What folders are not needed on the disk with. What can and cannot be removed from drive C? How to start cleaning drive C

We will have a lot of work to do in this tutorial! We will get rid of unnecessary - unnecessary programs.

If you have been using a computer for a long time, installed different programs, or if someone installed programs for you, then this lesson will help you put things in order with regard to different programs.

In the last lesson, we talked about the need to clean the computer of various "garbage", ie. from accumulated unnecessary files and records. The same goes for programs. Many users have a bunch of programs installed on their computer that are either very rarely or never used at all.

Or, several similar programs are installed, for example, several video or audio players, which means that some of them are not needed at all.

For low-power computers and / or for computers with little free space, getting rid of unnecessary programs will be very useful. And in this tutorial we will deal with that.

First comes the theory. Then, as always, a practical task.

Theoretical part

Many novice users use the Wrong removal of programs from the computer. They understand where a program was installed on the computer (for example, by default, the folder Program Files on the system drive, which was mentioned in the first lesson) and when some program is no longer needed, they simply find the folder with the files of this program and delete it:

Of course, in this way, most of the files of this uninstalled program will be deleted. But, at the same time, some files may still remain on the computer, which during the installation of the program were placed in other places on the computer (besides the Program Files folder). And if they are not removed too, they can interfere with the correct operation of the computer.

For example, it can visibly affect the performance of the computer when many programs have been uninstalled incorrectly.

Therefore, in this lesson, we will first talk about the correct removal of programs from the computer. First of all, let's consider uninstalling programs using standard methods that are available without installing additional tools for the correct uninstallation of programs.

And then let's talk about an even more reliable and convenient way to uninstall programs using your existing CCleaner program, which we used in the last lesson.

Deletingprograms through the Start menu

If during the installation of a program in the installation settings it was specified that the shortcuts for launching the program and its uninstallation (removal) were also placed in the Start menu, then you can uninstall the program via the uninstall shortcut (if it is present there).

For example, let's take a look at a snapshot of the Start menu shortcuts of some installed programs. Note that some programs ( AIMP3 and Any Video Converter) there are uninstall files Uninstall... When you click on this uninstall shortcut, the removal of the selected program will begin, and you just need to follow the suggested steps:

But, we also see that some programs ( 7-Zip and avast! Free Antivirus) shortcuts to remove them from the computer - no.

Therefore, you need to use some other way to remove programs.

We turn to the consideration of the second method of removing programs from a computer, - through Program Files.

Deletingprograms through the Program Files folder

Programs are installed where we define them during installation, and usually it is in the folder Program Files on the system disk, i.e. on the disk where the operating system is installed.

Let's find, for example, a folder with files 7-Zip archiver... In this case, the file that launches the removal of this program from the computer is designated as: uninstall.exe:

Other programs may have something similar: uninstal.exe, uninst.exe,unins.exe or something similar, where there is a mention of uninstallation ( uninstall) with the addition at the end of the extension .exe.

To delete not the desired program, just click on this file and follow the suggested uninstallation steps, usually you just need to confirm that you want to uninstall this program.

As you can see from the example of this 7-Zip program, in the Start menu we did not find an opportunity to remove it, but in the folder Program Files she is.

But for some programs and in this folder, we may not find an opportunity to delete them. So, for example, in avast! Free Antivirus we do not find a shortcut to uninstall in the start menu, nor an uninstal file in the folder Program Files.

How, then, to remove such programs?

For example, this can be made special Windows tools to uninstall programs.

Deletingprograms through the Control Panel

We go through the Start menu in Control Panel:

After that, a list of programs installed on the computer will be provided, in which we can select the program that we want to remove and click on the link Delete / Change, and then confirm the deletion:

As you can see, in this case we have already found how to uninstall the program when there is no way to uninstall it using one of the first two methods described above.

We used all these three methods without installing additional applications on the computer. And any of these methods, of course, is better than simply deleting the folder with all the installed program files, for example, like this:

In general, I will mention again that it is wrong to delete this way! Better to use one of the above methods. But, even better (more convenient and efficient), remove programs using special programs, which we will talk about later.

Free of chargeprogram for uninstalling programs

According to some experienced users, the standard deletion in the above methods still does not completely remove all files related to the program to be removed. Therefore, it is recommended to use special programs (free) such as CCleaner or Revo Uninstaller.

Revo Uninstaller is a little more difficult for novice users to use than CCleaner. And since you already have CCleaner installed, it remains only to consider how to remove programs using it.

We go in the CCleaner program to the section Service -> Removing programs, select the program you want to delete, click on Uninstall and confirm the deletion:

Note that there is also a button Delete... This function deletes the selected program only from this list installed programs, but the program itself still remains on the computer. So, to remove the program from the computer, use only the button Uninstall.

Removing programs this way (using CCleaner) is more convenient and efficient than the above methods. But, nevertheless, it is also useful to know about them.

What can and cannot be deleted?

Of course, someone in relation to some programs may have doubts whether to delete them or not. Someone will definitely think: "Now I will delete something and suddenly something will happen to the computer - for example, it will stop working normally."

Indeed, this can be, but only in those cases when the user deletes what he does not know! So a simple rule works here:

Never delete what you are not sure about!

How then to know what can be deleted and what can not?

Since there are a lot of different programs and the need to use certain programs, everyone may have their own, therefore there is no standard solution, which means that you need to analyze your installed programs.

How to do it?

As mentioned earlier in the program CCleaner In chapter Service -> Removing programs, a list of installed programs is displayed. There, the programs installed on the computer can be sorted by Name, To the publisher, Installation date and Size which the program occupies on the computer.

For example, clicked on installation date and the whole list was sorted by the order of installation of the programs from the very beginning to the end. Clicked on it again, and first the programs that were installed last will go:

These parameters can help you determine what to remove and what not to remove.

By name(Installed programs). Everything is simple here - by the names of the programs and the icons of these programs, you yourself can see the programs you are familiar with and decide whether you need them or not.
Column information Publisher can also tell you for some programs what kind of program it is. For example, if the publisher is Microsoft Corporation, then you should pay attention to these programs, as they may be important (but not necessarily).
Column ordering installation date can help draw conclusions when a particular program was installed. If installed recently, it means that the computer previously worked without it. Or vice versa, if some programs are installed at the very beginning (immediately after installation operating system), then they can be very important. For example, it can be programs related to a video card, sound card, webcam.
And ordering to size can also help to pay attention first of all to those programs that take up a lot of space.

Let's consider an example:

Let's say you bought a laptop "off hand" and want to put things in order in it with respect to the installed programs.

You also have your own printer, say, from a Samsung manufacturer. You don't have any more printers and scanners.

In the list of installed programs, you noticed that there is installed applications different devices of the manufacturer Canon. And thus, you understand that the person from whom you bought the laptop used one or more Canon devices.

And since you do not have these devices, you do not need these programs either. This means that you can safely get rid of them by removing them, i.e. by uninstalling each one in turn:

If the system displays a message that in order to completely remove a program, you need to restart the computer, you can agree to restart, this is normal!

But what if some programs are not familiar to you?

In this case, you can simply use the search for any browser and see on the Internet what kind of programs you have installed on your computer and how important they are to you.

To do this, on the name of the program, click right click the mouse and select:

An additional window will appear with a highlighted program name. Right-click on it and select. The copied name will be in the Clipboard (in the temporary computer memory). Since we did not rename anything, we press Cancellation:

Now we go into any browser that we use to view sites and in the search simply paste the copied name of the program ( right click ->Insert) and search.

The search engine will give an answer and you can go to the very first answers and read what kind of program it is in order to have an idea whether you need it or not.

As a rule, in the search engine, already in the first results of queries in short description (1 ) it will be written what kind of program it is. If this information is not enough, then you can follow the links provided ( 2 ) to learn more:

Of course, if many programs are not familiar to you, then for research, which means each program, it may take you enough time for the first time. But, on the other hand, you will know what programs are generally installed on your computer and will be able to get rid of unnecessary things with understanding.

Practice for this lesson

Using the program CCleaner -> Service -> Removing programs, analyze which programs you do not need and uninstall, i.e. uninstall their.

Once again I want to emphasize that if you are in doubt about some action, then it is better not to do it.

If you have not found out what the program is, do not delete it!

The information from this lesson provides only the necessary knowledge and guidance on how to find out the purpose of any program and correctly uninstall it. And now further decisions on the removal of certain programs - you personally make!

Your report on this lesson

After completing the lesson, write about your results:

- Did you get rid of many programs?
- How easy / difficult was this lesson for you?

If there are serious doubts about whether to remove them or not with regard to certain programs, i.e. if, after research, you could not figure it out yourself, you can indicate them. Perhaps I know, or if I don’t know, then I myself will look for information about these programs and answer - what they are intended for, so that you can decide whether to delete them or not.

But, indicate no more than 3 programs. Still, this is a training in which the main task is to teach you how to do everything yourself!

Probably no one needs to be told that while working with a computer, the system partition is constantly filled with garbage. Finally, the system issues a warning that the system C drive is full. Not all novice users know what can be removed from this section, and thoughtless intervention can lead to such grandiose problems that not only programs, but also the operating system will stop working. Further, a detailed analysis of the components is proposed for consideration, which in the system partition can be disposed of completely painlessly for Windows and user applications or other types of data.

What is stored on the C drive?

Let's start with what kind of objects are present in the system partition. The main directory here is Windows. It is in it that the files of the installed operating system are contained. It goes without saying that you cannot delete it (in fact, the system itself will not allow you to do this under any circumstances, even if you are an administrator at least three times).

Two folders, ProgramData and Program Files, contain information about installed programs. It is possible to delete the components nested in them only if some applications have not been completely uninstalled. If you get rid of the folders completely, almost all custom applications will stop working.

The Boot directory (hidden) contains information on how to boot the system. It, as already clear, cannot be touched either.

Finally, the Users folder is responsible for configuring and storing the data of all users registered in the system. Partial cleaning of this directory can be done. Let us dwell on this separately.

And there was no talk of backup files yet. So what can you remove from the C drive? Everywhere you look, there are continuous prohibitions. It seems so only at first glance. In fact, there is a lot of things in the system partition that can be deleted without fear of the consequences.

Clean up drive C: what to get rid of first?

So let's start with the simplest. If suddenly the system reports that there is no free space on the C drive, first of all check the status of the "Recycle Bin".

If anyone does not know, when placing remote objects into it, they hard disk do not disappear anywhere, but are stored in a specially designated area. Emptying the "Recycle Bin", if it is full, will just free up additional space in the system partition (if there is a virtual partition, and on it too, provided that files and folders have been deleted from it too, since there are as many such storages in the system there are sections).

System cleaning

Windows operating systems themselves have a fairly powerful tool for removing unnecessary components. Disk C cleaning can be done by clicking the corresponding button on the general tab in the properties section of the selected partition.

This tool will first check and then list all those items that you can get rid of. Check all that is, and start the process with the clear system files button. There is nothing wrong with this, since the critical components of the operating system itself will not be removed.

Updates

If the list contains downloaded update files, you should clean up the C drive by specifying and deleting them, since downloaded updates usually do not disappear after they are integrated into the system. Getting rid of them manually is quite troublesome.

System temporary files

Now one more thing related to Windows settings. We will assume that you still need to free up some space on the C drive. What should I delete? It's time to get rid of the so-called temporary files that are stored in the Temp folders, since the built-in system tool does not delete them.

In order not to search for these directories for a long time, in the usual "Explorer" search for the% Temp% criterion. Percentage symbols are used only because folders may be hidden and not visible normally. Once found, completely clear their contents.

Custom documents

Now, in the question of what can be removed from the C drive, we will consider one of the most important points. The folder "My Documents" is also located in the system section, and what was saved there, many users completely forget. Some programs by default can save, say, pictures, music or videos in the appropriate directories of the user directory.

Check the contents of each subfolder and, if necessary, get rid of unnecessary files (images, music and videos can take up a lot of space). Don't forget the Downloads directory. By default, both the system and the same torrent clients save the downloaded content there. Thus, you will free up space on the system partition, especially if you consider that after installing programs, many installation distributions are clearly unnecessary. If you still need them for the future, move them to the logical partition or removable media.

Rarely used programs

What else can you remove from the C drive? Programs that you rarely use or do not use in your daily work at all. In addition, some applications tend to be installed on the system without the user's knowledge and clutter up disk space.

To get started, go to the programs and components section and see what is on the list. Do not rush to remove unnecessary applications, because the built-in uninstallers of the operating system itself or installed programs after performing the standard procedure can leave a heap of garbage. These are registry keys, files, and directories. All this will have to be cleaned by hand.

In order not to do this, it is better to immediately use programs like iObit Uninstaller, which not only uninstall unnecessary applications, but also save you from the need to clean up "tails" in manual mode. To do this, they use a special powerful (in-depth) scan mode. But when deleting leftovers, do not forget to use the file destruction item.

Garbage in browsers

A disk with Windows 7 or any other system can also be cleaned up by removing unnecessary garbage that accumulates in web browsers, since they are installed by default in the system partition. Accordingly, their cache and temporary files are stored in the same place.

In the settings of any browser, you can find a special item for clearing the history of visits, after calling which a menu will appear with a proposal to delete several types of items. Check all that are required and set the cleanup. By the way, after such a procedure, the browsers themselves will start working much faster.

Paging file

Finally, we come to the most significant procedures. The paging file, which is responsible for the use of virtual memory, when there is not enough RAM for the programs to work, takes up a lot of space in the system partition. It should be disabled if possible.

You can access these settings through the performance section. Usually the parameter is set in such a way that the system itself determines its size. Deselect this option, and then at least see what is offered in terms of size. And do not delude yourself that a size like 1-2 GB will be indicated at the bottom of the window. In fact, when using virtual memory, the allocated size of disk space can be ten times larger. So, for example, when installing automatic settings on a computer with 8 GB of RAM, the allocated space for the system partition will be 3-4 times more. Do you understand what this is about? Use the "No swap file" option, save the settings and reboot. After a restart, the space will be reclaimed automatically.

Hibernation file

Finally, in the question of what can be removed from the C drive, special attention should be paid to the hibernation file, which is responsible for the corresponding mode, which saves the settings and parameters of all currently active programs in the system partition. Its size can also be quite large. You cannot delete it manually, but you can turn off the mode itself, after which the file will be deleted from the system, you can.

To do this, use a command line running as administrator, and enter the command powercfg.exe -h off in it. Once done, restart your computer and see how much space is freed.

Additional utilities

As additional tools, you can use utilities specially designed for system optimization like CCleaner (there are a lot of them now).

In addition to cleaning the disk, they have special modules that allow you to optimize even system registry... As for the cleaning of the system partition, you can set either a one-time optimization, or leave applications at startup so that their clients can clean up in the background. If you do not want the utilities to start together with the system, disable their autoload either directly in the program or through the appropriate section Windows settings... You can also use narrowly targeted programs that are designed exclusively to remove garbage from the system, but comprehensive care is preferable.

Conclusion

Above, we discussed the main methods to get rid of everything that can clutter up the system partition to a fairly high degree. Many people may have questions about disabling the paging file and virtual memory. Nothing wrong with that. As practice shows, if you do not run heavy programs like AutoCAD or professional applications for working with multimedia on your computer, but work only with office documents, the system does not work normally without it, but even faster, since when the programs are launched, a direct call is made to RAM, not to hard drive. This is confirmed even by the reviews of the owners of inexpensive laptops with weak 2-core processors and two gigabytes of RAM.

As you know, in any version of operating Windows systems in the course of work, a huge amount of so-called computer junk accumulates. Occasionally, there may even be an overflow of the system catalog (Windows). Some users, not without reason and seriously ask questions about what can be removed from the Windows folder without damaging the system. Let's talk about this and many other things in more detail, and also consider the practical steps to clean up this directory, but only those that allow you not to harm the entire system as a whole.

What can be removed from the Windows folder and should I do it?

Let's start with the most elementary concepts. Generally speaking, it is better not to make any changes in the system directory without special knowledge, including manual deletion of some objects in the form of files and folders. It is clear, after all, that such rash actions can only lead to the fact that Windows will stop working, after which it will not be possible to restore the system by any known means, and all that remains is to reinstall it. If deleting such objects is not recommended, at least you can get rid of their contents.

If we are talking about exactly what can be removed from the Windows folder in relation to the directories nested in it, in most cases we mean temporary files that appear as a result of the work of some system processes, as well as Windows updates, and this also applies to the saved files of older versions of Windows. Files present in the main folder, unless they are the remnants of viruses (which is unlikely), cannot be deleted!

What folders can be deleted in the Windows folder without damaging the system?

First, let's just find out which directories do not belong to the system and do not contain important components for the functioning of Windows. Just open "Explorer" or any other file manager and set the display of hidden objects in the view menu. After that, carefully go through the folders, moving the cursor from one to another, in order to find empty directories.

If you have any doubts about a folder, look at the date it was created. If there is any nonsense in the name or if you find that the directory was created much later than the installation of the system itself, you can try to delete it. But manual deletion should only be used when you are firmly convinced that this object has absolutely nothing to do with the required system directories. This also applies to hidden folders, however, we repeat, it is better not to touch them (for now).

The system folder contains several subfolders containing files that are often unnecessary for the user and subdirectories that take up a lot of space. In this case, the following directories are meant:

Temp;
SoftwareDistribution with a Download subfolder;
Windows.old (if available on the system);
WinSxS.

Next, let's take a look at each directory and figure out what can be stored in them and how to clean up their contents. Please note that you cannot delete such folders in any case, but sometimes you can rename.

Temp catalog

So, first of all, let's see if you can delete the Temp folder in Windows or not. No! Despite the fact that it is used to store temporary files that accumulate during operation, it is not recommended to touch it. But delete the contents of the directory as much as you like, however, on condition that the system allows you to do this. Indeed, some files will be deleted, but for others, notifications about prohibitions or the impossibility of deletion will be issued. Why? Yes, because files at the moment can be used by programs or system processes, and in order to delete them, it is just necessary to terminate active services.

However, there is a much more effective remedy. In the same "Explorer", use the properties of the system partition and click the disk cleanup button. In the list, just mark the item for temporary files, after which the active processes will be terminated by the system itself, and the cleaning will be completely painless.

SoftwareDistribution and Windows.old directories

Not everything is so simple with these directories. The SoftwareDistribution directory contains cached update files that are downloaded when searching for and installing critical Windows updates. It is impossible to get rid of this directory in manual mode (such actions are prohibited). But after entering the Download directory located directly in this directory, you can get rid of empty folders.

To delete all content, you first need to go to the services section (services.msc), stop the "Update Center", set the start type to disabled and restart the computer. After that, the objects can be deleted.

Along the way, it should be noted that sometimes you need to rename the directory by assigning it the name SoftwareDistribution.old, and this can be done just when the main service is disabled. It is also not recommended to delete such a folder, but a new directory with the original name will be created automatically upon reboot.

Now let's see if the Windows.old folder can be deleted. You can, but only through disk cleanup.

WinSxS folder

Another directory related to storing installed updates (not downloaded packages or cached data) is present as a WinSxS folder. You can also clean it up, but not manually, but again using Disk Cleanup.

Only in this case, it is necessary to mark the removal of system updates in the list, and along the way, you can also use the disposal of backups. All these operations are available only when going to the point of cleaning system files.

Installer folder

Can Windows delete the Installer folder? The question is not idle, since there is no ban on actions with it. You can get rid of the directory in no time, but then problems will begin with removing installed programs, since it is in it that data about all applications is stored. Thus, it is better not to touch it. By the way, even when using specialized uninstallers, in most cases, the standard uninstallation procedure launched at the beginning will also be impossible.

Automatic cleaning

But, if you are so worried about the problem of what can be removed from the Windows folder, it is best to use not manual actions, but use either your own system tools or programs for cleaning computer garbage (CCleaner, ASC, etc.) that will cope with such a task it is much better and safer.

If you need to remove programs "embedded" into the system (for example, the same "Notepad" that is present in the Windows directory as an executable file Notepad.exe), the most relevant tool is to use uninstaller programs like iObit Uninstaller, which have a special section ...

In the course of its operation, the operating system creates a lot of temporary data that is stored on disk (usually the C drive) in the form of files and registry entries. These can be files of service packs, archivers, shadow copies, content downloaded from the Internet, etc. Third-party programs behave in a similar way, such as browsers, which cache website data. Some temporary files are deleted automatically after a certain time, others remain on the disk until they are forcefully deleted.

If the user does not perform regular maintenance and cleaning of the C drive, the free space on it becomes less and less, up to the point that the disk eventually turns out to be full of temporary files to the eyeballs, which excludes further writing to it of any data and reduces its performance. There are two ways out of this situation - either increase the size of the system partition at the expense of the user volume, or perform a comprehensive cleanup, which is more preferable. Let's see how to free up some space on the local C drive in Windows 7/10.

What can be removed if the disk is full

The system volume contains many important files to ensure normal Windows work therefore, deep cleaning should be approached with the utmost care. What can you remove from drive C to free up space and keep your system running smoothly? We will conditionally divide all its contents into three groups. The first includes files that can be deleted without fear. The second is made up of files, the deletion of which, although it will not damage the system, but under some circumstances can still cause certain problems. The third group includes files that cannot be deleted, as this can make programs and the system unusable. You can clean up the C drive without negative consequences by deleting:

Cart Contents.
Library catalogs.
Folders and Downloaded Program Files in the Windows directory.
Cache of browsers and some third-party programs.
Sketches of icons.
Logs and memory dumps for system errors.
Old files of the Chkdsk utility.
Bug reports.
Files created by the Windows debugger.

With some caution, you can delete shadow copies () created during the installation of updates and stored in backups, files of previous system installations (Windows.old folder), unnecessary components and applications, folders of uninstalled programs in the ProgramData, Program Files and Roaming directories, Microsoft Office MSOCache folder. If not used and quick start, you can delete the file hiberfil.sys in the root of the C drive, having previously disabled these functions in the settings. Deleting the paging file is acceptable but not desirable pagefile.sys... You cannot delete other files and folders on the C drive so as not to disrupt the operation of the system.

Cleaning up garbage and temporary files using Windows

First, let's take a look at how to clean the C drive of unnecessary files in Windows 7/10 using the operating system itself. For these purposes, Windows has a built-in utility cleanmgr.exe, which can be launched both through the properties of the section to be cleared, and through the "Run" dialog box. After the utility scans the disk for obsolete files, check the boxes on the "Disk Cleanup" tab and click "OK".

If you click the "Clear system files”, Reports, device driver packages, error dumps and additionally restore points, with the exception of the most recent, will become available for removal.

For a deeper and more thorough cleaning of the C drive from garbage, you can use the built-in console utilities Dism and vssadmin... The first allows you to delete temporary data from the WinSxS folder, including backups created before installing Windows updates. To do this, use the following commands executed in the CMD console launched as an administrator:

DISM.exe / online / Cleanup-Image / StartComponentCleanup
DISM.exe / online / Cleanup-Image / SPSuperseded
vssadmin delete shadows / all / quiet

The first command does the same thing as the cleanmgr.exe utility, only more thoroughly.

The second removes all backup service packs from the WinSxS folder.

The third command can delete all restore points, including the last one.

However, you should use these tools with caution, since after executing the indicated commands, you will no longer be able to roll back the system to a working state or a previous version.

Note: before cleaning the WinSxS folder, it is recommended to set its true size, thereby making sure that it really needs cleaning. To do this, run the command on the command line Dism.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / AnalyzeComponentStore and compare the actual size of the component store with the size metric in the properties of the Explorer.

After upgrading Windows to more new version a folder appears at the root of the C drive Windows.old which can take up significant disk space.

The contents of this directory are represented by copies of the system installation files of the previous version of Windows. If you are determined not to return to old version systems, the Windows.old folder can be deleted. This is done again either with cleanmgr.exe or using the command line. In the first case, you need to find and mark on the "Additional" tab the item "Previous Windows installations", In the second - execute the command in the CMD console launched on behalf of the administrator rd / s / q c: /windows.old.

You can get a little extra space on the C drive by removing unused components, the same ones that can be accessed by the classic Add / Remove Programs applet.

The standard Dism utility is also used here. To select and uninstall an unused Windows component, run two of the following commands in the CMD console running with elevated rights:

DISM.exe / Online / English / Get-Features / Format: Table
DISM.exe / Online / Disable-Feature / featurename: NAME / Remove

The first command lists all the components in the system, the second removes the selected item. V this example its name must be substituted for the string element NAME.

Manual removal of programs and files

With the exception of Windows 8.1 and 10 universal apps, almost all desktop programs are installed in the folder Program Files... If the program is no longer needed, it should be removed so that it does not take up space on the disk, only this must be done either using a standard uninstaller or using special third-party programs. Nevertheless, after uninstalling applications, their folders with configuration files, the weight of which can reach several hundred megabytes, may remain on the disk. Such data must be deleted manually.

Let's say you have removed Microsoft Office or Skype from your computer and want to get rid of all their "tails" left on the C drive. To do this, carefully check the Program Files and ProgramData directories in the root of the C drive, as well as the folders C: / Users / UserName / AppData... If the folder name matches the name of the remote application, you can delete it.

The AppData folder is a little more complicated. This hidden directory contains three subfolders: Local, LocalLow, and Roaming. The first stores files created in the course of the work of various programs. You cannot clean it entirely, as this will most likely lead to the loss of saved application settings, however, half-empty folders of uninstalled programs can be safely deleted. It is also safe to clear the contents of the folder located in it. Temp.

The same applies to the LocalLow and Roaming folders, only those directories that belonged to previously uninstalled applications can be deleted from them.

Note: clearing the contents of the Local, LocalLow and Roaming folders, you lose user settings and data saved in their cache. For example, after deleting its folders in the user profile, you will lose the current messenger settings and part of the message history.

As for the removal of universal applications, they are uninstalled using the standard tools of the system itself or the CCleaner program, which will be discussed below. You can also move some universal applications from drive C to drive D if they support this feature.

Transferring desktop programs to another volume is also possible, for these purposes there is a special utility SteamMover which you can download from the developer's site www.traynier.com/software/steammover.

Using CCleaner

Many novice users are interested in how to delete unnecessary files from the C drive using third-party programs, as well as which of these programs are more effective and safe in this regard. These can be recommended CCleaner- simple, fast, convenient, and most importantly safe disk and registry cleaner for Windows. This program allows you to delete temporary Internet data and Windows itself, the contents of the thumbnail cache and DNS, Index.dat files, memory dumps, chkdsk fragments, various system logs, obsolete prefetch files and many more non-essential data.

With CCleaner, you can clear the system registry from incorrect entries, optimize, enable, disable or remove browser extensions, analyze the contents of hard drives, search for duplicates and, of course, uninstall unnecessary applications, including universal ones.

The CCleaner interface is very simple, so even a novice user will not be difficult to deal with its simple functionality.

Considering, however, that the main purpose of CCleaner is still cleaning, all its additional tools have limited functionality. If your C drive is clogged with something incomprehensible, and you want to find out what exactly, then for these purposes it is better to use specific utilities, for example, Scanner, JdiskReport or their analogs, showing more accurate information about the file structure of the media with the ability to navigate through the subdirectories.

Other ways to free up space on the C drive

Clearing the driver store

The above steps are usually enough to free up enough space on the system volume, but what if the C drive is still full? What else can you do to get more space? One option is to clear the contents of the folder FileRepository located at C: / Windows / System32 / DriverStore.

This directory contains copies of device drivers that have ever been connected to the computer, and may also contain outdated drivers. Before removing driver packages from the FileRepository folder, it is highly advisable to create a complete list of them and find only outdated versions in it, and leave the rest untouched. It would also not hurt to create a complete copy of all drivers installed on the system. To list the DriverStore drivers in a file, run the following command from an elevated command prompt:

pnputil.exe / e> C: /drivers.log

Compare the driver versions in the list and remove only the outdated ones.

To remove the selected driver, immediately run the command in the console pnputil.exe / d oem№.inf, where # is the name of the driver in the list.

If an error is displayed in the console when uninstalling a driver, then the driver is being used by the system. You do not need to touch such a component.

As an alternative to the command line, you can use the free utility Driver Store Explorer, just designed to remove old unused device drivers.

Disable hibernation

Thanks to hibernation mode, the user can quickly return to work in running applications, on the other hand, its use requires the allocation of a significant amount of space on the system disk, slightly less than or equal to the amount of RAM. If the availability of free space on the hard drive is a priority for you, hibernation mode can be disabled by deleting the hiberfil.sys container file.

Run the CMD console as administrator and run the command in it powercfg -h off... Hibernation will be disabled and the bulky hiberfil.sys file will be removed.

Note: the hibernation file can be compressed at most twice with the command powercfg hibernate size 50.

Disable paging file

In addition to other hidden system objects in the root of the C drive, there is also a file that can be deleted under certain conditions. This is the swap file pagefile.sys... This file plays the role of a buffer of RAM, and if some application does not have enough RAM for its work, its data is temporarily written to. Accordingly, if there is no swap file, the heavy application will slow down a lot or simply freeze while waiting for the faster RAM to be freed. Therefore, it is not recommended to disable and delete the paging file, unless the computer has a very large amount of RAM.

If your PC has more than 10GB of memory, or you are not going to run resource-intensive applications, you can try carefully disabling swap. To do this, open the Advanced system settings and on the "Advanced" tab in the "Performance" section, click the "Settings" button.

This will open another window. Switch to the "Advanced" tab in it, and then click the Change button in the " Virtual memory».

Uncheck the "Automatically select paging file size" checkbox, enable the "No paging file" radio button, save the settings and reboot. The pagefile.sys file will be removed.

Deleting the MSOcache folder

Users who have installed Microsoft Office have a hidden folder at the root of the system volume MSOcache, the weight of which can reach several gigabytes.

This folder is a cache of the office suite and contains files that you may need to restore Microsoft Office if it is damaged. The MSOcache folder is not involved either in the launch of Microsoft Office or in the work with documents, so it can be deleted in the standard way. Please note only that if Microsoft Office is damaged for some reason, you will have to restore the package from the installation disk with its distribution kit.

Shrinking the contents of the system volume

You can free up some free space on the C drive without deleting anything at all. Instead, all system files can be compressed. To do this, just open the properties of the C drive, check the box "Compress this drive to save space" on the "General" tab and click "OK".

To compress system files in Windows 10, you can use the function Compact OS by executing one of two commands in the CMD console launched as an administrator:

compact / CompactOs: query
compact / CompactOs: always

The second command performs the same actions as the first, but in forced mode. It is used if you really want to shrink the system volume, and the first command rejects the operation, considering it inappropriate. Compression is completely reversible and to return the file system to its normal state, it is enough to execute the reverse command compact / CompactOs: never.

In addition to NTFS compression, LZX compression is available in Windows 10, but it has a number of drawbacks, due to which it has not become widespread. LZX compression is applicable to files and directories that are read-only, but an entire system volume cannot be compressed with it due to the risk of an unbootable system.

The free space of the C drive 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 other software elements, having completed their one-time mission (updating, installing, unpacking), settle in the folders of the C partition. Plus, useful megabytes and gigabytes consume some functional Windows modules.

The first remedy for such "clutter" is a comprehensive cleaning of the C drive. It must be performed regularly and in a timely manner. Otherwise, the section will overflow, and you will not be able to fully use the OS and, accordingly, the PC. Windows will constantly interrupt your work with warning messages - "not enough memory". It will become impossible to watch the video online, since the browser will not be able to save the content downloaded from the server on the computer. Other troubles can occur.

Getting Started with Disk C Cleanup: What You Need to Know and Do

Deleting from a disk from any 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 (system boot files);
ProgramData (completely impossible! Installed applications may not start);
ProgramFiles (installed software);
Users (user data).

Some folders that need to be "cleaned up" are hidden by default, that is, they are not displayed in directories. To get to them, do the following:

1. Press the key combination - "Win + E" at the same time.
2. In the "Computer" window, press the "Alt" key.

3. A horizontal menu will appear at the top of the window. Hover over the "Service" section. In the submenu, click "Folder Options ...".
4. In the options settings, go to the "View" tab.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the list of options in the "Advanced Options:" section.
6. Uncheck the box next to "Hide protected system ...". Enable the "Show hidden files ..." radio button by clicking the mouse.

7. Click OK.

Where to start cleaning drive C?

First of all, you need to empty the basket:

move the cursor over its icon;
press the right mouse button;
select "Empty Trash" from the menu.

Large, small files, regardless of which partition are stored (drive D, E or C), after deletion are sent to C: \ RECYCLER, the "Recycle Bin" file. As a result, the free space of the system partition is reduced. Deleting a large video file or image (for example, an iso file) with a shortage of extra gigabytes can easily lead to an overflow of the C drive.

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

Disk cleanup with the standard Windows utility

1. Click the "Start" icon.
2. In the right column, click Computer.
3. Right-click on the C drive icon. Select Properties from the menu.
4. On the property bar, 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 the following files" section, select which items to delete and which ones to keep (check the boxes).

7. Click "Clean up system files" and then "OK".

Note. The use of this utility can be limited if there are no strong "clogs" in the system. When you need to clear 2, 3, 5 and more GB, you need to perform a few more procedures, which include not only deleting individual files, but also changing the OS settings.

Removing unnecessary files from system folders

Quite often, users, without knowing it, "put" content and software in special OS folders designed to store a variety of information: "Downloads", "Images", "My videos", etc. Many programs and browsers send data to these directories by default (without changing the initial settings).

Open them one by one and delete everything you don't need. Move the files that are of special value to you into a logical partition (for example, drive D, E).

Advice! Be bold. Any item can be deleted here, and Windows will not be affected by it.

Temp folder

One of the main sources of OS clogging. Antiviruses, drivers, applications, games are placed in it. This happens during updates and installations. After the completion of the tasks, the used files remain in the "Temp". Of course, they need to be removed from there periodically.

1. On the C drive, go to the "Users" folder.
2. Click on the folder with the name of your 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 the file manager "Total Commander": create a new tab (keyboard shortcut "Ctrl" + "up arrow") and go to the Temp folder. Thus, you will always have a view of its contents.

Disable paging file

Pagefile.sys - OS virtual memory. When RAM (random access memory) resources run out, the system saves the unplaced data to this file. If your PC has more than 4.6 or 8 GB of RAM, the "Pagefile.sys" container can be disabled. On disk, it takes about the same amount as RAM... For example, if your PC has 16GB of RAM, then Pagefile.sys will be about the same.

To disable the swap file:
1. Through "Start" (icon "Win") open "Control Panel".
2. In the "System and Security" section, select "System".
3. In the settings window, click "Advanced options ...".
4. In the System Properties pane, on the Advanced tab, click Options.
5. In the "Performance Settings" option, on the "Advanced" tab, in the "Virtual memory" section, activate "Change ...".

6. In the "Virtual Memory" window:

select drive C;
enable by clicking the radio button "Without paging file";
click the "Set" button, and then - "OK".

7. Reboot your PC.

Disable hibernation

Hibernation is a kind of sleep mode: when the user is idle for a certain period of time, the OS saves all settings in a special file hiberfil.sys. Windows, as well as for Pagefile.sys, reserves for it free space on C equal to the amount of RAM.

Therefore, if you are not using hibernation mode, it is better to turn it off.

1. Press "Win + R".
2. Enter "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 of the C drive can be easily "entrusted" with a special cleaning program, for example, CCleaner. It can automatically empty the trash, memory dumps, clipboard, delete temporary files (cookies and cache) of popular browsers, and also perform many other operations to remove system junk.

Always monitor the size of the C drive. Do not overfill it. Delete unnecessary files not only to free up disk space, but also for prevention.

Good luck! Let your PC only store useful information.