To check your disks for errors, follow the steps below:
1. Go to the Start Menu, click Computer.
2. Right-click on the drive you wish to check.
3. Scroll down, select Properties. (The Properties box will open.)
4. Under the Tools tab, click Check Now. (You must be an administrator to perform this step.)
The Check Now page will open with the two following options:
- Automatically Fix File System Errors
Windows will find any disk problems and fix them immediately. If not selected, your problems will be found, but not fixed.
- Scan for and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors
Windows will complete a thorough scanning of your disk drive and fix them immediately as well. The selection made above will not affect this.
5. To only see a list of your file errors, leave both selections blank.
6. Click Start. (Disk Checking utility will begin.)
Keep In Mind
It is important to plan ahead when running the Check Disk utility, as the process can range from hours to days, depending on the condition of your computer.
Disk Defragmenting in windows 7
The Disk Defragmenting tool is intended to compress large files, and make sure all space is used effectively to ensure you computer can perform at its maximum speed. Constant deleting and adding of new files causes fragmentation. To use Disk Defragmenter, follow the steps below:
1. Click the Start button.
2. Click Computer.
3. Right-click on the drive you would like to defragment.
4. Under the Tools tab, Click Defragment Now. (The Disk Defragment utility will open.)
5. View the Schedule and Current Status sections for current defragmenting information.
6. To change these settings, click Configure Schedule.
Keep In Mind
If you are an avid user of your computer, you may wish to get a more powerful defragmenter. You can also create a separate partition for your larger files.
Defragmenting with Command Lines
Learning to use the Disk Defragment via command lines gives you complete control over when and how the utility operates. To begin making changes, follow the steps below:
Open a Command Prompt window.
Enter any of the following commands to perform the desired action:
defrag/?
Displays the efficiencies of the defragmenting tool.
-c
Defragment all files on your computer.
-a
Provides an analytical report on the selected defragmented drive.
-f
Compresses extra space, therefore making fragmentation less likely in the future.
-v
Displays analytical and defragmentation reports.
/r
Defragments multiple drives simultaneously.
-w
Executes a full defragmentation of drives and other file fragments.
-b
Only defragments very important applications and device drives, without affecting the remaining information on the drive.
To stop the defragmenting process at any time, simply click the Command Prompt window, and press Ctrl+C.
Keep In Mind
- You must have a minimum of 15% free space to defragment.
- Empty your Recycle Bin before running this utility.
Conserving Disk Space
Conserving disk space is crucial for the overall operation of your computer. If the necessary steps aren’t taken, lack of disk space can be very damaging to your machine. A few ideas to help with this issue are:
- Remove unnecessary programs.
- Delete unnecessary documents.
- Uninstall unnecessary Windows components.
- Delete all temporary files.
Using Disk Cleanup
If you aren’t up to performing the tasks above, there is the Disk Cleanup utility. This tool automatically takes you through all actions necessary to maximize disk space and minimize clutter. To begin, follow the steps below:
1. Go to the Start Menu, click Computer.
2. Right-click on the drive you wish to check.
3. Scroll down, select Properties. (The Properties box will open.)
4. Under the General tab, click Disk Cleanup.
Or you can access Disk Cleanup by following these steps:
1. Go to the Start Menu, click All-Programs.
2. Click Accessories.
3. Click System Tools.
4. Click Disk Cleanup.
The Disk Cleanup utility will begin to run. It will scan your computer and display the amount of space that can be recovered. Windows describes each item in depth, and why it isn’t needed. You have a choice, but it is highly recommended to delete all of the items the utility has found.
Keep In Mind
Some Temporary files cannot be deleted with disk cleanup, but will need to be removed manually. To do this type %temp% into the Run dialog box. Windows will open the folder in a new window; you can delete all temporary files here.
Cleaning Up System Files and Command Lines
Cleaning up System Files are easy. Depending on what you would like to delete, there are different routes to do this.
For instance, located under Programs and Features is a Clean Up button, clicking this button will take you to the Uninstall and or Change a Program window. Here you can pick and choose what unnecessary Windows programs and files you would like to delete.
There is also a button located under System Restore and Shadow Copies. Clicking this button allows you to remove restore points. Although this option frees a lot of space, it is not highly recommended, as your restore points may be needed for problems in the future.
Command lines take a little more work.
1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Type cleanmgr/sageset:200 (The Disk Cleanup Settings box will open)
3. Select your changes, and then click OK to save them.
4. Open the Control Panel.
5. Open the Task Scheduler.
6. Start the Create Basic Task utility. (The utility will guide you through the process.)
7. When prompted, into the Program/Script box, enter cleanmgr.exe. Into the Add Arguments box, enter /sageset:200
8. To automate your Disk Cleanup preferences, repeat steps 1-7.
Disk Management can be a tedious task, but it is well worth it.
