Permanently delete hard drive storage in Windows?
Hello,
I want to install an SSD and clone my existing HDD onto it. My HDD has 1TB of storage, and my SSD has 480GB.
Unfortunately, I can't clone it directly because the new hard drive has to be at least as large as the HDD's hard drive partition. So far, I've only been able to shrink the HDD's C drive partition to 520GB, even though only 377GB is used. So I assume there's still some space being used by some old files that I deleted long ago.
How can I reset this to the default value so that I can also shrink this part of my hard drive volume?
I've tried using CCleaner with the Hard Drive Wiper tool, but it didn't help. Apparently, this tool just fills the free space with random numbers so you can't restore old files, but it doesn't solve my problem.
Can anyone help me?
Thank you very much in advance!
(1 votes)
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Okay, I understand. What program are you doing the cloning?
With Windows board means. So with system image and an external hard drive. If you want to know more, I can also send you a link to the video
Probably the problem is right here. Of course, you make it much easier with it, but then you would have to clone a terrabyte SSD or NVme, which is costly. With the Opensourcetool GParted Live, you would be able to clone the hard disk partition by default and are not limited to the hard disks. As long as the partition to be cloned is not larger than the target disk. Logic somehow😅
This method has it in itself. Real, but tricky.
Good luck.
Yes, just use the program directly
Well excellent 👍🏼 TipTop Meiner.
Would you say in retrospect that you could have cut the whole thing off?😅
It worked. And that’s all too fast. has just taken 1h 8min
I didn’t know that before. Thanks for the tip.
I have macrium reflect downloaded, let’s see it works
🤔 Then you’ll probably not get around Gparted. https://gparted.org/livecd.php
Yes, but the folder from the system image is automatically larger. No matter how small I reduce the partition
That’s what you mean. Because the partition is smaller now?
Did not work:/
Immigrant free. I’m pushing the thumbs.
Got it now with easeus master reduced (no idea why the Windows thing didn’t want it). Let’s see if it finally works
It’s really annoying. System files for recovery or rest state mode may block the reduction of the hard disk.
https://www.easeus.de/amp/partitionieren-tipps/partition-laesst-sich-unter-windows-non-reduced.html
At the end there are two sections for deactivating both.
It is now finished with defragmentation but I can still not reduce the volume
Sounds really smart. Sry i steh heut totally on hose🤦🏻 ♂️
Yes are clear holes there (so I wouldn’t defragment it) but to stuff these holes, Windows ne makes new folder structure
What if you’ve already emerged? This is the reason why the partition cannot be reduced, because the holes ensure an increase in the volume of the data.
I understood that the “cheese holes” are not randomly filled with files, but the folder structure is completely relocated so that no holes are created
Okay, great. Defragmentation ensures that the data are moved into the empty sectors that have been created. I imagine that you cut off a slice of lousy Swiss cheese on the edge and fill up the holes from the middle of the cheese slice. Of course, the cheese never gets smaller and the slice of cheese is logically a metal slice which still turns around itself in the monkey tooth. 😬
For me it worked like this
I hope I think about xD.
Don’t worry, is ne HDD.
Is there no idea what this is supposed to mean, but this is my intermediate level?
Let me know how it went.
PS: SSD’s and NVme’s should not be defragmented because their service life is suffering.
All right, thanks, I try it out… probably takes a few hours despite <400GB
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragment_(File system)
I’ve already done programs, but I can’t do anything.
The problem is that if you delete files, only the entries in the directory of Windows will be deleted, but the individual values on the hard drive will not be reset
What would defragment?
Oh, I’ve been strapping it now. But I’m also hard to say.
Have you already tried to ban a large part of the data on an external hard drive and delete a few programs, so that only the most necessary is it? Have you tried a defragmentation? It would be very useful afterwards.
Yes, the problem is that the hard disk partition itself is already bigger and I can’t reduce it. And I’m looking for a solution
You cannot permanently delete a memory. Try to reduce the partition with Easeus Partition Master.
On a SSD you only make Windows and games. The fuller the memory on the Windows partition, the slower the system. And that you don’t get the files smaller is clear or do you think a 20 liter oil barrel fits into a 5 liter bucket?
And each hard drive still uses resources for itself. My 3TB plate uses 300gb for itself, I can only occupy 2.7 of 3; my 1TB plate has only 950gb that is normal even my 250gb ssd has only 230gb that I can use
Yes, that’s clear, my HDD has only approx. 900 GB of usable storage. But if you delete files, they are still on the hard drive, but Windows deletes them from the table of contents. Only to be able to reduce the partition must everything really be free. Apparently, the PC still recognizes data (can not read it) but cannot reduce the partition.
And in hard disk cloning, unfortunately, everything is taken, so only after cloning can I move my files back to my (then second hard drive) HDD
If you want everything gone, format them. But remember then everything is gone
Yes, I’m looking for a way where I can only delete unused areas of hard drive completely.
Does format actually mean ” reset to the default value”? I heard that formatting is not enough to make data unrecoverable
Why cloning? Reinstall Windows once, then copy the files from HDD to SSD and then format the HDD. That would be the cleanest solution for me.
1. I want to keep Win 8.1 (don’t ask)
2.) A game is very unstable. You can change the game a lot independently and I’m afraid that if I want to reinstall it, it won’t work like before. I actually had to reinstall it and I needed some time to get it back on track
Okay, I understand. What program are you doing the cloning?
sry for double mail. 😅
Did I write to you in your answer