Very often, users of the Windows 7 operating system (OS) have to deal with such a problem as a full local drive C.
And, as you know, this leads not only to longer data processing and system failures, but also to its complete deactivation. So why does this happen, and how to free up the local disk?
The main reasons for the system local disk to be full
Local drive C, also known as the system local drive, is a place to store data for the entire OS, as well as to locate and link program files of various functions to the system.
It follows from this that when installing Windows on a computer, we need a relatively small amount of memory for volume C. Only about 100 GB of memory will be quite enough for it, because the OS, together with the full package of necessary programs, usually takes up no more than 50 GB.
This value will remain true if the user, due to his carelessness, does not clutter up the disk with all kinds of games, audio, video and other files downloaded from the Internet, which is usually the root cause of the system disk becoming full.
The fact is that any game is also a program, the purpose and functions of which are very different from the work of utility and system programs of the operating system. However, when installing a game, like any program, the installation manager always specifies the path for further unpacking of the files. By default, in all programs in this case the path to the local drive C is specified.
Therefore, when installing the next game, users are strictly recommended to change the file unpacking path to any local drive, except for the drive with the letter “C”.
As for downloaded files from the Internet, the system provides for this the path to the “Downloads” folder, also located on the system drive, namely: C:\Users\Computer name\Downloads
So what happens to the data in this folder if it is not systematically deleted? The answer is obvious: the weight of the folder increases over time, taking away more and more free space on the local drive C.
In order to save yourself from constantly monitoring the amount of memory in the “Downloads” folder, we simply redirect the flow of information from the network to another local drive, fortunately this function is present in the settings of any of the browsers.
Let’s create a new folder in advance on another local drive, which will become a new cell for downloads from the Internet and give it a name, in this case it’s “Inet Failes“:
Then, in the browser, specify the path to this folder (using the Yandex browser as an example):
The next reason is filling the desktop with all kinds of shortcuts and folders. Undoubtedly, moving frequently used files directly to the desktop is, on the one hand, convenient and saves time, and on the other hand, again, it takes up a certain amount of free memory on the C drive.
The “Desktop” folder has the address: C:\Users\Computer name\Desktop. Here you can see all the shortcuts currently available on the desktop in the form of a list.
How to clean local disk?
Very often, users are interested in: “Why does the local disk fill up on its own?” Below we will look at the main reasons for its “autocomplete”
Turn off automatic Windows updates
A significant amount of memory is bloodthirstyly “eaten up” by any next Windows update.
If we let this process take its course, we will find that as a result of several such updates, practically nothing is left of the disk space. And if we increase the volume size as much as possible when installing the OS, the disk will eventually become full, but a little later.
To prevent this, you should disable automatic Windows updates.
We do this using the following algorithm: Start menu - Control Panel - System and Security - Enable or disable automatic updates.
In the window that opens, set the option “Do not check for updates (not recommended).” If there are any checkmarks in the items below, remove them and click the “Ok” button.
Disabling hibernation
A relatively large amount of memory can be freed up by disabling hibernation. Hibernation is one of the sleep modes that allows you to save data before turning off the computer, without closing previously open applications.
How often do we use this mode? No? Then, in order to free up space on the local disk, we will disable hibernation, thereby obtaining a significant part of the free disk memory.
To do this, in the Start menu in the search bar, enter the command - cmd;
open the file that appears using the right button and run as administrator;
in the window that opens, enter: powercfg hibernate off;
Press the “Enter” button on the keyboard and close the window.
After these manipulations, let’s pay attention to the memory capacity of drive C. Having discovered that there is a significant increase in free space, we move on to the next point.
About the Recycle Bin and Temp Folder
Basket. After deletion, the files located here can also be easily restored. This means that each deleted file entering the recycle bin borrows from its volume (and therefore directly from the system disk memory reserve) at the time of storage exactly as many GB as it weighs. Therefore, it is recommended not to forget to periodically empty the Recycle Bin of unnecessary files. The required size of which can be specified through its properties: replace the parameter with the desired one and click Ok.
The next method is to delete temporary files from the Temp folder, located at: local drive C:\Windows\Temp. Here we freely and fearlessly delete all files, if any.
Disabling Windows Recovery
Concluding this article, it is worth noting such an environment as Windows System Restore. This powerful tool is used in the event of system resuscitation in the event of an unplanned failure. A very useful system utility, at the same time, it takes up a large amount of system disk memory.
However, if we need to continue cleaning drive C, we can easily disable System Restore. To do this, go to the Start menu - Computer.
On the white background of the window, right-click - Properties - System Protection (top left).
Click on “Local Disk (C:) (System)” and below click on the “Configure” button.
We move the marker to “Disable system protection” and below, opposite “deleting all restore points”, click on the “Delete” button.
All of the above actions can be used both in combination and separately, at the discretion of the user. If necessary, all settings can be returned in reverse order. When enabling hibernation, enter in the command line: powercfg hibernate on.
During the operation of a computer with the Windows operating system, various data invariably accumulates on drive C. This data includes installed programs, files on your desktop, saved documents, and temporary files. As a result, a situation may occur where . This leads to the fact that the operating system and installed programs cannot properly save their settings, temporary files and work results. This, in turn, leads to the fact that the computer begins to slow down greatly and it becomes almost impossible to work on it. In this article we will talk about how to get rid of unnecessary files and free up disk space.
Step #1: Clean your desktop.
If you want to clean up your C drive, the first thing you need to do is clean up your desktop. All files that are on your desktop are physically located on the “C” drive. Therefore, moving files from the desktop to another drive (for example, drive D) will immediately free up a lot of occupied space on the system drive.
Step #2: Check your C drive.
Sometimes, in order to clean up drive C, it is enough to look at what is saved on it and transfer user files to another drive. Carefully inspect the folders on drive C. If you find folders or files that are not part of the operating system or installed programs, you can move them. For example, it’s not uncommon to find a Downloads folder on drive C, which is used by various download managers.
You also need to look at which folder your browser downloads files to. For example, downloads files to the C:\Users\User\Downloads folder. Check this folder and move its contents to another drive.
Step No. 3. Use the Disk Cleanup function.
The developers of the Windows operating system foresaw the need to clean up the C drive and created the corresponding function. Open “My Computer” and right-click on the C drive and select “Properties” in the window that opens.
After this, the “Properties” window will open in front of you. Here you need to click on the “Disk Cleanup” button.
After clicking on the “Disk Cleanup” button, the operating system will analyze the files on drive “C” and offer a list of files that can be deleted without harming the operation of the computer.
You must check the boxes next to the files you want to delete and click on the “OK” button. After this, the system will warn you about deleting files and clean up drive C.
Step #4: Remove unused programs.
If the previous steps are not enough for you and you still don’t know how to clean the C drive, then you can remove programs that you rarely use. To do this, open (or the Start screen with tiles if you are using Windows 8) and search for “Add or remove.” After that, run the Add/Remove Programs program. You can also run this tool through the Control Panel (Control Panel - Programs - Programs and Features).
After this, a list of installed programs will open in front of you. In order to remove an unnecessary program, you need to right-click on it and select the “Delete” menu item.
Step No. 5. Other ways to clean up drive C.
There are also more radical ways to clean drive C. They are recommended to be used only as a last resort:
- Disable hibernation mode. uses space on drive C. By disabling this feature you can save several gigabytes of space. To do this, open a command prompt with administrator rights and run the command powercfg.exe -h off.
- Disable System Restore. System Restore also uses up system disk space. In order to clean up drive C, you can disable this function. To do this, go to: Start - Control Panel - System and Security - System - Advanced system settings - System Protection tab.
Unfortunately, inattention to the performance of a personal computer in most cases reduces it to nothing, which, of course, affects the performance and functionality of the device. The quality of work and the correct execution of all processes on a computer depend on the degree of clutter with foreign objects and other debris. You can solve the problem with Windows performance; you just need to clean your computer’s hard drive.
Why clean your hard drive?
The most common way to optimize an operating system is to clean the hard drive from unnecessary and even harmful files. These can be copies, reports of active programs, temporary files, cache of browser programs, etc. Due to the excessive clutter of the HDD, the cache memory overflows, and maximum RAM access to the hard drive occurs. In addition, the operating system stops working correctly, and the search for data and the necessary clusters takes several times longer. Therefore, the disk must be cleaned at some intervals.
Paths where you can manually delete temporary files:
The standard Windows Disk Cleanup tool is also used to clean the disk from temporary and unused files. Click “Start” -> “All Programs” -> “Accessories” -> “System Tools”. Then we launch the program. We select the disk we need, remove/place the indicators opposite exactly those categories of files that need to be cleaned (deleted), and proceed to clean it.
The simplest and most reliable way to optimize
How to clean a disk from junk in Windows 7 using CCleaner
CCleaner is a simple and extremely effective program for cleaning and optimizing the system. One of the best programs in terms of reliability and breadth of use profile. It has many advantages: speed of startup/work, high-quality search and removal of temporary and unnecessary system files, as well as correction of registry errors quite effectively. There is also a paid and free version. However, in the free version the loss in functionality is minimal.
Main menu of the program. Clearing selected areas
Program features
- cleaning system debris;
- cleaning the registry;
- clearing website history;
- search and destroy temporary files;
- managing system restore points;
- removing unnecessary programs from startup;
- support for Windows operating systems. Mac OS X, Android (mobile version);
CCleaner only works with the current account. The PRO version works with all administrator accounts.
During use, problems occur with cleaning the registry: the program makes mistakes and does not complete the cleaning process. Conflicts with the Google Chrome browser, does not clear the contents of the browser history, and destroys all settings. Other types of problems are minor. It occupies a high place in the ranking of similar service programs and has excellent reviews on the developer’s official website.
Video: how to use CCleaner
Cleaning via Advanced SystemCare
The program is a package of basic options for debugging, repairing, restoring, and simply monitoring the system for any malfunctions. Presented in two versions: paid and free. As a rule, the free version does not always work correctly, especially since it does not include all the system protection components provided by IObit. The free version update fails on many computers or does not occur at all. However, the program in terms of functionality and form of execution in the interface differs sharply from all others for the better. Therefore, if the user is seriously interested in increasing productivity, it is worth using Advanced SystemCare.
Optimization main menu
Key software features
- cleaning the hard drive from debris;
- registry optimization;
- eliminating detected system errors;
- protection against spyware and other malware;
- autoload settings;
- specialized game mode;
- includes more than 15 different utilities;
- includes Russian interface.
The process of cleaning the computer system from unnecessary files
Often, during optimization in the background, the program itself greatly slows down the system, preventing other applications from working correctly. The new version often conflicts with the operating system. The software may malfunction even after it has been rolled back to a working state.
Getting organized with Red Button
Tweaker is a program designed to control hidden system functions. Often a tweaker is a control panel for other programs that are responsible for configuring the operating system. That is, a tweaker is a tool for regulating the OS.
Red Button is such a program. It has virtually no analogues in its class and is easy to use: the program requires the press of one button to operate.
Configuring program components and functions
Initially, the program was conceived as an easy, uncomplicated solution for optimizing the system for amateur users. All you need to do is press the big red button. The result will come by itself. This is the simplicity of the program.
The latest versions of Red Button have recently been paid. There are analogues of the program, the prices for which have now been raised as much as possible. According to reviews, the program is not highly reliable, and there is nothing unusual in its operation. Red Button is the simplest common tool for optimizing and cleaning the system.
Red Button tweaker features:
The program, like many similar ones, monitors the state of the computer and its performance. The capabilities of the new version allow you to organize work with your hard drive and computer information better than other programs. It consists of several components, each of which is responsible for a specific function.
Key Features
removing unnecessary files (Disk Cleaner);
defragmentation (Disk Defrag and Registry Defrag);
cleaning the registry (Registry Cleaner);
fixing bad sectors on a hard drive (Disk Doctor);
Internet optimization (Internet Optimizer);
complete deletion of files (Track Eraser);
recovering deleted files (File Recovery);
search for identical files (Duplicate File Finder);
disabling system services (Services Manager);
setting up startup (Startup Manager);
setting up processes (Task Manager);
information about files on the hard drive (Disk Explorer);
system information (System Information);
And other.
Version of the program in English. Main menu for optimizing and cleaning RAM (system status overview)
Using Disk Cleaner
A convenient program for cleaning and optimizing the system by freeing up free space on your hard drive. Unlike many analogues, it is very easy to use. It is distinguished by the quality of the procedures performed and the reliability of its work. The main tool of the program is scanning the system for reasons for poor performance. After scanning, the program automatically suggests cleaning methods, which eliminates any negative consequences of its operation.
Registry cleaning components have also been added to the main program tool, which has a positive effect on optimization. It is not necessary to focus on just the computer's file system. There are many more factors that influence the proper operation of a PC. Disk Cleaner takes this into account.
As part of the Auslogics BoostSpeed optimization software package, this program performs a specific set of functions required by the user. To use all the capabilities of the package, the user himself can comprehensively use several utilities at once.
Video: overview of the Auslogics BoostSpeed software package
The application includes tools for fine-tuning the system in order to optimize it. An analogue of widely used programs with competent implementation of the functions required by the user. In addition to the main functions, the program configures user network connections and clears system memory. Including freeing up free space on your hard drive.
Monitoring the state of the system and recommendations for the use of certain program tools
Video: installation and overview of TuneUp Utilities
RevoUninstaller
The program includes several control modules that divide the functionality of the program into several sections. This was done for ease of use of the program. The range of tasks performed is expanded by adding modules, but the main task of the program is to uninstall programs installed on the PC. Many malfunctioning applications cannot be uninstalled passively or manually by the user. This program exists for such cases.
Main menu of the program. Cleaning autorun and the impact of programs on RAM load
The program also works with the history of browser programs, the history of MS Office components, and deletes the history of working with system files.
The utility is presented in a free version. Its main function is to remove and disable programs that negatively affect system performance. A consequence of a cluttered system is the presence of programs that interfere with the operation of the system. This utility copes with the negative impact of programs clogging the OP.
The user can select unused components that should be disabled.
Diagram of system performance and load (optimization main menu)
Clogged RAM and hard drive
Below are several effective methods that will certainly save the user from problems with loading RAM and cluttered hard drive. In order not to clog up the RAM, you need to close and minimize tabs in the browser program in a timely manner, also close applications in the system itself, and also periodically reboot the computer. This will get rid of problems with hanging processes that do not appear in the task manager.
Installation of programs should be done in a pre-selected folder in a sector free from the main operating system. Simply put, all side programs should be kept as far away from system areas as possible. This is done in order not to affect the processes of polling these areas by some side requests and processes.
Using a reliable antivirus will save the user from disk clogging. Many malware are designed to fill up all free disk space with unwanted files, which interferes with the normal operation of the system.
Paying attention to the state of the hard disk file system is an important task for every user. The correct operation of programs and applications depends on the completion of this task. And, of course, the computer performance itself. Without the proper level of performance, any device turns into a useless pile of hardware. And to prevent this from happening, it is important to remember about existing methods and techniques for cleaning memory, optimizing and unloading the operating system.
Over time, a large number of unnecessary files accumulate on the main partition of the hard drive, which is called the letter C by default, taking up a lot of space. Since the disk allocated for the system and system elements most often has a small volume, the presence of temporary files and files left over from deleted programs can lead to the fact that free space on the disk becomes catastrophically low. Manually deleting files from this drive is very difficult because they may be located very deep in the folder system, and it is also dangerous because you can accidentally erase items that are necessary for the computer to function correctly. To safely clean up your system disk in Windows 10, your best bet is to use the built-in Disk Cleanup program.
Windows 10 Disk Cleanup: Built-in Tools
There are several ways to open the Disk Cleanup program in Windows 10. Remember that you should only use it if drive C is full and there is no way to clean it by removing third-party programs.
Through command execution
Via control panel
How to use the program
- In the “Disk Cleanup” block, you need to check all the departments that you want to clean.
- Having selected a department, you can read all the information about what it contains, as well as view the files that belong to this section by clicking the “View files” button.
- To proceed to removing system files, click the “Clean up system files” button. You will need administrator rights to access this feature. But it is better not to remove any elements of the system, as this may lead to system breakdown or incorrect operation.
- In the “Advanced” tab, you can proceed to remove unnecessary programs by clicking the “Clean” button in the “Programs and Features” block.
- In the “System Restore and Shadow Copies” block, you can click the “Clean” button to proceed to deleting unnecessary recovery points that also take up space on drive C. It is not recommended to delete all points, and it is also better to save one or two of the last ones in order to always have the ability to roll back the system if some error occurs that cannot be corrected by other methods.
- Once you have selected which partitions you want to clean and have ticked them, click the OK button to begin the process. Do not interrupt the cleaning process or turn off the computer so that no errors occur and all files are deleted correctly.
Advanced Cleaning
Each user with administrator rights has the opportunity to launch the Disk Cleanup program with more options than there are during normal startup.
What to do if the application does not start
The program may not open using any of the above methods only because the file responsible for launching the application is not in the default path. Try to find this file manually, it may be located in the following path: C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386. If it is not there either, or the folder itself does not exist, then there is only one thing left to do - use third-party programs to clean up the disk.
How to clean up drive C on Windows 10 using third-party programs and applications
There are many programs that allow you to clean your hard drive from unnecessary and temporary files. Many of them are distributed on the Internet for free and are in no way inferior to the built-in Disk Cleanup program. Next, we will consider the most popular, convenient and easy-to-use applications.
CCleaner
The positive aspects of this program include the following qualities:
Kaspersky Cleaner
A program from a well-known campaign that previously specialized only in antiviruses, but has now started producing applications with other tasks. You can download Cleaner from Kaspersky from the official website by finding it in the general list of all programs -
The main advantage of the application is its simple design, which allows you to complete all the necessary tasks by pressing one “Start scanning” button.
Also, if you don’t like the changes made by the program after the last session, you can cancel them by clicking the “Cancel Changes” button in the main menu.
What can cause your hard drive to fill up?
If you have cleaned up your disk using one of the above methods, but have not freed up enough space, try the following:
- Manually go through all the files stored on the drive and see which ones can be moved to another drive or deleted. Do not touch system files and programs; you can only move and edit elements that you personally added.
- Remove unnecessary third-party programs that are definitely not useful to you.
- Check your computer for viruses. Perhaps the virus itself takes up some of the free space or regularly downloads advertising files and applications that clog up the disk.
It is recommended that you clean out the C drive regularly, as how busy it is will determine how quickly the computer can find the files you need and present them to the user. That is, if drive C is overloaded, the system runs slower. And also, all browsers and other programs send temporary files and cache to the main disk by default, and if there is no space on it, then there will be nowhere to store the necessary elements. Based on all the problems described, we can conclude that it is worth cleaning the disk using special programs at least once a month.
In the life of every user, sooner or later there comes a moment when running out of free space on drive C and a similar message pops up. At the same time, the computer begins to slow down terribly, many programs do not work correctly or do not work at all. It is advisable to avoid such a situation, but if it has befallen you, in this article I will tell you how to deal with it - Free up space on your system drive without damaging the system.
1. Windows temporary files
The first thing to do in such cases is to delete temporary Windows files. To do this, you need to delete all the contents of the folders:
\Temp
\WINDOWS\TEMP
for Windows XP:
\Documents and Settings\<имя_пользователя>\Local Settings\Temp
\Documents and Settings\<имя_пользователя>\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
\Documents and Settings\<имя_пользователя>\Local Settings\History
for Windows 7, Vista:
\Users\<имя_пользователя>\AppData\Local\Temp
\Users\<имя_пользователя>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
\Users\<имя_пользователя>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
In all “beast builds” of Windows, the location of the temporary folder may differ. To find the temporary folder, follow these steps:
Start -> Run(for Windows XP)
Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Run(for Windows 7, Vista)
In the Run window, in the Open field, enter the following text: %TEMP%
Click on the button "OK«.
It is best to delete files using a file manager such as Total Commander because: a) folder Local Settings usually hidden and the user may simply not find it; b) in a folder Temp There are several files that cannot be deleted because they are currently in use by the system. For Windows Explorer, this becomes an impossible task and it cannot completely clean the folder:
For Total Commander, both of these issues do not pose problems.
2. Windows update files
After operating system updates in the folder \WINDOWS\ There are still many folders whose names begin with “$...” You can also delete them all:
3. Browser cache
Internet browsers Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer (especially version 6) sometimes leave behind a huge amount of garbage on the system disk, which is also sometimes useful to clean. This is done like this:
for Mozilla Firefox: Tools -> Erase Recent History. Select item "All", press "OK":
for Opera: Settings -> Delete personal data. You can expand the list " Detailed setting", press " Delete«:
for Chrome: Chrome menu (toolbar) -> Tools -> Clear browsing data. Select the item " during all this time", press the button "Clear the history":
for Internet Explorer: Service -> Delete browsing history, or Service -> Internet Options ->
Are common ->
Browsing history ->
"Delete" button... 
In this way, you can clear drive C from several gigabytes of garbage, which consists mainly of many thousands of small (up to 10 kb) files, which can significantly slow down the operation of browsers and the computer as a whole.
4. Downloading browsers, torrent clients, DC, MediaGet, DownloadMaster, etc.
By default, all program data loads files onto the “C” drive, which very quickly leads to its clogging. To prevent this, it is necessary to configure the paths for saving files from the Internet “not on drive C” in each such program.
for Mozilla Firefox: Tools -> Settings -> General -> Path to save files:
for Opera: Settings -> Advanced -> Downloads - > Save downloaded files to:
for Chrome: Chrome menu (toolbar) -> Settings -> Advanced settings:
for uTorrent: Settings -> Program settings -> Folders
For other programs that download anything from the Internet or local network, the setup principle is the same.
5. Mail program databases (TheBat, Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Office Outlook, etc.)
With intensive exchange of information using email programs, the size of their databases can grow to incredible sizes over time. It is advisable to take this point into account at the stage of installing and configuring these programs, but if you haven’t done this, it doesn’t matter, you can still fix it.
for TheBat: Mailbox -> Mailbox Properties -> Files and Directories:
for Microsoft Office Outlook: Tools -> Email Accounts -> View or change existing accounts-> Create Outlook data file:
You can check whether everything is correct and at the same time delete an unnecessary file from drive “C” here: Tools -> Options -> Mail settings-> Data files:
For other email programs, everything is configured according to the same principles.
7. Temporary program files
Programs that work with large amounts of data, such as disc burning programs (for example, Nero Burning ROM), video (for example, Pinnacle Studio), audio editors, image processing programs (for example, Adobe Photoshop) during their work create temporary files of large size (the so-called “cache”) and, if there is not enough free space to create them, they refuse to work normally, and various failures occur. To prevent this, you need to promptly transfer their temporary files to another disk:
Nero Burning ROM: File -> Presets -> Cache:
Pinnacle Studio: Settings -> Project Options:
Adobe Photoshop: Editing-> Settings -> Performance:
8. Games
From the very beginning of using a computer, you should make it a rule: “If possible, do not install games on drive “C”! Moreover, modern games take up several DVDs, and after installation they can take up several tens of gigabytes. After installing several of these games, you will run out of free space on any disk, no matter how large it is:
9. My Documents and Desktop
This problem dates back to the dinosaur days of the very first versions of Windows. 8 generations of the operating system have already changed, and user folders are still located on the system drive. Moreover, it has worsened: starting with Windows Vista, additional folders have been added to them, such as “Pictures”, “Videos”, “Music”, “Downloads”, “Games”, “Contacts”, “Searches”, “Links” ...
There is also no standard procedure for transferring all user folders to another local drive. There are only a few possibilities, for example, in Windows XP you can move the “My Documents” folder:
Quite experienced and novice PC users have a bad habit of saving the necessary and most needed files on the desktop. A dozen or two gigabytes of information on your desktop is, unfortunately, not at all uncommon! What can you recommend? There is only one thing - to completely refuse to use these “wonderful opportunities” and keep all important information NOT on drive C. Moreover, the probability of losing information stored on drive “C” is much higher than on any other logical drive.
10.Programs
Review the list of installed programs and remove those that you will no longer use, especially large ones:
11. Sleep mode
If all else fails, disabling the use of sleep mode will save from 1 to 5 additional gigabytes.
for Windows XP: Start-> Control Panel -> Appearance and Themes -> Screen -> Screensaver -> Power -> Sleep Mode. Uncheck " Allow use of sleep mode»
for Windows 7, Vista: Start -> Control Panel -> Power supply -> Setting up a power plan -> Put your computer into sleep mode -> « Never". You can also disable the sleep function. Select "Change advanced power settings" and in the window, find sleep mode and turn it off. After disabling Sleep Mode, you can delete the hidden hiberfil.sys file in the root directory of the system disk. It’s a little easier to do this with help: just enter the command “ powercfg -hibernate -off«.
12. Other
Large files can appear in any other place on the system disk, where you wouldn’t expect to see it:
- log files of some programs can grow to many tens of gigabytes;
- one of the users may safely hide and forget the “collection of videos”. Where is the best place to do this? Of course, somewhere in the wilds of system folders on drive “C”;
- some program or plugin for Photoshop stores its database (10-100 GB in size) in a user folder;
In such cases, it is necessary to check the size of all folders (including hidden and system) and find the “culprit” by eliminating. Using the Total Commander program, this is again easier to do: just press the Ctrl+Alt+Enter key combination in an open folder and the size of all attached files and folders will appear in the palm of your hand:
Another case: the folder for temporary files of Avira antivirus has grown to an incredible 16 GB:
13. Basket
Emptying the Recycle Bin is a fairly obvious way to clean up disks of already deleted files, but sometimes quite a large number of files accumulate there, which also negatively affects computer performance.
13. Cleaner programs
There are a huge number of programs that promise, with the click of one or maximum two buttons, to solve all the user’s problems with computer performance and raise it to unprecedented heights. As practice and common sense show, these programs can only solve some (or rather only 1, 2 and 3, and some other little things) from the problems described above, which in this particular case may well not be the most important problem. Although automating this process saves time: it is much faster to automatically delete temporary files than to clean them out manually. Standard disk cleanup program ( Start -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Cleanup) is slightly worse than alternatives (eg CCleaner).
14. What else do they write about on the “Internet”
On “our Internets” there are also many fables, myths, unverified facts and outright misinformation. These, from my point of view, include:
- deleting, resizing, moving the swap file;
- deleting backup copies of system files, drivers;
- removal or modification of operating system components;
- removing duplicate operating system files;
- formatting drive C.
It is not advisable to touch operating system components without a clear understanding of what exactly you are doing and why.
15. Summary
Long gone are the days when you could put Windows, a bunch of programs and a lot of data into a 1 GB hard drive and still manage to work and play games. The amount of memory on the average user's hard drives has already crossed the mark of several terabytes, but the problems remain the same. Well, artificial intelligence will not soon replace experience and common sense. Keep an eye on the free space - for comfortable operation of the operating system there should be at least no less than 1/3 of the disk capacity, or no less (or preferably more) several gigabytes. The final step of this work is to achieve an even better result.
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