When using a computer, many temporary files are created in the system. One part is deleted after closing programs and rebooting the PC, while the other remains a dead weight on the hard drive.
If you don't clean it regularly, files will accumulate and take up unnecessary storage space. But this is not the worst thing - they can cause your PC to freeze.
The short answer is yes! Cleaning your computer of debris should be done regularly so that the system does not slow down. This does not mean that you need to check every day. 1-2 scans per month should be sufficient.
What to use to clean the operating system (OS)?
There are two types of programs - for complex cleaning and for cleaning the system registry. Most applications are distributed free of charge, so they are always available to users. Let's look at the best services.
Programs for comprehensive OS cleaning
First, let's study 3 applications for comprehensive Windows cleaning.
This utility is designed to improve the performance and speed up of your computer. Possibility of optimization RAM, as well as game mode "Turbo Boost", which will be of particular interest to gamers.
First you need to download the program from the official website of the developers - iobit.com. Click on the green button "Download" and install "Advanced System Care".
Before installation, be sure to uncheck the “Install Driver Booster for free” option - we don’t need this software. The application will ask you to enter your email to receive newsletters from developers with various bonuses.
The first window will offer scanning options. Select one, several or all items with a checkmark and click “Start”.
Next, the device will be checked, after which the results will be displayed on the screen. The user will be shown in detail each problem found. If you don’t understand this, click “Fix” without changing any items.
After this, unnecessary and problematic files will be cleaned. For best results, it is recommended to restart your computer.
One of the most functional programs. can clean the system registry, defragment the disk, create backups, search for and remove duplicates and malware, optimize RAM and much more.
First you need to download and install the utility from the official website glarysoft.com. Next, launch the application in any way. A window will immediately open with all the options.
The easiest way to start a scan is to click on the button "1-click", which is located at the top center. After this, a window of suggested points for examination will open.
Click on the green button "Find problems" and wait to receive the results. On home screen All detected problems will be displayed. Click "To correct".
Additionally, it should be noted that the utility copes with its task very quickly and gives recommendations for updating other important programs.
This application specializes in fully optimizing the operation of Windows OS. This is a kind of assistant that will not only rid the storage of temporary files, but will also help with updating installed utilities and drivers.
First you need to download and install . On the official website systweak.com it is paid, so if you don’t want to spend money, you can download the “cracked” version from a third-party resource.
It includes more than 30 tools for configuration, optimization and Windows protection. To clean the system of debris, you need to go to the section "Intelligent Maintenance", after which you will need to tick the required items.
In the lower right corner click on the blue button "Start Scan". The examination results will be displayed on the main screen, where the button will be available "To correct".
It also offers to optimize the operation of the hard drive, RAM, configure the game mode and secure your device. Availability huge amount useful utilities allows the application to handle most tasks.
Programs for cleaning the system registry
IN system registry important for Windows information. The slightest changes, even changing the background on the desktop, are made to it. But over time, unnecessary, outdated junk accumulates there, causing the computer to freeze. Let's look at utilities for cleaning the system registry.
Auslogics Registry Cleaner
The download is available on the official website of the developer. "Auslogics Registry Cleaner" allows the user to first scan the registry for errors, and then manually select what should be deleted.
Button "Scan" available immediately after launching the utility.
After the detected problems and risk level are displayed, the user must check the box to select which ones should be fixed. It is important to be careful here, since deleting an important system file can lead to a failure Windows operation. Click "Repair" and automatic cleaning will occur.
"Auslogics Registry Cleaner" creates backup points before making any changes. This will allow you to quickly restore your computer in case of problems.
You should also be careful when installing this program and uncheck unnecessary boxes - third-party software is often downloaded along with it.
Available for download on the official website of the developers - vitsoft.net.
The utility consists of four components:
- system registry optimizer;
- trash cleaning apps;
- startup manager;
- uninstaller.
The installation is no different from previous programs. After launching, select the item in the main menu "Scan".
A list of detected problems will be displayed. You can check off what you want to delete, after which you will need to click on the trash can icon.
If something goes wrong and a system failure is noticed, it is recommended to use a backup copy.
To do this, go to the appropriate section and click "Restore".
Bottom line
In order for your computer to please you with performance and quality of work, you need to periodically clean the registry. To be 100% sure that deletion will not cause any harm, you should have a little advanced understanding of how your computer works. When using something like this software be sure to make backups. If something went wrong, be sure to write in the comments and we will provide you with all possible help!
In this article we will look at various ways Cleaning the disk and freeing up space on it in any operating system Windows XP, 7, 8.1, 10.
1. Where does disk space go?
During the operation of the computer, system updates, installation of programs, visiting websites and other actions, a lot of unnecessary files, which are often called garbage or trash. In addition, we often download some files ourselves, and then, when they are no longer needed, we forget about them.
Extra files not only take up disk space, but also reduce system performance. The disk takes longer to search necessary files, and some of them can take up space in RAM and use processor resources. In addition, viruses often like to live in temporary files.
For stable, fast and reliable operation The computer must be kept clean and tidy. Nowadays the problem of lack of space is also relevant. SSD drives, the scope of which is very limited.
In this article we will try to comprehensively solve the problem of lack of disk space. To achieve good results, we recommend that you read the entire article and follow all the tips in the order in which they are presented.
2. Removing unnecessary programs and games
First of all, remove all programs and games that you no longer need. This will not only free up disk space, but will also speed up the system.
Press the “Win+R” key combination, enter “appwiz.cpl” and press “Enter” or use the “Uninstall programs” shortcut from the “ ” section.
In the window that opens, carefully review the list of installed programs and games and remove all that you are unlikely to use in the near future.
To remove a program, right-click on it and select “Delete”.
Do not delete anything whose purpose you do not understand or if you are not sure.
After that, manually find and delete the save folders of the deleted games, as they can take up a lot of space. You can easily find out where the saves of a particular game are by searching on the Internet.
Many online games also keep their distributions ( installation packages) for updates that are no longer needed, but at the same time take up a lot of space. For example, the Mail.Ru game center saves distributions in the “Distrib” folder, and the “World of Tanks” game – in the “Updates” subfolder. Files in such folders can occupy tens of gigabytes and can be safely deleted.
3. Find and delete unnecessary files
It often happens that some old unnecessary files take up a lot of disk space, but we forgot about them and don’t know where they are. In order to find them, I recommend using the “TreeSize Free” utility, which you can download in the “” section.
After launch, the program will scan your disk, determine the sizes of files and folders and sort them by size.
This way you can easily determine which folder contains the files that take up the most space. Delete any files you no longer need. If you think you might still need some of them, burn them to disk. Selecting the disk to scan (C, D, etc.) is done in the “Scan” menu.
4. Transferring user files and folders
If you have a second disk or partition (for example, disk “D”), then first of all transfer to it all the files from the desktop and user folders such as “My Documents”, “My Music”, “My Videos”, etc. ., since they are all physically located on the “C” drive.
You can move files manually by creating folders for them on another drive or partition in advance. But it is more correct to change the location of the user’s folders using operating system. Then all new files that you or any programs save on the desktop and in user folders will automatically end up on another disk partition, without causing the system partition to overflow.
4.1. Transfer user folders to Windows 7, 8.1, 10
Go to the folder “C:\Users\Name”.
Right-click on the “My Documents” folder and go to the “Location” tab.
Replace the drive letter with the one where you want to move the folder (for example, "D") and click OK.
Agree to move the files, and then repeat all the steps for the Desktop folder and other user folders.
4.2. Transfer user folders in Windows XP
In Windows XP there is no function to automatically move user folders and we will use special utility"XP Tweaker", which you can download in the "" section.
Install the utility and run it. Then in the left pane, select the “Windows XP” section and go to the “System Folders” tab.
Select the "My Documents" folder with the mouse, change the drive letter to the one where you want to move the folder (for example, "D") and click the "Change" button.
Follow the same steps for the “My Pictures”, “My Music”, “Desktop” folders.
After that, go to the folder “C:\Documents and Settings\Name”.
And manually move the “My Documents” and “Desktop” folders to the new location “D:\Documents and Settings\Name”.
5. Disk cleanup using Windows
In all Windows versions There is a disk cleanup function. Using it, you can clean up any partition of the disk (C, D, etc.), but it is most effective for cleaning the system partition (drive “C”), since this is where most temporary files are stored.
Right-click on drive “C” and select “Properties”.
Click the Disk Cleanup button.
Click the "Clean up system files" button (Windows 7, 8.1, 10).
Check all the boxes and you will see how much space will be freed up when deleting temporary files.
The volume of temporary files can reach 5-10 GB. Click the "OK" button and all temporary files will be deleted.
6. Deleting the hibernation file
The hibernation file (hiberfil.sys), which can be close in size to the amount of RAM, is located on the “C” drive and is used for sleep mode. If you do not use this mode, but turn your computer on and off in the usual way every time, then this file can be safely deleted, since it takes up a lot of space.
The system will not allow you to manually delete this file, and even if you do this using a special utility for deleting files, the system will create it again. Therefore, to correctly delete the hibernation file, you need to disable sleep mode.
Launch Command Prompt as administrator and run the following command:
Powercfg -h off
After this, the system itself will delete this file and will no longer create it.
If you don’t know how to work with the command line or don’t want to bother, you can download batch file"Deleting a hibernation file" in the "" section.
All you have to do is right-click on it and run it as Administrator (except for Windows XP).
7. Disable or change the page file size
The paging file (pagefile.sys), which can be one and a half times the size of RAM, is located on drive “C” and is used by many programs to compensate for the lack of RAM.
If you have a fairly large amount of RAM and a small “C” drive (for example, an SSD), many enthusiasts advise disabling the page file.
In the window that opens, go to the “Advanced” tab and in the “Performance” section, click the “Options” button.
In Performance Options, go to the Advanced tab and click the Change button.
Uncheck “Automatically select paging file size”, check the “No paging file” checkbox and click “OK”.
After restarting the computer, the paging file will be deleted and a lot of space will be freed up on the C drive.
But keep in mind that the system’s operation is tightly tied to the page file, and some programs may not even have enough 8 GB of RAM. Therefore, out of memory errors may begin to appear.
You can try completely disabling the paging file if you have 16 GB or more of RAM, but I still would not recommend doing this.
Hard drive A-Data Ultimate SU650 120GB8. Disabling System Restore
The recovery service makes backups system files and stores them in a special hidden folder, which can take up a lot of disk space. At the same time, the built-in recovery tool does not always work correctly, and viruses like to hide in the backup folder.
Press the “Win+R” key combination, enter “sysdm.cpl” and press “Enter” or use the “System Properties” shortcut from the “ ” section.
In the window that opens, go to the “System Protection” tab, select the “C” drive and click the “Configure” button.
Check the “Disable system protection” checkbox and click “OK”.
After this, all backup copies of system files will be deleted and additional disk space will be freed up. This way you can free up 5-10 GB of valuable space on drive “C”.
9. Disabling the Recycle Bin
You can disable the Recycle Bin on drive “C” so that it does not take up space on it. To do this, right-click on the trash can icon and select “Properties”.
Set the “C” drive to “Destroy files immediately after deletion” and click “OK.”
After this, if you delete large files from folders with game distributions or any other, they will not end up in the trash and will not take up space on the “C” drive.
10. Cleaning up your backup storage
To clear storage backup copies system files in Windows 8, 8.1, 10 I recommend in command line Run the following command as Administrator.
Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
For this purpose, you can also download the “Cleaning backup storage” command file in the “” section and execute it as Administrator.
11. Deleting temporary folders
You can painlessly delete temporary folders left after installing some drivers and programs:
C:\AMD C:\ATI C:\CONFIG.MSI C:\Intel C:\MSOCache C:\NVIDIA C:\SWSetup
12. Automatic disk cleaning and acceleration
There are special utilities to automatically clean the disk from temporary files. One of the best that I recommend is .
It can be set to clear temporary files every time you boot your computer, which will help maintain free space on your C drive and also provide a little extra protection since temporary folders are a favorite place for viruses.
But you need to configure it correctly, otherwise this utility will not clean up what you need, but leave what you need to remove. Since the utility’s settings are quite extensive and it has many additional useful functions, I decided to talk about it separately in the next article.
13. Links
Hard drive A-Data Ultimate SU650 240GB
Hard drive Transcend StoreJet 25M3 1 TB
Hard drive Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EZEX 1TB
In Windows OS, there is a Temp folder in which temporary files are stored (these are temporary files that are created when installing programs, updating, files necessary during the operation of a program to store temporary data and cache, and other files that were necessary for the operating system or program as temporary data storage). During work, many unnecessary files accumulate in this folder, which are essentially garbage. The volume of these files sometimes reaches tens of gigabytes.
Naturally, there is no point in storing this garbage on your hard drive. Good to clean from time to time hard drive from garbage. Below I will tell you how to properly clean drive C so as not to harm the operating system and free it as much as possible from unnecessary files. local disk.
There are 2 options for disk cleaning. The first option is to clean the disk using special utilities, the second is cleaning the disk manually.
Cleaning the disk manually is a more effective and reliable method, but at the same time it requires more actions and at least minimal preparation. Cleaning using utilities does not require much time, fiddling with system settings, or any computer knowledge. However, this method is not always effective in cases, for example, when viruses are hidden in the trash folder. In this case, the virus files will most likely remain in place.
Cleaning drive C from debris using CCleaner utility
Let's look at how to clean a disk of debris using the CCleaner disk cleaning program. You can download it.
Unpack the archive and run the program (no installation required).
On the left side of the program window, select the tab Cleaner(cleaning hard drive). Checkboxes mark items to be analyzed for the presence of unused files and garbage. It's better to leave everything here unchanged. Click the button Analyze to start analysis.
After analyzing the files on your hard drive, the program will display a list of unnecessary files and the approximate total amount of freed up space on drive C. Click the button Run Cleaner to start cleaning the disk from debris.
A window that appears warns you that the deleted files cannot be restored. Click OK to continue cleaning.
Once the hard drive cleanup is complete, a report will be displayed. The program can now be closed. In the above example, almost 4.5 gigabytes were freed disk memory on drive C.
How to properly clean local drive C manually
To clean drive C manually, you must first open access to system and hidden folders and files. Now you need to manually remove garbage from Windows temporary folders. It is advisable to clean the system disk after booting into safe mode. To do this, when you turn on the computer, press the F8 key and select the line Safe Mode.
The folder locations for storing temporary files are different in Windows XP and Windows 7. Below are the folders that need to be cleaned in Windows XP and Windows 7.
To clean your system disk of debris, go to each of the folders below and delete all attached files and folders in them. To select the entire contents of a folder at once, go to it through My Computer and press the key combination CTRL+A (or CTRL+F for the Russian keyboard layout). All files and folders will be highlighted. After that, press SHIFT+DEL to permanently delete these files instead of moving them to the trash. After emptying the folders, empty the Trash.
In Windows XP these are the folders (some may not exist):
1. C:\Windows\Temp
2. C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Temp
3. C:\Documents and Settings\FOX\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
4. C:\Documents and Settings\FOX\Local Settings\Application Data\ Opera\Opera\cache
5. C:\Temp
where %username% is the user name
IN Windows Vista and Windows 7 these are the folders (some may not exist):
1. C:\Windows\Temp
2. C:\Temp
3. C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Temp
4. C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Opera\Opera\cache
5. C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Temp
6. C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Opera\Opera\cache
where %username% is the user name
Every PC user has at least once encountered the problem of low disk space. When such a situation occurs, a person begins to frantically remember what information he will no longer need and what can be deleted in order to make the next update or install the necessary program. Famous tweakers and cleaners may be able to help you, but they often do not work very correctly.
In this article you will learn about Windows 7 (64-bit system).
Removing junk using Disk Cleanup
How to completely clean up drive C (Windows 7) so as not to disrupt the operation of the disk" - this is one of the most safe programs among all the tools that help get rid of computer junk. With its help, you can clean your hard drive, but it is almost impossible to delete anything important, since a warning signal will be received. Other utilities offer quick cleaning, but cannot offer any security guarantees.
To understand how to clear drive C (Windows 7) of unnecessary files using the Disk Cleanup function, you need to understand what this function is for. With its help, the number of those files that for a long time have not been used, but are on the hard drive. Such measures lead to increased computer efficiency. All temporary and unused system files will be deleted and the Recycle Bin will be emptied.
You need to start working by launching the program. To do this, go to “Start”, select “All Programs”, go to “Accessories”, “System Tools”, and then click “Disk Cleanup”. In the "Disk Cleanup Options" window that opens, you should select what you want to do: clean up personal files or all files that are on the device. If you are prompted for a password, you must enter it.
In the window you need to go to “Select disk” and determine which disk will be cleaned. After that, click “OK” and check the boxes next to the selected files. This action must be taken responsibly so as not to delete important files. After this, you must confirm the cleaning.
The Advanced tab includes two more methods that let you free up space on your hard drive. But it is only available if the option to delete files for all device users is selected.
The next step leading to knowledge of how to clean up drive C (Windows 7) is opening the “Programs and Features” item, which is located in the Control Panel. In it you can delete everything that is not used. In the "Size" column you can see how much disk space each program takes up.
With System Restore, you can use restore points to go back to an earlier state to restore your system files. If your computer is functioning properly, you can delete previous revert points to save disk space.
Removing "garbage" manually
To know how to properly clear drive C (Windows 7) of unnecessary files manually, you need to have information about where the temporary folders are located. They can be found at the following addresses: "%windir%\Temp" or "%ProgramData%\TEMP". For everyone using the device, it is "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Temp".
Files located in these folders can be deleted without problems. If you try to delete an important and the desired program, Windows will not allow this.
Windows Search Services and file reduction
Disk C cleanup (Windows 7) can be done using the Windows Search Service; it caches all information about files on hard drives and transfers it to the database, which is located in the folder "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\" and is called "Windows.edb".
The thing is that if the amount of data on hard drives increases, then the database file also increases. It can be several GB. Those users who do not use search very often hard drives, can free up space using the following method, which will not only make the file smaller, but also be able to keep track of its size.
You need to enable "services.msc" and set "Window Search" to disabled. Then you should run it again. In the "Indexing Options" you need to click "Change" and select the appropriate mode, and then confirm all actions.
Working with file size
How to clean up drive C (Windows 7) and free up space on it? This can be done by reducing the volume and relocating it to another disk. The optimal sizes depend on the features of your device.
Cleaning the installation
Most updates that are installed on a computer tend to leave installation programs in a separate folder. This leads to its size increasing significantly. You should not completely delete these files; such a measure may lead to incorrect operation of the device. But if free space is urgently needed, then removing them will be the way out. In the future, you should use software distribution kits or remove applications.
Antivirus software
It is better to explain clearly using the example of the popular antivirus "ESET NOD32". When it finds infected files, it sends them to the “Quarantine” folder. Its location may vary, so you need to look at your specific computer.
If there are a huge number of such files, the folder size will increase. You can solve this situation by clearing the "Quarantine" folder.
Disabling sleep mode
On system disk There is a file "hiberfil.sys" that always takes up space. Depending on the configuration of your computer, it can reach different sizes. If you don't need hibernation, you can always turn it off. But you need to do this in sleep mode.
To do this, you must log into your computer using administrator rights. On the control panel you need to select "Go to sleep mode". You must click to create a shortcut. In the field that opens, enter "powercfg -h off". Then confirm your actions. Next, you should run the shortcut as an administrator and agree to the actions in the “UAC” request.
Another useful tip is how to clean up the C drive (Windows 7) to free up space on the system partition. To get rid of possible problems in the future, it is necessary to monitor the availability free space. This applies to user folders.
For this method to work, you need to have several hard drives or partitions on them that will be located on the same computer. It is more advisable to carry out this procedure immediately after Windows reinstallation. This is due to the fact that there should always be free space left, which is necessary for defragmentation. It can be carried out either automatically or if necessary. Defragmentation not only reduces wear and tear on the hard drive, but also improves the performance of the computer as a whole.
After installation (which requires drive C) of Windows 7, you need to create several system folders. They must be placed in the root directory. Some of them may not be displayed. But the necessary one, "Users", is always visible.
After entering this folder, you can see all the names. The number of users may vary depending on circumstances. You need to select the folder that is named after the user you need. This is where all the user data will be located.
Almost each of these folders will grow in size as you add photos and other files. If you pay attention to the picture, you can see which one is overfilled and requires cleaning.
The folder that is filled as a result various downloads, it is more advisable to remove it from the hard drive and move it to another location. To do this, you need to cut it out and move it to the next disk, which has more free space. On this drive you need to create a folder with the user name and paste all the data there.
If there are many users, this procedure must be done for each. This will allow you to control the system partition and also improve the performance of the entire system.
In this article we will look at what to do if the computer is under Windows control displays the message " Not enough space on drive C” and how to clean this drive C. Drive C is usually the system drive, i.e. it contains the operating system, so it should always have enough free space to avoid slowing down Windows.
In the process of working on a computer, over time, many unnecessary, so-called junk files. These include the remains remote programs, which for one reason or another Windows OS could not delete and temporary files of the operating system itself that accumulate during its operation. In addition, a novice computer user usually saves his documents, music, photos and videos on drive C. Although Windows default and offers to save user files on the system drive C in the “Video”, “Documents”, “Music”, “Images” folders, but this is strongly not recommended. When disk C is full, the operating system begins to slow down, the opening speed decreases, and a warning window constantly pops up about the lack of free space. A critical lack of space is indicated by a red bar on the disk full indicator in the folder " Computer».
How to clean up drive C manually
First of all, transfer all your documents, images, music and videos to another, first there are the corresponding folders. And in the future, always save your files on another drive.
In the next step of cleaning drive C, check whether you really need certain installed programs, how often you use them and whether you can do without them. Everything is not required applications you need to remove them, or alternatively, reinstall them on another local drive.
The first method is faster than the second. Open the folder " Computer"(Main menu - Computer), select the drive (in our case, drive C) by clicking right button mouse on it call context menu, in which select " Properties" and click the " Disk Cleanup».
The cleaning program will launch and begin scanning the disk for unnecessary junk files, which will take some time. After searching, the user will be shown a window with a list of what can be safely deleted and the size of the garbage being deleted.
Click the button OK", then confirm your intention with the " Delete files" The program will begin the process of cleaning the disk from debris.
To start the program from the Main Menu, left-click on the button " Start", select " All programs", then the folder " Standard" And " Service", in the last click on the icon " Disk Cleanup».
Disk cleaning is discussed using the example of an operating room Windows systems 7. In other versions of Windows, the algorithm of actions will be similar and should not cause any difficulties.
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