Disk Management PDF

 Disk Management - an extension of the Microsoft Management Console that allows full management of the disk-based hardware recognized by Windows.  It can be used to partition and format drives, assign drive letters, and much more....

 Disk Management - an extension of the Microsoft Management Console that allows full management of the disk-based hardware recognized by Windows.  It can be used to partition and format drives, assign drive letters, and much more.  used to manage the drives installed in a computer— like hard disk drives (internal and external), optical disk drives, and flash drives.  sometimes spelling incorrectly as Disc Management.  Also, even though they might sound similar, it's not the same as Device Manager.  available in most versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000.  where you can create and attach virtual hard disk files in Windows 11, 10, and 8.  The most common way to access Disk Management is via the Computer Management utility, which you can get to from Administrative Tools in the Control Panel.  started by executing diskmgmt.msc via the Command Prompt or another command-line 2 SECTIONS: 1. Top section - list of all the partitions, formatted or not, that Windows recognizes. 2. Bottom section - graphical representation of the physical drives installed in the computer. Here are some common things that you can do in Disk Management: 1) Partition a drive 2) Format a drive 3) Change a drive's letter 4) Shrink a partition 5) Extend a partition 6) Delete a partition 7) Change a drive's file system 8) Check free hard drive space  Disk Management tool has a graphical interface like a regular program and is similar in function to the command line utility diskpart, which was a replacement of an earlier utility called fdisk.  Action > Create VHD menu - To build a virtual disk file with the VHD or VHDX file extension.  Attach VHD option.  View menu - how you can change which panes you see at the top and bottom and how you change the colors and patterns. Alternatives to Disk Management:  MiniTool Partition Wizard Free - make a bunch of changes to your disks to see how they'll affect the sizes.  wipe a partition or whole disk clean with the DoD 5220.22-M data sanitization method, which isn't supported with Disk Management.  System Restore - recovery tool for Windows that allows you to reverse certain kinds of changes made to the operating system.  an "undo" feature for the most important parts of Windows.  Using it returns certain files and settings— like drivers, registry keys, system files, installed programs, and more—back to previous versions and settings.  doesn't guarantee that the issue will be resolved.  does not affect your personal files like photos, documents, email, etc.  it doesn't reverse the import.  The same concept applies to downloading files, editing videos, etc.—all of it will stay on your computer.  Even though System Restore may remove a program you've installed, it won't also delete the files you've made through the program.  Restoring your computer to a previous state only affects Windows files. Examples:  You might find that restoring the system to a previous state before the driver installation, fixes the problem because System Restore will undo it.  Say you're restoring your computer to the state it was in a week ago. Any programs you've installed during that time will be uninstalled during the restore process.  You're only just now experiencing an issue with your video card driver, so you restore the computer back to a few days ago, but the problem persists. It's possible the driver was corrupted three weeks ago, in which case restoring to just a few days ago, or any point within the last three weeks, will do no good.  Since it doesn't restore personal files, System Restore isn't a fall-back solution if you've forgotten to make backups of your data or if you want to undo a change you made to a file.  An online backup service or a file backup program is what you need to make backups of your files.  However, you may consider System Restore a "system backup" solution because it does, in fact, back up and restore crucial system files.  not a file recovery utility that lets you "undelete" your files.  Unlike the Reset This PC option in some versions of Windows, System Restore doesn't completely reinstall Windows.  You might choose Reset This PC if you need to fix broader operating systems issues, especially problems that started outside the boundaries of what System Restore can fix. How to Do a System Restore  restore point - choose a point in the past - to return your important files and settings to.  System Restore is available from within Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Me, but not any Windows Server operating systems.  can also be started from Safe Mode in all versions of Windows AND from the Command Prompt  You can even run System Restore from outside Windows completely via Advanced Startup Options in Windows 11, 10, and 8;  System Recovery Options in Windows 7 and Windows Vista.  Disk Cleanup - a utility tool provided by the Windows operating system that helps you free up disk space on your computer.  It scans your hard drive for unnecessary files, such as temporary files, system files, and files in the Recycle Bin, and allows you to safely delete them, reclaiming valuable storage space.  can optimize the performance of your computer by removing unnecessary files that are taking up space on your hard drive.  This can help improve the overall speed and responsiveness of your system, as well as free up storage for new files and applications.  can help you delete various types of files, including temporary files, system files, Recycle Bin files, and more. These files are generally safe to delete, as they are typically not needed for the proper functioning of your computer. To access Disk Cleanup, follow these steps: 1. Click on the "Start" button on your Windows taskbar. 2. Type "Disk Cleanup" in the search bar and press Enter. 3. From the search results, click on the "Disk Cleanup" application.  Disk Cleanup can delete files from all drives on your computer.  When you run Disk Cleanup, it provides you with a list of drives to choose from, and you can select the specific drives you want to clean up.  This allows you to target the drives that are running low on disk space and need optimization.  Disk Cleanup does not delete personal files or installed programs by default.  It mainly focuses on removing temporary and unnecessary system files.  You can automate Disk Cleanup to run on a regular schedule.  To automate Disk Cleanup, you can use the built-in Task Scheduler in Windows to create a task that runs the Disk Cleanup utility at specified intervals.  Disk Cleanup can help improve your computer's performance by freeing up disk space.  You can customize the types of files that Disk Cleanup deletes.  Popular alternatives of DISK CLEANUP: 1. CCleaner 2. BleachBit 3. Wise Disk Cleaner.  In general, it is safe to delete the files suggested by Disk Cleanup. Can Disk Cleanup remove programs or applications from my computer?  No, Disk Cleanup is primarily focused on removing unnecessary files and does not uninstall or remove programs from your computer.  If you want to uninstall programs, you can use the "Add or Remove Programs" or "Programs and Features" utility in the Windows Control Panel.  Disk Cleanup can free up space on external storage devices such as USB drives and external hard drives. Unfortunately, once files are deleted by Disk Cleanup, they are typically not recoverable using built-in Windows utilities.  Disk Cleanup permanently removes files, bypassing the Recycle Bin.  As a general guideline, it is advisable to run Disk Cleanup periodically, such as once a month or every few months, to keep your system optimized.  No, Disk Cleanup does not fix disk errors or repair corrupted files. Its main purpose is to remove unnecessary files to free up disk space. If you encounter disk errors or have corrupted files, you may need to use other tools or utilities provided by Windows, such as check disk (chkdsk) or system file checker (sfc). to diagnose and fix these issues. Can Disk Cleanup be reversed or undone?  No, once you confirm and start the cleanup process with Disk Cleanup, the deletion of files cannot be undone.  Using Disk Cleanup carries minimal risks. Take control of your Windows startup  Windows 11 - full of handy features, including the option to automatically run and open apps when you start your computer.  In fact, it’s easy to control which apps open at startup.  you get to choose which apps run at startup for a fully personalized experience.  Too many apps opening at once can overwhelm your computer, causing it to start up more slowly.  Plus, if you forget to close these apps, they will reduce your device’s battery life and can sometimes even slow down performance. How to stop apps from opening on startup To change your Windows startup programs: 1. Select the Start button, which looks like the Microsoft logo. 2. Select Settings. 3. On the left-hand side of the window, select Apps. 4. Select Startup at the bottom of the Apps window. 5. Use the toggles to determine which apps you want to run on startup. Toggle On if you want the app to open on startup or Toggle Off if you don’t want the app to open on startup.  If you’re still having trouble finding the Startup menu, try searching “Startup Apps” in the Settings search bar. Why is my computer so slow on startup?  Individual apps also have differing impact on how slow your computer starts up.  App impact is measured depending on the device’s processor and its startup disk usage. Apps can receive one of the following:  High impact - app uses more than 1 second of CPU time or more than 3 MB of the disk at startup.   Medium impact - the app uses 300 milliseconds – 1000 milliseconds of CPU time or up to 3 MB of the disk at startup.  Low impact - the app uses less than 300 milliseconds of CPU time and uses less than 300 KB of the disk at startup.  If you find your computer is slow on startup, consider turning off the high- impact apps. If you turn the high-impact apps off on startup and your computer is still slow to start up, try turning off the medium-impact apps as well. Can any app be opened at startup?  Not all apps can be opened at startup, so if you downloaded a third-party app off the Internet, you may not have the option to open it at startup. The apps that can be launched at startup will appear under the Startup Apps menu. How to Uninstall a Windows Update If Your Computer Is Acting Up  Windows updates often bring bug fixes, security patches, and new features to your PC, but they can also backfire by introducing problems like performance degradation or even panic-inducing data loss. Two main kinds of Windows updates: 1. Quality Updates - include security patches, bug fixes, and other small tweaks inside those monthly "Cumulative Updates" you’ll see on the Windows Update page in Settings. 2. Feature Updates - the larger, annual updates, and come packed with new features and major changes.  Windows 10 and Windows 11 users can uninstall Quality Updates, but Feature Updates must be rolled back through recovery options.  Enter SAFE MODE  Open the Start menu, click the Power button, then hold Shift as you press Restart, which should present you with Windows’ recovery menu when your computer reboots.  If Windows won’t start up at all, hold the power button as your computer is booting to invoke the recovery menu.  If that Uninstall button doesn’t show up on this screen, that particular patch might be permanent, meaning Windows doesn’t want you to uninstall it. Instead, Microsoft recommends using System Restore or a system backup to roll your computer back to a previous state.  You can only uninstall a major update within 10 days after installing it. After 10 days, Microsoft removes the old files to free up space, and you can no longer roll it back.  Windows 10 and Windows 11 now come with their own antivirus software called Microsoft Defender Antivirus, aka Windows Defender.  Parental controls can be activated in the “Family Options” section of the Windows Security dashboard and there’s a password manager hidden in the company’s Microsoft Edge browser that will sync your passwords with the Microsoft Authenticator app for Android and iOS.  Meanwhile, an Edge feature called “SmartScreen” can block known malicious websites and downloads. The downside of Windows Defender  You have to stick to Microsoft products.  This means using Edge instead of Chrome or Firefox as your default browser, Microsoft Office 365 instead of Google Workspace or LibreOffice and Microsoft Teams instead of Slack or Zoom.  if your Chrome or Firefox browser is used to visit a malicious website, you’ll have to rely on the browser’s own protection, not Microsoft’s. To be fair though, the protection offered by Chrome and Firefox is pretty good on its own.  Microsoft does have browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox but they’re limited to machines running the Pro, Enterprise or Education versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11.  Likewise, for the parental controls to work properly, your kids have to use Edge and no other browser on Windows. You can also put Microsoft Family Safety apps on your children’s Android and iOS devices but this requires a paid subscription to Microsoft Office 365.  Edge is lighter and faster than Chrome — then Microsoft Defender Antivirus  But if you'd rather use Chrome or Firefox, Slack or Zoom, Google Workspace or LibreOffice instead of the corresponding Microsoft products, then it would be best to get one of the best Windows 10 (and 11) antivirus programs.  You don't need to spend a lot, or even anything at all — one of the most impressive antivirus programs we've seen is Kaspersky Security Cloud Free.  Defender is now a serious option that's well worth considering.  Today's best Bitdefender Antivirus Plus deals  Standard RJ45 connectors - the go-to choice for many network installers for years.  feature a solid body with small holes for individual wires to be inserted and terminated using a crimping tool.  Once the wires are properly arranged and secured, the excess wire is trimmed off, leaving a compact connector ready to be inserted into an Ethernet port. Advantages of Standard RJ45 Connectors: 1. Widespread Availability: Standard RJ45 connectors are readily available in the market, making them easily accessible for both DIY enthusiasts and professionals. 2. Cost-Effectiveness: Due to their ubiquity, standard RJ45 connectors are often more cost-effective compared to their pass-through counterparts. Disadvantages of Standard RJ45 Connectors:  Precision Requirement: Terminating wires with standard RJ45 connectors requires precision and skill. Misalignment or improper crimping can lead to connectivity issues or signal degradation.  Time-Consuming Installation: Installing standard RJ45 connectors can be time-consuming, especially for beginners, as it involves carefully arranging and trimming individual wires.  Pass-through RJ45 connectors - relatively newer innovation designed to simplify the installation process and improve reliability.  feature an open-ended design, allowing the wires to pass entirely through the connector before termination. Advantages of Pass-Through RJ45 Connectors: 1. Simplified Installation: Pass-through connectors streamline the termination process by eliminating the need for precise wire alignment and multiple crimping steps, resulting in faster and more efficient installations. 2. Consistent Performance: The design of pass-through connectors ensures that all wires are terminated evenly, reducing the risk of signal loss or interference compared to standard connectors. Disadvantages of Pass-Through RJ45 Connectors:  Higher Cost: Pass-through connectors often come at a higher price point compared to standard connectors due to their specialized design and added convenience.  Limited Availability: While becoming increasingly popular, pass-through connectors may not be as widely available as standard connectors in some markets, potentially limiting options for procurement.  Standard connectors offer affordability and widespread availability but require precision during installation.  On the other hand, pass-through connectors simplify the termination process and ensure consistent performance but may come at a higher cost.