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RSS feedsA computer's hard disk consumes a great deal of data, with applications and files being added, removed and reorganised all the time. Space quickly gets taken up, files become disorganised and the computer consequently takes longer to find the information it needs.
Unless the disk is kept in shape, useless morsels of data can leave a spare tyre of information that affects the PC's performance. We show you the best and easiest ways to trim the fat from the hard disk and keep it and your PC in good health. And, unlike some fad diets, ours won't cost you a single penny.
The hard disk's job
On a simple level, the hard disk stores and retrieves files. It's similar to an address book where information can be stored alphabetically on different pages. On a hard disk running under Windows, this means that files can be found without having to search through the entire hard disk.
But what happens when, for example, the page for surnames beginning with S fills up? You can enter additional names in the R or T sections, but that makes them harder to find.
The extra time it takes to find an entry because it's in the wrong place is exactly the same problem that a hard disk suffers when space is tight or files are jumbled around.
Fight the flab
The PC's two best friends for battling against bulging hard disks are Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter. We've included two step-by-step Mini Workshops on using these programs below.
Disk Cleanup is designed to check your hard disk and create extra space by deleting unwanted files. These unwanted files include temporary internet files. If you use your PC to access the internet, such files are stored on your computer whenever you open a web page to make it quicker and easier to re-open the page should you return to it.
While this saves time when opening web pages, the temporary internet files quickly grow and help fill up your hard disk. It's worthwhile removing them all, then revisiting the websites you regularly use to reload the pages. Temporary internet files are stored in one particular folder, so you can wipe them out using Disk Cleanup with a single click of your mouse.
Cookies don't take up quite as much space as web pages but, if you visit lots of websites, it's worth cleaning them out now and again. If you use any websites where passwords or other details are automatically entered, such as online banks or web-based email services, this information is stored as a cookie and will consequently be deleted.
Make sure you keep a temporary note of any passwords needed. Click on the Tools menu, choose Internet Options, wait for a dialogue box to appear and select the button labelled Delete Cookies. Click on OK when a message box appears asking you to confirm deletion.
Similar to temporary internet files, cookies speed up the loading of a web page when it's revisited. By deleting all the cookies, you can get rid of the unwanted ones.
Other files that Disk Cleanup can clear up include the automatic backups created by some applications. These are also stored in a specific Windows folder, so Disk Cleanup can quickly and safely remove them without you having to lift a finger. Deleting such files will not prevent a program from running.
Windows XP also uses a process of system restore points to help get your PC back on its feet in the event of a major problem. You may find you have several stored on your disk, so delete older ones using Disk Cleanup under the More Options tab. See our Mini Workshop for further instructions.
Lean and mean
Now that your hard disk has worked up a sweat, it's time to stretch it and make sure the muscles are nicely toned. Disk Defragmenter gives your hard disk a good rub down, tracking down bits of data that have spread out across the disk rather than being saved in one part of it.
Take a look at your hard disk by going to the Start menu, and selecting Programs and then Accessories. In the folder marked System Tools, choose Disk Defragmenter. When the program starts, select your hard disk (usually called 'C:') and click on the button that says Analyze.
You will see an image of the surface of a section of the disk. The green stripes are part of the Windows operating system and can't be moved. The blue stripes are called contiguous files, which means they're all in one place.
The white stripes are empty space and the red stripes are the pieces of data that have become separated from their friends. Defragmenting grabs the data and puts it back where it belongs.
Right to the rim
You will notice that the blue stripes move. Windows prefers to access files from one part of the disk, normally close to the outside, because of the way the computer reads files on the disk.
It's like a record player, with a magnetic arm instead of a needle. The closer the files are to the outer rim of the disk, the less time it takes for the arm to reach them. The difference is minute, but has a subtle effect when accessing very large files.
Disk Cleanup and Defragmenter should be used every month to keep your hard disk in shape. You could also try CCleaner, which is a free download, and removes a wide variety of unwanted files slightly more efficiently than its Windows counterpart.
Windows is not particularly efficient at storing data on a hard disk and estimating how much space is remaining. The problem is that Windows breaks up your hard disk into individual storage units, called sectors, and puts files in its own sector.
Each sector is 512 bytes in size, so if you save a file that is 300 bytes, for example, the remaining 212 bytes cannot be used for other files. Similarly, if the file is 513 bytes in size it will need two boxes and the remaining space in the second box is lost. Admittedly, a byte is a tiny amount of space but this inefficiency adds up as you save more and more files.
If you've transferred video footage from a video cassette or camera to your PC for editing, the original captured video can take up a lot of space. Make a note of where you saved the original footage and delete it when you've finished editing.
The best thing to do with files you don't need to access very often is to save them to a CD or DVD. (See our feature DVD writing: The burning issue.)
You can create music CDs using Windows Media Player, providing that you have a CD writer attached to your PC. If you do have one, use the software supplied with it to transfer photographs, video and other backup files to a disc.
Photographs stored on your hard disk can also be transferred to an online photo website. (See our feature Sharing your photos online.)
However, you may want to reduce the quality and size of the images before transferring them over the internet to such a service. It's also a good idea to back up these images onto CD in their original size, particularly if you want to keep any high-quality images and create large prints in the future.
You can squeeze some files by using compression programs, such as WinZip and WinRAR. These can help reduce the total file size of a selection of files. Some files, such as photographs, are not particularly effective at being compressed and the resulting file size is often only marginally smaller than its original.
If you don't fancy transferring all your images, music, video and other bulky files to a selection of CDs or DVDs, consider transferring them to another hard disk.
If you're confident about fitting parts to a PC, an additional internal hard disk may help and is much cheaper than an external hard disk.
Show unwanted files the door
Once you've owned a computer for a while, your disk is bound to contain applications that you no longer use, such as a game you've finished or shareware that you decided not to pay for.
These programs can be removed by clicking on the Start menu, choosing Settings and selecting Control Panel from the submenu. Select Add or Remove Programs and wait for a list of programs to appear. Look down the list to see if there are any you no longer use.
If you're using Windows XP, a comment will be included next to each program you select to indicate whether it's used regularly. Click on the Remove button next to the selected program to show it the door.
Before removing any programs, ensure that you or other family members don't need it and that you have the original installation CD or a note of the website if it's a downloaded program.
What you see and what you get
While the PC market talks about gigabytes (Gb) of space for hard disks, what you see on the packaging isn't what you actually get in real life. While 1,000Mb should equal 1Gb, it's actually 1,024Mb that's equal to 1Gb.
The reason for this difference is down to the way we count hard disk space compared with how a computer counts it. Humans use the decimal system (1 to 10),whereas computers use binary (1 and 0) and the system of doubling numbers (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32? 512, 1,024).
These different approaches have their problems. While you may think that you're getting more for your money with a 1Gb hard disk (1,024Mb), you get less with larger disks. An 80Gb hard disk results in some 72Gb of space and a 120Gb has about 108Gb.
Be safe, not sorry
How many times have you deleted a file only to find that you really needed it and can't get it back? Be careful what you delete.
To be safe, always back up your files before deleting them. Avoid deleting Windows hotfixes or application patches when using the Add or Remove Programs facility in the Control Panel. Losing these files could reopen old flaws in Windows or remove updated features in other software.
Before deleting unwanted files, always check their file size to see whether removing them will create a noticeable amount of extra hard disk space. You may find that several hours of trawling through the hard disk is better spent leaving the PC running through a defrag (see the Mini Workshop below).
Weighing up
Keeping your hard disk in shape is a good habit to get into, as it will keep applications and web sessions running smoothly. Deleting unwanted files and programs, storing large files on CD or DVD and running through hard disk maintenance routines, all contribute towards a faster PC and a more organised hard disk.
Just as regular exercise is good practice to keep your body in shape, a monthly sort out of your hard disk keeps it equally in trim.
MINI WORKSHOP: Two ways to a leaner hard disk
Disk Cleanupwill quickly check your hard disk and create extra space by deleting unwanted files. Here's how to use it:
STEP 1
Open My Computer, right-click on your hard disk (usually called 'C:') and choose Properties. From the dialogue box that appears, click on the button labelled Disk Cleanup and wait for another dialogue box to appear. Listed in this box are the various files that can be safely deleted. Select each category for further information.
STEP 2
For further options on Disk Cleanup, select the More Options tab. Here you can remove Windows components, programs you don't use and old restore points. Click on the corresponding Clean up buttons and follow the instructions on screen. To proceed with Disk Cleanup, select its tab and click on OK.
Disk Defragmenter tracks down the bits of data that have become spread out across your hard disk. Here's how to run it:
STEP 1
The following two steps may take a few hours to complete depending on the size and condition of your hard disk. Make sure that you've closed all programs and then open My Computer. Now right-click on your hard disk and choose Properties. From the dialogue box that appears, select the Tools tab. Under the Defragmentation section, click on the Defragment Now button.
STEP 2
The Disk Defragmenter screen will appear. Click on the Analyze button and wait as your hard disk is checked. After checking, a box will appear recommending whether Defragmenter should be run. Click on the appropriate button. If Defragmenter is run, it may take a few hours to complete. This should be done every month.
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