{"id":"comparisons.can-a-disk-analyser-tell-me-where-my-space-went","url":"/faq/comparisons/can-a-disk-analyser-tell-me-where-my-space-went","category":{"id":"comparisons","title":"Comparisons & alternatives"},"subcategory":{"id":"disk-analysers","title":"Disk-space analysers"},"question":"Can a disk analyser tell me where my free space went last week?","alt_questions":["where did my mac storage go suddenly","free space disappeared overnight mac which app","track disk space over time mac","what used my storage yesterday","storage history mac app"],"short_answer":"Not usually — analysers only show what's on disk now. Storage Studio watches free space over time, so 'Where did my space go?' can break down any period you pick: what grew, what was freed, and what it couldn't account for.","answer_markdown":"Usually not — a disk analyser shows what's on the disk **now**, so whatever filled it and then went away leaves no trace. Storage Studio keeps a quiet, low-cost watch on your free space over time, so it can explain a period afterwards.\n\n- Open **More ••• → Where did my space go?…**, pick a period or drag across the drop on the chart, and it breaks that window down: what grew, what was freed, what Storage Studio itself did, and what it couldn't account for.\n- The **What changed** section of the Storage Inspector compares this measurement with the last one.\n- It warns on the **rate** — roughly how many days of room you have left at this pace — rather than on every download.\n\nWhen it can't tell which app was responsible, it says so instead of guessing. See [What's Using Space](/manual/whats-using-space).","answer_html":"

Usually not — a disk analyser shows what's on the disk now, so whatever filled it and then went away leaves no trace. Storage Studio keeps a quiet, low-cost watch on your free space over time, so it can explain a period afterwards.

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When it can't tell which app was responsible, it says so instead of guessing. See What's Using Space.

","answer_text":"Usually not — a disk analyser shows what's on the disk now, so whatever filled it and then went away leaves no trace. Storage Studio keeps a quiet, low-cost watch on your free space over time, so it can explain a period afterwards.\n\n- Open More ••• → Where did my space go?…, pick a period or drag across the drop on the chart, and it breaks that window down: what grew, what was freed, what Storage Studio itself did, and what it couldn't account for.\n- The What changed section of the Storage Inspector compares this measurement with the last one.\n- It warns on the rate — roughly how many days of room you have left at this pace — rather than on every download.\n\nWhen it can't tell which app was responsible, it says so instead of guessing. See What's Using Space.","tags":["space history","free space","analysis"],"related":[{"id":"comparisons.disk-visualisers-vs-storage-studio","question":"How does Storage Studio compare with disk visualisers like DaisyDisk or GrandPerspective?","url":"/faq/comparisons/disk-visualisers-vs-storage-studio"},{"id":"comparisons.why-no-tool-can-account-for-every-byte","question":"Why can't any storage app account for every gigabyte on my Mac?","url":"/faq/comparisons/why-no-tool-can-account-for-every-byte"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Can a disk analyser tell me where my free space went last week? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Not usually — analysers only show what's on disk now. Storage Studio watches free space over time, so 'Where did my space go?' can break down any period you pick: what grew, what was freed, and what it couldn't account for.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Comparisons & alternatives","path":"/faq/comparisons/"},{"name":"Can a disk analyser tell me where my free space went last week?","path":"/faq/comparisons/can-a-disk-analyser-tell-me-where-my-space-went"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/can-a-disk-analyser-tell-me-where-my-space-went","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can a disk analyser tell me where my free space went last week?","alternateName":["where did my mac storage go suddenly","free space disappeared overnight mac which app","track disk space over time mac","what used my storage yesterday","storage history mac app"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Usually not — a disk analyser shows what's on the disk now, so whatever filled it and then went away leaves no trace. Storage Studio keeps a quiet, low-cost watch on your free space over time, so it can explain a period afterwards.\n\n- Open More ••• → Where did my space go?…, pick a period or drag across the drop on the chart, and it breaks that window down: what grew, what was freed, what Storage Studio itself did, and what it couldn't account for.\n- The What changed section of the Storage Inspector compares this measurement with the last one.\n- It warns on the rate — roughly how many days of room you have left at this pace — rather than on every download.\n\nWhen it can't tell which app was responsible, it says so instead of guessing. See What's Using Space.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/can-a-disk-analyser-tell-me-where-my-space-went"}}]},"fragment":"
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Comparisons & alternatives · Disk-space analysers

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Can a disk analyser tell me where my free space went last week?

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Short answer: Not usually — analysers only show what's on disk now. Storage Studio watches free space over time, so 'Where did my space go?' can break down any period you pick: what grew, what was freed, and what it couldn't account for.

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Usually not — a disk analyser shows what's on the disk now, so whatever filled it and then went away leaves no trace. Storage Studio keeps a quiet, low-cost watch on your free space over time, so it can explain a period afterwards.

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  • Open More ••• → Where did my space go?…, pick a period or drag across the drop on the chart, and it breaks that window down: what grew, what was freed, what Storage Studio itself did, and what it couldn't account for.
  • The What changed section of the Storage Inspector compares this measurement with the last one.
  • It warns on the rate — roughly how many days of room you have left at this pace — rather than on every download.
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When it can't tell which app was responsible, it says so instead of guessing. See What's Using Space.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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