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Where does memory go on a computer? How to open the System Volume Information folder. Other reasons for lost disk space

Have you ever noticed why free space disappears on the C drive in Windows 7? It seems that you only use it for the operating system, well, at most, you install programs and save something to the “Download” folder from the Internet, but free space on the system disk continues to disappear. This problem may not arise due to some virus or your incorrect actions, but due to ineffective operation of the system Windows recovery 7, incorrectly configured page file, too of great importance browser cache, various system garbage etc. In this article I will try to consider these problems of disappearance free space on drive C in Windows 7 and possible options their decisions.

Windows 7 recovery system and free space on drive C

This system creates restore points in the operating system so that the user can use them in case of any problems. This is very good, but sometimes the recovery system in Windows 7 may be configured incorrectly and cause the loss of free space on drive C. It is not recommended to disable this system, but reconfigure it to optimal parameters Can. To do this, go to: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> System Protection -> Configure.

In the window that appears, we see that system recovery is already using 47.5 GB on our disk, and maybe all 59.62 GB, which will be 50% of the total disk capacity. Now it’s clear where the free space on drive C disappears in Windows 7? This is quite easy to fix; first, by clicking “Delete,” we delete all recovery points and restore our 47.5 GB. Then move the slider to a value of 3-5%, this is quite enough for correct operation recovery system and click “Apply”. Now 3% will be allocated to the recovery system disk space, and not 50% as before, and we will be able to save almost half of the C drive from previous values.

Page file and free space on drive C

Sometimes Windows does not have enough RAM and it starts working with the page file, i.e. a file on the system disk that serves as a memory aid. Accordingly, the size of the paging file may vary, depending on the amount of RAM you have. You can read how to optimally configure the paging file in Windows and save free space on the system disk.

The rest of the garbage and free space on drive C

During operation of the operating system, programs and browsers constantly create their own “cache”, that is, temporary auxiliary files that they periodically forget to delete. Also, after deleting various programs, usually there are files left behind, which sometimes also take up quite a lot of space. Therefore, I recommend that you constantly clean your computer from outdated files. This is easy to do with free program Ccleaner. Just download and install the program, then click the “Clean” button, and the program itself will standard settings will clear your hard drive of outdated system information.

In this article, I looked at several reasons when free space on the C drive disappears in Windows 7. The main reason turned out to be a Windows recovery system, which, if configured correctly, you can save almost 50% system disk. You will also need to configure the paging file and clean up system garbage with Ccleaner.

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The problem with the disappearance of free space on drive C is one of the global ones for all users working in operating systems Windows family. Most owners of personal computers and laptops approach solving the problem rather strangely, giving their equipment for repair to a specialist or service center. The service is not free. But any user who has the Internet and the desire at hand will not be able to special effort clean it yourself. The purpose of this article is to answer the question “where does the memory disappear from drive C?” Ways to solve the problem are also presented here.

Ignoring additional partitions

In most cases, the user's laptop or personal computer has a modern HDD(maybe several disks), which is divided into at least partitions C and D. As often happens, the memory on drive C is reduced, and drive D is empty. All you need to do is transfer music, movies, photos and documents to additional section, and the problem will be solved. It remains to clarify where all the user’s files are hidden on drive C.

  1. Desktop. In 100% of cases, it contains more than one gigabyte of files. Because of this, memory disappears on the C drive. For ease of access, directories with data can be moved to an additional partition, and then shortcuts can be made from them and placed on the desktop.
  2. "Downloads" folder. By default, all browsers store documents and multimedia downloaded from the network into it. It is located in the user’s profile, which can be accessed through “My Computer” - “C:\Users\Profile”.

For torrent lovers

Many computer owners download movies from high quality by using Zona programs or Utorrent. After viewing them, users do not delete them, remaining on the distribution. As a result, not only the memory on drive C is clogged, but also the Internet. In the program settings, you need to look at where the files are uploaded, follow the link and delete unnecessary ones. In the future, after watching films, correct deletion is recommended. By clicking on the file name in the program right click mouse, select deleting both the torrent and the downloaded file.

Alternatively, if you want to keep the film in your collection, you should set the path to additional disk, for example "D:\torrents". This solution will eliminate the problem of running out of free space on the C drive.

Windows restore checkpoints

A wonderful feature in the operating system allows all users to restore it to the latest successful download, if Windows work was damaged by viruses, incorrectly installed software or drivers. But there is also back side medals. When recording points, it stores them in its system folder, and accordingly, eats up memory on drive C. Reduce system reserved There is no need for space for recovery points, much less disabling this function altogether. It is enough to clean it every six months.

To enter the service menu you must execute the following sequence actions. “Start” - “Control Panel” - “System” - “ Extra options systems." Select the “System Protection” tab and, placing the cursor on drive C, wait for the “Configure” button to become active and click it. In the window that appears, you can familiarize yourself with the occupied space of the recovery points and, accordingly, delete them using the button of the same name. After liquidation unnecessary files It is recommended to return to the previous menu and click the “Create” button so that there is at least one restore point.

Swap file

Another useful one Windows function designed to increase system performance. Without going into details, it is used as a RAM assistant. By temporarily dumping unused data onto the hard drive, the system frees up memory for its needs. The paging file size is fixed, set either by the user or by Windows automatically. Due to incorrect

To configure the capacity of this file, you need to go to settings: “Start” - “Control Panel” - “System” - “Advanced system settings”. Select the “Advanced” tab. In the “Performance” section, click the “Options” button. In the window that opens - “Advanced”. Click the “Change” button in the “Virtual Memory” section. At the very bottom of the window that appears there is information about the current size of the paging file and the recommended size. For drive C you need to specify the recommended setting, and for other drives you need to disable the paging file. Original size and maximum can be the same.

Sleep mode

Many have noticed that when the user is inactive, the monitor screen fades. This way the system goes into sleep mode, from which it can be woken up by moving the mouse. On laptops this feature is useful when running on battery power, but on a personal computer it is not needed. Sleep mode can be disabled, because it causes memory to disappear on the C drive due to the fact that the entire contents of the RAM are written to the hard drive for storage. We go along the path “Start” - “Control Panel” - “Power Options”. Select the item " High performance” and in its settings indicate that the transfer to sleep should never be carried out. After saving and rebooting the computer, it is recommended to go to the paging file settings and adjust its size, because it also reserves space for sleep mode, which was disabled.

Clearing cache

When installing everything modern browsers are not configured to independently clear the history of visited pages. Accordingly, the more time a user spends on the Internet, the faster memory disappears from drive C. This is quite natural. Cleaning can be done in two ways. The first is to go to the browser settings and find the section responsible for storing data on the media. IN this section Every browser has a “Clear” button. How more information accumulated during operation, the longer it will take to clean. You need to be prepared for this, because the process may take more than one minute. During the cleaning process, it may seem that the browser, and the entire system, has frozen. This is not true, it’s just that the cache is written on the hard drive in more than one place and it takes a lot of time for the system to search for this data. The second method is more interesting, since it is produced professional program, which “knows” a lot about unnecessary resources of the Windows system and will find where the memory from drive C goes.

Global from garbage

A software called CCleaner must be installed on every user personal computer and laptop. This wonderful free creation of programmers is designed not only to clean systems of unnecessary files, but also to fully manage operating system resources. The program will give detailed information about where the memory from drive C goes. All actions in the program are designed to improve computer performance. The program is available for download directly from the developer’s website, which eliminates the presence of viruses and spyware in it. After launch, the user will have access to the “Cleaning” menu, from which to start. In the Windows and “Application” tabs, the developers have noted the data that needs to be deleted, but it is recommended to uncheck the “Passwords” and “Log” boxes so that after cleaning you do not have to look for login data social media again. After analyzing and cleaning, you can find more than a dozen free gigabytes on the active disk.

Duplicate files also take up space

A fairly popular problem among users is copying, instead of moving, multimedia files and documents. Because of this, the memory on drive C is filled. The CCleaner program allows you to find and delete all duplicate files on your computer. To do this, in the “Service” section there is a “Search for duplicates” item. You need to be very careful with it, because duplicates are found in the “Windows” and “Windows” system directories. Program Files", which should not be deleted. The “Exceptions” item will help you get rid of problems with system files, where you can specify paths that will be ignored by the program during the search. Duplicate search has fine tuning, for example, you can specify the size of the files you are looking for. By narrowing the search to one gigabyte, you may find the same movie recorded twice. After removing it, the question of where the memory disappears from drive C will be resolved.

Removing unnecessary programs

Over the many years of using the computer, during which the user installed a large number of software, there may be a dozen applications that have not been used for a long time. Because of them, memory also disappears hard drive. Correct removal unnecessary programs using CCleaner will free up free space on your active media. To do this, just go to the “Service” section and select “Uninstall programs”. Go through the names in the list and delete unused applications. Before uninstalling, it is recommended to clarify the purpose of the program by entering it into the browser search bar. After all, system applications are also reflected in the list.

Finally

Having found out where the memory on drive C went and deleted it, you should use the services of applications to clean the registry, or rather its integrity. After all, Windows is for everyone remote file created a shortcut or prescribed some actions for herself to open it. IN CCleaner program A good registry cleaner is built in. They are to be used. By going to the “Registry” menu, the user needs to analyze and correct. During the correction process, the program will prompt you to make a backup copy. It is quite reasonable to keep reserve registry to the system disk, specifying the path to any directory. But most specialists do not see the need for this, so it is up to the user to decide whether to make a copy.

There is probably no need to say that many users of Windows systems very often notice: the space on the hard drive tends to noticeably decrease. Either a gigabyte is missing, then two, then even more... Why does this happen? If you have free time, that may be quite a lot. However, the further material offered for review presents the most basic situations that can be dealt with using several simple methods.

Why space disappears on drive C: possible reasons

In general, it can be very difficult to name any one exact reason for this phenomenon. It's all about their totality.

As a rule, space is lost on drive C (Windows 10 is used or a system of a lower rank does not matter), mainly due to activity system processes the OS itself, as well as when the user clutters the computer.

However, the most common factors causing such situations are the following:

  • the presence of too many rollback points;
  • constant installation of updates;
  • usage extra space paging and hibernation files;
  • Availability temporary files applications;
  • remnants of incorrectly deleted programs;
  • system disk errors with the appearance of bad sectors;
  • exposure to viruses.

Based on the above reasons, when free space on drive C disappears, you can use standard tools to free it up, and use special optimizer programs or uninstallers. But further emphasis will be placed mostly on the tools of the operating system itself.

Restore points and backups

Of course, creating recovery points or backups in background- a useful thing (you never know when it will come in handy to restore Windows after an unexpected failure). However, as you understand, all this information is stored in a specially reserved area of ​​the hard drive.

Therefore, if or any other system allows such points or copies to be deleted. This is done through standard menu cleaning system partition, which can be accessed via RMB menu on the computer icon with a transition to the tab general settings security. There is special button, after clicking on which the items to be cleaned will be deleted.

Updates

Constantly installed updates may also be to blame for the loss of free space on your hard drive. Naturally, it is believed that it is not worth disabling their installation, but it is not so simple.

As recent events have shown WannaCry viruses and Petya.A, Microsoft specialists quickly released special packages updates that supposedly make it possible not only to neutralize the threat, but at least to prevent it from penetrating the system.

In addition, some packages for Windows 7 can cause problems with the operating system itself. In this case, it is recommended to remove the updates, causing errors, and then disable their automatic installation. IN best case scenario You can select the search option and offer downloads and installations.

Virtual memory

There may be a loss of space on your hard drive due to incorrect configuration virtual memory, for which the pagefile.sys system component, called the page file, is responsible.

To check its size, you need to enter the performance section. Automatic assignment of its size is not always recommended. In principle, if you have 8 GB of RAM or more, the use of virtual memory can be disabled altogether. Believe me, system performance will not suffer from this (tested on a laptop with Core processor i7-2620M with a frequency of 2.7 GHz and 8 GB RAM).

Hibernate file

Another reason why space is wasted on the C drive is the constant use of hibernation mode.

This mode works by system component hiberfil.sys and saves data running programs and their use in this moment settings, again, reserving the disk space of the system partition and RAM. By by and large, for such situations it is better to use sleep mode rather than hibernation, thereby deleting such a huge file.

For this purpose in command console you need to write the line powercfg /h off. By the way, after using such a command, the link to hibernation mode disappears even in the main menu of the start button. In principle, on computers with small disks, using this mode is not recommended at all.

Temporary program files

There is only one problem that causes space on the C drive to disappear - undeleted temporary application files. IN in this case we're talking about not only about web browsers, in which it is necessary to clear the cache, cookies, and browsing history, and delete all other temporary components, for example, in the form of saved image thumbnails.

One of the most common situations is the installation of an application directly from the archiver window without first unpacking it onto the hard drive. Moreover, after closing the archiver, you can immediately notice that, apparently, it independently unpacked everything that was inside the archive, which is comparable in size to full size the data located there.

Another problem with wasted space on drive C is Photoshop program or any other graphic or video editor. Such utilities create own file swap, completely ignoring the basic system settings. As a result, the user receives an object of quite impressive size, which can be several times larger than the pagefile in volume.

Lost space on drive C: remnants of deleted applications

Another problem is that when uninstalling programs, Windows' own uninstaller does not perform well. in the best possible way. This concerns the fact that it does not always delete absolutely everything that was associated with the program. And if earlier, it was proposed to remove some elements yourself, now the system simply reports that the remaining components will be deleted at the next reboot.

But nothing like that happens. Files and folders remain, as well as keys system registry(and the OS loading speed depends on its size). In this case optimal solution will be used special utilities, which provide for in-depth scanning of residual elements ( Revo Uninstaller, iObit Uninstaller and the like).

Bad sectors

Unfortunately, the appearance of errors in the system partition, after which free space on the hard drive decreases, is also no exception. The trouble is that bad sectors sometimes they can simply not be read or recognized.

Thus, the system simply ignores them. Alternatively, you can run a scan of the hard drive, but it is advisable to do this not using a standard tool, but from the command line by entering chkdsk c: /x/f/r or some variation. This technique works both in a running system and when booting from removable media.

If the hard drive has physical damage, nothing can be done, although it is considered the most extreme and last resort disk recovery can be a program that (according to its creators) can remagnetize a hard drive, which, however, raises quite serious doubts.

Viruses

Finally, even many viruses are capable of attacking disk space. Most often this is due to advertising threats, spyware or spam. The problem here is that most of these hijackers are able to integrate into the operating system and all browsers, after which it remains on the disk great amount computer garbage both in the form of temporary files and in the form of its own elements.

It's best to fight things like this disk programs (Rescue Disk), which can start even before the OS boots and detect even deeply hidden or integrated threats into the system.

Instead of an afterword

As we see, there can be quite a lot of reasons, as well as ways to eliminate the consequences. And so it can be absolutely impossible to immediately determine what was the root cause of the reduction in free space. Therefore, you will have to act, to put it mildly, at random, finding out what this situation might be connected with initially.

But don't despair. At least one of the suggested methods will work. True, you will have to carry out the actions according to the list presented above and exactly in the sequence in which they were described.

As a definite conclusion, it can be noted that most of the loss of space on the hard drive is associated with the functioning of system processes and programs, as well as incorrect removal of an application, after which a bunch of computer garbage remains in the system, which can be very problematic to get rid of. However, you can also use optimizer programs, although even here there is a complete guarantee of removal residual files and no one can give you the folders. There is a semblance of cleaning, but does it all really look that good?

Naturally, it cannot be ruled out, but they do not always occur, and the appearance of errors on the hard drive can only be associated with short-term failures, for example, when sudden shutdown power supply or forced reboot when freezing (especially during the installation of update packages).

Now the most popular hard drive On the market computer components- These are 1 and 2 TB hard drives. Due to this volume, quite enough space is usually allocated for the operating system.
But no matter the size of the system partition (usually the C:\ drive), the free space on it has the unpleasant property of running out sooner or later. And, as luck would have it, at the most inopportune moment! On the one hand, everything is clear: here and installed programs, and games, and the “My Documents” folder.
OK! We delete several heavy games or programs, we clean the contents of the personal folder, freeing up a couple of gigabytes of space.

But some time passes and the situation repeats itself. This is where the user’s eyes widen: “How is this possible?!” It seems like I didn’t install anything! Where did the disk space go, what is it doing and how to free it up?! Let's find out!

Checking your operating system backup settings

To do this, in Windows 10 you need to right-click on the “Computer” icon and select “Properties”.

In the window that appears, select the “Advanced system settings” menu item. The following window will open:

On the “System Protection” tab, in the “System Restore” section, select the local drive C:\ with the mouse and click on the “Configure” button. In the window that appears, look at the “Disk space usage” area:

The fact is that the Windows OS by default tries to chop off as much as possible from the volume of the partition, inflating the hidden system folder « System Volume Information" to gigantic proportions. But the user does not need to store everything from the moment of its installation. Therefore, move the slider to the left and set it to the minimum use, or the second mark from the left! Apply the settings.

Note: Do not expect that you will immediately see free space in File Explorer after the steps described above. The points will be deleted gradually and only after some time the “System Volume Information” folder will be reduced to the size you specified.

Launch the Disk Cleanup Wizard

At the root of the system partition you will see, for example, this folder, several Gigabytes in size:

Or, if in the folder properties you set the permission to display hidden files then you can you can see hidden folders*.tmp or ~Windows.BT. Their volume can also be quite large. These are special directories in which temporary files are stored. In this case, the space on drive C is used for data for rollback in case failed update systems. What can be removed from this and what cannot? It is difficult for an inexperienced user to understand. But you shouldn’t be scared, especially for this in Windows 10, as in previous versions OS from Microsoft, built-in special cleaning wizard. To call it, right-click on the disk and select “Properties”:

On the “General” tab, click on the “Disk Cleanup” button. The analysis of the volume state will start, and then the following window will appear:

Here you need to check all the boxes. Then click on the “Clear” button system files"And also put all the checkboxes there. Then you need to click on the “OK” button and wait for the wizard to complete.

Cache and temporary program files

If your operating room Windows system for more than a year, during this time it accumulates a lot of different data that also needs to be cleaned - memory dumps, backups, various magazines and lists. And the programs that you have installed also clog up space with temporary files and various garbage. The most striking example is web browsers, which also waste space on the C drive for history, cache and cookies. The utility will help you quickly and relatively safely clear these “Augean stables” CCleaner:

For home use There is free version, which copes with its tasks perfectly. After launch, on the “Cleaning” tab, click the “Analysis” button. The application will quickly scan the system partition and identify candidates for deletion. After this, you need to click on the “Cleaning” button and wait for the procedure to complete.

P.S. If you still can’t figure out where the free space on the C:\ drive is disappearing, try installing Scanner program. It displays the contents of the volume as an interactive pie chart:

Each color block is a folder. Click on it and see another one pie chart, which already displays the contents of this directory. In this simple way, you can quickly and easily identify the most voracious folders and then further understand their contents.

It's no secret that absolutely all operating system users Windows systems latest versions They are faced with the problem of memory disappearing from the “C” drive. Why is this happening? In theory, users do not save particularly heavy content in the system partition. Next we propose to consider this problem as broadly as possible and provide some recommendations for freeing up space on the system partition or avoiding such troubles.

Why memory disappears on drive “C”: possible reasons

Let's start with the fact that it is not necessarily the case that a decrease in free space in the system partition can be associated with disk clutter due to the user's fault. If you study the behavior of the operating system itself, you can understand that even in the absence of user activity available space on the disk where the OS is installed may decrease. Among the main reasons for such situations are the following:

  • undeleted files old system when upgrading to tenth Windows versions;
  • temporary program files left after installation;
  • remnants of applications after removal;
  • operating system update files;
  • too many backups and recovery points;
  • garbage in browsers;
  • increasing the size of paging and hibernation files;
  • exposure to viruses.

Lost memory on disk with Windows 10: what to do first?

So, let's assume that the user, based on the proposal of Microsoft Corporation, upgraded the seventh or eighth version to the tenth modification.

Even the official release states that within thirty days you can return to the previous OS. If the deadline has passed, this will not be possible. This is where the user discovers that memory has disappeared on the hard drive. But where did she go? It should be clearly understood that some setup files new system, and objects responsible for returning to the old one. And this, excuse me, is about 15-30 GB of occupied disk space.

Thus, the first thing to do is to call standard tool disk cleanup located in service menu partition properties, and then get rid of the above components.

Installing programs and temporary files

But let’s say that the described objects are deleted, but memory still disappears from the “C” drive. What to do in this case? To begin with, it’s worth remembering what applications the user installed after the first installation of the OS itself.

The problem here is that many installers are delivered in packaged form, and after extracting data from the archive, installation directories appear on the disk. But the archives themselves and the extracted data do not go anywhere after the installation process is completed ( automatic removal simply not provided).

Therefore, you should carefully look at such objects (very often such situations are observed when downloading content from torrent trackers).

Incorrect uninstallation of applications

The above situation also has an alternative. For example, the user knows for sure that some installed application occupies a certain volume. He deletes it, but as a result, the space released is not at all the amount that corresponds to the program being deleted.

Where did the memory go from drive “C”? The main problem here is that the application may not be completely uninstalled. This is especially often noticeable when using standard tools during uninstallation (section of programs and components in the Control Panel). You shouldn’t rely on built-in uninstallers for applications or even the operating system, because after their work there is so much computer garbage that it’s impossible to imagine.

In this situation, it is better to use specialized utilities like iObit Uninstaller, in which you select the program to be removed upon completion. standard procedure A powerful scan is activated, and only then all remains are deleted, including directories, files and system registry keys (at the final stage it is advisable to activate the file destruction mode). Only in this case can you be sure that the program has been completely removed.

System updates

Now a few words about installing updates. Where does the memory go from drive “C”? If anyone doesn’t know: by default, in any of the latest versions of Windows operating systems, receiving and installing update packages is activated.

At the same time, during the installation process, old packages do not disappear anywhere. In addition, it is quite possible that in the settings, receiving updates is activated not only for the OS itself, but also for other software products Microsoft Corporation. At best, installation of updates for them can be disabled. But it’s not worth deactivating the system update completely, despite the fact that recent packages have caused computers based on inoperability. AMD processors, and systems with Intel processors older generations began to spontaneously enter restart mode. These are all temporary bugs that the corporation should fix as soon as possible.

If the user sees that local disk memory disappears, some packages can be removed by using the standard programs and features section, then setting manual search updates and excluding unnecessary ones from the installation list. This, by the way, helps in solving many problems, since, as is already clear, some packages themselves are faulty. But temporary files of downloaded updates are saved in the SoftwareDistribution directory, which is in standard form has a size of about 700-1000 MB, but can increase if problems arise with the system. To remove them, again, you can use disk cleanup, renaming the original folder and then deleting it upon restart (after the reboot, the original directory will be created automatically).

Backups and restore points

When memory on the C drive disappears, it may also be due to the fact that too many restore points are being created in the system. Typically, such processes are activated when installing critical updates or when installing some user programs.

The saddest thing is that the system reserves about 12% of disk space for each partition. It is believed that for normal startup recovery it is enough to have no more than three control points. The setting can be made in the system section of the “Control Panel” on the protection tab, where the maximum reserved volume is set (3-6% will be enough).

Even newly created points, if the user is sure that the system is in complete safety, can be deleted using cleanup on the same tab. But if there is such a need, it is better to save backup copies of the system partition in virtual partitions or use removable media for this (fortunately, now there are enough of them - flash drives, external USB HDD, etc.).

Browser problems

But suppose the memory on drive “C” is lost (Windows 7 is used or any other OS, in this case it does not matter). Not everyone thinks about the fact that when visiting Internet resources using the appropriate browsers, the same computer garbage can accumulate in the system partition in the form of a browser cache, temporary files, and Cookies. And sometimes they can occupy very impressive volumes.

Thus, the solution to the problem of freeing up space on the hard drive is obvious: you need to delete all these objects. You can usually do this from the clear browsing history section of any browser.

Swap file

But this is not all the reasons why memory disappears from the “C” drive. One of the problems many experts tend to call is the increase in the size of the paging file pagefile.sys, which is responsible for reserving disk space for the functioning of virtual memory.

Virtual memory comes into play when there is not enough RAM. In this case, the components of the launched programs are unloaded not into RAM, but onto the hard drive. Despite the fact that the system has automatic selection The paging file, which is supposedly fixed, in fact, space on the hard drive or in a logical partition is allocated for the needs of virtual memory, which exceeds the amount of RAM by 2-4 times. Just imagine how much this can amount to, for example, with 8 GB of RAM.

There is only one way out: you need to enter the virtual memory settings and set the size of the paging file to 1.5-2 times lower than that proposed by the system, or disable its use altogether (however, it is advisable to perform such actions only if computer terminal The simultaneous launch of multiple resource-intensive programs is not expected).

Hibernate file

Finally, if memory disappears from drive “C”, you should pay attention to the fact that the system does not have it activated by default. standard mode sleep, and the so-called hibernation mode, in which all settings are saved running applications. The more there are, and the more often the system is transferred to this state, the larger size will have a hyberfil.sys file.

You cannot delete it manually (in fact, you cannot delete it yourself operating system will not allow you to do this), but you can disable hibernation mode (after this, the desired file will be deleted by the system itself automatically). To do this, use a command prompt running as an administrator, where you enter the command powercfg -h off. If the user still needs this mode, the size of the file itself can be reduced using the line powercfg /h /type reduced.

Viral impact

If memory disappears from the “C” drive, this may be the result of viruses. Some of them are capable of not only devouring system resources or create your own copies, but also grab space in the system partition.

As the most simple example You can cite viruses called browser hijackers, which are advertising in nature. In the course of their activities, they download and install a huge number of dubious applications, fill the cache and consume system partition space.

In most cases, you can get rid of such threats by regular manual removal or use uninstallers for this. However, neglect antivirus utilities It's also not worth it. Some of the most powerful programs are recognized as Rescue Disk, which can be written to removable media, boot from it and check the entire system, including even RAM, even before Windows start.

These are common problems, associated with a constant decrease in space in the system partition. If you approach disk cleanup from a practical point of view, it is better to use Windows tools, but special optimizer programs that perform such actions both safer and more fully. To remove programs, as is already clear, it is better to use uninstallers. But with paging and hibernation files, all actions to configure or disable will have to be done independently, since automated software tools there is no provision for this.

Yes, and optimizing the system or cleaning the system partition from accumulated garbage must be done quite often (at least once a week if you want the computer to work at maximum performance).