How to make a red disk blue? Full disk problem. Virtual memory reserves: is the paging file size justified? What is the danger of a full C drive?
It doesn’t matter what capacity resources it has HDD 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 saves certain in specially designated areas 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 operating systems.
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 wasted, which leads to the fact that the user begins to think about resolving the issue: “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 All recovery checkpoints will be erased.
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 will remain control points, which were last saved.
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 “Advanced...” 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.
You can be congratulated - 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!
Finally
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!
Very often to users operating system(OS) Windows 7 has to face a problem such as overcrowding local disk WITH.
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 installed on Windows 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 complete package necessary programs usually takes 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 service and system programs 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 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.
We'll create it in advance new folder on another local drive, which will become a new cell for downloads from the Internet and give it some name, in in this case this is "Inet Files":
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, but on the other hand, again, it takes up a certain amount of space free memory drive C.
The “Desktop” folder has the address: C:\Users\Computer name\Desktop. Here you can see all the shortcuts available in this moment 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 update Windows.
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 everyone deleted file Once in the recycle bin, it borrows from its volume (and therefore directly from the memory reserve of the system disk) at the time of storage, exactly as many GB as it weighs. Therefore, it is recommended not to forget to periodically empty the trash 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 Temp folders, located at: local drive C:\Windows\Temp. Here we freely and fearlessly delete all files, if any.
Disabling Windows Recovery
To conclude this article, it is worth noting the recovery environment Windows systems. This most powerful tool used in case of resuscitation of the system in case of an unplanned failure. Very useful system utility, at the same time, she takes large volume 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.
Click on the white background of the window right click mouse - 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.
I have long wanted to write an article about what to do if disk is 100% loaded. I couldn’t solve this problem for a long time, but then I was able to do everything this way. I will now describe how I did this in this article.
So, this phenomenon occurred on my laptop, on which I constantly work. By the way, many other users also suffer from this problem, therefore, it needs to be solved, which is what we will do now.
What happened in the beginning?
Let's say you bought a good one, powerful laptop with the Windows 8 operating system. For some it seems powerful, unlike Windows 7, for others it’s the opposite. In any case, they say that it works quickly.
At first, this is indeed the case. You will work as usual, use programs, play games, and do other things. Everything will work quickly.
After several months of use, working on a laptop turns into hard labor. It takes a very long time to turn on, and you can’t wait for programs to start either.
Such signs may indicate that the disk is 100% loaded. To verify this, open the task manager and go to the tab "Performance" and see if the disk is loaded. If yes, then we will try to do something.
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If the problem is not with the disk
If you're not sure if your computer's slow performance problem is related to the disk, try the following:
- Check if the system disk is full. The main thing is that the stripe is not red.
- To clean up garbage we use CCleaner program.
- We clean programs from startup.
- Using an antivirus.
- Try deleting suspicious programs, which can load the system.
We solve the loading problem 100%
When we went into the task manager, we may have seen that the disk is 100% loaded, but actually, where and what is it writing?
One of the problems is the innovation introduced into Windows by Microsoft. It is needed in order to.
This technology called and designed for quickly logging in after sleep. This is done by recording information from random access memory V .
Now it’s clear why our system is so slow and the disk is heavily loaded. But, as it turned out, this service can be disabled.
To do this we go to Control Panel and look for " Administration».
Now open the item “ Services" Scrolling and looking for a service Superfetch.
Right-click on it and click “ Stop».
For greater efficiency, right-click on this service again and go to “ Properties" Select the launch type " Disabled"so that the next time you start the system, the service will not turn on again.
Personally, when I went to the task manager, the disk load dropped sharply and was 0-20%. You can try turning on the Superfetch service again and make sure that the disk will boot to full capacity again.
Addition
I found out that some users contacted the service Microsoft support with this problem, but they just shrugged their shoulders and said that nothing like that could happen. The system seems to be in perfect order. They also say that the problem is in the hard drive itself.
Thus, we still found the reason for the disk loading 100%, I think that this is not the only reason, but there are others that will be discussed and you can find out about them on our website.
Many people have this problem when the space on the hard drive is full and no programs are installed and it is not clear where the free disk space went. The fact is that the system and utilities can store their temporary files and other garbage that are not needed for work.
Standard folders
Standard folders in Windows, for example, My Documents, Libraries, Downloads and the like, are always located on the system disk by default and because of them the memory can be full. Some programs can secretly save their files in these folders. For example, games often save saves in the My Documents folder. And there can be a lot of such garbage. In this case, you can clear the folders of unnecessary data.
If the hard drive is divided into several, then you need to change their location in the properties of such folders and move them to another drive. To do this, right-click on the folder, select properties and go to the "Location" tab, click "Move". Next, select the location where you want to move the folder and click “OK”.
Windows temporary folder (aka temp)
The temp directory stores temporary windows files To free up computer memory, you can delete them. First you need to open “Run” using the Win + R command. In the line we write %temp% . The window we need opens. Before clearing temporary Windows files, it is better to shut down all programs so that some of them can use temporary storage.
In addition, you can use special programs, which effectively clean the system of all debris and free up space. The most popular of them is CCleaner.
Pagefile.sys is used by Windows for temporary storage when there is not enough RAM and as a result data is unloaded, filling the physical disk memory. If you are sure that there is enough RAM for normal use of the computer (it is better if it is more than 6GB), then you can disable the use of pagefile.sys.
To do this, right-click on My Computer and click on “Properties”, then open Extra options system, then click on "Performance", then “Options” and go to the tab "Additionally". In it we open "Virtual memory" and "Change".
If after these steps a message about a shortage begins to appear virtual memory, then it is better to include this file back.
Hiberfil.sys is used by Windows to reserve space for sleep mode, and, as in the previous case, it is equal to the amount of RAM. It is necessary to quickly turn off the computer and quickly wake up from sleep mode.
To disable hiberfil.sys in Windows 7 you need to type cmd in the search bar and run command line on behalf of the Administrator. Next enter next command: powercfg hibernate off , to turn it back on we write powercfg hibernate on .
Browser cache
Each browser has a folder in which it stores its cache files. They are used to speed up page loading. The browser saves page elements once and then does not load them from the computer's memory. With each site visited, the cache grows and can take up quite a lot of space, plus it slows down the browser itself and creates operational problems.
In all browsers, clearing the cache is in the settings. This can also be done using CCleaner.
Recovery checkpoints
Operating system restore checkpoints are used if Windows crashes. wrong update, driver malfunction, viruses and other equally serious reasons that cannot be fixed. In such cases, you can return the system to the last known good one and operational state. The restore point is the saving of such parameters.
Naturally, additional space is needed to store these parameters.
Of course, you can completely disable saving working parameters, but this is highly not recommended.
And to free up memory, you can clear old Windows restore points.
To do this, open the “My Computer” folder and right-click on the local drive. Click on “Properties” in the drop-down list, then successively click on “ ”, "Additionally", "System Restore", “Clear” . All saved points are deleted except the most recent one.
Residual files
In addition to the temporary folder, many programs leave behind many files, and the files can relate not only to existing software, but also to garbage from programs that were long removed from the computer.
CCleaner and similar utilities solve the problem of cleaning unnecessary files. Since there are a huge number of such unnecessary files, and they can be stored in several places, and to a simple user It is not always clear whether a file is needed or not. Therefore, a variety of software is used for cleaning.
What else can you do
If Windows has two system drives, then when installing programs, especially modern games, which can take up great amount memory, specify the path to the second disk. By default, everything is installed on the system drive and it often turns out that drive C is full and D is empty.
Check the list installed programs and remove unnecessary or unused ones.
It may be that you don’t remember what’s on your computer - this will free up a huge amount of memory. It is necessary to carry out such cleanings and remove all kinds of garbage using the same CCleaner or similar software, and it is better to do this regularly, without waiting until the memory becomes full.
Very often the computer does not have enough memory to store all the accumulated information. As your hard drive becomes full, it becomes necessary to transfer data to other media. Flash drives are expensive, but disks, in comparison, cost pennies.
But even here problems may arise; discs may suddenly become unreadable by your drive. This article will tell you about possible reasons breakdowns and will help solve the problem.
Why did the drive stop reading discs?
There can be many reasons for this, ranging from problems with the disk to complete failure of the disk drive. However, all the reasons can be divided into two categories, hardware and software problems.
Hardware problems are caused by problems with the hardware. The following problems fall into this category:
- The cause may be the disk itself; its wear can be so severe that no disk drive can read it.
- The drive may no longer accept discs due to contamination. Over the entire period of operation, it accumulates inside the computer. a large number of dust that may enter the drive and settle on the read head.
- Loose connecting wires will also affect the performance of the device.
These are the most common hardware problems; determining which of these led to the failure can only be done “surgically”, that is, you need to get into the system unit.
With diagnosis software problems much easier. If problems appear after installing some software, then we can talk about software incompatibility.
Solutions to hardware problems reading disks.
Is your drive not reading discs? Don’t rush to throw it away and run to buy a new one. First, check the condition of the disk inserted into the drive; if it is in poor condition, then the reason may lie in the damaged disk, and not the drive. Remove the disc from the drive and inspect it for scratches and abrasions.
If everything is fine with the disk, then we move on. It's worth testing the drive on other drives different types: CD, DVD and small miniCD. It is recommended to use the newest disks for the test.
Don't forget about other hardware problems, open the lid system unit and carefully check the drive connection and motherboard connecting cables. If there is no obvious damage, still try to connect the drive using other available cables. And for prevention, clean the drive from dust and dirt. This can be done using special disks.
There is another way to clean the read head, but this option is for more experienced and confident users. This method involves disassembling the drive and cleaning the laser with water or high-quality gasoline. Never use cologne or other alcohol-containing liquids, or acetone to clean the laser. Their use will lead to disastrous results.
Have you cleaned the drive, checked its functionality on other drives, and tried to make it work using other cables, but it still refuses to read the drives? Don't be upset. You can move on to solving possible software problems, and consider all the above actions to be preparatory.
Solutions to disk reading software problems.
If you discover that the problem is not due to hardware reasons, remember what you did with your computer earlier, what you installed, changed and deleted. Because you might have accidentally deleted or changed files that are necessary for the drive to function.
To fix it, you will need to reinstall the device drivers necessary for normal and proper operation devices in the system. Driver mismatches or errors in them can cause the drive to refuse to read discs.
In addition, you can disconnect the drive using the operating system and then reconnect it. For Windows this is done in the system properties.
My Computer window
In the window that appears, click on Device Manager.
System Properties window
The manager finds your drive and then removes it.
Removing a device
After removing the device, you must restart the computer so that the system can detect the drive again and automatically install the appropriate drive for it. software, that is, drivers.
Often the cause of disk drive malfunction is third-party software installed to emulate virtual drives. Such programs include: DAEMON-Tools, Alcohol 120%, etc. All these programs can cause your drive to malfunction. If you have these programs on your computer, remove them one by one, and test the drive after each removal.
To uninstall, you can use the CCleaner program; it not only removes programs from the computer, but also cleans the system of unnecessary files and system entries remaining after removing the software. The process of cleaning system entries is called cleaning the registry.
In practice, there were cases in which the solution to the problem was to flash the device. But this action can lead to complete failure of the drive. So, before taking these measures, it is highly recommended that you read the following point.
Solving the problem using the MicrosoftFixit program
Sometimes after another reinstallation of the operating system Windows floppy drive stops opening only DVDs, but CDs still open normally.
This also does not mean that the drive “died”, because before reinstallation it was functioning properly. The most important thing is that this issue is resolved with the help of free and effective program MicrosoftFixit.dvd.Run. You can download the program from the link:
Load window
Program installation window
Troubleshooting option window
Window for selecting the device that needs to be fixed
Prompting to insert a disc
Troubleshooting Results Window
After which the media contents window will open or a dialog box will start containing several available options actions with the disk. If none of the above happens, then open the disk manually using the My Computer shortcut. Thus, the MicrosoftFixit program easily solves the problem of failure DVD reader or CDs.
And if this doesn’t help, then you can already think about buying a new drive. For greater understanding and optimal choice new drive, it is recommended to consult with specialists.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you will have the opportunity to try to fix problems with the drive yourself, one by one, first eliminating possible hardware causes, and then software ones. Applying the methods given in this article. It must be remembered that self-fix may result in bad results, therefore, you should not neglect the help of qualified specialists.