Hard drive is the head of everything. At least computers can be said that way. After all, it stores all the information, including the installed operating system and the drivers of all the "iron" devices. What is the use of a system unit with cutting-edge equipment if there is no hard drive? But, as with any other component of a computer, it is necessary to perform maintenance, and in some cases more complex operations. It is proposed to talk about all this in more detail, considering what a program for working with a hard disk may represent, what tools are available in Windows systems themselves and in which areas all aspects of work can be divided.
Working with a hard drive: main directions
So, what actions may be required for devices of this type? Based on the situation, we can distinguish several main areas:
- maintenance (cleaning of computer debris, error correction, defragmentation);
- work with sections (create, delete, modify);
- recovery (file system, folders and files, troubleshooting).
Checking, cleaning and defragmenting system tools and using optimizers
To begin, consider the maintenance of the hard drive and its partitions. Standard programs for working with a hard disk in Windows are represented quite widely as built-in tools. You can get to them through the PCM menu on the disk or in the section by selecting the property bar.
On the main tab there is a tool for cleaning. In the presented standard list, you can delete temporary files, the system cache, empty the Recycle Bin, etc. If you use the button to clear system files, you can get rid of old installations of Windows 10, which can take up a lot of space.
The service tab contains tools for finding and fixing errors, as well as for defragmentation, during which the most frequently used files or programs are moved to the fastest areas of the disk in order to speed up access to them.
As for cleaning the hard drive of unnecessary applications, you can use the standard section of programs and components located in the "Control Panel", which removes unnecessary or unused programs, as well as installed service packs.
But many users do not like their own Windows tools. Indeed, they often look much worse in terms of functionality than any specialized hard drive program from a third-party developer. In this case, we are talking about optimizers and uninstallers. The first type of application allows you to perform comprehensive garbage removal, error correction and disk optimization services, the second are designed to remove installed applications as completely as possible, eliminating residuals (when using the built-in system tool, registry keys or residual files are not always deleted).
Among all the available software, one can separately distinguish such programs for working with a hard disk in these areas as CCleaner, Advanced SystemCare, iObit Uninstaller and many others. The use of optimizers is simplified as much as possible, since they have a quick cleaning section, in which you just need to activate the necessary modules and start checking with the subsequent elimination of the problems found. Uninstallers not only completely remove applications, but are also able to uninstall their own system components, which cannot be removed using standard tools.
Working with partitions using Windows and using third-party utilities
The built-in program for working with hard disk partitions is a partition management console that can be accessed through administration or the "Run" menu by entering the diskmgmt.msc command.
Here you can partition, merge partitions, create boot partitions, compress or expand volumes, etc. The same actions are performed on the command line, but using the dfiskpart toolkit. Again, this tool is not very convenient to use. Many users prefer third-party apps like Partition Magic or AOMEI Partition Assistant.
The second program is in Russian, working with hard drives is simplified as much as possible. Compared to the Windows tool, it does not need to look for additional commands. The main toolbox is displayed on the side panel. For example, you need to combine two sections. Use the appropriate item and specify those from which you need to make one. In Windows, you will have to do a bunch of additional operations.
Disk recovery
Finally, consider the recovery of the hard drive and the information stored on it. In the first case, utilities like HDD Low Level Format will help, which allow for low-level formatting for the purpose of subsequent information recovery.
But in case of physical damage to the hard drive, it is believed that nothing but the HDD Regenerator utility helps. The application in program mode, as it were, reverses the surface of the hard drive and restores damaged sectors.
To restore information, any simple program for working with a hard drive of such a plan as Recuva is suitable. However, if you want to perform the most powerful scan with recovery of deleted information after formatting the disk, without utilities such as R-Studio or R.Saver it will be impossible to do this.
Instead of an afterword
Here is a brief summary of everything related to applications for working with hard drives and their logical partitions. The system’s own tools are usually used in the absence of third-party utilities, but the latter, as a rule, are more convenient in operation and have more functionality.