Standard programs
Notepad is easy text editor, used to create simple documents (.txt), is often used to create Web pages.

WordPad is a text editor. With this editor you can create and edit as simple text documents, as well as documents with complex formatting and drawings. It is possible to link and embed data from other documents into a WordPad document. WordPad files can be saved as test documents, RTF files, DOS test documents, and Unicode documents
.
Graphics editor Paint
The Paint editor is a program for creating and editing raster images.
The figure shows the interface of the Paint editor.

To create and edit drawings, the editor has a menu bar, a toolbar and a color palette. In order to use any tool, you need to click on the corresponding icon, then move the pointer to the work field. The editor can work with file extensions: bmp, dib, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG.

To set the background color and picture color, click on the icon for the main color and background color.

· To set the base color, left-click the color in the palette

· To set the background color, right-click the color in the palette

The editor is often used to create screenshots. To do this, you need to open the required picture, then press the Print Screen key on your keyboard, as a result of which the contents of the screen along with the picture will be saved to the clipboard.

To do this, click on the Selection icon on the toolbar, and the mouse pointer will change to a cross. Select the graphic element you are interested in, and in the edit menu, select Cut, then in the File menu, select the New command, the “Save changes to Unnamed file” dialog box will open, select - No.

Then you need to perform Edit/Paste, and the selected fragment of the picture will appear in the Paint working window. After this, you need to save this picture: File/Save, in the dialog box, specify the name, file type and select the drive and folder for storage.

Utilities: Disk Defragmenter
To defragment a disk, you need to run the command Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools and select Disk Defragmenter, a dialog box will open. In the window, you need to select the volume to defragment and click on the Analysis icon.

Based on the results of the analysis of the disk state, the operating system will issue an assessment of the disk usage before defragmentation and a conclusion on the advisability of defragmentation.

To continue defragmentation, click on the Defragmentation button. Once defragmentation is complete, you can display a report on the screen.

Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup is used to free up space on your hard drive by removing OS components and programs that are no longer used, temporary files, and emptying the Recycle Bin.

To run this program, you need to run: Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools / Disk Cleanup, the disk selection window will appear, after selecting the disk, click OK. As a result, the Disk Cleanup dialog box will appear with a list of files available for deletion. In this window, check the boxes of the files that you want to delete and click the OK button.

Assigning tasks
To assign a task, select the command Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Scheduled Tasks, a dialog window will open

In the dialog window, double-click on the Add task icon, and the Task Scheduling Wizard dialog box will open.
Next, do the following:

1. In the Job Scheduling Wizard window, click Next
2. Select the program you want to run
3. Specify a name and when to run
4. Set the time and days to start the program
5. Enter your username and password
6. Done

Disk check
The Check Disk utility is designed to detect file system errors and damaged sectors on your hard drive. In order to run the disk check program, you must do the following:

· In the My Computer window, select the drive you want to check

· Select the Disk Properties command from the context menu

· In the dialog box that appears, on the Tools tab, select Run check (check volume for errors)

· In the Check Disk dialog box that appears, check the Automatically check for system errors and Scan and repair bad sectors checkboxes and click the Run button. Before running a disk scan, you must close all files it contains.

A high degree of file fragmentation forces HDD perform additional actions when reading and writing data, which inevitably leads to a slowdown of the computer. Littering the file system with various outdated files further aggravates this situation. Take advantage disk defragmentation to significantly speed up the system.

Settings for Windows 7 and Vista

To solve the problem of file fragmentation, there are special programs- defragmenters. Their task is to combine all file fragments into one in order to optimize the use of disk space. Perform defragmentation regularly leads to increased speed of data access and reading c hard drive.

One of these utilities is already integrated into any operating system family of Windows and you, most likely, have already encountered it. However, despite some advantages of a native defragmenter, we recommend using the Defraggler software package, which compares favorably with the standard solution in being more flexible and fine adjustments, convenient controls and advanced functionality.

To launch the standard utility, open the Start menu and type the word “Defragmentation” in the search bar. Select link " Disk Defragmenter" in the search results. For achievement maximum effect from defragmentation , you must first completely clean your computer of various “file garbage”, the amount of which on most computers sometimes reaches quite impressive sizes. And we are talking not only about old and unnecessary user data, but also about various system garbage: temporary files, outdated shortcuts, remnants of previously deleted programs, etc. For effective cleaning hard drive, we recommend using the popular CCleaner software package immediately before defragmentation.

Step One: Install Defraggler and CCleaner

The Defraggler and CCleaner programs are absolutely free, which does not prevent the creators from regularly updating and supplementing the existing functional utilities, new features and settings. Both software packages are created by the same team of developers and are located on the official website Piriform.com. To download applications, select the required version (we recommend installing CCleaner Professional) and click "Download".

You can purchase CCleaner Professional or CCleaner Business Edition or download free version CCleaner. Select first section CCleaner Free and click on the "Download from Piriform.com" link. CCleaner will start downloading automatically.

After downloading and installing CCleaner, repeat the steps above to download Defraggler. Now you can proceed directly to clearing your computer’s hard drive of accumulated cargo. unnecessary files.

Step two: cleaning your PC from various debris

To begin with, we recommend that you conduct a thorough audit of all user data on your PC. Remove unnecessary video files, audio tracks and images from the corresponding folders. Pay special attention to movies you have already watched, because... they take up the most space on your hard drive.

Next, launch CCleaner with administrator rights(right-click on the program icon and select the “Run as administrator” menu item) but do not run PC cleanup yet. Go to the "Service" section and to the "Uninstall programs" subsection, as shown in the screenshot. CCleaner will generate full list all programs installed on the computer. Study it carefully and remove unnecessary applications one by one by highlighting them in the list and clicking on the “Uninstall” button. After this, you can start cleaning the disk.

The "Cleaning" tab contains a tool for searching and removing various system garbage and unnecessary temporary files. By default, all utility settings are made in such a way that the user does not experience any inconvenience after cleaning. We recommend that you review the parameters and only then begin analysis. By clicking on the "Analysis" button you will start a search throughout the entire file system of the computer. After its completion, the program will provide a detailed report on the deleted files. To delete files, click on the "Cleanup" button and wait for the operation to complete.

Uninstalling some programs may require you to restart your computer. We recommend doing it right away, without proceeding with deleting other applications. Now that your computer is cleared of unnecessary files, you can safely proceed directly to disk defragmentation.

Step Three: Defragmentation

Defraggler defragmenter works in versions Windows 7 x86 and x64(32 and 64-bit).Run Defraggler with administrator rights. In the top window of the program, select the hard drive that needs to be defragmented, right-click and select " Disk Defragmenter" V context menu. To select multiple drives, hold down the Ctrl key while highlighting. The program will run disk analysis and begin defragmentation.

Defraggler allows you to view comprehensive information about defragmentation progress and fragmented files. The undeniable advantages of the program include the ability to defragment separate files by opening the "File List" tab.

Save yourself the trouble of performing routine operations by setting up a defragmentation schedule by going to Settings > Schedule. After completing all recommended operations, restart your computer and enjoy a significant increase in speed Windows startup 7 and software. The overall performance of the system will also increase significantly. The effect will be especially noticeable on computers where defragmentation has not been performed for a long time.

The website has already mentioned more than once how important it is to regularly vacuum your hard drive. As you actively work with your computer, you will begin to notice that there is less and less space left on the hard drive. free space. This is not only due to the fact that you install new programs, create new files, etc. During the most normal work, a variety of temporary files accumulate on the hard drive. Typically they are designed to provide Windows operation or individual programs and are removed as needed. However, in some cases, the program may “forget” to delete temporary files as a result of a crash or incorrect termination work. Such “forgotten” temporary files, accumulating, can occupy a significant amount of disk space, sometimes reaching several hundred megabytes or even tens of gigabytes.

Another source of temporary files is your browser. The fact is that while viewing Web pages, the browser saves on disk (i.e. caches) entire Web pages or individual elements of them in order to speed up their loading next time. Over time, this cache can grow to a significant size.

Utility (to call it, select the command Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup ) allows you to clean your disk from various temporary files. Immediately after launch, you will be asked to select a disk to clean, and then the utility will search for unnecessary files on the selected disk, presenting the result in the next window.

In the window Delete the following files The files and folders to be deleted will be listed. In the lower area of ​​the program window is provided short description each file, folder or group of files. If you want to make sure that you don't delete anything unnecessary, you can view the contents of each group of files by clicking on the button View files, having first selected the appropriate group from the list. By going to the tab Additionally, you can run the program Installing Windows Components, means Programs and components(by clicking on the button Clear in the panel Installed programs ), and also delete unnecessary restore points.

If you don't see the tab Additionally(as in the picture above, it is not there, hehe), which means when you start the program, select the option Files of all users on this computer.

Checking your hard drive for errors

The hard drive is an amazing device. Typical hard drive platters for home computer spin at 7,200 revolutions per minute, while the hard drive head, which reads and writes data from the platters, is located just a few microns from the surface of the disk. It is not surprising that such a complex and sensitive device may experience interruptions in operation. As a rule, they go unnoticed, but bad sectors often appear, which, as they accumulate, can significantly reduce the speed of writing and reading data to the disk.

To ensure that your hard drive remains in good shape at all times, take the time to check your hard drive at least once every two months for bad sectors and other errors. This scanning is a serious thing because it takes a lot of time and does not allow you to use your computer during the scan. Therefore, the ideal option is to schedule such a test at night or in the evening.

Now let's see how you can identify the insidious bad sectors on your hard drive. To do this, select the command Start>Computer, right-click on the drive icon and select Properties. In the window that opens, go to the tab Service and click on the button Run check. In the window that opens, check the box Automatically fix system errors And Scan and repair bad sectors, then click on the button Launch. If a message appears about the impossibility of checking the disk being used, click the button Disk check schedule to schedule a scan the next time you boot Windows.

All subsequent actions will be performed automatically, including analyzing the hard drive, detecting and fixing bad sectors. After the check, the computer will restart, and you will be able to evaluate how much faster its operation has become.

One of the main reasons for the objective slowdown of a computer is hard drive fragmentation. A good example a fragmented file could serve as a newspaper article. Let’s imagine that the title and the beginning of the article are on the first page, the continuation is somewhere in the middle, and it ends on the back of the page. The same thing happens with files on your hard drive. On an optimized hard drive with minimal fragmentation, each file represents a contiguous segment of data in physically sequential sectors.

As you work, when you delete unnecessary files, free areas appear on your hard drive, surrounded by space occupied by other files. If, when writing, the new file is not located in a free area, its contents will be split into parts located in different areas of the hard drive. As a result, when reading such a file, the hard drive heads will have to move around the disk several times, thereby increasing the time it takes to read the file (and, accordingly, reducing the read speed).

is one of the basic tasks that every user should perform regularly. Please note that fragmenting the contents of your hard drive not only increases Windows boot time and various programs, but also leads to the fact that the hard drive has to work more actively. The hard drive heads are forced to make more movements, resulting in a shorter lifespan of the hard drive. Often the reason for a hard drive failure may be that a careless user has not defragmented for months or even years.

For defragmentation, you can use both built-in Windows features– defragmentation utility, and individual programs. To run the Windows defragmentation utility, select the command Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmentation. Select the hard drive to defragment in the upper area of ​​the window and click the button Analysis. If the disk needs defragmentation, Windows itself will offer to defragment it. Look Additional information about the disk by clicking on the button Print report, and you can force defragmentation to start, even if Windows thinks it is not necessary, by clicking on the button Defragmentation.

The defragmentation utility clearly shows the status of the hard drive. Fragmented areas will be highlighted in red, unfragmented areas will be highlighted in blue, files that cannot be moved will be highlighted in green, and free areas of the hard drive will be highlighted in white.

The built-in defragmentation program in Windows Vista leaves much to be desired. It is quite slow and does not allow you to defragment the boot partition (which speeds up loading Windows), swap file and other data. For more efficient defragmentation, you can use third-party programs, such as Perfect Disk or O&O Disk Defrag. Also pay attention to the free and effective program DiskDefrag by Auslogics.

Auslogics Disk Defrag, which can be downloaded free of charge from the Web site at www.auslogics.com, is a prime example of a very convenient and quick program to defragment the hard drive. There is nothing superfluous in this program. Immediately after launching it, a window will appear in which you need to select the disk to defragment and click on the Next button. At the same time, a graphical chart will be presented for the selected disk, which displays the used and free disk space.

After clicking the button Further the actual disk defragmentation process will begin, which will take an order of magnitude less time than defragmentation using the built-in Windows utilities Vista. Once defragmentation is complete, you will receive a visual report of the work done.

Despite active debate between supporters and opponents, the results of defragmentation programs can be considered approximately the same. Don't expect that the program you choose will provide any unprecedented benefits. The main thing is to use any program other than the built-in Windows defragmenter.

Whether the user wants it or not, sooner or later any Windows computer accumulates a large number of temporary files (cache, browser history, log files, tmp files, etc.). This is most often called “garbage” by users.

Over time, the PC begins to work slower than before: the speed of opening folders decreases, at times it pauses for 1-2 seconds, and there is less free space on the hard drive. Sometimes, an error even pops up that there is not enough space on the system drive C. So, to prevent this from happening, you need to clean your computer of unnecessary files and other junk (1-2 times a month). Let's talk about this.

Cleaning your computer from junk - step-by-step instructions

Built-in Windows tool

You need to start with the fact that Windows already has a built-in tool. True, it doesn’t always work perfectly, but if you don’t use your computer that often (or there’s no way to install it on your PC third party utility(about it below in the article)) - then you can use it too.

Disk cleaner is available in all versions of Windows: 7, 8, 8.1.

I'll give universal method, how to run it in any of the above OS.

Press the Win+R button combination and enter the command cleanmgr.exe. Next, press Enter. See screenshot below.

Windows will then launch the Disk Cleanup program and ask us to specify the disk to scan.

After 5-10 min. time for analysis (the time depends on the size of your disk and the amount of garbage on it), you will be presented with a report with the ability to choose what to delete. In principle, you can tick all the boxes. See screenshot below.

After making your selection, the program will ask you if you really want to delete it - just confirm.

Result: the hard drive was very quickly cleared of most unnecessary (but not all) and temporary files. All this took was min. 5-10. The only downside, perhaps, is that the standard cleaner does not scan the system very well and misses many files. To remove all garbage from your PC, you need to use a special one. utilities, read about one of them further in the article...

Using a special utility

Why on her?

Here are the main advantages (in my opinion, of course):

1. There is nothing superfluous in it, only what is needed: disk cleanup + defragmentation;
2. Free + supports Russian language 100%;
3. The speed of operation is higher than that of all other similar utilities;
4. Scans your computer very thoroughly, allowing you to free up much more disk space than other analogues;
5. Flexible system for setting up scanning and removing unnecessary things; you can turn off and turn on literally everything.

Step by Step Actions

After launching the utility, you can immediately click on the green search button (top right, see picture below). Scanning is quite fast (faster than the standard Windows cleaner).

After the analysis, you will be provided with a report. By the way, after using the standard tool, about 950 MB of garbage was found in my Windows 8.1 OS! You are required to check the boxes that need to be deleted and click the clean button.

By the way, it cleans the disk from unnecessary program It's just as fast as it scans. On my PC, this utility works 2-3 times faster than the standard Windows utility

Defragmenting a hard drive in Windows 7, 8

In this subsection of the article it is necessary to make a small reference to make it more clear what we are talking about...

All files that you write to your hard drive are written to it in small pieces (more experienced users call these “pieces” clusters). Over time, the spread of these pieces on the disk begins to grow rapidly, and the computer has to spend more time reading this or that file. This moment is called fragmentation.

In order for all the pieces to be in one place, arranged compactly and quickly read, you need to carry out the reverse operation - defragmentation. This will be discussed further...

By the way, you can also add that the file NTFS system less susceptible to fragmentation than FAT and FAT32, so defragmentation can be done less frequently.

Standard optimization tools

Press the WIN+R key combination, then enter the dfrgui command (see screenshot below) and press Enter.

Good morning! Whether you want it or not, to make your computer work faster, you need to carry out preventive measures from time to time (clean it of temporary and junk files, defragment it).

In general, I can say that most users very rarely carry out defragmentation, and in general, do not pay due attention to it (either out of ignorance, or simply because of laziness)…

Meanwhile, by doing it regularly, you can not only speed up your computer a little, but also increase the service life of the disk! Since there are always a lot of questions regarding defragmentation, in this article I will try to collect all the main things that I myself encounter quite often. So …

FAQ Questions about defragmentation: why do it, how often, etc.

1) What is defragmentation, what is the process? Why do it?

All files on your disk, while being written to it, are written sequentially in pieces onto its surface, often called clusters (many have probably already heard this word). So, while the hard drive is empty, file clusters can be nearby, but when there is more and more information, the scattering of these pieces of one file also increases.

Because of this, when accessing such a file, your disk has to spend more time reading the information. By the way, this scattering of pieces is called fragmentation.

Defragmentation is aimed precisely at collecting these pieces compactly in one place. As a result, the speed of your disk and, accordingly, the computer as a whole increases. If you have not defragmented for a long time, this may affect the performance of your PC, for example, when opening some files or folders, it will begin to “think” for a while...

2) How often should you defragment the disk?

Enough frequently asked question, but it’s difficult to give a definite answer. It all depends on how often you use your computer, how it is used, what drives it uses, what file system it has. In Windows 7 (and higher), by the way, there is a good analyzer that will tell you what to do defragmentation , or not (there are also separate special utilities that can analyze and notify you in time that it’s time... But about such utilities - below in the article).

To do this you need to go to control Panel, enter “defragmentation” in the search bar, and Windows will find the desired link (see screenshot below).

3) Should I defragment? solid state SSD disks?

No need! And even Windows itself (at least new Windows 10, in Windows 7 - this can be done) disables the analysis and defragmentation button for such disks.

The fact is that an SSD disk has a limited number of write cycles. This means that with each defragmentation, you reduce the life of your disk. Moreover, in SSD drives there are no mechanics, and after defragmenting, you will not notice any increase in work speed.

4) Do I need to defragment the disk if it has an NTFS file system?

In fact, there is an opinion that the NTFS file system practically does not need defragmentation. This is not entirely true, although it is partly true. It’s just that this file system is designed in such a way that defragmenting a hard drive under its control is required much less frequently.

In addition, the speed of operation does not drop as much due to strong fragmentation as if it were on FAT (FAT 32).

5) Is it necessary to clean the disk of junk files before defragmentation?

If you clean up the disk before defragmenting, then:

• speed up the process itself (after all, you will have to work with fewer files, which means the process will complete earlier);
• you will do more fast work Windows.

6) How to defragment a disk?

It is advisable (but not necessary!) to install a separate special. a utility that will deal with this process (about such utilities below in the article). Firstly, it will do this faster than the utility built into Windows, and secondly, some utilities can defragment in automatic mode without distracting you from work (for example, you started watching a movie, the utility, without disturbing you, defragmented the disk at this time).

But, in principle, even the standard one, built into Windows program, does defragmentation quite well (although it does not have some of the “goodies” that third-party developers have).

7) Should I defragment a disk other than the system disk (i.e., the one on which Windows is not installed)?

Good question! It all depends again on how you use this disk. If you only store movies and music on it, then there is not much point in defragmenting it.

It's another matter if you install, say, games on this disk - and during the game, some files are loaded. In this case, the game may even begin to slow down if the disk does not respond to it in time. As it should be, with this option, it is advisable to defragment on such a disk!

How to defragment a disk - step by step steps

By the way, there is universal programs(I would call them “harvesters”) that can carry out complex actions to clean your PC of junk, remove erroneous registry entries, configure your Windows OS and defragment it (for maximum speed!). You can talk about one of them .

1) Cleaning the disk from debris

Programs for Windows cleaning -

For example, I can recommend CCleaner. Firstly, it is free, and secondly, it is very easy to use and there is nothing superfluous in it. All that is required from the user is to click the analyze button, and then clean the disk from the found garbage (screen below).

2) Removing unnecessary files and programs

By the way, it is advisable to remove programs through special utilities: (by the way, you can use the same CCleaner utility - it also has a tab for removing programs).

At worst, you can use the standard utility built into Windows (to open it, use the control panel, see the screenshot below).

3) Start defragmentation

Let's consider running the disk defragmenter built into Windows (since by default it eats me of everyone who has Windows :)).

First you need to open control Panel, then section system and safety. Next, next to the tab “ Administration" there will be a link " Defragmentation and optimization of your disks"- go over it (see screenshot below).

An alternative way to run defragmentation in Windows

1. Open “My computer” (or “This computer”).

3. Then in the disk properties, open the “Service” section.

4. In the service section, click the button “ Optimize disk"(everything is illustrated in the screenshot below).

Important! The defragmentation process can take quite a long time (depending on the size of your disk and the degree of fragmentation). At this time, it is better not to touch the computer, not to run resource-intensive tasks: games, video encoding, etc.

The best programs and utilities for disk defragmentation

Note! This subsection of the article will not reveal to you all the capabilities of the programs presented here. Here I will focus on the most interesting and convenient utilities (in my opinion) and describe their main differences, why I chose them and why I recommend trying them...

1) Defraggler

A simple, free, fast and convenient disk defragmenter. The program supports all new Windows versions(32/64 bit), can work both with entire disk partitions and with individual files, supports all popular file systems(including NTFS and FAT 32).

By the way, regarding defragmentation of individual files - this is, in general, a unique thing! Not many programs can allow you to defragment something specific...

2) Ashampoo Magical Defrag

To be honest, I like products from Ashampoo- and this utility is no exception. Its main difference from similar ones of its kind is that it can defragment a disk in background(when the computer is not busy with resource-intensive tasks, which means that the program is running will not constrain or interfere with the user in any way).

What is called - once installed and forgotten this problem! In general, I recommend paying attention to it to everyone who is tired of remembering defragmentation and doing it manually...

3) Auslogics Disk Defrag

This program can carry system files(which need to provide the greatest performance) to the fastest part of the disk, due to which your Windows OS will run somewhat faster. In addition, this program is free (for ordinary home use) and can be configured to automatic start during PC downtime (i.e., by analogy with the previous utility).

I also want to note that the program allows you to defragment not only a specific disk, but also individual files and folders on it.

The program is supported by all new Windows OS: 7, 8, 10 (32/64 bits).

4) MyDefrag

Developer's website: http://www.mydefrag.com/

MyDefrag is a small but convenient utility for defragmenting disks, floppy disks, and USB external devices. hard drives, memory cards and other media. Perhaps that’s the only reason I added this program to the list.

The program also has a scheduler for detailed settings launch. There are also versions that do not require installation (it is convenient to carry with you on a flash drive).

5) Smart Defrag

This is one of the fastest disk defragmenters! Moreover, this does not affect the quality of defragmentation. Apparently, the program developers managed to find some unique algorithms. In addition, the utility is completely free for home use.

It is also worth noting that the program treats data very carefully, even if something happens during defragmentation. system error, a power outage or something else... - then nothing should happen to your files, they will still be read and opened. The only thing is that you will have to start the defragmentation process again.

The utility also provides two operating modes: automatic (very convenient - set it up once and forget it) and manual.

It is also worth noting that the program is optimized to work on Windows 7, 8, 10. I recommend it for use!