Maximum optimization for Windows 7. Services - which ones can be disabled. Disabling software protection

I will describe a large collection of tips on how to speed up your computer. 25 steps to help you deal with slow system loading.

I applied all these tips on my computers and the result was clearly felt, even without measuring the speed. I hope you don't have any difficulties completing all the steps.

A short description:

1. These tips are suitable for all operating systems of the Windows family.
2. All pictures are presented from the Windows 7 operating system. If you have a different operating system, then look for similar items or ask your question in the comments. I will help.
3. Do not restart your computer until all steps are completed. In order to save time and gain greater benefit from everything you have done, complete all the points in the order in which they are written.
4. This article is aimed at maximizing the speed of your computer by sacrificing the beauty and convenience of the Wiindows interface. Some advice may seem absurd.
5. On weaker computers there will be a very noticeable increase in speed.

Disabling visual effects

These include drag/close/open window effects, various shadows and thumbnails for a beautiful display. Go to Start >>Control Panel >> Select Category View and click on System and Security. In this category find:

Then a window appears in which, select the visual effects settings.

In the window that appears, select “Best performance” as in the image:

You will immediately notice the changes. It will be a little unusual, but the computer will also work faster. Do not close this window, you will need it later.

CPU time distribution

This setting allows you to set the priority for allocating processor resources. In the same window shown in the image above, select the “Advanced” tab and set priority to programs rather than services running in the background:

Then go to the paging file settings window.

Setting up the swap file

The page file is used when the computer does not have enough RAM.

Let the system choose the size of the paging file. Check the appropriate box.

It makes sense to set a fixed value if the disk is slow and there is little memory. In other cases, changes can only harm the system.

Desktop optimization

To speed up your computer boot time, remove as many shortcuts from your desktop as possible. The computer spends time calculating them. The fewer shortcuts, the faster the desktop will load when you turn on the PC.

After this, you should remove the background image and screensaver on your desktop. When booting, the computer will not waste time calculating them.

Go to Start >> Control Panel >> Appearance and in the Display category select “Change Desktop Background” as in the image below:

Then remove the background image and replace it with a solid color. I prefer black as it is the least straining on the eyes due to its low brightness.

Now go back to “Appearance” and find the “Desktop Gadgets” category there ( Not available on Windows XP). And click on the line to remove gadgets. Remove all gadgets you have. In fact, you don’t need them; all the information presented in them is already on your computer or on the Internet.

A window appears in which you can remove the screen saver. Picture below:

You've speeded up your computer a little, and now it won't spend so much time loading shortcuts, screensavers, wallpapers, and desktop widgets.

Disabling system sounds

These are well-known sounds: double click, error, warning, login, logout and others. Personally, I don't need them at all. The computer will also need time and resources to play these sounds and therefore it is better to turn them off.

Go to Start >> Control Panel >> Hardware and Sound and find there “Change system sounds” as in the picture below.

Select the “Mute” sound scheme and uncheck “Play Windows startup ringtone” to confirm the changes.

Changing the appearance of windows

Now change the appearance of all windows so that they consume less computer resources and it works faster. To do this, go to Control Panel >> Appearance >> Display >> Change Color Scheme.

Choose a classic theme.

You may not like the appearance and it will be very unusual. This topic contains the bare minimum.

Disabling the Windows boot screen

Press the sign key Windows + R. If it is not there: go to Start and enter “run” in the search to go to the execution line. Write the command in it msconfig and the required window will open.

Check the box without GUI.

Now, when you turn on your computer, you will see a black screen instead of the Windows loading bar. This way you can speed up the computer startup.

Do not close this window and move on to the next step.

Disable cursor graphics

To increase the speed of work a little more, you can disable the cursor animation. Go to Start Menu >> Control Panel >> Mouse:

Then open the "Pointers" tab and remove the cursor layout as in the image below:

Setting up the video card

To defragment you will need 1 more free program from the same company as CCleaner. Download Defraggler and install it.

After launching the program, select the disk and defragment it.

This will take a lot of time, but it is very important for speeding up your computer.

It is worth noting that defragmentation prolongs the life of your hard drive.

Do this operation with all your disks, if there are several of them, and then proceed to the next step.

Defragmentation of system files

Run the Defraggler program and select one-time defragmentation of system files when you start your computer as in the picture below:

It will be performed the next time you start the computer.

Troubleshooting registry problems

After completing all the steps to speed up your computer, you will have many errors in the registry. To fix them, use the CClener program.

Launch the program and select the Registry >> Search for problems section.

Please note that all boxes must be checked.

Then click Fix >> Fix All. Repeat the search for problems until there are none. It is not necessary to make copies of the registry. Over several years of work, this program did not spoil anything in it for me and I never made copies.

Using ReadyBoost technology

This technology does not exist in Windows XP. Later versions of Windows have it. This technology allows you to speed up your computer using flash drive memory.

All you need to do is format the flash drive and connect it to your computer. Then go to My Computer and go to the properties of your flash drive.

Select the ReadyBoost tab and select “Use this device” as shown in the image below.

Now just don't pull out your flash drive.

It is worth noting that when using this technology, the flash drive quickly wears out and deteriorates.

Not every flash drive may be suitable for, by clicking on the link you can familiarize yourself with this technology in detail.

Additionally if you have a laptop

Set your power plan to high performance. If you always use a laptop with the charger connected, this will not hinder you in any way, but will only speed up your work. Go to Start and search for “Power Options” as in the image below.

Then set it to high performance.

Now your computer will work quickly. Write your results and questions in the comments. Thank you for your attention.

Thematic video

Did the tips for speeding up your computer in this article help you?

Many existing features in Windows that affect the speed and performance of a PC are not used by ordinary users. Most people use the default settings, and they are not the best for PC performance. Below are the main ways to increase speed to improve the performance of your Windows 7 computer.

Optimizing visual effects

Task

Windows 7 has a lot of beautiful visual effects, which increases the load on components and reduces PC performance. This reduces the performance of the computer, especially if the hardware is not up-to-date.

Answer

It is necessary to turn off visual effects, leaving only standard ones. This will immediately increase the speed and performance of your computer. In Windows 7, you need to type in the Start window in the search "Visual effects".

1. Increase the clarity of font display;
2. Using types of displaying windows and buttons;
3. Connect desktop composition;
4. Show thumbnails instead of labels.

Then click “Ok” and reboot.

Check and debug the hard drive in Windows 7

Task

Data is transferred to the hard drive in parts to optimize disk space. As a result, the PC, when opening files, spends a significant amount of time searching for them, and if there are a large number of junk files, the process slows down even more.

Answer

It is necessary to periodically check for the presence and delete unnecessary files, . At the first stage, you need to manually delete unnecessary data from the computer’s memory, for example, unused programs, old movies, music, etc. In order to delete applications, you must enter through “Start” in "Control Panel" and further in .

Next you need to perform defragmentation. You need to enter “My Computer”, in the context menu of the disk, select sequentially: “Properties” - “Service” - "Run defragmentation". Click on .

Cleaning the Startup directory

Task

Often, computer boot speed can be increased by simply getting rid of unnecessary programs in startup, for example, social network messaging services, updates for various programs, antivirus, etc. In fact, everything except the antivirus can be removed.

Answer

It is recommended to use the CCleaner application. It will help clean the registry and optimize startup speed. The application requires you to enter a bookmark. By clicking on “Turn off”, go through all the applications that you do not use regularly.

Cleaning the registry and RAM

Task

When you uninstall programs, “garbage” accumulates on your computer (program settings, links, unnecessary shortcuts, erroneous extensions). The optimal operation of RAM is affected by possible defects in its manufacture, incorrect operation of the power supply and changes in network voltage.

Solution

Cleaning the registry is very easy using the CCleaner application. Analysis of RAM operation is performed using the built-in functions of Windows 7. In order to perform RAM analysis, you need to use the search bar through “Start”, where to type “Diagnostics of computer RAM problems”.

After this, a menu will be displayed where you need to click on the 1st diagnostic method.

The PC will reboot and begin analyzing the RAM. The process takes considerable time. After completing the process, the PC will reboot again and the user will have access to information about the analysis performed.

Connecting all processor cores

Task

To effectively increase computer performance, it is necessary to optimize Windows for multi-core processors.

Answer

You need to tell the OS to boot using the resources of all cores. Through “Start” - “All Programs” - “Accessories” - “Run” you need to type “msconfig” and click on “OK”.

In the menu that appears, enter - "Extra options…". Check mark "Number of processors"(to improve PC performance and speed, it is recommended to mark the maximum possible number). Click on "OK".

Disabling unused gadgets

Gadgets reduce PC performance. For maximum effect, it is recommended to disable them all.

Conclusion

The article discusses only the basic methods of increasing the speed and performance of a computer.

This topic is very extensive and it is impossible to cover it entirely in one publication, therefore additional methods are described in a separate section.

The trend in the modern computer industry is the very rapid development of this area - sometimes a powerful computer purchased at the beginning of the year becomes obsolete by the end of the year. Naturally, this is not very popular with people who immediately begin to think about increasing the performance of their equipment.

You can do this in two ways:

• Spend money on a PC hardware upgrade.
• Maximize the system capabilities of the operating system being used.

If everything is clear with the first point - you will need to go to the store and purchase more modern components, then the second point should be dealt with in more detail, taking the today popular Windows 7 as an example.

Naturally, to implement this plan, you will need to implement a number of stages, which are described in the material below.

The first stage is automatic problem search

To achieve maximum performance in Windows 7, sometimes all you need to do is run an automatic troubleshooting tool. This is done as follows:

1. Using the “Start” button, go to the “Control Panel”.
2. Find a search bar in a new window in which to use the phrase “Troubleshooting”.
3. Follow the provided link.
4. Log in to the “System and Security” section.
5. Click on the option " Finding Performance Issues", which offers automatic fixes for Windows 7 performance problems.

After this, you need to wait a certain period of time while the system independently resolves possible troubles.

The second stage is disabling unnecessary system components

In Windows 7, there is a special tool that allows you to configure your computer so that it works at optimal speed. Its essence comes down to disabling some functionality of the system, primarily its graphical and visual components:

1. Repeat the steps described in the previous paragraph again to gain access to the search bar in the control panel section.
2. Enter “Counters and Productivity Tools” into it. Go through the suggested option.
3. Select an item that allows you to configure graphic/visual effects.
4. Go to the appropriate tab.
5. Activate the option that provides maximum performance.

Naturally, at the end, confirm the changes made.

Surely many users have heard of such a thing as a “swap file”. This tool allows you to fix the problem of insufficient virtual memory. By default, Windows sets the minimum value of this parameter to the size that is equal to the actual amount of RAM on your PC, and the maximum value to triple the size. If notifications occur when working with Windows 7, you can increase the minimum and maximum specified paging file in the system settings.

To do this you need:

1. Go to the System Properties component.
2. Open the "Advanced System Settings" tab.
3. Next, follow – “Performance” – “Settings – “Advanced” – “Virtual memory” – “Change”.
4. Uncheck the option: “Automatically select paging file size” and set the recommended values ​​for your system. (Click on “Specify size” and enter the required numbers in MB).

After the procedure, restart your computer for the new Windows 7 values ​​to take effect.

Additional set of measures

Setting up Windows 7 for maximum performance is also possible with some indirect methods that allow you to achieve the often necessary result:

1. Defragmentation. Click on the “Computer” icon, select the desired hard drive, open an additional menu with the right mouse button, click on “Properties” - “Service” - then find the item “Defragment the disk” and proceed to the operation. This procedure allows you to more efficiently place all information on the hard drive, which makes it easier for the system to access it. Naturally, this also affects the speed of the operating system.
2. Removing everything unnecessary. Often people record various applications on their hard drive, which they later stop using. They also slow down your computer, so it is recommended to remove them. The easiest way to do this is using the CCleaner program, where in the “Service” section there is a function necessary for this.
3. Autoload. A large number of simultaneously running processes also negatively affects the speed of the equipment. Some automatically launched procedures can also be deactivated if necessary. For example, using the same CCleaner utility. This is the most ideal solution to the problem, since the “Startup” subsection has everything you need not only to stop running procedures, but also to completely delete them.

Among other actions that a user can take to improve productivity, two more options can be distinguished:

• Periodic restart of equipment. If the equipment works for a very long time, it is recommended to turn it off for a few minutes.
• Use anti-virus programs, since many viruses negatively affect the performance of the system.

By the way, some people often have similar applications running simultaneously on their equipment. For example, two antivirus programs, several resource monitors, and so on. It is recommended to perform a detailed analysis of such applications and disable all duplicates.

Any thing in the world is perishable. Everything wears out over time and loses its original properties. But the computer seems to wear out much faster than it should. And this is not always due to the gradual obsolescence of computer parts; incorrect optimization of Windows also plays a role. Temporary or unnecessary files are not deleted and litter the computer; the cache memory becomes full and is not cleared. Processes do not delete the results of their activities in the registry. Therefore, within a year after purchase, the computer begins to slow down. Let's figure out how to speed up the system.

What affects computer performance?

Computer performance primarily depends on the power of the central and graphics processors. RAM also affects, but to a lesser extent. Due to its features, only photo and video editors seriously depend on it. The number of running programs, aging equipment, and cluttered operating system greatly affect performance.

So, let's divide the article into two parts. In the first, we’ll talk about what to do if the computer starts to slow down, how to fix accumulated errors and problems. In the second: how to speed up any computer, even a new one.

Windows 7 started to slow down: reasons and solutions

Temperature

Overheating is extremely harmful to your computer. It indicates excessive load on the processor, which is why performance decreases. If the computer restarts or turns off during operation, this also indicates an excessively high temperature inside the system unit.

First, we need to check how hot our device is and whether it is actually overheating. Temperature sensors are located inside the system unit for this purpose. And there are programs that perfectly read information from them.

Let's take a closer look using the AIDA64 program as an example. Download and install it on your computer. Then go to the “Computer” -> “Sensors” menu.

The list under the “Temperature” section shows the degree of heating of each component. From the central processor to removable hard drives. A temperature of 40–60 degrees Celsius is considered normal. More than 60 - it’s already worth thinking about. 75–80 - serious overheating.

In case of overheating, it is worth changing the thermal paste on the processor and checking the operation of the coolers. Look to see if the system unit is very dirty: the temperature may be high due to dust burning there. If you don’t understand this yourself, entrust the matter to professionals. Digging into a computer with unskilled hands is quite dangerous.

Cluttered registry and hard drive

When programs are installed and during their operation, various entries and parameters are entered into the Windows registry. But not every program then deletes unnecessary entries. Moreover, after deleting program files, registry entries about them are not automatically cleared. A clogged registry affects performance. The same goes for the hard drive. In Windows 7, it’s not for nothing that the blue bar of free space on your hard drive turns red. The user must clean and free up free space in time, otherwise the computer will not work as expected.

If your hard drive is full, delete unnecessary files. The more space you can squeeze out, the better. Special programs will help you clean the registry. For example, CCleaner.

Install and download the program from the official website: http://ccleaner.org.ua/download/. For our needs, its free version will be sufficient, so downloading a pirated version makes no sense.

In the program window, look at the left menu with sections. Open Registry. On the page, check all the boxes in the list and click “Search for problems.”

After some time, you will see a list of problems found. Among them there will be empty registry entries; records leading to nowhere; erroneous entries and the like. You couldn't have dug it all out on your own.

Click "Fix problems" and wait for it to finish. Repeat the procedure until there are either no problems at all or a minimal number of them.

Now let's look at the hard drive. You can use the same CCleaner program or clear temporary files yourself. Temporary files are stored in folders named Temp or Templates. All files in these folders are garbage. Except those that are in use right now. Windows does not clean these files, the garbage accumulates. Not only does this reduce productivity, it also takes up a lot of space. Temporary files can accumulate several gigabytes.

The first way is to use CCleaner. The advantage of this method is its simplicity. We need to open the CCleaner program and select the “Cleaning” section. In the left window there will be a list of problems that need to be looked for (it is better not to mark items written in gray, as system errors are possible). After checking everything you need, click “Analyze”. When the list of problems appears, click "Cleaning" and wait until the procedure is completed.

The second method is to manually delete temporary files. More labor intensive, but also more reliable. CCleaner and similar programs do not always remove everything they need.

1. Open Computer. Open the properties of the hard drive on which the system is installed.

In “Properties”, in the “General” tab, a diagram shows the amount of free and used disk space. And next to it is the “Disk Cleanup” button.

Wait while Windows checks the files and finds unnecessary ones. When a window listing problems opens, check the boxes next to all the items and click “OK.”

And confirm your choice by clicking “Delete data”.

Now let's clean up the Temp folders by deleting temporary files. Open the folder “C:\Windows\Temp” (drive C is taken as an example, if Windows is installed on another drive, you need to open it). Delete the contents of the folder. The error “The file is in use by a program” may appear. This means that this file is still needed. Click Skip to avoid deleting this file but continue deleting others.

Now let's clean out another folder with temporary files. Press the Win + R key combination. In the window, type “%TEMP%” and press Enter. A folder with a long and difficult to remember address will open.

Remove all content.

Cleaning temporary files yourself: instructions

Windows developers did not take care of automatically cleaning temporary files. But the user can do it himself:

1. First you need to make sure that all temporary files accumulate in one folder. For comfort. Open Control Panel -> System -> Advanced system settings -> Environment Variables. Now enter the folder address in the TEMP and TMP fields. You can choose any one, but “C:\Windows\Temp” is better.
2. Apply and close the window.
3. Now let's set up auto-cleaning. Create a text file, open it and save it in .cmd format.
4. Now use Notepad again and write there: “pushd %TEMP% && rd /s /q . > nul 2>&1",

   "pushd %WinDir%\TEMP && rd /s /q . > nul 2>&1".

5. Remember the address of the folder where you saved the file.
6. Now open a program called Group Policy Editor (shortcut Win+R, type gpedit.msc and click OK). In it, open “Computer Configuration” -> “Windows Configuration” -> “Scripts (startup/shutdown)”. From the list, open the Shut down option. Let's add a script for clearing the Temp folder to it. Click “Add” and in the “Script name” field, enter the address to the .cmd file that we created in the previous paragraph. Click OK and apply the changes.
7. The same must be done for “User Configuration”. Open “User Configuration” -> “Windows Configuration” -> “Scripts (startup/shutdown)”. We repeat the steps described in the previous paragraph.
8. Try restarting your computer. If the files in the C:\Windows\Temp folder are deleted, then automatic cleaning is configured correctly.

RAM

While the system is running, programs use RAM, temporary memory. It stores current processes. And while there is space there, processes are launched one after another. But as soon as the space in RAM runs out, the next process waits for space to become free for it. So, if the computer has little RAM installed, it will take a very long time to think and slow down. However, keep in mind that 2 GB of RAM is more than enough for simple use.. Even for modern video games. RAM is mainly used by programs for processing video and photos (for example, Adobe Photoshop or Sony Vegas).

If the RAM in your computer is less than 2 GB, then you should think about upgrading. RAM modules are inexpensive, and connecting them is easy: just insert another part into the motherboard.

You can also improve the properties of RAM using software by increasing the size of the paging file. The bottom line is that the size of the RAM will increase at the expense of the hard drive memory. The option, in fact, is not very good, and productivity will not increase very much, but still.

1. So, open “System Properties” (right-click on the computer, select “Properties” from the list).

In the left menu, click on “Advanced system settings”.

Here we need the “Advanced” tab, the “Performance” section. Open Settings.

In a new window we again open the “Advanced” tab. There is a “Virtual Memory” section here, which will contain a description of the paging file and its current size. Click "Change". The paging file may not be configured at all. Or some specific value is specified. Check "Set paging file size" and enter values ​​higher than the current ones. Don't take too much; doubling the size will be enough. Your computer's performance will increase, although not much.

Set the paging file size and click OK.

Too many programs in startup

Windows has a Startup feature. The bottom line is that programs added to the startup list are included along with the operating system. Many programs a la Skype, email client, etc. are added to the list automatically during installation. Frankly “spam” programs are also recorded there: [email protected], Yandex.Defender and the like. Naturally, all these programs run simultaneously. Sometimes, invisible to you. And they all eat up system resources, which affects performance.

Windows has a special menu where you can add and remove programs from the startup list. To open it, press the magic combination Win+R and enter msconfig. A small window will appear with several tabs.

The “Startup” tab contains a list of all programs that start with the system. Read it carefully: if unnecessary programs are checked, remove them from there. Just be careful to find out exactly what program you are removing. Since this list contains both important system applications and antiviruses. Naturally, you can’t simply disable either antivirus programs or system functions - Windows is not that fragile, but nevertheless you should handle this more carefully. You never know.

After unchecking unnecessary programs, restart your computer.

You can also look at what programs are running right now and decide whether the load from the included processes is heavy. To do this, open the task manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del). Here you can see all running programs, and the load on the processor, RAM, and so on. There are Performance tabs for this.

Incorrect update

Windows is constantly updated. In rare cases, the installation of a new version goes wrong. Because of this, errors may appear in system processes, which will lead to deterioration in computer performance. An incorrect update can also be indicated by constantly appearing error messages in some system files.

If your computer starts to slow down after some update, then it’s worth restoring the last known good Windows configuration. Open the Start menu and type “System Restore” into the search. Press Enter.

A window will open with a list of system states before the update. The installation date of the latest version will be indicated. You can select any of them and click “Next”. Then "Done". And “OK” again to confirm system recovery. Windows will remove the new system files and return to the state before the last update. The next installation of the new version will go smoothly. Two update errors in a row rarely happen.

Mechanical damage

The system unit contains a complex structure of microcircuits and thin boards with coolers protruding from them, stretched wires and cables, connectors, noisy hard drives and a plump power supply. As you know, the more complex the machine, the easier it is to break. Although computer parts do not fail very often, they are worth checking. Usually, if something is damaged there, the computer simply will not turn on. But sometimes this also manifests itself in the form of system freezes and brakes.

First you need to find out which of the components is damaged. The AIDA64 program is suitable for diagnostics.

Download it from the manufacturer's website and install it on your computer. The left menu contains information about each component of your computer. Any of them can be considered in detail. To check the performance of all parts, you need to carry out diagnostics at critical loads. AIDA64 can do just that.

In the top menu, open the “Service” tab, then “System Stability Test”.

Now check the box next to all the parts you would like to test. Click Start. AIDA64 will create a powerful load for each part for some time.

Why is this necessary? During severe overloads, any deviations from the normal behavior of devices become brighter and more noticeable. During “stress”, AIDA64 will compare the performance of components with other results of the same types of processors and conclude whether all systems are working correctly. And then it will show you the result.

If, for example, the processor, RAM or anything else showed too weak results, then to improve performance you will have to replace them with new ones. In this case, there is no point in skimping, because in the near future they will completely fail anyway.

Software corruption

If the system unit is a complex system, then the software architecture is generally a jungle. An error may appear in important Windows system files, some minor bug that will not completely destroy the system, but will interfere with its operation. Because of this, the computer will slow down and become dull.

It's good if you have an installation disk or Windows installation flash drive. Then you can very easily restore the system. To do this, you must first run the Windows installation and select “System Restore.” Everything else will be done automatically. The program will check all system files for compliance with those on the installation disk and correct incorrect data. You can try and completely reinstall the system.

How to run a Windows installation from an installation disk or flash drive?

• First, insert the disk into the drive or flash drive into the USB port. And reboot the computer.
• Now, when the computer starts to turn on, you need to open the BOOT menu (boot menu). This is done differently on all computers. Basically - by pressing the F11, F12 or F1 keys. This will be indicated exactly on the boot screen before the operating system boots. Look for the inscription “BOOT Menu - F12” in the corners of the screen (usually the bottom).

So that you understand what is happening: every computer has such a system - BIOS. The computer may not have any operating system installed, but the BIOS is always there. A kind of software core of a computer. So, first, when turned on, this BIOS starts, and it already launches beautiful, convenient and visualized Windows, Linux or osX in its software environment. BOOT menu is a BIOS program that distributes the queue. Namely: what to launch first, what second, and what third. In the BOOT menu we need to configure it so that first it starts not the system, but the data from the installation disk/flash drive.

• And now more specifically. After opening the BOOT menu, look for the Boot tab. The loading order will be located here. Put CD/DVD-ROM first if you are installing from a disk, and USB-flash if you are installing from a flash drive.
• The Windows Setup program opens. Follow the instructions and select "Repair" or "Install" the system, depending on what you need.

If you don't have the installation disk, but you are sure that the problem is corrupted system files, contact Microsoft technical support. They will send you detailed instructions on how to restore your system.

Viruses

And, of course, viruses. Malware is designed to spy on or harm a computer, and hackers usually don't think about optimizing their programs. So they always eat a lot of resources, RAM and leave behind fatty traces. Sometimes this is done on purpose to prevent the user from getting rid of viruses.

It’s worth mentioning about antiviruses. They are also resource intensive, but for a different reason: they have to scan for possible threats every second. So poor performance may be related to this as well. In this case, you can try installing a more optimized and lighter antivirus program. And one more thing: if you have two or more antiviruses installed, remove all but one. First of all, it doesn't make the computer one penny safer. Secondly, it hits the processor very, very hard.

You need to download and install a good antivirus. If you don’t feel like spending money on full-fledged Kaspersky and ESET Nod 32, use free similar ones like Avast, Avira, McAfee. They are good enough to rid your computer of most malware. Just keep in mind that it is recommended to download anti-virus software only from the official websites of manufacturers, since it is often possible to pump up diseases instead of medicine.

After installing an antivirus, conduct a deep scan of your computer files. It will take a long time, but it will thoroughly check all folders and sections. Remove any viruses found and restart your computer.

How to speed up Windows 7?

Enable hardware acceleration

Hardware acceleration distributes the load between the CPU and GPU. For example, the second one copes much better with playing video and three-dimensional models, so it makes sense to load it with more of a graphical component than a computational one. This is the essence of hardware acceleration. Unlike overclocking, hardware acceleration, by definition, cannot harm the computer..

To enable hardware acceleration, go to Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalization -> Display -> Adjust Display Settings. On the page, click on “Advanced options”. The GPU properties window will open. Open the “Diagnostics” tab and click on the “Change settings” button. A window will open in which you need to move the slider to the right. Apply the changes and restart your computer.

Overclocking the processor via BIOS

There is such a term - processor overclocking. When overclocking, the clock speed and cache memory of the central processor and video card processor are increased. Iron manufacturers accelerate their products only to a certain level in order to leave room for critical loads and increase service life. However, this can be sacrificed to increase computer performance.

No need to worry that the processor will burn out. If you increase the frequency too much, the BIOS will reset it to factory settings.

So, first, let's open the BIOS. To do this, when you turn on the computer, you need to press the F2, F11, F12 or some other button, depending on the computer itself. In the BIOS, find the CPU Locker item. There is no point in describing the path in detail - it varies too much for different BIOS versions.

In the CPU Locker item you will be asked to set the minimum and maximum values. Now it’s worth talking about what values ​​should be entered there.

The processor clock speed is measured in Hertz. For example, 1.8 GHz. Manufacturers usually leave around 60% of the possible clock speed. That is, at a frequency of 1.8 GHz, the maximum will be about 3 GHz.

The processor clock speed is calculated as the product of the FSB system bus frequency and a multiplication factor. For example, FSB = 200 MHz and a factor of 10 will give a 2.0 GHz processor. In CPU Locker you can change the frequency of the system bus. The multiplication coefficient will be written in “x14” format. Calculate how many gigahertz you need, divide by the coefficient and get the number that you need to enter in the Max field.

Video: how to overclock any processor in BIOS

Speed ​​up copying and moving Windows files

In the Windows operating system, you can speed up the process of copying and moving files. To do this you need to install a special program. For example, TeraCopy. It replaces the standard copy/move function in Windows. It is somewhat more convenient, since it allows you to continue copying even if one of the files is damaged. It also indicates a specific copy speed, which is useful for calculating time and diagnosing the condition of the hard drive.

Such programs do speed up recording, but not by much. Not a single method will help to significantly increase the copying speed, since the capabilities of writing to disk are limited by the capabilities of the computer components.

But if you don’t mind the money, refurbish your computer: install an SSD hard drive, USB 3.0 ports, eSata and other latest developments. This way you can achieve a threefold increase in the speed of copying and writing to disk. A nice bonus: if you install Windows 7 on an SSD hard drive, it will start almost instantly. And it will work much faster.

SSD capacities greater than 256 GB are still prohibitively expensive.

Windows ReadyBoost

Windows ReadyBoost is a technology that allows you to speed up the Windows OS using flash drive memory. The essence is the same as the swap file. The more memory there is on the flash card and the faster it works, the more Windows will speed up. You shouldn't expect too much, but the results may well be noticeable.

To enable the ReadyBoost function, simply insert the USB flash drive into the computer and select “Speed ​​up the system” in the autorun menu. Everything else will be configured automatically.

Disk Defragmenter

The term “disk defragmentation” means updating the structure of the hard drive.

A hard drive can be thought of as a warehouse. Products (information) are processed, packed into boxes and sent to the warehouse, where loaders place them in the nearest available space. They don’t think about sorting, so two boxes of peppers can stand in different corners of the warehouse, and boxes with pineapples and eggplants can be next to each other. Then comes the need to use the products. The buyer gives an order to bring him boxes of cinnamon. And the warehouse workers search for and collect them throughout the warehouse.

Finally, the warehouse manager gets tired of the slowness, and he orders everything to be sorted. For the same purpose, we, users, defragment the computer disk.

Defragmentation gives a noticeable increase in speed.

So, for defragmentation you can use a standard Windows utility or third-party software. The Windows defragmenter is in no way inferior to third-party ones, so we’ll use it.

Open “Control Panel” -> “System and Security” -> “Administration” -> “Disk Optimization”.

In the window, select the desired drive and click “Optimize”.

Video: 5 ways to make the system work at maximum speed

Programs you can use to increase your productivity

CCleaner

Cleaner program. Cleans up temporary and damaged files, clears the registry of empty entries and errors, and can defragment disks. Has a powerful free version.

You can download from the site: http://ccleaner.org.ua/download.

Advanced System Care for PC

Organizes automatic removal of viruses, cleaning the registry, protecting users’ personal data, and cleaning the system of temporary and unnecessary files. There are modules that protect the browser, but it cannot replace a full-fledged antivirus. However, it is quite suitable for improving the condition of the PC.

You can download from the site: http://ru.iobit.com.

So, we have looked at all the known ways to increase computer performance. The main advice is to treat and care for your device: clean system and registry garbage, remove viruses, defragment the disk. You should not forget about external care: the computer must be clean and tidy.

It's not uncommon for problems in games to appear over time and literally appear out of nowhere. It also happens differently - the computer slows down even at the beginning, immediately after installing an application. There are reasons for everything, but both of these cases have one thing in common - they interfere with the enjoyment of the Windows 7 user. To eliminate this, you can try to increase the performance of the PC.

Why games slow down on Windows 7

First, the user needs to pay attention to the settings of the game itself, in particular the graphic ones. The thing is that players are trying to install and play games whose system requirements do not correspond to the technical characteristics of the device. This is the simplest and most obvious problem that every PC or laptop owner may encounter. You can easily fix this problem - change the graphic settings of the application you are using, set all values ​​to minimum.

Often, PC and laptop users simply forget to keep up with updates to video card drivers and other system components, which naturally has a negative impact on the optimization of the computer as a whole and leads to problems in games.

Laptop users, unlike those people who sit at personal computers, may experience problems associated with strong heating of the device. For laptops, this is very important, since most often they are not used as they should be. Surely it is unlikely that if you have such a device, you will put it on the table and sit at it the same way as at a desktop PC. Most likely, you will make yourself more comfortable, for example, lie down on a sofa or bed and put the laptop on top of you. In most models of such devices, the cooling system is located at the bottom or on the side. This means that when working on various soft surfaces, the device can “absorb” dust in large quantities, and this is extremely harmful to the cooling system and, as a result, to the entire device.

Stationary computers can also overheat, but usually this is due to other reasons - high performance of the central processor and other components and the lack of an effective cooling system - a cooler, which simply physically cannot generate all the heat coming from the CPU.

Optimizing your computer: how to increase performance

Operating system optimization in our time is available not only to highly qualified engineers, but also to absolutely ordinary users. It will allow you to achieve the best performance of the entire system as a whole and improve the performance of games both on a desktop computer and on a laptop.

Working with the system registry

The registry is present in every computer. This is a kind of database that contains various types of information about the configuration of a personal computer or laptop, settings of the operating system used, and software parameters. It is quite natural that a fragmented and cluttered system registry can cause errors in the computer’s operation and a significant deterioration in PC performance. Information is written to the system registry every time software is installed and uninstalled, so unnecessary garbage may remain here. You can find problems in the registry using special programs, in particular CCleaner:

After installation and launch, you should open the tab called “Registry” and click on the “Search for problems” button. The time it takes to complete this process directly depends on the amount of information stored on your computer, so be patient.

Finding problems in the registry

When this procedure is completed, click on the “Fix” button, and an alert may appear in which you will be asked to save backup copies of your data. It's best to go along with it if you're not sure what you're deleting to avoid possible problems in the future.

Fixing registry problems

The last step is to click the “Fix marked” button and wait for the procedure to complete.

Removing unnecessary data in the registry

Remember that the registry of this operating system is subject to fragmentation, which is why the performance of computers on Windows 7 regularly deteriorates. System utilities, unfortunately, cannot work effectively with the system registry, so you will have to install an additional program, for example, Auslogics Registry Defrag.

Defragmentation and cleaning of the hard drive

To clean your hard drive and defragment it, you do not need any additional software. Everything can be done using traditional Windows 7 system tools. To perform defragmentation, perform the following manipulations:

Open the Start menu;

Select "My Computer";

"Computer" in the "Start" menu

Select the drive by right-clicking on which system information is stored (drive C by default) and go to “Properties”;

Select “Properties” of the disk

Go to the “Service” tab;

Disk defragmentation in the “Service” tab

In the “Disk Defragmentation” section, click on the corresponding button.

We defragment the selected disk

This procedure allows you not only to defragment to improve performance and optimize the entire system, but also to change the disk file system (usually NTFS is used).

The time it takes to complete defragmentation directly depends on the size of the selected disk, the amount of information on it and the degree of file fragmentation. Thus, the process can take from several minutes to several hours. It is advisable to stop using the computer at this time, as this will lead to a significant slowdown of the PC.

Cleaning and freeing up RAM to speed up processes

The number of programs and applications running has a significant impact on performance. All of them have an impact on the computer's RAM, so before running software that requires system resources, you should close everything you can.

First you need to close those programs that you do not currently need. Typically, all active applications are displayed in the task manager. You can open it using a simple key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del or click on the taskbar at the bottom and select “Task Manager”.

Launching Task Manager

A window will immediately appear with a list of all running applications. Select the one that you do not currently need and click on the “Cancel task” button.

We clean RAM by disabling unnecessary applications

Of course, in addition to active and visible applications, the operation of the computer also involves others that work in the so-called background mode. All these programs can be seen in the same task manager if you go to the “Processes” tab.

Disabling processes to free up memory

As a rule, some of them can have a significant impact on PC performance and optimization, but remember that disabling processes unknown to you can lead to data loss or deterioration of the computer (especially if you terminate the system process). It is for this reason that it is advisable to disable only those processes that you know.

Optimizing visual effects

Windows 7 has an updated graphical interface - Aero, which consumes an impressive amount of system resources.

In order to reduce the consumption of system resources, it is not necessary to completely disable Aero. You can change some settings in a special menu:

Open the “Start” menu and “Control Panel”;

In the list of all utilities, find and open “System”;

Open the “System” parameter

Next, you need to select “Advanced system settings” and go to the “Advanced” tab;

Click on the “Advanced system settings” tab

Click on the "Options" button and select "Performance".

Performance settings

So, here will be a complete list of special visual effects. If you do not want to completely disable the Aero interface, you can uncheck only the following items: animated controls, fading, casting shadows, displaying them, displaying a rectangular selection.

Disabling interface visual effects

Disabling these options will optimize the system and leave the operating system interface looking nice. Of course, you can turn off other settings, but remember that in this case the effect will be much more noticeable.

BIOS setup

BIOS is an integrated environment designed to change computer hardware settings. By tweaking the BIOS you can achieve the best performance of your PC or laptop. Flashing the BIOS or changing parameters such as processor frequency, bus speed, etc. is not recommended, as you risk that your CPU will simply burn out. Therefore, we will consider the simplest options that are optimal even for ordinary users.

First, pay attention to the settings of the cooling system (depending on the BIOS version, the names of the items may change). For this:

Enter the BIOS using the Del key while starting the computer;

Open the Advanced menu;

Enter the BIOS settings

Here, pay attention to the Fan Speed ​​option. It can have three settings: Enable (the cooler will always operate at high speeds), Auto (the cooler will adapt to the system load), Disable (turns off the cooler);

Setting up the cooler in BIOS

Select what you need, save and exit the BIOS.

Secondly, if your device has two video cards (integrated and discrete), then in the BIOS Advanced menu you can change the switchable graphics settings. To do this, select the VGA Mode SELECT item and in the list indicate what you need: dGPU Mode - the built-in video card is activated or Power Xpress Mode - the discrete video card is activated.

Switchable graphics settings in BIOS

Setting up the swap file

The paging file is a kind of addition to RAM. We can say that this is virtual memory that the user can configure independently. The paging file is taken from a hard drive of a size specified by the user. As you know, the transfer speed of a hard drive is much lower than RAM, so it is impossible to say that the page file can completely replace RAM, but it has a beneficial effect on overall optimization. To change and configure the paging file:

Open the Start menu and select Control Panel;

Open the “Control Panel”

Next, go to the “System” tab and open “Advanced Settings”;

Open the “System” parameter

Go to “Performance” and click on the “Options” button;

Performance settings

In the “Advanced” tab there is a “Virtual Memory” section, which is what we need;

Click the “Change” button.

Click “Change” in the “Virtual memory” section

A settings window will appear where you select the disk partition whose paging file you want to change, click on the “Specify size” button and set it. Remember that the paging file essentially represents a specific area occupied on the hard drive. It is not recommended to set a large value, because the system will automatically place data about programs in this file, and access to it is much slower than to RAM, and accordingly, performance may drop.

Setting up the video card

Reduced performance on Windows 7 may be caused by incorrect graphics adapter settings. This problem is most relevant for laptops, since they have integrated and discrete video cards. It will be no secret that modern manufacturers regularly release not only drivers, but also system settings for their products. For example, for Nvidia - Geforce Experience, and for ATI Radeon video cards - Catalyst Control Center. Using this software, you can change many settings, including optimizing the device as a whole.

So, if you have a discrete and integrated video card, then you need to change the options in the software you are using. For Nvidia video cards:

Right-click in an empty space and select “Nvidia Control Panel”:

Open the Nvidia panel

A settings window will appear, in the left menu of which you should find the option “Manage 3D parameters”;

Setting up an Nvidia video card

Next, select the “Program Settings” tab and click the “Add” button;

Nvidia Software Settings

After clicking, a list of applications installed on your computer will appear, select the one you need and indicate your preferred graphics adapter in the corresponding list.

This way you can configure any application, and now after it is launched, all work will be redirected to the video card that you specified.

For video cards from ATI Radeon, everything is a little different:

Right-click on the desktop and select “Catalyst Control Center”:

Open Catalyst Control Center

A settings window will appear, where you first need to change the view to “Advanced” and select the “Configure 3D applications” option;

Changing the Catalyst Control Center View

After clicking, a list of settings will appear. Select the option you need and select the “High performance” option from the list that appears.

Performance Tuning in Catalyst Control Center

Thus, the system will automatically launch the most powerful graphics adapter after activating a certain application.

ReadyBoost function

Few people know, but the Windows 7 operating system provides the ability to use flash drives as an additional data caching device. This way, users can significantly increase the speed of data reading and writing functions, accordingly, optimize their computer or laptop, and improve performance. You can activate ReadyBoost in the following way:

Insert the USB drive into the corresponding connector of the system unit;

After the autorun window is displayed, select “Speed ​​up the system using Windows ReadyBoost”;

Launching the ReadyBoost option

In the window, activate the “Use this device” option and specify the maximum amount of memory;

Configuring ReadyBoost parameters

Click the "Apply" button.

Everything is ready for use, a special file will be created on the flash drive, which will contain information about programs and applications. Remember that the flash drive should never be removed, at least until you finish working on the computer.

Using additional software

Most of the above manipulations can be performed using special software. In addition, such programs often have additional functionality and advanced settings that allow you to optimize the system in the best possible way.

Razer Game Booster

Razer Game Booster is one of the most popular applications that provides a wide range of options for optimizing games and other programs installed on your computer. The utility is free and can be easily found on the Internet. To work, you will need to register on the developers’ website, which will not be difficult for anyone, and then log into the program interface using your username and password.

The setup is completed in a few clicks - just specify “Game Mode”, after which system resources will be directed only to the game launched by the user:

Select the "Launch" tab;

Click the "Add" button and select a game;

Select the game and activate game mode in the menu below.

Of course, everything would be fine, but the program works ideally only with powerful computers. Therefore, on older PCs it is better to use other optimization utilities.

This program appeared a long time ago and has a good reputation. It is used everywhere, as it has a pleasant and understandable interface, as well as all the necessary functionality to optimize the system. The program is distributed free of charge. Therefore, any user can easily find it on the Internet and download it. CCleaner allows you to analyze your system, including finding information that may be hidden in some applications. This information can be viewed after launching the Cleanup function. Also, using such a utility, you can scan the registry, as was mentioned a little earlier; accordingly, this tab is selected. This program has few disadvantages, in fact, that is why many PC users resort to using it. Perhaps the only thing that can be noted here is the ability to delete important data from the registry, but even here the user will be notified in a timely manner about the creation of a backup copy.

GameGain

GameGain is software that allows you to get the most out of your computer or laptop. It has a very pleasant and understandable interface, a minimum of settings, which means that almost no one will have any difficulties working with GameGain. This utility is also free and can be easily found on the Internet and downloaded. After launch, a window will appear asking you to select the operating system, as well as the type of processor. As you enter these details, move the slider until you get optimal performance. It should be said that running the computer at maximum “overclocking” parameters, and in the case of this program it will be “overclocking,” leads to a decrease in the operating time of the computer or laptop. You risk losing your “iron friend” ahead of schedule.

System Care

System Care is a program designed to clean the system files of the operating system from various debris. Unfortunately, the program is paid and does not have the ability to change the language, and for some Russian-speaking users this may be an obstacle. In addition, System Care has a rather complex interface, vaguely reminiscent of CCleaner, but unlike this program, users will have to figure out what and where it is. Unfortunately, this program is of no use. It is spread virally, fraudulently, and after the first scan of your computer, during which viruses and a huge amount of unnecessary junk are allegedly found, you are given the opportunity to buy it.

Driver Booster

Driver Booster is a program that automatically searches for the latest drivers for key elements of a personal computer or laptop. This utility will be useful to everyone, since you need to update drivers regularly, but searching for them every time for your model of components is a very boring task. This free software can be easily found on the Internet and installed on your computer. Driver Booster has a clear and simple interface, quickly and conveniently checks for updates, and does not require constant user control. Unfortunately, batch driver updates with this utility often take a lot of time and regularly require a system reboot. Nevertheless, it is a very convenient and good program.

What can I do to prevent games from slowing down again? How to keep the system in order?

To stop games from lagging, you should regularly maintain your computer or laptop in good condition. Try to avoid installing many unnecessary programs, completely clean the system of software, and also do not forget about the system registry, which may contain residual files and data even after removal. To do this, use CCleaner and make it your “best friend”. Once a month, defragment and analyze the system, then games on your computer will stop slowing down.

Performing these operations will allow each user, regardless of the configuration of the personal computer, to optimize the operation of the device and increase performance both in online and single-player games. Regularly check for residual data and files and delete them, then your computer will work efficiently.