Settings or File Explorer
Open Settings → System → Storage for category totals, or right-click important folders and choose Properties.
MAZENHARD NAS PLANNING TOOLS
Current Files: find your NAS starting capacity
Inventory the data you use today across computers, phones, photos, media, creative projects and old drives—then carry one clean starting number into your NAS storage plan.
ComputersPhonesPhotosMediaCreative projectsArchives
STEP 1 OF NAS PLANNING
Measure what you use today
Your current files are the starting point for every useful NAS capacity estimate. Count the data that should live on the NAS—not the advertised capacity of every device.
This tool combines your computers, phones, photos, media and archives into one current-data figure. The full Storage Calculator can then apply annual growth, free-space headroom, RAID overhead and backup copies.
INTERACTIVE INVENTORY
Add the files that belong on your NAS
Use storage actually occupied. If the same file exists on several devices, count it once unless you intentionally want every copy on the NAS.Data categoryAmount currently used
WHERE TO FIND THE NUMBERS
Check used space—not drive size
Storage settings or Finder
Open System Settings → General → Storage, or select a folder in Finder and choose Get Info.
Device storage
Open Settings → General → iPhone/iPad Storage. Also check whether full-resolution photos live only in cloud storage.
Storage settings
Open Settings → Storage. Menu names vary by manufacturer and Android version.
Used capacity
Connect each drive safely and check used space. Review whether it contains unique data or duplicates.
Account storage details
Review Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud and other services for data you intend to bring onto the NAS.
WHAT SHOULD YOU COUNT?
Include unique source data and planned migrations
- Files that exist only on a computer or phone
- Full-resolution photos and videos
- Active project files and source media
- Unique archives on old devices or external drives
- Cloud files you plan to store locally
- Existing device-backup archives you want to retain
- Duplicate copies of the same photo library
- Applications that can be downloaded again
- Temporary render, cache and proxy folders
- Replaceable movies or music
- Old system backups past their retention period
- Trash, recycle bins and downloads you no longer need
When uncertain, keep the data in your planning estimate until you have verified a safe duplicate-removal and retention process.
AVOID DOUBLE COUNTING
Copies are not always additional source data
EXAMPLE
A 1TB photo library appears three times
The same library is on a laptop, an external drive and in cloud storage. If you are calculating the unique working data for the NAS, count 1TB—not 3TB.
DATA YOU MAY MISS
Look beyond obvious folders
Locally stored mailboxes and attachments can grow quietly.
Encrypted device backups may be much larger than visible photo folders.
Source files, proxies, previews and exports can multiply creative storage.
Disk images, snapshots and templates can each consume many gigabytes.
Camera count, bitrate, resolution and retention determine ongoing capacity.
Include every person and device that the NAS will protect.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Current files are only the starting number
Current files
Measure unique data that should live on the NAS.
Annual growth
Compound how quickly photos, video and work files increase.
Free-space headroom
Leave operating room for snapshots, updates and unexpected imports.
RAID and backup
Convert usable capacity into physical drives and independent copies.
FAQ
Current-files planning questions
Should I enter the total size or used space of a drive?
Enter used space that you genuinely plan to move or back up. A 2TB laptop with 600GB used normally contributes about 600GB, not 2TB.
Should I count files already in cloud storage?
Count cloud data if you want a complete local copy on the NAS. Do not count cloud-only data that will remain cloud-only.
Should I count duplicate files?
Count unique source data once. Add independent backup copies later, because backups and RAID should not be mixed into the current-file total.
Why add an overlooked-files allowance?
People commonly miss old drives, downloads, phone backups and hidden project data. A modest allowance reduces underestimation before long-term growth is added.
Does this tool include annual growth?
No. It intentionally measures only your starting data. Use the full Storage Calculator for compounded growth and future capacity.
Does this figure include RAID?
No. RAID is applied after determining the usable capacity target. For example, two 12TB drives in RAID 1 provide approximately 12TB before formatting—not 24TB.
What if I do not know an exact amount?
Use a reasonable higher estimate and keep the allowance enabled. You can revise the plan after checking each device more carefully.
Why is the result different from storage shown by my operating system?
Drive manufacturers and operating systems may use different units, and formatting or system files affect displayed capacity. This page uses simplified decimal GB and TB for planning.
READY FOR THE FULL PLAN?
Turn today’s files into tomorrow’s NAS
Use annual growth, headroom, RAID and backup copies to find a practical drive configuration.Educational estimate only. File sizes, allocation, duplicates, compression, cloud-only content and system reporting vary. Verify important data and maintain independent backups before deleting or migrating files.