targeted search tool.
How do filters work in SpaceSniffer?
Filters are one of the most useful parts of SpaceSniffer. The filter bar sits at the top of the main window and accepts text-based expressions that narrow what the treemap displays.
Some examples of what you can type into the filter bar:
*.zip– show only ZIP archive files.>500mb– show only files larger than 500 MB.*.mp4;*.mkv– show video files matching either extension.>1gb;*.iso– combine size and type filters to find large ISO images.:yellow– show only files you have tagged with the yellow color.
Filters update the treemap in real time. As you type, the display redraws to match your criteria. You can save filter presets so you do not have to retype common patterns. This is especially handy if you regularly audit the same types of files – old logs, cache folders, or temp directories that tend to grow over time.
What are the colored tags used for?
SpaceSniffer offers four color tags that you can apply to any file or folder during a scan. These tags are temporary visual markers – they do not modify the files themselves and they disappear when you close the application.
The practical use cases include:
- Red for items you plan to delete.
- Yellow for items you want to investigate further.
- Green for items you have decided to keep.
- Blue for items that belong to someone else or need review.
You can then use the filter bar to show only items with a specific tag color. For example, typing :red filters the treemap to show just the items you marked for deletion. This workflow is helpful when you are cleaning up a large drive and need to make multiple passes – first to identify candidates, then to review them, and finally to act on the decisions you made.
Can I open more than one view from the same scan?
Yes, and this is one of the features that sets SpaceSniffer apart from simpler disk analyzers. You can open multiple views against the same scanned data without rescanning the drive.
A common workflow looks like this:
- Keep View 1 showing the full drive treemap with no filters applied.
- Open View 2 with a filter for video files (
*.mp4;*.mkv;*.avi) to see how much space media takes. - Open View 3 filtered to show files older than a year to spot stale data.
Each view is independent – zooming into a folder in one view does not affect the others. This makes it easy to compare different slices of the same scan side by side. IT support staff sometimes use this to show a client both the overall picture and the specific problem area at the same time.
Does SpaceSniffer export reports?
Yes. SpaceSniffer includes a text-based report export feature that generates a structured summary of your scan results.
The export is customizable – you can control the depth level, which folders to include, and whether to list individual files or just folder totals. The output is plain text, which makes it easy to paste into emails, save alongside project notes, or compare against a future scan.
This is useful for:
- Documenting the state of a drive before and after a cleanup.
- Sending a storage summary to a colleague or client who does not have SpaceSniffer installed.
- Keeping audit records of server storage usage over time.
The report does not replace the visual treemap for interactive exploration, but it fills the gap when you need something you can share, archive, or reference later.
Why does the scan keep changing while it runs?
This is intentional and one of SpaceSniffer's core design choices. Unlike disk analyzers that make you wait for a complete scan before showing anything, SpaceSniffer renders the treemap progressively as data comes in.
What you see during a scan:
- Blocks appear and resize as the scanner discovers new folders and files.
- Large folders may shift position as the proportions change.
- The status bar at the bottom shows scan progress and the percentage completed.
The advantage is clear: if the problem is obvious (a 200 GB folder consuming most of your SSD), you can spot it within the first few seconds and start investigating while the rest of the drive is still being scanned. You do not have to wait for the full scan to finish before clicking into folders, applying filters, or tagging items.
If the shifting blocks are distracting, you can pause the scan at any time and resume it later. The treemap freezes in place while paused, giving you a stable view to work with.
Can SpaceSniffer detect NTFS Alternate Data Streams?
Yes. This is an uncommon feature among disk space analyzers. NTFS Alternate Data Streams (ADS) are hidden data attached to files on NTFS-formatted drives. They do not show up in Windows Explorer or most file managers, but they can consume real disk space.
SpaceSniffer can detect and display these streams, which is useful for:
- Security audits where you need to verify no hidden data is attached to files.
- Forensic analysis of drives where ADS might contain concealed information.
- Troubleshooting situations where a file appears smaller than the disk space it actually uses.
Most home users will never encounter Alternate Data Streams, but for system administrators and security professionals, having this visibility built into a portable tool saves the trouble of running a separate ADS scanner.
The interface looks blurry on my high-DPI screen. What should I check?
High-DPI rendering has been an area of active development for SpaceSniffer. Version 2.1.0.21 specifically includes DPI-related fixes for both Windows 7 and Windows 10/11.
If you are seeing blurry text or fuzzy treemap blocks, try these steps:
- Update to the latest version. Older builds (especially the 1.x line) do not have DPI awareness at all.
- Check your Windows scaling setting. Right-click the desktop, go to Display Settings, and note whether scaling is set to 100%, 125%, 150%, or higher. SpaceSniffer should handle these, but extreme scaling values (200%+) may still produce imperfect results.
- Try the compatibility settings. Right-click SpaceSniffer.exe, go to Properties > Compatibility, and check “Override high DPI scaling behavior” with “Application” selected in the dropdown.
If none of these help, check whether your graphics driver has its own scaling override that might conflict with the application's built-in DPI handling.
Can SpaceSniffer delete files directly?
SpaceSniffer is primarily an analysis tool, not an automated cleaner. It shows you where the space went and lets you make informed decisions about what to remove.
That said, you can delete files from within SpaceSniffer using the right-click context menu. When you right-click a file or folder in the treemap, you get access to the standard Windows context menu – the same one you would see in File Explorer. From there you can delete, move, rename, or open items as you normally would.
The deliberate separation between “finding” and “deleting” is a safety feature. Automated cleanup tools can sometimes remove files you actually need. With SpaceSniffer, you visually confirm what each folder contains before deciding to act on it. This is slower than a one-click cleaner, but it gives you far more control over what stays and what goes.
Tip: Use the tag system to mark candidates for deletion (red tag) during your first pass, then filter by tag and review them all together before actually deleting anything.
How does SpaceSniffer compare to WinDirStat and TreeSize?
All three tools solve the same core problem – showing where disk space went – but they approach it differently:
- SpaceSniffer focuses on live treemap exploration. You can navigate the map while the scan is still running, apply filters on the fly, use color tags, and open multiple views. It is portable and does not need installation. The interface feels more like a classic Windows utility than a modern app.
- WinDirStat is open-source and shows both a treemap and a traditional file list. It scans the entire drive before displaying results (no live navigation). The treemap is colorful but not interactive in the same way – you cannot drill into folders as fluidly.
- TreeSize comes in free and paid editions. The free version uses a tree-list view rather than a treemap. The paid version adds a treemap, duplicate file detection, and scheduled scans. It feels more polished but costs money for the full feature set.
SpaceSniffer's main advantages are its portability, the ability to work during an active scan, and its powerful filter system. If you want a quick, self-contained disk analyzer you can carry on a USB drive and use without installing anything, SpaceSniffer is a strong choice.