When the computer or laptop starts to work slowly, the first thing they think is a problem in the processor or video card. But there is still hDD (hard drive or HDD-drive), which also affects the performance of the PC. Moreover, it is quite strong.
Typically, ordinary users will find out that the hard disk brakes only after when the programs and games slowly open, work long and constantly hang. Or on the LED of an external hard drive, which is constantly on, or flashes too often. In some cases, HDD-drive can and does crack, squeak, squeak. All this indicates that there are problems with hard drive.
Which ones? It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer. Yes it does not exist. Therefore, the following are the most popular errors and problems hard drive, as well as ways to solve them.
This instruction is universal and suitable for both fixed HDD-drives and external drives. It also does not matter what is on the computer or laptop OS - Windows 7, 8 or 10. Therefore, if the hard drive is slow and what you do not know, try one of the methods described below.
The first reason why the hard drive is braking is too much garbage collected on the computer. By "garbage" is meant temporary files, as well as everything that is in the basket (as a rule, it is no longer needed, but the place is occupied). Therefore, if the hard drive slows down the system, you first need to clean it. The benefit of this is very simple.
On example Windows 7 cleaning the hard drive from unnecessary files is as follows:
Windows will estimate the amount of space, after which the following window will appear:
Put or uncheck the boxes at the desired points and click "OK". Similarly, you need to perform the procedure for the remaining local disks - D, E, etc.
This is how the hard drive is cleaned in a standard way. And for this you can use special software - for example, CCleaner, Auslogics BoostSpeed, etc. With their help, you can additionally remove unnecessary programs from startup (they also slow down the computer), clean the registry, etc.
By the way, pay attention to how much free space you have left on local disks. It must be at least 10%. Otherwise, the computer or laptop will be very slow and buggy. If you have just this situation, you need to free up more space. If there is nothing to delete, then write down some files on a disk, a flash drive, or fill it with Yandex.Disk and similar online services.
Defragment your hard drive
Fragmentation is an inevitable process when the PC is used intensively. It is because of it that games and programs can be very slow. Therefore, it is recommended to perform defragmentation at least once a month. This optimizes the HDD and increases the efficiency of the PC. You can perform this procedure in 2 ways: using a standard Windows tool or special software.
Checking the hard drive for errors
Another reason that causes the external hard drive to hang (or normal) is logical errors. Check their presence or absence can be through scandisk - a standard utility that is available in Windows.
To run this check:
There is also a second way:
Checking the mode of the hard drive
Also it is necessary to check, in what mode the hard disk works. There are only two:
- PIO (old mode, it functions due to the CPU of the PC);
- DMA (new mode, works with RAM, which increases the speed of the computer several times).
The idea should be DMA mode, but due to the presence of various errors and malfunctions, Windows can automatically switch it to PIO. As a result, the hard disk brakes and hangs. And regularly.
To find out what mode the hard disk is in:
What should I do if PIO mode is set there? Switch it to DMA in two simple ways:
Users who bought a PC or laptop 3-4 years ago, this may not worry. They have problems with trains, as a rule, no.
Hard disk check for broken sectors in Victoria
Another reason why the hard drive hangs up is the broken sectors. While there are not many of them, the problem can be fixed with the help of software. For example, the program Victoria (Victoria).
How to understand that there are bad sectors on the hard drive? This is evidenced by:
- constant hang of the laptop or computer when accessing the HDD-drive (opening files);
- there is a sound of grinding or cracking, which was not there before;
- too slow copying of files;
- a drop in PC performance in general.
The Victoria program is one of the most effective for checking the hard drive on broken sectors. And it's very easy to use:
- Start Victoria under the rights of the administrator (PKM on the shortcut - Running from the names of the administrator).
- Go to the Tests section.
- Click Start.
After that, the test will begin. Pay attention to only 2 types of rectangles - red and blue. If the latter is very much, then you need to select the "Remap" item and run a re-scan. This will help restore the hard drive's performance.
By the way, if you just bought a HDD-drive, and the program Victoria shows the presence of blue rectangles - it is recommended to return it for repair under warranty. On the new hard drive broken sectors should not be.
Overheating of HDD-disk
Next in the list is the reason why the hard drive is slowing down on a laptop or computer - overheating. After all, too high a temperature is dangerous for a hard drive too.
The optimal value is 30-45 degrees. If the temperature is above 50 - this is already a problem. Although the values of 50-55 degrees for many HDDs are not critical, and they still work fine (but this can reduce their lifespan).
If there is a suspicion of overheating of the hard drive, it is necessary to verify this. For example, through the program AIDA64. To do this, start it and go to Computer - Sensors. As you can see, in the screenshot below, the temperature of the HDD-drive is 33 degrees.
What if it's too high? There are several ways to reduce the temperature of the hard drive:
- cleaning the laptop or PC system unit from dust;
- installation of additional coolers (fans) for cooling;
- transfer HDD (if you have 2 or more hard drives in the system unit PC, try to install them at some distance from each other);
- purchase of a cooling stand (suitable only for laptops).
Winchester cracks and knocks: what to do
In general, a hard drive is a mechanical device, so it can produce various knocking, cod and rattle. If so it was from the time of purchase, then it's okay. But if earlier there were no such sounds, and after a while they appeared, and the hard disk started to slow down (slow to work) - this is a bad sign.
First, you need to quickly copy all the important files from it (to any fireman). And then try to reduce the noise. For example, with the help of software, which is designed to reduce the speed of positioning the heads. The speed of the HDD will drop a little, but visually you will not notice it. But knocks, cod and rattles should disappear. Or, at least, will become quieter.
That's all. Now you know the main reasons why the hard drive is running slowly, and what to do in this situation. It is unambiguous to understand what kind of malfunction is observed in you is impossible - you only need to try the above methods in turn. But in any case, if your hard drive hangs on your PC or laptop - one of these ways should help.
Often, users reinstall Windows if the computer starts to slow down. This method can be effective, but it takes a lot of time and does not get rid of hardware difficulties. To restore the previous speed, it is necessary to diagnose and understand the reason the system hangs. Typically, the cause is one of the following.
1. High CPU and RAM usage
If the system hangs, check the current level using system resources. For this, it is not necessary to use additional programs. A tool that allows you to understand the level of resource consumption is included in the Windows package. To open it, simultaneously press three buttons on the computer keyboard - "Ctrl + Shift + ESC". You can also use the combination "Ctrl + Alt + DEL", and then select "Task Manager".
In the manager window click on the second tab - "Performance". Here are the graphs of the current workload of the CPU, RAM, hard disks. Switch between sections by clicking on their name in the left column. If the load on one or more hardware components is constantly at the limit (the average value is 80-100%), the computer brakes precisely for this reason.
Important! More detailed information on the reasons for the load of hardware elements is available through the resource monitor. It is opened by the link at the bottom of the window.
There are two main ways to eliminate the hangup associated with a lack of system resources. The first is to increase the amount of RAM, replace the processor or hard drive. To replace the HDD you only need new disk suitable size with appropriate interfaces. Before this step, you should make sure that the reason that the PC is slowing down is the failure of the hard drive. This can be done with the help of Victoria or MHDD utilities.
Replacing the processor or RAM on a laptop is a more time consuming and expensive process. Usually, motherboards portable devices have high requirements for compatibility of iron. To clarify which components are right for your computer, go to the manufacturer's website. It is important that the qualitative characteristics of the new parts differ significantly from the characteristics of the old ones. This will achieve a significant increase in productivity.
The second way to solve such problems is to free up available hardware resources. To use it, you do not need to purchase new parts. It will be enough to find out the reason, because of which the PC is slowing down, and to close unnecessary applications running on the computer in the background.
2. The work of unnecessary background programs
You can find out which applications are currently running on Windows in the "Task Manager". Go to the first tab - "Processes". It is most convenient to sort the list by using the component that is most heavily loaded. For example, if the RAM is often used by 80% or more, click on the title of the corresponding column. Processes will be deduced, starting with those that consume the most memory.
If you need more detailed information about the processes, add additional columns to the table. Click on the title of any column with the right mouse button and select the section you want to add. It can be columns "Publisher" (developer of the program) and "Type" (background process, application, Windows process). To end the program, select it in the context menu "Delete the task". You can also mark a line, and then press the "Del" button on the keyboard.
3. Superfluous applications in startup Windows
If you did not run it yourself unnecessary processes, found in the previous step, the cause of their appearance is the automatic download at start Windows. Further work of such programs is invisible, as they are minimized to the tray or work in the background. But utilities consume part of their system resources even in such cases. This can cause the device to hang, the PC slows down or even reboots.
The autorun of some utilities is enabled immediately after they are installed. You can check the current startup list on the fourth tab of Task Manager. By default, the following columns are activated in the table:
- Name - the name of the program;
- Publisher - the name of the company that developed the application;
- Status - the current status of the automatic start;
- Impact on the launch - the load on the system, causing the hang at each start.
Advice! To turn off automatic start application when booting the operating system, right-click on its name and select "Disconnect".
4. Infecting your computer with viruses
The reason for the hang and slow windows Workflows there may be viral activity. A number of viruses perform tasks for indexing or encrypting data on the hard drive, as a result of which the PC brakes. Other unwanted applications load the network by sending information over the Internet. Computer hanging in this case is not as critical as the main losses from the activity of the virus.
To avoid infection, do not open suspicious files sent to you by unauthorized people. Install utilities only from trusted sources - official sites and Windows stores. Use antivirus software with active protection. They scan the computer in real time and prevent the execution of malicious code. Examples of such antivirus programs:
- ESET NOD32;
- Avast;
- Kaspersky Anti-Virus;
- Dr. Web;
- AVG Internet Security.
If you regularly hang and suspect infection, check Windows using the full scan. It takes a long time to check all the files, however, only it will reveal all real and potential security threats. If the antivirus detects files containing a potential threat, send them to the online scan through the VirusTotal service. It will help to check a certain file with several anti-virus tools to more accurately identify malicious code.
5. Overheating when the computer is running
Hanging or intermittent operation of the device may be caused by overheating. With strong heating, the system can brake or automatically turn off. Shutdown occurs to avoid damage to computer parts, so the problem of overheating should not be ignored. To specify the current temperature of the system components, you can use the following programs:
- Speccy;
- HWMonitor;
- AIDA;
- SpeedFan;
- Open Hardware Monitor;
- OCCT.
The cause of overheating is most often a violation of ventilation of the internal components of the device. Fans used to cool parts are polluted by dust and small particles. As a result, the efficiency of their further operation is reduced, since cold air is not able to freely pass through a layer of contamination on the blades. Dust can also settle on radiators and the boards themselves.
To reduce the temperature of the computer, disassemble and clean its components regularly. You can do this at home or a service center. Before the expiration of the warranty period, use the services of an authorized service center only, the contacts of which are indicated in the warranty card. Otherwise, the warranty may be lost.
The main tools for self-cleaning of computer components are brushes and a can with compressed air. It can be purchased at computer stores. With the help of brushes it is possible to remove pollution from radiators and coolers. The balloon helps to remove dust in hard-to-reach places, since when pressing the cap the air comes out under great pressure. Use instructions on specialized sites for proper disassembly and subsequent assembly of your device.
Note! In some cases, replacement of the thermal paste is required. It is used to increase the thermal conductivity between radiators and chips, which are excessively heated. Do not apply too much thermal grease. This substance acts most effectively in the distribution of a thin layer.
Kind time of the day dear friends! I'm glad to greet you on my website. Very often, the question "Why does the computer hang?" Comes to my mail. " Today in this article we will talk about this. I will try to describe absolutely all the reasons that cause the computer to hang, and I will also describe in detail how to manually remove the hang.
Why is the computer freezing? Causes.
- Software cleaning is required.
- You need to clean the computer from dust.
- Viruses.
- Problems with the hard drive.
- Problems with RAM.
- You need to upgrade your computer.
- Disk defragmentation is required.
- You need to clean the system partition.
- Problems at the program level.
- Required reinstall Windows.
Now let's look at each reason in more detail.
Software cleaning is required.
Quite often the computer hangs due to the fact that it needs software cleaning. It includes removal unnecessary programs, cleaning up the startup, removing garbage and unnecessary files, as well as troubleshooting registry problems. All this is done with the help of a wonderful the Ccleaner. For more information on how to properly do the software cleaning yourself with this utility, you can download Ccleaner in the same place.
You need to clean the computer from dust.
This is one of the common reasons that the computer hangs. Why you ask? Everything is very simple. Dust settles on the computer components, fans and prevents normal cooling. It is necessary, and (if required) The computer can sometimes even shut off from overheating. To find out if your computer is hanging due to overheating of components or not, you need to test the stability of the system with the help of the wonderful AIDA64 program. Read more about how to do this
Viruses.
There are viruses that constantly load all the resources of the computer. Ie not a single program is running on the computer, but it hangs like it's played on 3 games at once. This sore is treated quite simply. You need to download Dr.Web Cureit and put the computer for in-depth testing. Download this antivirus you can from the official site for free. http://www.freedrweb.ru/cureit/ There is also detailed instructions to use.
Problems with the hard drive.
In my practice, the computer hangs because of this problem often enough. To make sure that everything is in order with the hard disk, you need to test it. For this purpose, there is a special program. It's called Victoria 4.46b.
It is advisable to load the computer in safe mode before testing. To do this, when you turn on the PC, press F8 until such a launch menu appears:
Or is it
Here you need to choose safe mode, and when the system boots, insert the USB flash drive with the program (skip it in advance) and start. This window will open:
You need to go to the Tests tab, put the switch on Remap and click Start.
If there are no errors, red sectors and green, then we can assume that the disk is in good working order. Problems with him no.
Below, watch a video on how hard check disk with this program.
Problems with RAM.
Perhaps your computer freezes due to the fact that the RAM is faulty. Sometimes for this reason often appears
Check random access memory quite simply. You need to download the memtest86 program. Write it in a special way to a USB flash drive or a disk (that would later be loaded not from the hard disk as usual, but from the device on which it is recorded this program. (more on this) The Internet is full of different instructions for writing.)
As a matter of fact, there is nothing else to do, the test will be started, and at the end of these tests the program will display the message " ***** Pass complete, no errors, press Esc to exit***** "- if everything is in order.
If the program has detected errors as in the figure below, then most likely the RAM has failed, although it is possible that the correct RAM prevents the dust from working. How to properly clean the computer is described above. If cleaning did not help, then try to walk through the contacts of the eraser. If this does not help, go to the store for a new bar. How to change the RAM you can learn
You need to upgrade your computer.
Also, it is possible that the computer hangs due to the fact that it does not have enough computing resources. Exit this position- In other words, you need to buy newer and more productive computer components.
Disk defragmentation is required.
The next reason why the computer hangs is related to the general state of hard disk. Fragmentation of the screw often leads to a system slowing down. The emergence of unnecessary sections, fragmented storage of information - all this is the root cause, which you should know about. Correct this unpleasant moment with the standard procedure of "Defragmentation". We start it with the command "Start", then in the search field write "Defragmentation".
Analyze - the construction of a complete picture of the state hard disks. Defragmentation is the immediate start of a process. We start them in turn and wait until the system corrects such an annoying situation.
You need to clean the system partition.
Any program requires resources of real-time and permanent memory (hard disk) for storing its calculations, keeping records, and so on. Perhaps your computer hangs due to the fact that the system partition (usually drive C) is completely full or it has very little free space.
In order to slightly relieve the main partition, remove from the desktop into another disk unnecessary files and folders, clean the downloads folder. It is possible that after these manipulations the computer will earn more quickly.
Problems at the program level.
To this category of problems, due to which the computer hangs, there are problems with the drivers, incorrectly installed or non-working programs. The reason for incorrect settings of programs or drivers is usually one-inattention of users. Suppose you have a 64-bit operating system, and you are trying to put the driver on it, which is intended for only 32-bit system. Naturally, this driver will not work or it will not work correctly. Often the computer hangs up for this reason.
The solution to this problem is quite simple - removing the incorrectly working drivers and programs. If after installation of any software the computer hangs wildly - be sure that this program does not suit you. Remove it immediately. How to install the driver correctly you can read
If after the uninstallation of the program nothing has changed, do the system restore. This is a kind of rollback of the system to the state when everything worked perfectly. How to do this is described
You need to reinstall Windows.
Probably, this is the latest version and in my opinion the most reliable one. It also happens that the computer hangs due to the banal obsolescence of the system (when she is 2-3 years old or even more) After all, you will agree when you bought new computerHe worked much faster than now. More details on how to install any version of Windows you will find in the heading ""
This option immediately puts everything in its place. Suppose, if you reinstall the system, and the computer continues hang-up problem 100% on the hardware level and if you can not find the cause yourself, go to the service center, give money for diagnostics and know exactly the reason.
On this article "Why the computer hangs up" comes to its logical conclusion. I hope she helped you! Thank you for attention! Good luck!
