Top 9 Best Hard Disk Utils You Can Find on Windows PCs
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SoftPerfect RAM Disk
Lets you have a disk on your computer entirely stored in the memory, where you can place temporary files created by Windows and installed applications.
SoftPerfect RAM Disk is capable of creating virtual disks that can store temporary data in the system memory, rather than the hard disk, with all the advantages that result in the process.
Since the memory is faster than the physical hard disk, this transfer can reduce the response time of your computer, as well as prolong the life of your hardware components by avoiding the intesive use of the hard drive.
The application is capable of creating as many virtual disks as you need, with any size, the only limitation being the number of available drive letters and the free storage space. The new disk can gather data on a RAW, FAT, FAT32 or NTFS file system and be mounted as removable.
All the created virtual storage spaces can be easily managed within the main interface of SoftPerfect RAM Disk, which displays the mounted disks, along with their size and type. For identification purposes, you can assign a label to each volume, while the disk space can be saved by enabling compression.
Additionally, the application enables you to create a volume or hard disk image and periodically copy the content of the drive to the associated image, for safe keeping. Images can be then mounted as a separate drive and you can explore their content.
The newly created virtual disk can be accessed using Windows Explorer, recognized by other applications and used for storing all types of temporary information.
SoftPerfect RAM Disk provides a way to harness the resources of your system in an efficient manner by using the memory as a faster alternative to the hard disk storage space. This results in a lower data fragmentation on the hard drive, quicker application starting times, a reduced amount of temporary files on the hard drive and less hard disk stress.
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Active@ Disk Editor
View detailed hard drive information and modify the ASCII or UNICODE values of hard drive sectors using this practical disk editing application.
If you consider a human language is the most complex because of various speaking and writing rules, you might want to think again. Behind all visual elements and interactions between you and the computer lies a well-written piece of code which your machine needs to understand in order to provide feedback of any type. Viewing and modifying this type of data can easily be done with the help of applications like Active@ Disk Editor.
Load physical disks, partitions or disk image files
As the name suggests, the application gives you the possibility to open nearly any type of storage unit connected to your computer, such as physical disks, logical drives, as well as disk image files. Right from the start, you are prompted to select one or more data drives that are enlisted, with the possibility to view thorough specific details.
Clever code representation
The main window shouldn't pose any accommodation problems, even though mostly advanced users feel at home. Content is displayed in Hex and you can enable separate panes to view ASCII and Unicode equivalents.
What's more, the application lets you quickly navigate to nearly all sectors, even though the whole code is displayed. This is possible via a drop-down menu where you are able to select NTFS / FAT boot sector, UFS Inode, HFS+ Volume Header, Master Boot Record and more. Depending on your selection, a portion of code is highlighted for a better display.
Quickly navigate to sectors of interest
You can also take advantage of the integrated search engines that can be used in order to quickly go to a specific offset or sector. There's also an option for ANSI input that translates it into Hex and Unicode for better search results. Editing is also possible, with the feature turned off by default so you don't accidentally damage the selected drive.
A few last words
Taking everything into consideration, we can say that Active@ Disk Editor manages to live up to expectations, through both the clever design and implementation of features. Sectors can easily be identified and viewed in the format type you desire, while the rich help manual quickly gets you out of sticky situations.
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Big FAT32 Format
Use this application for setting the formatting and its corresponding characteristics, for your USB flash drives, HDDs, and other storage mediums.
Preparing storage mediums for various purposes can sometimes mean adjusting the file system’s formatting to meet particular requirements. This varies according to drive types, be it flash drives, HDDs, SDDs, and others, as well as according to the specifics of the data that will be stored on the said drives. Big FAT32 Format, just as its name suggests, will provide users with a platform for preparing their drives by changing the file system format, wiping clean, immunize or even adjusting the allocation unit size.
Single-layout interface, whose simplicity offers both accessibility and efficient handling
As always, we embrace simplicity and enjoy efficient solutions, and this is exactly what Big FAT32 Format offers through its basic interface and minimalist layout. And it does so without sacrificing features or essential functionality.
At a glance, one can access and set all the required elements for preparing a drive for a new data storage scheme, ranging from actually setting the desired file system format, all the way up to defining the allocation unit size.
If changing the file system format is not enough, choose one of the numerous extra features for different maintenance operations
When going past the functionality that addresses the file system parameters, those who wish to squeeze even more functionality from the application will be able to do so, by using the other features that were included.
For instance, one will be able to perform a quick format, wipe the data securely on a given drive, perform a low-level format, as well a disk immunization against autorun-type malware. All-in-all, pretty good tool package.
Handy utility for preparing your drives for storage, which offers a good amount of features
Give this app a try, if you’re concerned about your drives when you’re about to perform a format for storing new data. Equipped with an essential functionality for changing the file system type and more, it can prove to be a valuable asset.
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SSD Fresh
Increase the lifetime of your SSD by constantly monitoring its status and optimizing its functioning parameters to enhance its performance.
Because of the way they are built, the life expectancy of solid state drives mainly depends on the written access times. SSD Fresh is a tool that can help you optimize your system for SSD usage so as to enhance its overall performance, while prolonging the lifetime of the solid state drive.
Detailed information about storage drives
SSD Fresh can retrieve data concerning the characteristics and functioning parameters not only of the connected SSD, but also of all the other storage drives integrated in the system. You can use it to view details about the name of each hard drive, its size, the file system type and the number of allocated partitions.
Additionally, it can generate conclusive pie charts to graphically illustrate the used and the free disk space and comes with a function dedicated to extracting the S.M.A.R.T. parameters of a hard drive, which can help more advanced users identify possible defects so as to prevent hardware failure and unfortunate data losses.
Disable or enable settings to limit writing operations
Aside from system information, SSD Fresh features a set of options and tools that can aid you in reducing the number of writing accesses to the SSD, so as to avoid wearing them down. What's more, you get a bonus in the process, since some of the configuration settings can significantly increase the performance of your system.
SSD Fresh can deactivate Windows functions that cause frequent and important write accesses, thus lowering the lifespan of a SSD. For instance, it can disable the indexing function of Windows, the timestamp reading and storing, the prefetch option, Windows event logging actions.
Moreover, it can block defragmentation attempts, since such operations cause tons of write accesses and are practically useless for SSDs, since they don't affect their performance.
Prolong the life of your SSD and enhance system performance
SSD Fresh really comes in handy for those who own a SSD and want to get the most of it. It enables you to enable or disable various features that affect the functionality, reliability and lifetime of the SSD.
More experienced users will be glad to know that there are a few advanced functions to activate the Windows Trim function and connect the SSD to the computer using AHCI for SATA hard disks.
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WizTree
Intuitive application that scans drives and shows the largest files and folders, enabling users to better assess their HDD and manage space.
WizTree is a simple-to-use application that comes in handy for identifying the files which are taking up the most space on your hard disk, in order to take the appropriate measures for managing clutter.
The setup operation finishes in no time. You are greeted by a comfortable interface, consisting of a standard window with a well-defined structure. All you have to do is select the target drive and scan it with the click of a button.
The list of results displays a tree view with folders containing large files, and you can view their size, total items and folders, date and time of last modification, along with attributes. The queue can be sorted according to any of these parameters.
Alternatively, you can change the viewing mode to check out the top 1000 largest files that exist in your system and how much space of the drive they occupy (in percent). The top part of the main panel shows used, free and all space on the scanned drive.
Apart from dynamic values, it is possible to show their byte, KB, MB and GB counterparts, open a new instance or Command Prompt dialog, copy the path of a selected file or folder, as well as delete items permanently or send them to the Recycle Bin.
WizTree has a good response time and displays accurate information while using moderate RAM and low CPU. It does not burden machine performance or interrupt normal user activity. No errors were shown during Softpedia evaluation, and the tool did not freeze or crash. Unfortunately, it does not provide options for saving the information to file or printing it. Otherwise, WizTree should satisfy all users. There is also a portable edition available.
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CrystalDiskInfo
A HDD / SSD software utility that supports S.M.A.R.T. and a part of USB-HDD with great statistics reports as well as threshold of caution capabilities.
If you don't really believe in storing things outside of your hard drive, you'd better do anything in your power to preserve its well-being, since if it goes down, it's taking everything on it to the digital grave.
Luckily for you, there's a wide selection of software solutions such a CrystalDiskInfo that was designed to help you do just that: keep an eye on your hard disk drive's state and also keeping it in good shape.
Effortless installation
Deploying this application to your computer is no rocket science. You just need to run the setup package, accept the terms of the End User License Agreement and follow the on-screen instructions provided by the wizard.
Moreover, you can skip the whole installation process given that there is also a portable version available that only requires you to unpack an archive and launch an executable. Piece of cake.
View in-dept details on your drive
Once you launch the application, you'll notice that the main window enables you to start analyzing your hard disk drive. Some basic info is already available, such as the firmware, serial number, interface, drive letter and buffer size of your device.
The lower table displays a series of more in-depth details, designed to help experienced users. These include the read error rate, start/stop count, end-to-end error, command timeout, reallocation event count and more, along with threshold, raw values, current and worst for each attribute.
Keep your disk drive in good shape
In addition, you can view all the attributes mentioned above as well as a few more in a customizable graph. This enables you to analyze performance over long time periods without breaking a sweat.
What's more, the application can be set to a custom refresh rate value to always be up to date. This comes in handy when your hard disk drive is used as a constant means of large amounts of data flow.
The health status is indicated in the main window and if you want to set the reallocated sectors count, current pending sector count and uncorrectable sector count you just need to move the sliders.
Powerful hard disk analysis tool
To sum it up, CrystalDiskInfo is a powerful hard disk management utility that comes in handy for beginners and experts alike. It can be easily installed, doesn't take a toll on your precious resources and provides you with a lot of insightful data.
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Download Hubs
CrystalDiskInfo is part of these download collections: Temperature Monitors
SpaceSeeker
When you are running low on free space, you can run this specialized software solution to identify large, old or unnecessary files.
Whenever you notice your computer's performance taking a dive, you should look for software that use a lot of resources, but also try and free up some space, as running low on free space can affect your PC's speed and overall performance.
SpaceSeeker can help you examine the status of your hard drive and identify the files and folders that take up the most space. From this point on, it is up to you to decide if you need the data or if you would rather remove it and reclaim space.
Highly intuitive GUI
When you run this app, it automatically scans the drive where it is installed, without any intervention on your part, which makes it suitable even for those with very little PC skills.
Once this analysis is complete, it displays a list with all detected directories and their respective sizes - you can choose a certain folder and review its contents, so as to find the items that take up the most space.
If you notice some files you no longer need, you can just drag and drop them onto the dedicated field and have them deleted within seconds.
Features a built-in image viewer
A very useful function of SpaceSeeker is that it comes with an integrated graphic viewer, thus allowing you to open the images to make sure you are indeed erasing useless data. This saves you a lot of time and energy, since you do not need to use a third-party tool to preview the pictures.
To wrap it up
All in all, SpaceSeeker can help you free up space on your computer even if you are not a tech-savvy user. You can just leave it to the app to examine your hard drive, then just select the files you no longer require and be done with it within minutes.
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TreeSize Personal
Get thorough details regarding space and file distribution on your hard disk drive in an intuitive interface with various export options.
There was a time when disk space was a great concern and you had to use various compression methods to transfer files or simply install only tools you work with. Even if it's amongst the least of your worries nowadays, you still end up with countless GB filled with junk files or programs and games you don't use anymore. This is where applications like TreeSize Personal come in handy, letting you thoroughly view disk space distribution for better management.
Intuitive design quickly gets you up and running
The application is built on the office suite style, with ribbon menus making sure you quickly find your way around and keeping functions under intuitive icons. Various customization options are at your disposal, but not for the interface itself, rather for how and what it displays.
In order to benefit from what the application has to offer, it's best you run it with admin privileges right from the start, so it can gather all details it can about files and folders on your computer. A side panel acts like an explorer, letting you reach any location on your computer with only a few mouse clicks. Sadly, there's no option to add favorites, with the default drop-down menu entries being rather shallow.
Highly-detailed representations
All elements are eye candy, especially because of the amount of customization you can apply. Depending on the area of interest, switching through tabs lets you view details regarding extensions, users, age of files, top 100 files, history, chart and detailed overview.
You might want to have a little patience until everything loads. This is because of the high amount of resources needed to display elements in their highly-detailed representation, with feedback provided in real time, which makes you wait even more. However, it's not a lot of time, with it considerably reduced if you drop 3D representations of graphs and charts.
Export info to various file formats
Several ease of access tools are at your disposal in order to remove programs you no longer need through the Windows built-in feature, configure system restore point, empty recycle bin, as well as perform a disk defragment operation for more performance.
If gathered information is relevant for your day-to-day activities or work, you need to know that an abundance of reports can be issued and saved to file. Depending on the area you're in, export options let you generate TXT, RTF, CSV, XLS, HTML and more. Integration in the desktop context menu is a plus, letting you get info on the spot as you browse through your computer.
In conclusion
Taking everything into consideration, we can say that TreeSize Personal is a powerful file management application, resembling a super-hero version Windows file explorer. It can easily be launched through the context menu in order to get detailed and visually appealing representations of space distribution so you figure out what needs to go and what can stay.
NOTE: You can also try out the Free Edition or enjoy more features with TreeSize Professional.
TreeSize Free Video Guide
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Macrorit Disk Scanner
Find out whether your hard disk security and integrity are at risk due to bad sectors so you can take the appropriate actions with this tool.
While most users do not give it too much thought, one of the reasons for losing important data on your computer is hard disk failure due to bad sectors. Macrorit Disk Scanner is a lightweight piece of software that can help you determine whether your drives are prone to data loss so that you can take the necessary actions.
Clean looks and straightforward functionality
The program comes with a simple and user-friendly interface that should not give you any troubles regardless of your technical skills. Even though the UI displays some basic information about the HDD, the vast majority is dedicated to exhibiting the results of the scan using color codes, the red color representing damaged sectors.
Functionality-wise, you solely need to select the hard drive you want to scan and then hit the Start Now button. The tool displays the results in real-time and, you can close all running applications if you want the scan to be completed faster. Moreover, it provides you with a log scan as a plain text file that can be accessed from the installation directory.
Supports numerous storage devices
You will be happy to learn that the program supports a plethora of drives, so you can employ it to determine the overall health of your drives. Among the supported devices you can count iPods, SD micro cards, memory sticks, USB Flash drives, FireWire HDD, SSD, USB HDDs, Floppy disks, Zip drives and Hardware RAIDs, just to name a few of the storage devices compatible.
In addition, it is important to note that the utility includes a function that enables you to perform scans in specific areas of the hard disk, an option that can come in handy for IT professionals who specialize in repairs, instance. On the other hand, you should know that the program does not include any function to address the issues found.
A tool that can help you avert data loss
In the eventuality that you noticed your file transfers to directories or drives on your computer are becoming sluggish or you are experiencing frequent blue screen errors, then you can employ Macrorit Disk Scanner and determine whether the issues are caused by too many bad sectors.
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