Why does WinDirStat keep saying "SNG"?
WinDirStat is a powerful tool for analyzing your hard drive space, helping you identify large files and folders that are eating up your storage. But sometimes, you might encounter a strange error message: "SNG". This can be quite confusing, especially if you're not familiar with the inner workings of WinDirStat.
What does "SNG" mean?
"SNG" in WinDirStat stands for "Symbolic Link Graph". It's a term used to describe a type of file system structure that allows you to create shortcuts or aliases to existing files or folders. These shortcuts are called "symbolic links," and they can point to different locations on your hard drive, even across network drives.
Why does WinDirStat display "SNG"?
The error message "SNG" appears when WinDirStat encounters a file or folder that's linked to another location using a symbolic link. WinDirStat cannot fully analyze these linked files or folders because the symbolic link might lead to a location that is inaccessible, or the link itself may be broken. This is because WinDirStat is a visual file system analyzer, and symbolic links can complicate its analysis.
What can I do about it?
Here are some solutions to fix the "SNG" error:
- Disable Symbolic Link Analysis:
- Open WinDirStat.
- Go to Settings > Advanced Settings.
- Uncheck the box "Enable symbolic link analysis".
- Click "OK" to save the changes.
This will stop WinDirStat from analyzing symbolic links and prevent the "SNG" message from appearing.
- Check the Symbolic Link:
- Right-click the file or folder that is causing the error.
- Select Properties.
- Go to the Shortcut tab.
- Check the Target path. This will show you where the symbolic link points to.
If the target path is incorrect or inaccessible, you can either try to fix the link or delete it.
- Use a Command Prompt:
- Open a Command Prompt window.
- Use the command "dir /a /s" to list all files and folders, including hidden ones.
- This will show you the entire file system structure, including symbolic links, allowing you to identify and troubleshoot any problems.
Example:
Let's say you have a folder called "Documents" that is linked to a network drive using a symbolic link. When you run WinDirStat, it might encounter the symbolic link and display "SNG" because it cannot access the network drive. In this case, you can either disable symbolic link analysis or check the link to ensure it's pointing to the correct location.
Conclusion:
The "SNG" error message in WinDirStat is usually caused by symbolic links. By understanding what symbolic links are and how they work, you can troubleshoot the error effectively. You can either disable symbolic link analysis, check the links, or use a command prompt to identify and fix any problems.