The disk is not cleared. Cleaning your computer from junk: why clean it, what programs to use and how to do it

The free space of drive C is constantly decreasing during the operation of Windows. Regardless of the user's actions - whether he wants it or not. Temporary files, archives, cookies and browser cache and others software elements, having completed their one-time mission (update, installation, unpacking), they end up in the folders of partition C. Plus, useful megabytes and gigabytes are absorbed by some functional modules of Windows.

The first remedy for such “clutter” is a comprehensive cleanup of the C drive. It must be performed regularly and in a timely manner. Otherwise, the partition will become full, and you will not be able to fully use the OS and, accordingly, the PC. Windows will constantly interrupt your work with warning messages - “out of memory”. It will become impossible to watch videos online, since the browser will not be able to save 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 disk From all sorts of unnecessary elements- The procedure is very delicate. 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( boot files systems);
• ProgramData (entirely impossible! installed applications may not launch);
• ProgramFiles (installed software);
• Users (user data).

Some folders that need to be “cleaned” 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. At the top of the window will appear horizontal menu. 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 bottom of the list of options in the "Advanced Options:" section.
6. Uncheck the box next to “Hide protected system…”. Click on the radio button “Show hidden files… ».

7. Click OK.

Where to start cleaning drive C?

First of all, you need to empty the trash:

• hover over its icon;
• click the right mouse button;
• Select “Empty Trash” from the menu.

Large and small files, regardless of which partition they are stored in (drive D, E or C), after deletion, are sent to C:\RECYCLER, the “Trash” file. As a result, free space system partition decreases. Deleting a large video file or image (for example, iso file) if there is a shortage of extra gigabytes, it can easily lead to disk C becoming full.

Advice! Before emptying the Recycle Bin, check your desktop for unnecessary shortcuts. Their sizes are not large, but the fewer useless files there are, the better.

Disk cleanup using standard Windows utility

1. Click the Start icon.
2. In the right column, click Computer.
3. Click 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 little while the system checks the directories for unnecessary files.
6. Next, in the “Delete” section following files", select which elements to delete and which to leave (check the boxes).

7. Click “Clean up system files”, and then click “OK”.

Note. The use of this utility can be limited if there are no severe “clogs” in the system. When you need to clear 2, 3, 5 or more GB, you need to perform several more procedures, which include not only deleting separate files, but also changing OS settings.

Removing unnecessary files from system folders

Quite often, users, without knowing it, “put” content and software into special folders OS designed for storing various information: “Downloads”, “Images”, “My videos”, etc. Many programs and browsers default (without changing initial settings) send data exactly to these directories.

Open them one by one and remove everything unnecessary. Move files that are of particular value to you to logical partition(for example, drive D, E).

Advice! Be bold. Here you can delete any element, and Windows will not suffer from it.

Temp folder

One of the main sources of OS clogging. It contains antiviruses, drivers, applications, and games. This happens during updates and installations. After tasks are completed, the completed files remain in “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 your name account(username).
3. Then go to "AppData".
4. In the “Local” directory, open the “Temp” folder.
5. Empty it completely (send all files/folders to the trash).

Advice! If you use file manager « Total Commander": create a new tab (key combination "Ctrl" + "up arrow") and go to Temp folder. This way, you will always have its contents in sight.

Disabling the page file

Pagefile.sys is the OS virtual memory. When RAM resources run out ( RAM), the system saves the data that does not fit into this file. If your PC has more than 4.6 or 8 GB of RAM, the “Pagefile.sys” container can be disabled. It takes up approximately the same amount of disk space as RAM. For example, if your PC configuration has 16 GB of RAM, then Pagefile.sys will be about the same.

To disable the page file:
1. Through “Start” (Win icon) open “Control Panel”.
2. Under System and Security, 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;
• Click on the “No paging file” radio button;
• Click the “Set” button, and then click “OK”.

7. Restart your PC.

Hibernation Disables

Hibernation is a type of sleep mode: when the user is inactive for a certain period of time, the OS saves all settings in special file hiberfil.sys. Windows, just like for Pagefile.sys, reserves for it free space on 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 command line console, enter “powercfg -h off” (without quotes), then “ENTER”.
4. Restart the OS.

Using third party utilities

Cleaning the C drive can easily be “entrusted” to a special cleaning program, for example, CCleaner. It can automatically empty the recycle bin, memory dumps, clipboard, and delete temporary files (cookies and cache) popular browsers, as well as perform many other operations to remove system “junk”.

Always monitor the capacity of disk C. Do not allow it to become full. Deleting unnecessary files is not just for the purpose of freeing disk space, but also for prevention.

Good luck! Let your PC store only useful information.

Getting to know the utility

WITH CCleaner program you can not only clear the contents of the recycle bin, the cache of OS components and browsers, but also delete them from the disk Not necessary files, created by the system, for example previous version Windows remaining after updating or reinstalling the system. The program can also clean the disk from duplicates and large files no worse than the popular utilities Duplicate Killer, Duplicate File Finder, which is also important for getting additional space. You can delete whatever you want, the main thing is to competent setup.

Selecting parameters

On the main screen of Cycliner you will see a list of functions and applications that leave the cache in Windows directory. This includes both browsers and completely different programs– archivers, photo and video viewers, etc. It is noteworthy that in context menu are installed additional options for each component. For example, you can clear the Opera cache, but leave forms autofilled so as not to re-enter data on sites. Study the list carefully and check the boxes. Then move on to analysis.

Cleaning

The program will analyze the components quite quickly, but if maintenance has not been carried out for several years, the cleaning process may take long time. When clearing the contents, remember that to complete the operation correctly, it is better to first close all applications except CCleaner, and then reboot. If you want to free up even more space, launch the program again after turning on the PC.

Removing programs and duplicates

Go to the Service tab. There are at least 3 here interesting features. Disk analysis will show you which files are taking up valuable space. It will help a lot in cleaning local disk D is usually filled with movies, music and photos. You can also go through the disks using the duplicate search utility to remove movies, books, games, etc. that have been downloaded 3 times. The final touch for optimizing the system partition is deleting unused programs. Select unnecessary ones from the list, right-click and click “Delete” to get rid of the application forever.

In this article we will look at various ways cleaning the disk and freeing up space on it at any time operating system Windows XP, 7, 8.1, 10.

1. Where does disk space go?

During the process of computer operation, system updates, installation of programs, visiting websites and other actions, many unnecessary files accumulate on the disk, which are often called garbage or junk. 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 find the necessary files, and some of them may 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 of your computer, you must keep the disk 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 remote 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 They also save their distributions (installation packages) during updates, which are no longer needed, but at the same time take up a lot of space. For example, game center Mail.Ru 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 the 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 every time in the usual way, 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, for correct removal 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.

When enough large volume RAM and a small “C” drive (for example, 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.

8. Disabling System Restore

The recovery service does 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 clean up the system file backup storage in Windows 8, 8.1, 10, I recommend using 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

For automatic cleaning disk from temporary files exist special utilities. One of the best that I recommend is .

It can be configured to clear temporary files every time you boot your computer, which will help maintain free space on the C drive and also give you some additional protection, since temporary folders are a favorite place for viruses.

But it is necessary 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 Transcend disk StoreJet 25M3 1TB
Hard Western drive Digital Caviar Blue WD10EZEX 1TB

Hard drives are getting bigger and bigger, but no matter what, they somehow always seem to be full. This is especially true solid state drives(SSD), which offer their owners less volume available memory compared to traditional "mechanically driven" drives. If you're chasing free space, the techniques that we describe below will come in very handy and will help you achieve what you want. First of all, we will talk about tools and methods for cleaning a PC from junk, such as deleting copies of files, deep uninstalling programs, etc.

The Windows operating system contains built-in utilities that can solve most problems for the average user. And disk cleanup is one of those problems where it is not at all necessary to immediately run to install third-party applications.

To get started, follow following instructions, quite possibly, this will be quite enough:

1. Open File Explorer to the Computer tab (this is the one where all available drives are displayed).

   

2. Right-click on the section that you think needs cleaning. Select and click on "Property".

   

3. On the “Basic” tab, select “Disk Cleanup”. A new window will open. Alternative option maybe a search Disk utilities Cleanup via the Start menu.

   

4. Click on “OK” and in the list you will see all the “unnecessary” files that can be deleted without damaging the files you need. Check the boxes as you wish and click OK. In addition to the usual, you can also “brush” system partitions. To do this, press the key with the two-color shield “Clean up system files.”

   

5. After cleaning it will appear new tab « Additional features", go to it. On the tab, you can do two things: “Uninstall programs” and “Delete backups.” The latter exist in order to turn back time in case of unsolvable problems with the system. Time travel or “system rollback” occurs exactly to the moment when the last backup was made.

   

Important! In other words, delete such files with caution - always leave at least one copy of a working system.

You have successfully gotten rid of Congratulations! Now let's move on to uninstalling programs.

Method 2: Uninstalling programs

Direct continuation of the previous section.

Step 1. On the "Advanced Features" tab, click on "Clean" under the "Programs and Features" section. As a result, you will be taken to the “Uninstall programs” window.

In addition, you can get there through the “Control Panel” by following the following route: “Control Panel” - “Programs” - “Programs and Features”.

Step 2. So, before you is a window with all the programs installed on your PC. First you need to create a proposed “hit list”. To do this, click on the “Sorting” icon in the right corner of the table, next to the question mark. Select sort by size.

Step 3. Determine for yourself which programs you can do without (often these are the ones you see for the first time). Next, select the victim with a single left click.

Step 4. There is a “Delete” button right above the list, click on it.

Step 5. In the dialog box, confirm your intention to get rid of the program by pressing the “OK” button.

Step 6. Windows will begin the uninstallation process after successful completion, which it will give you information window with relevant content. Please read the contents carefully and click “OK” again.

Congratulations, you have successfully used standard functionality Windows!

If, in an effort to free up space on your computer, you are ready to do something more, feel free to move on to the next section.

Method 3: Using third-party applications

Step 1. System analysis. In order to determine what exactly your hard drive to the bottom, you can scan systems to identify the heaviest file partitions. Here good decision there will be a WinDirStat program that will quickly perform an analysis and tell you everything about the PC memory.

The program can be downloaded for free on the Internet. After installation, it will immediately prompt you to run a scan. Then you can continue the execution, either manually or automatically using other programs.

Step 2. Deleting temporary files. According to popular opinion, the best program For quick cleaning"heavy" sections from hidden garbage is the creation of the company Piriform program CCleaner.

You can download it from both the official and third-party sites. In any case, the program is paid. However, there is some pretty solid free functionality. After loading CCleaner, select the section with the “Cleaner” broom and check the boxes where you see fit, press the “Run Clean” button. Next, follow the instructions of the removal algorithm.

Step 3. Removing duplicate files. Quite often the computer memory contains huge amount the same files in different places. To safely get rid of this kind of garbage, use Duplicate program Cleaner Pro. The application will scan the PC memory and display all duplicate files on the screen, which you can get rid of there.

Thus, to free up space from debris in the operating room Windows system 7 there are both built-in and third-party . You are free to choose and use exactly what you personally like and what you find most convenient.

Video - How to clean a disk from garbage

It doesn't matter what capacity the hard drive installed on your computer has. Sooner or later the time will come when the free space on the hard drive approaches 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, 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 with the inherent experienced users Easily cope with the oncoming digital problems.

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. At the same time, the default settings provide for a non-stop process of saving system copies. After next updates OS, critical changes in the registry, and also according to established schedule, special Windows service sends a control “cast” with pedantic precision operating environment V backup storage. If we take into account the fact that most such copies will never be used, we can conclude that disk space, as a result of excessive reinsurance, is simply wasted, which leads to the user starting 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 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 of the 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 actual volume physical memory, specify a value equal to the capacitive parameters of the RAM.
• 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 system log may 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 take up much-needed space for the user, so to speak, 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 agents intelligently equipped clear interface, and even if you are new to the computer field, you will be able to cope with debugging and running the 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 reasonable approach and justified actions during the optimization process can guarantee you stability in 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!