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Xylem 0.4.0

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@github-actions github-actions released this 12 Nov 06:05
· 59 commits to main since this release
v0.4.0
1b66c98

Xylem

Xylem 0.4.0: a fast disk space analyzer for Windows 10/11. It shows what fills your drive, what each thing is, and whether it's safe to delete.

New in 0.4

  • Ways to save space (the new Save space button): two lists from your scan, biggest first.
    • Compress: folders and big files whose files haven't changed or arrived for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, with the expected saving and a one-click Compress… (Maximum suggested for things untouched for a year).
    • Other ways: caches and temp files, build folders in old projects, AI model stores, Recycle Bin, hibernation file, previous Windows, restore points, big files that won't compress, WSL/Docker disks, OneDrive copies, folder copies, old installers, duplicates and Compact OS, each with its size and exactly how.
      Nothing is changed from this window.
  • Arrival dates: downloads and unpacked datasets keep their authors' old dates. Xylem now also reads when each file arrived on your PC, so a dataset downloaded last month no longer looks "2 years old".
  • Honest compression estimates from real measurements per file type (e.g. text ~55%, EEG .edf ~33%, .npy ~15%, .parquet/.pt ~6–8% with Fast) instead of a flat 50%.
  • Safer cache labels: a folder named cache inside your own projects is now "check first", not "safe to clear"; app caches in AppData stay safe.
  • Fixed: the drive strip and totals at the bottom now update after Compress/Uncompress.
  • Help wanted: a call for compression research and a list of open problems: see CONTRIBUTING.md and docs/HELP-WANTED.md.

In 0.3

  • Fast built-in compression (right-click → Compress…, ~15× faster than compact.exe in our tests, undoable), Similar folders, and fixes for compressed files in the normal scan and for "What changed" across scan methods.

What it does

  • Scans a whole NTFS drive in about 1–2 seconds by reading its Master File Table, read-only, after the Windows admin prompt. Without admin it walks folders (no prompt).
  • Tree-table with a sunburst or treemap. Groups by location or by category (apps, media, dev stuff, AI & data, system, temp & caches…).
  • Explains known folders in plain English with a safety label, and locks Windows and system folders.
  • Deletes only to the Recycle Bin, after you confirm. It re-checks the item on disk first and warns about OneDrive folders, Git repositories and very large deletes. A deletion history is kept on your PC.
  • No network connections, no telemetry, no accounts.

Download

  • xylem-setup-0.4.0.exe: installer (recommended). Installs into Program Files, which protects the admin helper used by Fast scan. Includes an uninstaller (Settings → Apps).
  • xylem-0.4.0-portable.zip: no install. Unzip and run xylem.exe.

Signature: Not signed yet (SignPath application pending). Windows SmartScreen will warn; check the SHA-256 checksums below.

Code signing policy

Free code signing provided by SignPath.io, certificate by SignPath Foundation (pending approval).

Every file in this release was built by GitHub Actions from the tagged commit of JayD108/Xylem. Team roles and the privacy policy are on the project page.

Privacy: this program will not transfer any information to other networked systems unless specifically requested by the user or the person installing or operating it.

SHA-256 checksums

7425d2c1bb7794e7979030db5a1a1386a53290bb554e569679da7dc2daab2fe3  xylem-cli.exe
019ff11bb8516fab82e04348eba137ab949ce2264ed3ab9ca1093a603fe05bac  xylem-setup-0.4.0.exe
12ddd11131e168b6016e89f92e056fe1d90e5ac2dde3525d93f54a6053d14181  xylem.exe
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