The free space of the C drive during the operation of Windows is constantly decreasing. Regardless of the user's actions - whether he wants it or not. Temporary files, archives, cookies and browser cache and other software elements, having completed their one-time mission (updating, installing, unpacking), settle in the folders of section C. Plus, useful megabytes and gigabytes absorb some functional Windows modules.
The first remedy for such "clutter" is a comprehensive cleaning of the C drive. It must be done regularly and in a timely manner. Otherwise, the section will overflow, and you will not be able to fully use the OS and, accordingly, the PC. Windows will constantly interrupt your work with warning messages - "not enough memory". It will no longer be possible to watch the video online, since the browser will not be able to save the content downloaded from the server on the computer. Other troubles may also occur.
Getting Started Cleaning Drive C: What You Need to Know and Do
Removing from the disk C of any unnecessary elements is a very delicate procedure. Requires increased caution and attention from the user. "Cleaning" should not harm the OS.
Deleting files in folders is contraindicated:
- Windows (the heart of the OS - all its components are stored here);
- Boot (system boot files);
- ProgramData (completely impossible! Installed applications may not start);
- ProgramFiles (installed software);
- Users (user data).
Some folders that need to be “cleaned up” are hidden by default, that is, they are not displayed in directories. To get to them, do the following:
1. Press the key combination - "Win + E" at the same time.
2. In the Computer window, press the Alt key.
3. A horizontal menu will appear at the top of the window. Hover over the "Service" section. In the submenu, click "Folder Options ...".
4. In the options settings, go to the "View" tab.
5. Scroll to the end of the list of options under " Extra options:».
6. Uncheck the box next to "Hide protected system ...". Turn on the radio button "Show hidden files ..." by clicking the mouse.
7. Click OK.
Where to start cleaning drive C?
First of all, you need to empty the trash:
- hover over its icon;
- press the right mouse button;
- select "Empty Trash" from the menu.
Large, small files, regardless of which partition they are stored on (drive D, E or C), after deletion, they are sent to C:\RECYCLER, the Recycle Bin file. As a result, the free space of the system partition is reduced. Deleting a large video file or image (for example, iso file) with a shortage of extra gigabytes, can easily lead to the overflow of drive C.
Advice! Before emptying the trash, check your desktop for unnecessary shortcuts. Their sizes are not large, but the fewer useless files, the better.
Disk cleanup with a standard Windows utility
1. Click the "Start" icon.
2. In the right column, click "Computer".
3. Right-click on the C drive icon. Select "Properties" from the menu.
4. In the properties panel, on the General tab, click the Disk Cleanup button.
5. Wait a while while the system checks the directories for junk files.
6. Next, in the "Delete the following files" section, select which elements to delete and which to leave (check the boxes).
7. Click "Clean up system files", and then - "OK".
Note. The use of this utility can be limited if there are no strong “blockages” in the system. When you need to clear 2, 3, 5 or more GB, you need to perform a few more procedures, which include not only deleting individual files, but also changing OS settings.
Removing unnecessary files from system folders
Quite often, users, without knowing it, “stack” content and software into special OS folders designed to store a variety of information: “Downloads”, “Images”, “My Videos”, etc. Many programs and browsers by default (without changing the initial settings) send data to these directories.
Open them one by one and delete everything you don't need. Transfer files that are of particular value to you to a logical partition (for example, drive D, E).
Advice! Act boldly. Here you can delete any element, and Windows will not suffer from this.
Temp folder
One of the main sources of OS clogging. Antiviruses, drivers, applications, games place their elements in it. This happens during updates and installations. After completing the tasks, the completed files remain in the "Temp". Of course, they need to be removed from there periodically.
1. On drive C, go to the "Users" folder.
2. Click the folder with the name of your account(Username).
3. Then go to "AppData".
4. In the "Local" directory, open the "Temp" folder.
5. Completely empty it (send all files / folders to the trash).
Advice! If you use the file manager "Total Commander": create a new tab (shortcut "Ctrl" + "arrow up") and go to Temp folder. Thus, you will always have in mind its contents.
Disabling the paging file
Pagefile.sys - OS virtual memory. When RAM resources run out ( random access memory), the system saves the outsized data to this file. If your PC has more than 4.6 or 8 GB of RAM, the Pagefile.sys container can be disabled. On disk, it occupies about the same amount as RAM. For example, if your PC configuration has 16 GB of RAM, then Pagefile.sys will be about the same.
To disable the swap file:
1. Through the "Start" ("Win" icon), open the "Control Panel".
2. In the System and Security section, select System.
3. In the settings window, click " Advanced options ...".
4. In the System Properties panel, on the Advanced tab, click Options.
5. In the "Performance Options" option, on the "Advanced" tab, in the "Virtual Memory" section, activate "Change ...".
6. In the "Virtual memory" window:
- select drive C;
- turn on the radio button "No paging file" by clicking;
- click the "Set" button, and then - "OK".
7. Restart your PC.
Disable hibernation
Hibernation is a kind of sleep mode: when the user is idle for a certain period of time, the OS saves all settings in a special hiberfil.sys file. Windows, as well as for Pagefile.sys, reserves free space for it in C, equal to the amount of RAM.
Therefore, if you do not use hibernation mode, it is better to disable it.
1. Press "Win + R".
2. Type "CMD", press "ENTER".
3. In the console command line type - "powercfg -h off" (without quotes), then - "ENTER".
4. Restart the OS.
Using third party utilities
You can easily “entrust” disk C cleaning to a special cleaner program, for example, CCleaner. It can automatically empty the trash, memory dumps, clipboard, delete temporary files (cookies and cache) of popular browsers, and perform many other operations to remove system junk.
Always control the volume of disk C. Do not allow it to overflow. Delete unnecessary files not only to free up disk space, but also for prevention.
Good luck! Let your PC store only useful information.
In this article, I will tell you how to quickly estimate the amount occupied by folders on your hard drive, and how to correctly free up free space on the disk from temporary and unnecessary files and programs. In addition, I will tell you why you should not delete the folder winsys what files are for hiberfil.sys and pagefile.sys, as well as what tools exist to quickly free up disk space on a computer running Windows 7. As an example, cleaning the system drive C is shown.
Estimating disk space occupied by folders
The fastest and visually convenient way to find out the size of folders on the disk, this is to install a special program. I recommend downloading the free evaluation software occupied place on disk Tree Size Free(products webpage).
Cleaning the disk from temporary and unused files using the standard Windows 7 Disk Cleanup tool
Removing unnecessary programs from the disk
A good way to free up disk space (and as an added bonus to increase system performance) is to remove unused programs.
Go to the control panel and select "Uninstall programs". A list will appear in which you can select the program you want to remove and click Remove.
Disk Cleanup with CCleaner
I have already talked about this free program before. In it, among other things, there is the ability to clean the disk from unnecessary files. Unlike the standard Disk Cleanup utility mentioned above, CCleaner not only removes temporary browser files, but also knows about alternative programs and browsers.
A few words about pagefile.sys and hiberfil.sys
The files are located in the root of the system drive and take up quite a lot of space.
- File pagefile.sys is the system swap file (virtual memory). It cannot be deleted (it is not recommended to reduce it either), but it can and even needs to be moved to another disk. This is done very simply, open "Control Panel \ System and Security \ System", select "Advanced system settings" in the "Performance" section, click "Settings", switch to the "Advanced" tab and in the "Virtual memory" section, click "Change" . There you can choose the location of the paging file and its size (I recommend leaving "Size at the choice of the system").
- File hiberfil.sys is the RAM image for hibernation (hypernation mode). How to disable this mode and delete the file is described in detail in the corresponding article on our website:
Read on for some new ways to remove junk files, apps, and games you don't use on your computer. The capacity of hard drives is getting bigger and bigger every day, but somehow there is always not enough space for them. And this is even more felt in the case of SSD drives, the volume of which, as a rule, is less than that of HDD drives.
If you are suffering from a constant lack of free space on the disk, the methods we suggest will help you free up this space for more important files or programs.
Content:
The Windows operating system has a built-in tool that removes temporary files and unimportant data. To launch it, right-click on one of the drives and select "Properties".
In the properties window, select Disk Cleanup.
Select the file types you want to delete (clear) and click OK. Disk Cleanup will also affect temporary files, log files and files that are currently in the trash.
You can also clean up system files. If you need to do this, click the "Clean up system files" button.
After that, you can select the Advanced tab and click the "Clean" button in the System Restore and Shadow Copy section to delete the system recovery files. This button will delete the most recent restore points, so make sure your computer is working properly before clicking it, as you won't be able to use them anymore.
Removing resource-intensive applications
Removing programs frees up disk space, but some programs are marginally small. In the Programs and Features panel, you can look at the "Size" column to determine how much space each program takes up.
If such a column is not visible, select the "View" menu (top right) - Table. But, note that not all programs show how much disk space they take up. The program can take up a lot of space but does not show information in the "Size" column.
In the case of Windows 10 . You can also open Computer Settings and select System > Applications and Features.
Using this menu, you can also remove applications installed from the Windows Store (Windows Store). This menu is also available on tablets.
Disk space analysis
In order to understand what is using hard disk space, you can use hard disk analysis programs. These applications scan HDD and show you which files and folders are taking up the most space. Consider the example of WinDirStat.
After scanning the system, the program shows folders, file types and files that take up the most space. Make sure you don't delete any important system files - better delete personal data files. If a program's folder in Program Files takes up a lot of space, you can delete it - WinDirStat will show you how much space the program is taking up, even if it's not visible in Programs and Features.
Deleting temporary files
The Windows cleanup tool is handy, but it doesn't remove temporary files from other programs. For example, it will not clear the cache of Firefox or Chrome browsers, which can take up gigabytes of space. The browser cache uses your hard drive to save you time when you access sites in the future, but it doesn't matter if you need to clear your drive and free up space.
For more aggressive disk cleaning, you can use CCleaner. It removes useless files from third-party programs, as well as files for which Cleaning Windows disk does not touch.
Find duplicate files
You can use applications to find duplicate files that are not needed and can be deleted. Such programs do not just remove duplicate files, but show them and give you the opportunity to choose which of the files you want to delete. There are programs both for finding duplicates of all file formats, and for finding duplicates of files of some format - for example, images.
Reduce the amount of space used for System Restore
If System Restore is eating up a lot of disk space, you can reduce the amount of space it uses. Minus in this case is that you will have fewer restore points and fewer previous copies of files to restore. Here you need to decide for yourself what is more important in this case - free disk space or the ability to restore the system.
Other Important Windows Features
These methods will help free up disk space, but they disable important Windows features. We do not recommend using them, but if there is a great need for free disk space, then you cannot do without it.
Disabling Hibernation (sleep mode). When the computer enters sleep mode, it saves the contents of memory (RAM) to the hard disk. This keeps the system running without using electricity. The next time the computer boots up, it will start in the state in which it was sent to "sleep mode". Windows saves the contents of random access memory (RAM) to the C: drive (C:\hiberfil.sys file). To conserve disk space, you can disable the ability for your computer to go to sleep.
Disabling System Restore. If reducing disk space is not enough for System Restore, you can disable this function fully. But in case you need to restore the system to a previous state, you will not have the opportunity to do so.
In conclusion, we want to add that before proceeding with the cleaning hard drive estimate how much free space you need and what files you can delete without the risk that you will need them in the future or their removal will adversely affect your work or computer performance in the future.
And keep in mind that files that are deleted by both standard Windows disk cleanup tools and third-party programs do not end up in the Recycle Bin. Accordingly, there will be no way to restore them.
But if you are still carried away by the cleaning process and find that the necessary files are missing. You can always use one of
It does not matter what capacity resources the hard drive installed on your computer has. Sooner or later, the time will come when the free space on the hard drive will approach a critical minimum. And if you are reading this article, it is quite logical to assume that you are faced with some kind of trouble, which can be succinctly characterized by one short question: “Disk C is full: what to do?”. Probably, on top of everything else, you began to be overcome by various system messages that have been popping up for some time now on your monitor screen at predictable intervals. Finally, the computer seriously slows down, and only memories remain of its former performance. Well, it's time to act! Decisiveness coupled with attention, as well as effective methods, described in the article, will help you deal with the digital problems that have piled on with ease inherent in experienced users.
When the "C" drive is completely full, you need to clear it of "digital garbage"
The fact is that in the course of its work it constantly saves some in specially designated areas of disk space, where quite substantial amounts of data can accumulate. As you understand, such folders need to be cleaned periodically.
Note: hereinafter, all descriptions and action scripts are designed for use in the Windows 7 operating environment. However, given the versatility of the methods presented, literally all the material in this article is applicable to other Microsoft operating systems.
Let's get started on the implementation
However, the raised issue "Full" requires further consideration.
Where Gigabytes Go: System Restore Checkpoints
No one denies that the “rollback system to a stable state” function implemented in Windows is a really useful and often requested operational tool. However, everything should be in moderation. At the same time, the settings enabled by default provide for a non-stop process of saving system copies. After the next OS updates, critical changes in the registry, and also according to the established schedule, a special Windows service sends a control “cast” of the operating environment to the backup storage with pedantic accuracy. Considering the fact that most of such copies will never be used, we can conclude that the disk space, as a result of excessive reinsurance, is simply wasted, which leads the user to start thinking about resolving the question: "Disk C is full: what to do?".
- Log in to the control panel.
- Activate the "System" section.
- Follow the link located in the left part of the “Protection…” service window.
- Select the system disk and click on the "Configure" button.
- After you click on the "Delete" button, all restore checkpoints will be erased from the hard drive.
Attention: this action is not recommended for those who often resort to the rollback functionality. But nothing prevents you from reducing the reserved volumes to 3-6% of the total capacity of the system partition. In this case, copies of the checkpoints that were saved last will remain.
"Deposits" of virtual memory: is the size of the paging file justified?
So, now you know what you need to do first when the graphical indicator of occupied space in the explorer shows that the C drive is full. However, in order to achieve the maximum possible release of system space, you should resort to another method - move the paging file directory to another location, or reduce the size of the reserved area of the hard drive.
- Open the Control Panel menu.
- Go to the "System" section.
- In the left part of the working window, activate the item "Additional ...".
- In the "Performance" section, click the "Settings" button.
- Open the "Advanced" tab.
- Click on the "Change" button.
- Select the system drive and uncheck the "Automatically select..." checkbox.
- Activate the "Specify size" option.
- Based on the actual amount of physical memory, enter a value equal to the capacitance of the RAM.
- Confirm the change with the "Set" button and restart the computer.
When transferring to another hard disk partition, you must first activate the "No paging file" option. Then you need to select a new directory and repeat the above process. Well it's time to move on to next step solving the problem "Disk C is full". What to do next?
Clearing the system log and more: software "assistants"
When installing various software, as well as in the process of using it, Windows OS permanently saves parameters and settings changes, in connection with which the volume of registry data is growing. However, not all entries in the system log can be considered necessary. So, in the case of the removal process of a program, some (and often the value is expressed in significant megabytes) system information about the uninstalled object continues to take up much-needed user space, so to speak, in vain. Unfortunately, if you need to correct such an unfavorable situation as “C drive is full”, Windows 7 (like any other Microsoft version of the OS) is powerless, since it does not have a standard software tool. Therefore, it is necessary to enlist the support of a specialized program.
CCleaner - free but effective
- Download and install this application on your PC.
- Open the "Registry" section of interest to us.
- Click the Search for Issues button.
- After a short scan, activate the "Fix" button.
You can be congratulated - a practical answer to the question of whether drive C is full: what to do, received. However, not entirely. Therefore, dear readers, we follow further.
Hidden threats: what fills up disk space
The process of discovering new malicious code for an experienced IT specialist is an incredibly time-consuming task in itself. The average user is left with one thing - to guess what kind of virus fills the C drive? Agree, a somewhat difficult situation? However, the problem can be solved with the help of one or more special anti-virus utilities that can detect and destroy this kind of “digital infection”.
Well, open your browser and download these applications: AVZ, Dr.Web CureIt!, HitmanPro, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) and Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool 2015. All of them are good in their own way, and each of them has its drawbacks , which is understandable. After all, as you know, nothing is perfect in the world. Therefore, in order to achieve maximum effect thorough cleaning and in order to get an effective result, use two or three utilities in sequence. By the way, all of the above antivirus tools are equipped with an intelligent interface, and even if you are new to the computer field, you can deal with debugging and launching the scanning functionality. Remember that inactive assumptions like: "Why is the C drive full?" - a waste of time. Try, try, and you will succeed!
Finally
So, now you know where to look for the missing gigabytes of disk space. However, you should not abuse some of the cleaning methods described. Especially when it comes to the swap file or a heavily used registry repair service. Only reasonable approach and justified actions during the optimization process can guarantee you the stability of your OS. Now you have the necessary knowledge and clearly understand how to respond to a difficult situation if drive C is full. You should already understand how to clear it of the accumulated "digital garbage" and how to neutralize the virus threat. However, don't stop there. Improve your knowledge and expand your computer horizons. Good luck, use your hard drive efficiently!
Since you are here, it means that things with disk space are really bad and the free space indicator is red.
Do not despair! It often happens to me. And today I will share my experience: how to free up disk space.
I'll tell you about 5 very effective ways . For more experienced people, these methods have probably been known since ancient times, but for some it may not be all, but someone will be glad to know them. Wait and see!
Nevertheless, all methods are working, time-tested.
Let's start.
Free up space on drive C:
This whole idea implies that the lack of space we have, on the system partition (the one where Windows is installed), is usually C:. From here we will push off.
Agree, if we were talking about another disc, everything would be much simpler - I deleted the old film, which seems to be “I’m unlikely to watch, and it’s a pity to delete it.” Made up my mind? Look - oppa! And 2.5 gigabytes was freed up!
But our goal is FROM:!
How to free up space on the C: drive. Method 1. Downloads folder
Yes Yes. As it is not trite, but you need to start with a folder "Downloads" or Downloads.
Judge for yourself, why do we setup files Google Chrome, Yandex Browser, (God forgive me!), Mozilla FireFox, Opera, uTorrent, Megajet, Zona, Skype, Skype(1), Skype(2) — yes, yes! I wasn't wrong. Multiple identical downloads.
In this folder, I just did not see myself, my friends, acquaintances. Yes, I already uttered 50 megabytes. How much more is there?
Cousin-nephew came, please: GTA5_setup.exe, minecraft_1.exe and 28 other dubious files;
Sister stuck around at the monitor: a bunch of pictures, gif-animations, Teddy bears;
Papa sat: 1.5 GB of music that I threw into the car;
Mom's crochet: the feeling that she downloaded the entire Odnoklassniki website !;
Therefore, we go to the folder "Downloads", we pull out the necessary minimum, for example, an abstract, and delete everything without sparing!
On average, this frees up from 1.5 to 20 GB of free space. Later I will tell you how to make this folder no longer take up space on C:
How to free up space on the C: drive. Method 2. Restore points.
This way to free up disk space from the category of secret! Kidding. It's just that few people know about it.
The following is known.
Windows- a vulnerable thing operating system with a fine mental organization (registry). Sometimes she gets sick, and then we are no longer in the mood for jokes. Of course, you can reinstall it, dear, but this is not our method. We are restoring it. And this utility helps us first of all "System Restore" or among the people "rollback". But you need to roll back somewhere, to some date or event. So here Windows, at each event and creates restore points.
Unfortunately there are two BUT:
- Dots weigh ... obscenely a lot.
- Windows itself has not learned how to remove them.
For people sitting on incomprehensible assemblies, this item can probably be skipped - most likely in your version Windows System Restore was disabled in advance so that restore points do not take up precious space. Or, for some other reason.
To everyone else:
A computer -> Disk C:(right click on it) -> Properties.
Click the button <Очистка диска> and the preparation process begins (sometimes this whole process is very long).
Pay attention to free space. Screenshots Windows 7 real, made during disk cleanup, so don't doubt anything. Everything is honest.
Windows will issue 2 or even 3 warnings that all points except the last one will be deleted, then ask about something else. Answer in the affirmative.
After all the steps, you can see for yourself how much free space you can free up by deleting restore points. On this computer, I managed to free up 9 GB of disk space in this way.
How to free up space on the C: drive. Method 3: CCleaner
Many well-known program to bring the computer in order.
“The old way,” you say, and you will be absolutely right.
This program INDISPENSABLE assistant to any user of a personal computer.
Do you think professionals use some secret developments in the field of PC cleaning?
Not! Professionals enjoy linux, but if they happened to clean the system Windows and you need to free up disk space, then believe me - they use CCleaner.
CCleaner- a powerful tool in the fight for cleanliness. Remove unnecessary programs with it, clean startup and registry, free up space. Your computer will thank you for it.
So, free up space by removing unnecessary programs.
In step cleaning, you can leave the settings as default. Nothing superfluous program won't delete. The only possible unpleasant consequence- all your sessions will be closed and cookies removed. Those. sites simply “do not recognize” you. You will have to re-enter passwords. The passwords themselves saved in browsers will remain (unless you enable the option to delete them).
In my case, the cleanup took 15 seconds and freed up 743 MB. This is because I monitor and do regular cleaning. On "running" computers, cleaning can take up to 20 minutes, and frees up space from 2 to 12 GB (in my experience).
What is a good way? Automates routine work. All places that can be safely cleaned are already included in the program. By the way, in these directories, he likes to hide very much. So, such cleaning is doubly useful.
By the way, I recently found out that CCleaner can delete system restore points. Dig into the settings. There are many interesting things.
How to keep free space on drive C:. Method 4. "Location"
At the very beginning of the note, I said that I would tell you how to make the folder " Downloads» did not take up disk space C:
So the 4th part of this epic will be devoted to the struggle to keep free space on C:
Many of you know, but for some reason neglect this method. However, if you download a lot, or are used to storing everything you need on Desktop, for example, like me, then this method is simply necessary for you!
Let's go to A computer => Disk C: => Users => User (your username).
Here we find the folder Downloads and click on it with the right mouse button, select the item Properties.
The only thing I will do specifically is remove the word Users- I never liked it. But if there is more than one user on your computer, I recommend leaving it.
Click
Now the physical location of the folder Downloads — volume D:
Everything that you will download, as before, will fall into the folder Downloads, but now it will be stored on D:, where, as a rule, there is still plenty of space.
Folder The documents a very weighty thing - programs store their data there, games store your saves, sound and video editors often store their projects there. By moving this folder to D: you will free up more disk space on C:
The same can be said for the folder. Desktop. For many, it is she who is the storehouse of everything.
Log in as each user individually, and do the procedure again.
Huge plus this method- when reinstalling Windows, nothing to regret - Desktop, Downloads, The documents- all this will be completely safe in D:
How to free up space on the C: drive. Method 5: Previous installations of Windows
It's no secret to anyone that recent times Windows 10 is just gaining momentum. Its users are becoming more and more.
After every major update, Windows 10- stores the so-called " Previous Windows installation ". I have no idea where they are or what they look like, but I know how to clean them.
Let's go: A computer => C drive: => right click => Properties.
It remains to mark all the checkboxes and start cleaning. Paragraph Previous Windows installations is also there. I just didn't remake the screenshot.
We press the button
Now like this:
The result pleases: 1.6 GB, almost out of nowhere.
I really hope that the methods described by me in this note will help you free up disk space. C:.
I would like to wish all visitors of NeOshibka.Ru fast Internet, powerful computers, and may viruses not touch you.
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