Software for making the most of your hard drive
Partitions
If you have a large hard drive, it’s a good idea to divide it into smaller parts by creating partitions. For instance, on a 500GB hard drive you could create one partition destined for Windows and all your applications - the C-drive (250GB). The other 250GB partition (the D-drive) could then contain your documents and files; alternatively, you could create a 150GB D-drive and an extra 100GB E-drive for data backups. Normally speaking, partitions are created while Windows is installed, but you can modify them later. For this purpose, use a tool such as Easeus Partition Manager Home Edition (http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm); it’s completely free. It lets you create partitions or modify their size without losing any data. Note. Be sure to make a backup of all your important files first!
A powerful alternative that you can even run from a CD - without any installation - is the free PartedMagic (http://www.partedmagic.com). You can have this tool burnt on a CD automatically (just double-click on the installation file) and run the program by rebooting your computer.
Tip. If you use the Universal USB installer (http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3) to install PartedMagic on a memory stick, you won’t even need a CD any more. Note. As PartedMagic is more powerful than Easeus and has more options, double-check everything you wish to modify before executing any changes!
HD Tune: a healthy hard drive?
Do you wish to find out whether your hard drive is in good shape? Install the free HD Tune (http://www.hdtune.com). This program analyses your hard drive (run Error scan) and lists any errors. The Quick Scan only takes a couple of minutes, but the full scan, which inspects every sector of the hard drive, may take a couple of hours. HD Tune can also perform a speed test (Benchmark).
How big are your folders?
Do you wish to find out why your partition or hard drive is almost “full” again? The free Folder Size (http://www.mindgems.com/products/Folder-Size/Folder-Size.html) tells you in a flash. This program represents the size of every folder on your hard drive in a Windows Explorer-like structure. On the basis of this information, you can delete or move superfluous folders or files in order to gain space.
Is your hard drive active?
It may come in handy to know when exactly your hard drive is working, for example to find out whether a program is still “active” or has crashed after all. Of course, you can check the flashing green light on your computer or laptop, but this isn’t always convenient. The HDDLed Indicator tool (http://www.hddled.com) resolves this problem: it adds an icon showing indicator lights in the System Tray. Moreover, it also shows the current speed of the drive and tells you whether any operations are still “open” (i.e. whether any more data is being copied to or from the hard drive). HDDLed Indicator costs $20 (£12.50), but even if you don’t register, the program keeps working without any limitations - just click the reminder away.
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