The original post: /r/datahoarder by /u/BreadfruitExciting39 on 2025-03-13 15:32:54.
I just found out I apparently have an issue with the allocation unit size on my NAS, and folders with many small files take up an unreasonably large amount with respect to the “size on disk”. I am starting to run low on space on my NAS, and cannot afford to upgrade drives at the moment, so I am looking for ways to trim the fat. From what I understand, too large of allocation units can make small files waste a ton of space.
What I don’t understand is: if I delete a folder that takes up a huge amount of ‘size on disk’, the free space on the drive only increases by the file size that was deleted. For example, I have a folder that is ~400mb but reports taking up ~46gb on the disk. I would expect deleting that folder to provide me with 46gb more free space, but it only increases free space by 400mb.
Can anyone help me figure if it’s worth the time to find these directories and compress them in order to save the ‘size on disk’? Or will it not make much difference anyway?
