Disk C is full. What to do and what can be removed? Solutions to hardware disk reading problems

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Maybe sooner, maybe later, but almost every computer or laptop user is faced with such a problem as a full hard drive. Most often, this is drive C, since this is where Windows is usually installed. No big deal because full disk will not happen to the computer, but it will still work slower, messages about a full disk will constantly appear - in general, it’s not particularly pleasant.

How can you tell if your disk is full? Very simply, in “My Computer” the memory bar under the name of the disk will be red.

However, this does not mean that it is completely full. But the message “Not enough space on drive C”, when trying to copy data to it, says that there is no space at all. Faced with such a problem, any user asks the question: “What would it be like to delete unnecessary things and regain at least a little memory?” 😮 This is the question we will answer now.

1. First of all, you should check the programs and games located on drive C. To do this, go to “My Computer” and click “Delete or change a program.” Here we see our programs and games, as well as their size. Most often, it is games that steal our disk memory. So if you know you won't play a game, delete it. Because this way you will free up significant disk space, especially if it weighs 1000 MB or more. It's the same with programs.

2. Next, it is very important to check the user folder. You can find this folder by opening “Start” (in the right top corner under the user's picture). Here, first of all, let’s check folders such as “My Documents”, “My Videos”, “My Music”, “Images”, try to transfer everything that takes up a lot of memory, especially videos, to drive D or E (if any)

3. Select the “Downloads” folder or, in other words, “Downloads” as a separate item. Yes, it is where many of the files you download from the Internet are most often stored. Many users never clean it at all, and over time a decent amount accumulates there. unnecessary garbage, which also takes up a decent amount of memory on drive C. Most often, you can empty this folder completely, and if you need something, move it to drive D.

4. Now we remove garbage from the system. Surely you haven’t reinstalled the system for a long time, and during this time several gigabytes of temporary files and other various garbage have accumulated. For cleaning I advise you to use CCleaner program, finding and downloading it on Google is not difficult. Cleaning can be done with many other special programs, for example, TuneUp Utilites.

5. And now something that not all users know about. The desktop belongs entirely to drive C, and, accordingly, everything that is on the desktop takes up the memory of drive C. Therefore, try to transfer photos, videos, music, etc. from the Desktop to any other drive, for example, drive D. It may be inconvenient, but you will save a lot of memory. And one more thing: empty the trash, because it also belongs to drive C. :)

So, I think that if you carefully read all the points and delete or move at least some of the suggested ones, your disk will already be much cleaner, it all depends on you.

Well, now some important tips!

When installing the system, give drive C at least 50 GB. Personally, this volume is enough for me, provided that it is used correctly.
Be sure to do at least one additional disk D. And upload the files you need to it. Remember, in case of problems with the operating system, the data saved on drive C will be erased. Therefore, everything that is dear to you should be stored on a separate disk.
When downloading a movie from the Internet or installing a game, select any drive to save, but not C. This takes a few seconds, but it saves a lot of memory. Plus, you can move the “Downloads” folder for the browser to another drive, this is a little more complicated, but it will be useful.

I think that's all. Good luck to you! 😉

It doesn’t matter what capacity resources it has hard drive installed on your computer. Sooner or later the time will come when free space on the hard drive will approach the 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, popping up on your monitor screen with predictable frequency for some time now. Finally, the computer slows down seriously, and only memories remain of its former performance. Well, it's time to act! Determination coupled with attention, as well as effective methods, described in the article, will help you cope with the digital problems inherent in experienced users with the ease inherent in experienced users.

When drive “C” is completely full, you need to clean it of “digital garbage”

The fact is that in the process of its work it constantly stores certain amounts of data in specially designated areas of disk space, where quite significant amounts of data can accumulate. As you understand, such folders need to be cleaned periodically.

Note: hereinafter all descriptions and action scenarios are designed for use in the operating room Windows environment 7. However, given the universality of the presented methods, literally all the material in this article is applicable to other Microsoft OSs.

Let's start implementing our plans

However, the issue raised "Filled" requires further consideration.

Where do gigabytes go: system restore checkpoints

No one denies that implemented in Windows function“rolling back the system to a stable state” is a really useful and often requested operational tool. However, everything should be in moderation. However, the default settings provide for a non-stop saving process system copies. After regular OS updates, critical changes in the registry, and also according to the established schedule, a special Windows service sends a control “cast” with pedantic precision operating environment to backup storage. If we take into account the fact that most of these copies will never be used, we can conclude that disk space, as a result of excessive reinsurance, is simply spent irrationally, which leads to the fact that the user begins to think about resolving the question: “Disk C is full: what to do?”

Log in to your control panel.
Activate the "System" section.
Follow the link located on the left side of the “Protection...” service window.
Highlight system disk and click on the “Configure” button.
After you click on the “Delete” button, hard drive everything will be erased control points recovery.

Attention: it is not recommended to carry out this action 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 indicators system partition. In this case, copies of the control points that were last saved will remain.

Virtual memory reserves: is the paging file size justified?

So, now you know what you need to do first when the graphical occupied space sensor in Explorer shows that drive C is full. However, in order to achieve the maximum possible release of system space, you should resort to one more 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 “Additional...” item.
In the “Performance” block, click on the “Options” 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, specify a value equal to the RAM capacity parameters.
Confirm the change with the “Set” button and restart the computer.

When transferring to another hard section disk, 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 the next step in solving the “Drive C is full” problem. What to do next?

Clearing the system log and more: software “helpers”

When installing various software, as well as during its use, Windows OS constantly saves parameters and settings changes made, and therefore the volume of registry data is growing. However, not all entries in the system log can be considered necessary. So, in the case of performing the process of uninstalling a program, some (and often the value is expressed in significant megabytes) system information about the uninstalled object continues to occupy so much necessary for the user the place, so to speak, is in vain. Unfortunately, if you need to correct such an unfavorable situation as “disk C is full,” Windows 7 (like any other Microsoft version of the OS) is powerless, since it does not have a standard software Therefore, it is necessary to enlist the support of a specialized program.

CCleaner - free but effective

Download and install this application to your PC.
Open the “Register” section that interests us.
Click the "Search for Problems" button.
After a short scan, activate the “Fix” button.

Congratulations - a practical answer to the question of whether drive C is full: what to do, received. However, not quite in full. Therefore, dear readers, we follow further.

Hidden threats: what fills disk space

The process of discovering something new is itself malicious code For an experienced IT specialist, this is an incredibly time-consuming task. The average user can only guess what kind of virus is filling drive C? Agree, this is a somewhat difficult situation? However, the problem can be resolved using one or more special antivirus utilities, capable of detecting and destroying 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. They are all good in their own way, and each of them has its own shortcomings, which is understandable. After all, as you know, there is nothing ideal in the world. Therefore, to achieve maximum effect thorough cleaning and in order to get an effective result, use two or three utilities in succession. By the way, all of the above antivirus tools are equipped with intelligent clear interface, and even if you are new to computer field, you will be able to cope with debugging and launching scanning functionality. Remember that inactive assumptions like: “Why is drive C full?” - a waste of time. Try, try, and you will succeed!

In conclusion

So, now you know where to look for missing gigabytes of disk space. However, you should not overuse some of the cleaning methods described. Especially when it comes to the swap file or an intensively used registry repair service. Only a reasonable approach and justified actions when performing the optimization process can guarantee you stability in the operation of your OS. Now you have necessary knowledge and have a clear idea of how to react to a difficult situation if drive C is full. How to clear it of accumulated “digital garbage” and how to neutralize it virus threat, you should already understand. However, don't stop there. Improve your knowledge and expand your computer horizons. All the best, use your hard drive efficiently!

As a test subject, we take a brand new one, just unpacked. Asus Eee PC 900 (12 GB) with installed Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2

Part 1: Disabling the page file

Initially Windows folder takes up 1.07 GB, and drive C has just over 2 GB of free space. If your Eee PC has much less free space, then the swap file may be enabled by default, eating up a fairly large chunk of space. A page file is a hidden area on your hard drive that Windows uses to temporarily store data files. running programs if they do not fit in RAM. Out of memory problems may occur if your computer is running more programs, than supports the set volume RAM. The 1 GB RAM installed on the Eee PC 900 allows you to simultaneously run several programs without accessing the page file. Thus, there is no need for it. To find out the size of the paging file, right-click on the “My Computer” icon on the desktop - select the “Advanced” tab - the “Performance” area, click the “Options” button - select the “Advanced” tab - the “Performance” area Virtual memory" - the line "Total size of the paging file on all disks:" will indicate the required value.

If the size of the paging file is more than 0 MB, then it must be disabled. Click the “Change” button - put a mark on the line “Without a paging file” - click the “Set” and “OK” buttons in sequence.

We agree with the proposal to restart the computer by clicking the “OK” button, in the remaining open window“Performance Options” click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons in sequence, and in the “System Properties” window click the “OK” button. Agree with the message “Do you want to reboot now?” by clicking the “OK” button. The computer will reboot, after which you can make sure that the page file is disabled.

If in the future, with simultaneous launch large quantity programs will display error messages caused by insufficient memory, then to ensure normal operation it will be necessary to either increase the amount of RAM or enable the paging file. In order not to take up precious space on drive C, the paging file can be placed on drive D or on a memory card.

Part 2: Disk Cleanup With built-in Windows XP tools

After installing Service Pack 3 and other updates, the Windows folder takes up 2.79 GB, and only 183 MB of free space remains on drive C.

It is clear that in this situation, hope for normal work the entire system is not necessary. To correct this situation we take several steps.

Step 1. First, let's free up some space standard tool"Disk Cleanup". In Explorer, right-click on the “ local disk(C:)" - click on the "Properties" line - click on the "Disk Cleanup" button. In the tab that opens we see the “Delete the following files” window. In it we put marks on all items that occupy more than 0 kb.

Then go to the “Advanced” tab - the “System Restore” area - click the “Clear” button, agree with the request that appears “Are you sure you want to delete all recovery checkpoints except the most recent one?” by clicking the “Yes” button.

Restore points are automatically created built into Windows service“System Restore”, constantly monitoring changes that have occurred on the computer. A restore point is a backup copy of system Windows files. In case of malfunctions operating system it can be "returned" to working condition, recorded at the time the restore point was created. Recovery points are created constantly and over time fill all the space reserved for them on the system disk (by default - 12% of the total disk space). By deleting all recovery points except the most recent one, you can free up quite a lot of space on drive C. Click the “Ok” button and agree to the next request by clicking the “Yes” button. We wait a while for the Disk Cleanup program to delete the files.

So, using the Disk Cleanup tool allowed us to increase the amount of free space on drive C to 316 MB. Not much, but a very good start.

Step 2. If you never plan to use the System Restore service, you can disable it completely. This will free up several tens of megabytes on drive C, since all recovery points will be deleted from it, and, importantly, they will not be created in the future. To disable the “System Restore” service, right-click on the “My Computer” icon on the desktop - click on the “Properties” line - select the “System Restore” tab.

We put a check mark on the line “Disable system recovery on all disks”, click successively on the “Apply” and “OK” buttons.

Part 3. Cleaning drive C from “extra” files using freelance methods

Now let’s do some extra cleaning of drive C, which contains a lot of “extra” files, the deletion of which will not affect the operation of the system in any way, but will free up quite a lot of much-needed space. By default, the folders in which these files are stored are not visible. To make them available, we enable the display of hidden files. On the desktop, click on the “My Computer” icon - select “Service” - click on the “Folder Options” line.

Select the “View” tab, in the tab that opens we see the “ Additional options" In it we mark “Show hidden files and folders”, click successively on the “Apply” and “OK” buttons.

Step 3. In the WINDOWS folder, delete all folders whose names begin with $. These folders appeared during Windows installations Update, they contain the files needed for possible removal updates. You can get rid of them painlessly, since you are unlikely to need to remove installed updates.

Step 4. In a folder WINDOWS\Installer delete all files. They are necessary to uninstall software installed on the computer. If you still plan to delete any installed on your at the moment program, you need to transfer the files from the Installer folder to a memory card, flash drive or external hard drive. Then, if necessary, they can be returned to their place.

Step 5. In a folder WINDOWS\System32\Dllcache delete all files. This backups important system files, used by Windows. They may be required for automatic recovery in case of damage due to a virus attack or incorrect installation any program. Here you should take into account next nuance: the next time it checks protected system files, the system will again fill the Dllcache folder to the specified volume, which is too large by default. To change the size of the Dllcache folder to zero, click the “Start” button - click the “Run” line - in the window that appears, enter sfc /cachesize=0(if you set, for example, 10, the folder size will decrease to 10 MB) – click “Ok”.

Step 6. In a folder WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download delete all files. These files store downloaded updates for various programs installed on your computer. You can get rid of them painlessly.

Step 7 In a folder WINDOWS\Help delete all files. But if you constantly use Windows Help, then the contents of this folder should not be touched. As a result, after all the actions taken, the WINDOWS folder “reduces weight” to 1.71 GB, and in total, 1.21 GB of free space remains on drive C.

Well, very good result. There is still quite a “decent supply” of free space for future updates, as well as for installing several not very capacious programs: an Internet browser, an antivirus, an archiver, an audio and video player with a set of necessary codecs, a photo viewer, mail client etc.

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Every user has probably at least once in their life encountered the problem of running out of free space on the system disk. Moreover, this does not depend on the version of the operating system installed on the computer. Can be installed instead of XP Windows Vista and not detect any changes on drive C. How can this problem be solved?

There are many recommendations, but most of them are designed to be completely inexperienced users, who don’t even know how much space certain programs take up. Other recommendations are so complex that it will take a lot of time to understand why drive C fills up automatically. This article will combine both of these approaches. The result should be simple and effective way freeing drive C.

System restore point

Let's start with the simplest. IN latest versions operating room Windows systems There is one very interesting possibility. Using some software mechanism, you can save the latest operational states systems. If necessary, you can roll back to any of these states. Consider the following situation: suppose you installed new driver, but the system does not boot after restarting the computer and displays an error message.

This problem can be corrected by pressing the F8 button when starting the computer and selecting the appropriate item in the menu that appears. This method works only if the user is not prohibited from creating restore points. The disadvantage of this mechanism is the constant filling of free space on drive C. After all, the created copies of the system need to be stored somewhere. So if you find automatic filling drive C, perhaps this problem associated with the mechanism for creating recovery points.

You should check the settings of this mechanism. To do this, open the Start menu and find the My Computer shortcut. Click on it and select "Properties". After that, open the “Advanced Settings” tab. The “System Properties” window will appear in front of you. In this window, you need to select the tab that is responsible for protecting the operating system. The most important button here – “Customize”. It is this that provides access to control the mechanism for creating recovery points.

If disk C is automatically full, you must delete all saved states, and then reduce the amount of space allocated to the system for saving them, or disable recording altogether. The folder in which copies were saved can be deleted in manual mode. It is located at the root of the system disk. Default this folder is hidden and is named “Recovery”.

Virtual memory

Modern operating systems actively use a swap file to operate. This is a piece of data taken from the computer's RAM that is not required by the processor at a given time. This data can be uploaded to another medium, thereby freeing up space in RAM. If you find that your C drive is gradually filling up, you might want to check your pagefile.sys file. This file is located in the root directory.

To adjust it, you can use the following method: go to “My Computer”, select the “Properties” tab, then go to “Performance” and click “Options”. Here, select “Advanced” and click the “Change” button. Instead of automatic configuration, you can set right size. The more RAM used, the smaller the swap file.

Extra folders and files

When installing programs and applications, there are almost always entries left on the partition that can be immediately deleted without hesitation. So, what to do if the C drive on your computer is full? Let's try to solve this problem. Modern operating systems are characterized by such a concept as a temporary folder. Such directories are designated TMP or TEMP.

Their location depends on the version of the operating system used and can be configured manually. The current status of temporary folders can be viewed in the Properties section of the My Computer shortcut. To do this, in the “Advanced” tab, select “Variables”. The entries are located at the top of the window. Once you decide on the location of the TEMP folder, you no longer have to worry about the problem of not having enough free space on drive C. Just select all the contents of the temporary folder and delete it. The size of such “garbage” sometimes reaches several tens of gigabytes.

Security software

Almost every modern computer Today one or another antivirus application is used. But not many users know that using such programs can automatically fill up the C drive. This has nothing to do with application errors. This is the result of it regular work. For example, the world-famous Kaspersky anti-virus saves all update files it downloads from the network on the hard drive.

The loss of free space on drive C for this reason can reach several gigabytes. You can find this out as follows: go to hidden folder All Users and select the directory there " Kaspersky Lab" Over time, you may notice that this folder automatically grows. This arbitrariness can be stopped and limited. To do this, go to the “Antivirus” settings, select the “Advanced” tab and the “Reports and Quarantine” item.

At this point you can change the maximum size and time for saving records. It is worth noting that many antivirus programs have the ability to “eat” free disk space. If your computer's C drive is filling up in record time, it may be time to think about changing your antivirus. You should not choose alpha and beta versions of antivirus programs for constant use. As a rule, similar applications save additional information in files.

Viruses and malware

Lack of space on drive C may be due to the activity of viruses and other malware. Some viruses are even specially designed to automatically fill the hard drive with all sorts of garbage. To restore functionality, it is usually enough to use antivirus applications to remove malware from a computer. It copes well with such tasks antivirus program Dr. Web. You can also try using Removal Tool and CurelT.

Page caching

Almost all Internet browsers use page caching to reduce traffic and speed up access to frequently viewed pages. Because of this, some data is retained on the drive. As a rule, the more such entries, the faster the Internet browser works. It eliminates the need to repeatedly request data from servers.

However, if you do not limit the growth of the cache, the data folder can grow to incredible sizes. How to clear the cache? IN different internet browsers this operation is carried out in different ways.

IN FireFox browser in order to clear the cache, you need to open the settings and go to “Advanced”, then select “Network” and click “Clear”. In the browser Google Chrome To clear the cache, use the clear history button, which is located in “Personal data”. Be careful: when deleting cache files, do not accidentally erase unnecessary ones.

Local proxies

When working with Internet resources, many users prefer to use caching programs. One of the most famous of them is the Handy Cache program. This method allows you to save a lot if your plan provides per-megabyte pricing. However, if such programs are not configured correctly, the volume occupied by cached files can grow quite quickly. To remove all unnecessary information, just use the “Clear” button in the “Cache” section.

File system errors

From time to time you need to check your hard drive for errors. In some cases, damage to the partition table can cause the free space on the disk to suddenly begin to decrease. To check the system disk you can use standard means"Windows". To do this, select the system drive you are interested in, click on it right button mouse and select "Properties". Now in the “Service” tab, click the “Check” button.

Of course, the struggle for free space on drive C is not limited to the methods listed above. However, the methods discussed are quite sufficient to significantly increase the free space on the system disk.