DiskSurgeon is a professional Windows disk cleaner that goes far beyond the built-in Disk Cleanup. It finds junk you didn't know existed, tells you exactly what each item is, who made it, and whether it's safe to delete — then lets you clean it in one click.
No bloat. No subscriptions. No registry tricks. Just honest, safe disk recovery.
Typical result: 10–35 GB freed in under 5 minutes.
Scans 30+ known Windows junk locations instantly.
| Category | What it finds |
|---|---|
| 🪟 Windows System | Temp files, Prefetch, Crash Dumps, Windows.old (up to 30 GB) |
| 🔄 Windows Update | SoftwareDistribution cache, Delivery Optimization |
| 🌐 Browser Cache | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Opera |
| 💻 Developer Cache | npm, yarn, pip, conda, NuGet, Cargo, Go, VS Code, JetBrains |
| 📄 Microsoft Apps | Teams cache (1–5 GB!), Office temp, OneDrive logs |
| 🎮 Gaming | Steam redist packages, depot cache, Epic Games logs |
Walks your entire C:\ drive to find forgotten project folders that silently eat your disk.
node_modules— every JS project, 100 MB–2 GB each, 100% regeneratable.venv/venv— Python virtual environments per project__pycache__— Python bytecode across all projects (aggregated).next,.nuxt,.svelte-kit,.angular— JS framework build outputsdist/,build/,target/— compiled artifacts from every project.gradle,.turbo,.parcel-cache,.webpack— tool caches__MACOSXjunk,coverage/reports,.toxenvironments
Reads your installed programs and flags bloatware with explanations.
- 🛡️ OEM antivirus (McAfee, Norton, Avast) — Windows Defender is free and better
- 🎮 Pre-installed games (Candy Crush, Solitaire, 3D Viewer)
- 📦 Abandoned Microsoft apps (Groove Music, Movies & TV, Maps)
- ⚡ Heavy Electron apps where web versions exist (Skype, Teams old, Discord)
- 🍎 Apple helper services (Bonjour, QuickTime) — security risks on Windows
- 🔧 OEM tools (HP Support, Dell SupportAssist, Acer Care)
Each flagged app shows: publisher, install date, install size, and exactly why it's flagged — so you make the call, not us.
DiskSurgeon checks for updates automatically on launch via the GitHub Releases API.
- Soft update — a dismissable banner appears when a newer version is available
- Hard update (forced) — if a release sets a
minimum_version, builds older than that are blocked from running until updated. This is used only for critical bug fixes or security patches. - Manual check — available in the About dialog → "Check for Updates"
The update check is non-blocking and silent when you're up to date.
| Junk Cleaner | Deep Scanner | App Analyzer |
|---|---|---|
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 |
 |
No installation required. DiskSurgeon is a single portable .exe.
- Go to Releases
- Download
DiskSurgeon.exe - Right-click → Run as Administrator (for full access to system folders)
- Click Scan Now
Requirements: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) · No Python needed · No install needed
DiskSurgeon is built around one rule: never break your PC.
- ✅ Every item has a SAFE / MODERATE / DO NOT DELETE rating
- ✅ Dangerous items like
pagefile.sysandC:\Windows\Installerare locked — checkbox is disabled, shown for information only - ✅ Moderate-risk items show a confirmation warning with full explanation before deletion
- ✅ Nothing is deleted until you explicitly tick the checkbox AND confirm
- ✅ Deep scan skips
Windows\,Program Files\,$Recycle.Bin, and all protected system dirs
DiskSurgeon collects anonymous, aggregated usage statistics to help improve the tool. This is what gets sent:
| Collected | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| OS version & edition | Windows 11 Pro / 22631 |
Track compatibility |
| Architecture | AMD64 |
32/64-bit support decisions |
| RAM bucket | 16 GB (rounded) |
Performance tuning |
| Disk size | 500 GB total / 120 GB free (±10 GB) |
Feature prioritization |
| Screen resolution | 1920×1080 |
UI layout decisions |
| Locale & timezone | en_IN / IST |
Regional support |
| Admin status | true/false |
Feature availability |
| Scan module used | junk_cleaner |
Usage analytics |
| Space freed | 4.2 GB |
Impact tracking |
Never collected: usernames, hostnames, file names, folder paths, scan results, or any personally identifiable information. Device ID is a SHA-256 hash of your Windows MachineGuid — non-reversible and non-identifiable.
Analytics powered by Gorq Infrastructure (EU servers, GDPR-compliant).
Q: Do I need Python installed?
No. DiskSurgeon ships as a standalone .exe. Python is bundled inside.
Q: Why does it need Administrator? Some junk folders (Windows Temp, SoftwareDistribution, Prefetch) require elevated access. Without admin, those folders are skipped — the rest still works.
Q: Will it delete my files/documents? Never. DiskSurgeon only targets known cache, temp, and build artifact locations. Your Documents, Downloads, Desktop, and all personal files are completely untouched.
Q: Is it safe to delete node_modules?
Yes. Run npm install in the project folder to restore them in seconds. DiskSurgeon shows you the exact project path so you know what you're deleting.
Q: What about Windows.old? Windows.old lets you roll back to a previous Windows version. DiskSurgeon marks it as Safe to delete only because: if your PC has been stable for weeks post-upgrade, you don't need it. It's your call.
Q: Is the source code available? Not yet. DiskSurgeon is free to use but currently closed-source. Source will be released in the future.
- 3-tab interface: Junk Cleaner, Deep Scanner, App Analyzer
- 30+ known junk target locations
- Recursive deep scan for node_modules, Python venvs, build artifacts
- 50+ bloatware signatures in App Analyzer
- McAfee-inspired professional dark UI (no-install portable exe)
- Anonymous analytics via Aptabase
- Self-save: offers to copy to Desktop if run from Downloads/Temp
- Admin detection with visual badge
- About dialog with developer info and privacy disclosure
Dr. Harsh Vardhan Chopra
@hvcrealm
Built with Python + <3 · Designed for real-world disk recovery
DiskSurgeon is completely free. If it saved your disk space and sanity, please consider supporting development:
0x750e1FfE541B91c4Dbfec70eD27531775F9c6b5C
Accepts ETH, USDT, USDC, and any ERC-20 token on Ethereum mainnet, preferred Binance or Polygon chain usdt or pol.
| Action | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| ⭐ Star this repo | Helps others find DiskSurgeon on GitHub |
| 🐛 Report bugs via Issues | Makes it better for everyone |
| 💬 Share it on Reddit / Twitter / Discord | Drives downloads and awareness |
| 📝 Write about it on Dev.to / Hashnode | Reaches developers who need it most |
Every star, share, and donation — no matter how small — directly funds new features, bug fixes, and keeping DiskSurgeon free.