A modern GUI application for Windows that enables advanced NTFS compression using XPRESS and LZX algorithms. This tool provides an easy-to-use interface for compressing files and folders with Windows' built-in advanced compression algorithms, offering better compression ratios than the traditional NTFS compression.
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🗜️ Multiple Compression Algorithms
- XPRESS4K (Fast, low compression)
- XPRESS8K (Medium, balanced)
- XPRESS16K (Slow, higher compression)
- LZX (Ultra, highest compression ratio)
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📊 Detailed Status Reports
- View compression status of all files
- See which algorithm is currently applied
- Display actual size vs. size on disk
- Calculate compression savings percentage
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🎯 Smart Compression Options
- Skip already compressed files
- Recompress files if algorithm differs
- Defer initial measurement for faster startup (Default: On)
- Verbose logging toggle for detailed output control
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💻 User-Friendly Interface
- Modern Tkinter GUI
- Real-time ASCII progress bar (in non-verbose mode)
- Live log output with performance optimizations
- Stop operation at any time
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📈 Comprehensive Reporting
- Before and after disk space comparison
- File-by-file compression results
- Easy-to-read formatted output
- Operating System: Windows 10/11 (with NTFS filesystem)
- Python: 3.6 or higher
- Privileges: Administrator rights (required for compression operations)
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Download the latest release
- Go to Releases
- Download
NTFS-Compactor-v1.0.1-Windows.zip - Extract and run
NTFS-Compactor-v1.0.1.exeas administrator - No Python installation needed!
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Or clone the repository (for Python users)
git clone https://github.com/b-elci/ntfs-compactor.git cd ntfs-compactor -
No external dependencies required! The application uses only Python standard library modules.
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Run the application
python compactor.py
Or run as administrator (recommended):
- Right-click on
compactor.py - Select "Run as administrator"
- Right-click on
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Select a Folder
- Click the "Browse..." button
- Choose the folder you want to compress
- The tool will measure the current disk usage (unless "Defer measurement" is checked)
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Choose Compression Algorithm
- XPRESS4K: Fastest compression, lowest ratio (~5-15% savings)
- XPRESS8K: Balanced performance and compression (~10-25% savings)
- XPRESS16K: Slower compression, better ratio (~15-35% savings)
- LZX: Best compression ratio, slowest (~20-50% savings)
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Select Behavior
- Skip: Don't recompress files that are already compressed
- Recompress if different: Recompress files that use a different algorithm
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Operations
- Show Status: Scan and display current compression status without making changes
- Compress: Apply selected compression algorithm to all files in folder
- Stop: Cancel the current operation
- Defer measurement: Check this option to skip the initial folder size measurement, which can be slow for large folders. The measurement will be performed when you start compression.
The status report shows:
Status | Algorithm | Size → On Disk | Savings % | File Path
-------------|--------------|---------------------|-----------|----------
Compressed | LZX | 10.50 MB → 5.25 MB | 50% | C:\path\to\file.dat
Uncompressed | - | 2.00 MB → 2.00 MB | 0% | C:\path\to\file2.txt
This tool wraps the Windows compact.exe command-line utility with a modern GUI:
- Status Checking: Queries file compression status using
compact /q - Compression: Applies compression using
compact /c /exe:algorithm - Size Measurement: Uses Windows API
GetCompressedFileSizeWfor accurate disk space reporting
- XPRESS: Microsoft's fast compression algorithm with multiple block sizes
- LZX: Microsoft's high-ratio compression based on LZ77 and Huffman coding
- LZNT1: Legacy NTFS compression (detected but not applied by this tool)
The modern GUI interface showing compression options, progress tracking, and live output.
- Windows Only: This tool only works on Windows with NTFS file system
- Administrator Rights: Required for applying compression
- File Access: Files in use cannot be compressed
- Performance: Compression is CPU-intensive and may take time for large folders
- Compatibility: Compressed files remain fully compatible and accessible
- Decompression: Files automatically decompress when copied to non-NTFS drives
- 🎯 Start Small: Test on a small folder first to understand the behavior
- 💾 Choose Wisely: Use LZX for archival data, XPRESS8K for frequently accessed files
- ⏱️ Be Patient: Large folders can take considerable time to compress
- 🔄 Backup First: Although safe, always backup important data before compression
- 📊 Monitor Results: Use "Show Status" to verify compression results
Problem: "Access Denied" errors
- Solution: Run as Administrator
Problem: Files not compressing
- Solution: Ensure files are not in use and the file system is NTFS
Problem: Slow performance
- Solution: Use faster algorithm (XPRESS4K) or enable "Defer measurement"
Problem: Compression not showing results
- Solution: Check that the drive supports NTFS compression
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes:
- Fork the repository
- Create your feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature) - Commit your changes (
git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature') - Push to the branch (
git push origin feature/AmazingFeature) - Open a Pull Request
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
- Built with Python's Tkinter for cross-version compatibility
- Uses Windows API for accurate size reporting
- Leverages Windows built-in
compact.exeutility - Icon: Data compression icons created by Freepik - Flaticon
Barış Elçi (b-elci)
Created with ❤️ for the Windows power user community
If you encounter any issues or have questions:
- Open an issue on GitHub
- Check existing issues for solutions
If you find this tool useful, consider supporting its development:
Your support helps maintain and improve this project!
Note: This tool provides a user-friendly interface to Windows' built-in compression features. It does not introduce any new compression algorithms or modify Windows system files.