Rating of utilities for optimizing Windows 7. Speeding up a Windows computer: a selection of the best programs for optimization and cleaning

Step-by-step instructions for improving performance and optimizing Windows 7

Optimizing the operation of Windows 7 is extremely relevant today and is available not only to professional engineers of specialized centers, but also to ordinary users.

Since the release of the operating system by Microsoft Windows 8, the popularity of her predecessor, Windows7, doesn't get smaller.

Prevalence of Windows versions as of March 2014 (according to http://www.netmarketshare.com/)

Windows 8/8.1 - 12.54%

Windows 7 - 50.55%

Windows7 proved to be the most successful and user-friendly version of the OS on the Windows platform, especially in comparison with its predecessor - Windows Vista.

Currently, the objectives set by software manufacturers and user expectations regarding system speed and performance have increased significantly.

The number of programs has also increased preinstalled by manufacturers on new laptops and personal computers, which often only take away the performance of the system. In addition, over time, a huge number of temporary and unnecessary files generated by programs and Internet browsers accumulate.

In connection with the above, an increasing number of companies are engaged in both the development specialized utilities to optimize the performance of Windows 7, and by creating multitasking programs that clean and configure the system, optimizing its operation based on the needs of a specific user, along with a set of other software (for example, all-in-one antivirus software, CCleaner, RegOptimazer and others).

But let’s not forget that all cleaning and optimization programs act superficially, without affecting the depths of the system. Thanks to simple steps, any user can safely and effectively optimize Windows 7 performance, without resorting to in-depth analysis and practical study of its work.

To optimize Windows7 performance, follow these steps:

1. Completely disabling UAC (User Account Control)

First of all, it is worth drawing your attention to the fact that this tool is one of the most important in the matter of system security and disabling it will inevitably reduce the overall level of its protection from external threats. However, many users have greater confidence in high-quality antivirus software.

In this article we offer you the ability to either completely disable UAC or change the protection level.

Before performing the suggested actions, you should log in with your account. Administrator.

1. Click the Start button
3. Go to User Accounts
4. Change User Account Control (UAC) settings
5. Select the required degree of protection by changing the position of the slider.
6. Click “OK”
7. Reboot the computer.

2. Setting the standby mode (“Sleep mode”)

In the default settings, using sleep mode is inconvenient: the computer wakes up at the slightest movement of the mouse.

To this to correct, you need to do the following:
1. Click the Start button
2. Open the Control Panel
3. Go to Device Manager
4. Open the “Mice and other pointing devices” tab
5. Find the “Power Management” tab

6. Uncheck the option “Allow the device to wake the computer from standby mode”
7. Click “OK”
In the future, for exiting standby mode, use the keyboard (by pressing any key).

3. Speed ​​up the Start menu

One of the most commonly used controls in operating systems Windows is definitely the menu "Start", the functionality of which grows with each new OS version.
If you use a “non-classic” design mode, it is possible to significantly speed up the operation of this indispensable control.
So let's get started:
1. Right-click on the Start menu icon or on the panel tasks
2. In the context menu, select “Properties”
3. Open the “Start” tab
4. Click “Configure”
5. In the “Customize the Start Menu” window that opens, find the “Highlight recently installed programs” option and uncheck it
7. Click “OK”

4. Aero Visual Effects

Problems with Aero interface most often occur if the computer has a video card integrated into the motherboard or a weak video card is installed - problems are very likely to occur when using the Aero interface. Also difficulties with processing graphic elements Windows 7 low-cost laptops and netbooks are often tested.
However, it is possible to reduce the Aero interface's consumption of PC resources by without turning it off completely. By disabling some elements, you will relieve the computing power of your computer and video card, without losing much of the beauty of the Aero interface.
To do this you need to do the following:
1. Click the Start button
2. Open the Control Panel
3. Login to the System
4. Open Advanced system parameters
5. Go to the “Advanced” tab
6. Click the “Options” button in the “Performance” section

7. Disable the following parameters:
7.1 Animated controls and elements inside a window
7.2 Menu fades after calling a command
7.3 Casting shadows on desktop icons
7.4 Displaying window contents when dragging
7.5 Displaying shadows cast by windows
7.6 Displaying samples and filters in this folder
7.7 Displaying a transparent selection rectangle
7.8 Displaying a shadow under the mouse pointer
8. Click “Apply”.

You can disable some other options, but the effect will be more noticeable.
Attention! If after saving the changes the “transparent” Aero interface disappears, right-click on the desktop and select “Personalization” » “Window Color and Appearance” » Check the box next to “Enable transparency” and click “OK”.

5. Changing the display of Service Pack

There are times when we are unable to completely install all elements of the game, or after installing it we see a notification about installed in Windows 7 Service Pack 2. In order to correct the situation, we need:

1. Press the Win+R keys simultaneously (or Start » Run)
2. In the “Run” window that opens, enter the command: “regedit” and click “OK”
3. The Registry Editor window will open.
4. Find the folder
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows"
5. Change the “CSDVersion” value from “0” to “100” ( SP1). Click “OK” and exit the Registry Editor. If you set the parameter value “CSDVersion” = “300”, then the system will display that
Service Pack 3, and if the value “CSDVersion” is = “0”, then the system will display that the Service Pack is installed is not installed
6. Reboot the computer.

6. Disabling services

Shutdown rarely used services will free up some of the computer's RAM, and will also allow the system to access virtual memory less frequently, which will result in faster system performance.
Although unforeseen complications as a result of service outages are unlikely, we nevertheless suggest that you create restore point, which, if necessary, will allow us to roll back the system to the required time (control panel » system » system protection » create). To ensure maximum stability of the system and applications, we recommend that you use the “Manual” option when disabling services.
For disabling services perform the following actions:
1. Click the Start button
2. Open the Control Panel
3. Select Administration

4. Select Services
To disable a service, double-click on its name with the left mouse button. The service control panel will open. In the “Startup Type” drop-down menu, select “Manual” and click on the “Stop” button. Save changes by clicking "OK"
Absolutely safe You can disable the following services:
Service entry Tablet PC
Support IP Service
Remote registry

Disabling other services can lead to unstable operation of the operating system and should only be done when absolutely confident is that you know what result it will lead to. Be extremely careful and careful when handling this tool.

7. ReadyBoost function

In the operating system Windows implemented the ability to use USB flash memory devices as additional to the resource's RAM for data caching, which speeds up the execution time of data read-write operations and increases system performance. Expensive RAM modules or the lack of free slots on the motherboard often do not allow you to physically increase the amount of memory.
Using USB drives or Flash cards as additional RAM using ReadyBoost technology makes it possible to virtually expand memory and increase computer performance. The system writes to the media memory data from the most frequently used programs, which can significantly reduce their launch time.
To activate ReadyBoost functions You need to do the following:
1. Insert the USB drive into the port.
2. In the Autorun window that appears, select “Speed ​​up the system using Windows ReadyBoost”
3. Activate the “Use this device” option
4. By moving the slider, we set the limit of used space on the media
5. Save the changes by clicking on the OK button.
After performing these operations, the ReadyBoost.sfcache file will be automatically created on the flash card. Don't take it out flash drive from your computer!

8. Performance Tuning

When installing the operating system, the default power plan is “Balanced,” which reduces system performance and responsiveness.
In total, the Windows 7 operating system provides three main power plans:
Balanced (system performance when necessary and energy saving when inactive).
Energy saving (reduced system performance). This scheme helps mobile PC users make the most of a single battery charge. but for a desktop system it is not relevant.
With high performance (increases system performance and responsiveness).

Your computer may also have other energy saving settings configured by the PC or laptop manufacturer. In this case, we do not recommend changing their settings, because The manufacturer has already selected the most optimal values ​​for all parameters.
To change the plan, do the following:
1. Click the Start button
2. Open the Control Panel
3. Go to Power Options
4. Choose a plan that meets the needs of our system and device.

9.Customizing the Taskbar and Superbar

Superbar Windows 7 has wide possibilities for personalization and customization for a specific user. To optimize the panel, follow these steps:
1. Place the mouse cursor on the taskbar and press the right mouse button. The taskbar context menu will open. Uncheck the “Lock the taskbar” checkbox.
2. Now move the cursor over the edge of the taskbar until it turns into double arrow. Click and hold the cursor with the left mouse button. Move the cursor up, the dotted line will show the location of the taskbar. Release the mouse button.
3. Now we fix the Panel again by checking the “Lock taskbar” item in the context menu. This is necessary for the normal display of tabs and panels. If this is not enough for you, the size of the taskbar can be increased to suit your needs up to half the screen. Ease of navigation can also be improved by opening the taskbar's Properties context menu and changing the way the taskbar buttons are grouped from "Do not group" to "Always group, hiding labels."

10. Memory diagnostics

If your operating system is prone to failures and is unstable, we recommend diagnosing your RAM. This also applies to users who overclock system components.
Settings for OS Windows 7:
1. Open the Start menu
2. In the Search column, enter “Memory”
3. In the search box, select "Windows Memory Checker"
4. In the window that appears, select one of the options:

- Reboot and check (recommended)
— Run the scan the next time you turn on the computer
5. After restarting the computer, wait for the RAM test to complete. This process can be quite lengthy.
After the diagnostics are completed, the computer will automatically restart.
You will see the results of the scan when you log into the operating system.

11. Defragment hard drives

Built-in The disk defragmentation program organizes fragmented information for more efficient and faster system operation.
The disk defragmentation program runs according to a specified schedule, but you can also start fragmentation manually.
To run the built-in disk defragmenter, you must perform the following steps:
1. Click the Start button
2. Select Computer
3. Select drive C
4. By clicking the right mouse button, call up the context menu and select "Properties"
5. Open the “Service” tab

6. Select a section "Run defragmentation". You can also run a disk analysis, after which the system will make a recommendation whether there is a need to defragment the selected disk and indicate the percentage of fragmentation.
Depending on the size of your hard drive and how fragmented your files are, defragmentation may take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. During defragmentation, work with the PC can not be interrupted, however, the system may slow down significantly.

12. Startup control

Many programs installed on a PC are automatically registered in the startup of your computer, even when there is no urgent need for it.
Being constantly in RAM, they significantly reduce system performance.
Ideally, the startup list should contain no more than two or three programs that you urgently need. As a rule, this is an antivirus and an email client.
The easiest way to clear the startup list is to use a free program CCleaner, open the Tools section, then click on Startup and manually set the launch parameters for the programs you need.

Don't delete from the list of Windows system programs. They can be distinguished by their location in the \system32 folder.

13. Cleaning and defragmenting the registry

System registry is a database for storing information about the computer configuration, operating system settings and program settings to which the system
accesses hundreds of times per second during system boot and operation. A cluttered and fragmented registry can seriously slow down your computer.
When installing and uninstalling various programs, various “garbage” may remain in the registry: program settings, links to shortcuts, incorrect file extensions, and much more.
Over time, a large number of such erroneous registry settings can significantly slow down the operating system, leading to crashes and various problems, interfering with the normal functioning of the OS.

To optimize the registry Let's do the following:
1. Open the CCleaner program and go to the “Registry” menu
2. Click on the “Search for problems” button
3. After completing the search, click on “Fix”
4. The program will offer to save backup copies of the changes made; if you are not sure, save
5. In the window that appears, click “Correct marked” and confirm your choice.
Perform this operation once every two to three weeks.

Windows 7 Registry subject to fragmentation, which causes the system to gradually slow down. System defragmenters do not work with registry files, so for these purposes you will need to install a specialized program.
One of the best solutions for defragmenting the registry is the utility Auslogics Registry Defrag.

14. Disabling the autorun function from removable media and CD drives.

Disabling autorun is not only speed up work with external storage media, but also will protect protect you from a number of viruses entering your computer.
Launch Notepad (in the Start menu, in the Search line, enter the word “Notepad”).
After launching the Notepad program, copy the following text there:


"HonorAutoRunSetting"=dword:00000001
"NoDriveTypeAutoRun"=dword:000000ff
3. Next, select the menu item “File” - “Save As”.
4. Select the file type “All files”
5. Specify the file name and extension for it “*.reg”
6. Close the Notepad program.

7. Run the newly created file and agree to make changes.
If the autorun function is still present, do the following:
1. Open Notepad
2. After launching Notepad, copy the following text there:
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

"AutoRun"=dword:0000001

"allocatecdromes"="0"

"NoDriveTypeAutoRun"=dword:00000091

"NoSaveSettings"=dword:00000000
3. Next, select the menu item “File” - “Save As”.
4. Select the file type "All files"
5. Specify the file name and extension for it “*.reg”
6. Then exit the Notepad program.
7. Run the newly created file and agree to make changes
8. Restart the Computer and check for autorun on the media.
Attention, this method will disable autorun for you from all storage media:
Flash and portable drives;
CD, DVD, BD discs;
Network drives;
Local disks.

15. Move the recycle bin from the desktop to the taskbar

If you feel like it fully free your desktop from icons, then you can do this. After all, in Windows 7 not only is it possible remove the Recycle Bin from the desktop, but even pin it to the taskbar.
1. Right-click on an empty space on the Desktop.
2. In the context menu, select Create - Shortcut.

3. In the Object location field, insert:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe shell:RecycleBinFolder

4. Click Next.
5. In the window that opens, in the Shortcut name field, enter Trash and click Finish.
6. A shortcut has appeared on the Desktop (to make sure it is the Recycle Bin, double-click it), but it looks like an Explorer shortcut, not Baskets. To fix this, right-click on it and select Properties, then click the button Change icon.
7. In the Search for icons in the following file field, enter:
%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll
and press Enter.

8. From the proposed collection of Windows 7 icons, select the Recycle Bin icon and click OK twice.
9. Now our Recycle Bin icon looks authentic. Drag it with the right or left mouse button somewhere on the taskbar.
10. Right-click on the desktop, select Personalization, then Change desktop icons and uncheck the Recycle Bin.

16. What to do if your hard drive partition disappears after installing Windows 7

Let's assume that your computer's hard drive contains two partitions (C and D) and after installing another OS on the second partition, the first partition disappeared. In reality, the section remained where it was, but Windows 7 did not assign a letter to it. Therefore, we do not have access to the data stored on this disk.

To assign a drive letter, go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management.

In the left menu, select Storage Devices -> Disk Management. This displays information about all drives connected to the computer, including logical drives (partitions), drives, and removable drives. Our lost partition is located here - it is displayed in the list and has neither a letter nor a volume label, but is recognized by the system as a hard drive.

1. Right-click on it and in the menu that appears, select Change drive letter or drive path.
2. In the window that opens, click the Add button.
3. In the window that opens, in the Assign a drive letter line, all free letters are presented in the form of a drop-down list; we can assign any of them to our “unidentified” partition.
4. Select a letter and press the OK button.

As you can see, setting up and optimizing the operation of Windows 7 with the proper approach is an easy and quick way to both improve the process of using your computer and increase its performance and speed.

Important!

If, after optimizing Windows operation, you have not achieved the desired result, or your actions have led to disruption of the system, USService specialists will help you.

While working at a computer, users download some files, copy others, install and delete others... As a result, the Windows system turns out to be a mess. In principle, this is not scary, but there are 2 problems.

The first is that if you have a large number of files, you will have little free space. And when they are constantly copied, moved and deleted, incorrect entries in the registry, hidden junk files, etc. appear. You don’t even see them, but they take up space, and most importantly, they slow down your PC or laptop. To get rid of slowdowns and glitches, you need to periodically completely clean your computer of debris. How? Using special software.

Today there are many utilities, and choosing one of them is not an easy task. So to make it easier, below are the 7 best programs to clean and optimize your computer. With their help, you can clean your PC of junk without uninstalling Windows and speed up its operation.

Let me immediately note that the utilities below are universal and work on Windows 10, 8, 7. Therefore, the OS version on your computer or laptop does not matter.

One of the best programs for cleaning your computer from junk is Advanced SystemCare. It is easy to use and ideal for beginners. Just one click, a few minutes - and Windows cleaning is successfully completed.

And this utility has a whole wagonload of possibilities. For example, it can do:

• smart hard drive defragmentation;
• removal of junk files and malware;
• fixing shortcuts;
• repair and defragmentation of the registry;
• optimization and acceleration of the system for games;
• fixing vulnerabilities;
• speeding up the Internet, etc.

You just need to check the required boxes and click the “Check” button. And for those who want to do everything manually, there is the “Tool Base” tab.

By the way, this utility is entirely in Russian and is free (there are some limitations compared to the paid version). That is why it is considered a good computer cleaner. Link to office Advanced SystemCare website.

CCleaner

Another great program for cleaning and speeding up your computer is CCleaner. You should have heard of her. And primarily because this is one of the best programs for cleaning the computer registry.

Its main features:

• cleaning the recycle bin, temporary files and browsers (cache, cookies);
• cleaning and optimizing the registry;
• removal of software;
• clearing programs from startup;
• analysis and erasing of disks;
• search for duplicates;
• System Restore.

By the way, cleaning the system from debris is very fast. And this is a huge plus of this utility. After all, deleting unnecessary files and programs takes no more than 5 minutes!

Another advantage of CCleaner is that it automatically cleans your computer or laptop. You can customize the utility for yourself by specifying:

• cleaning was performed when the PC started (not recommended - this is too frequent);
• the program monitored the system or browsers and notified when there was little space left;
• All files older than 24 hours were deleted from the trash bin, etc.

The utility is available in several versions: paid, free and portable (does not require installation). Any of them is entirely in Russian. There are more than enough possibilities for a free utility for cleaning a computer or laptop, so if necessary, you can find it at the office. CCleaner website.

Auslogics BoostSpeed

If your computer slows down a lot, try the Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​utility. This is an excellent program for cleaning and optimizing your computer, which will help eliminate errors and speed up its operation.

Like the previous two utilities, it also has a number of useful tools:

• hard drive maintenance (cleaning, error detection, defragmentation);
• freeing up free space on the HDD;
• software control and autorun settings;
• cleaning the registry and defragmenting it;
• system configuration and optimization of Windows services;
• file recovery;
• Internet acceleration, etc.

Auslogics BoostSpeed ​​also has an “Advisor” that gives advice on speeding up your PC or laptop and eliminating critical errors.

Another plus is the presence of a planner. You can set automatic cleaning of your computer or laptop by selecting:

• frequency (every day, week or month);
• day of the week;
• exact start time of optimization;
• actions to be performed.

At the appointed time, this utility will start and do its job (even if it was turned off).

Once you set up Scheduler, you can turn off Auslogics Boostspeed and forget about it altogether. And she herself will clean out the garbage once a week or month, delete unnecessary files, and then give you a report on the actions performed. This makes it one of the best programs for cleaning and optimizing your computer.

The utility supports Windows 10, 8, 7 and even Vista and XP. Plus it is completely in Russian. There are 2 versions on the developer’s website - paid and free. Link to office Auslogics website.

Glary Utilities

Glary Utilities is another one of the best utilities for cleaning your computer or laptop. It is considered a real combine because it supports a huge number of functions:

• cleaning, defragmenting, restoring the registry;
• memory optimization;
• removal, recovery and backup of drivers;
• uninstalling software, checking for updates, etc.

Cleaning and optimizing your computer system can be done in 1 click. You just need to check the boxes at the required points and click the “Find problems” button. The utility works quite quickly. Checking and cleaning the Windows system takes on average 10 minutes.

The utility is paid, but there is also a free version. Link to office Glary website.

Revo Uninstaller - removing unnecessary programs

If you do not need functional harvesters, then you can install software that performs a competitive function. For example, there is a good utility for cleaning your computer from unnecessary programs - Revo Uninstaller.

Its main advantage: it correctly removes any applications (without leaving tails and garbage files). Plus, the utility can even cope with software that for some reason does not want to be removed in the standard way. However, she also has several additional tools:

• junk file cleaner;
• startup manager;
• hunter mode, etc.

By the way, the cleaner here is very good. It finds junk files even after being scanned by other utilities. If you decide to try this software, then go to the office. Revo website.

Wise Registry Cleaner

Another free program for cleaning and optimizing your computer is Wise Registry Cleaner. Works on Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista and XP. It can optimize the system, but its main function is to clean and compress the registry to speed up the operation of a computer or laptop.

The error analysis here is very fast and detailed. The utility will find hundreds of problems, even if you first check the registry with other software. Therefore, if you need to quickly clean your computer and speed up your work, you can go to the office. Wise Registry Cleaner website.

Wise Disk Cleaner

And the last utility in this rating is Disk Cleaner. Designed to search and remove garbage, as well as defragment the hard drive. Great for those who want to clean up unnecessary files on their computer and speed up their PC.

The utility can delete application caches, unused help files and other junk that you don’t need but takes up space on your hard drive. The program is completely in Russian and is free, so it is very easy to use. Link to office Wise Disk Cleaner website.

Instead of a conclusion

This is the TOP program for cleaning and optimizing your computer. Each of them has its own functionality and distinctive features, which you should definitely familiarize yourself with before downloading.

What is the best computer cleaning program? This is a controversial question with no answer. After all, every user likes something different. And the purpose of this article was not to determine the best cleaner for a computer, but to provide a rating of popular utilities.

In general, if you need to clean your computer or laptop, study this TOP and choose the software you like. All PC cleaners have free versions, so you can safely try any of them.

Today on the Internet you can find dozens of programs whose authors promise that your computer will almost “take off” after using them. In most cases, it will work the same, it’s good if you are not rewarded with a dozen advertising modules (which are embedded in the browser without your knowledge).

However, many utilities will honestly clean your disk of debris and perform disk defragmentation. And it is quite possible that if you have not performed these operations for a long time, your PC will work a little faster than before.

However, there are utilities that can actually speed up your computer somewhat by setting the optimal Windows settings and configuring your PC properly for a particular application. I have tried some of the programs. I want to tell you about them. The programs were divided into three corresponding groups.

Speeding up your computer for games

By the way, before recommending utilities to improve performance in games, I would like to make a small remark. First, you need to update the drivers for your video card. Second, configure them accordingly. This will make the effect many times greater!

Game Buster

In my humble opinion, this utility is one of the best of its kind! The authors got excited about one click in the description of the program (by the time you install and register, it will take 2-3 minutes and a dozen clicks) - but it works really quickly.

Possibilities:

1. Brings Windows OS settings (the utility supports versions XP, Vista, 7, 8) to optimal for running most games. Thanks to this, they begin to work somewhat faster than before.
2. Defragments folders with installed games. On the one hand, this is a useless option for this program (after all, Windows even has built-in defragmentation tools), but honestly, how many of us defragment regularly? And the utility will not forget, if, of course, you install it...
3. Diagnoses the system for various vulnerabilities and non-optimal parameters. It’s quite a necessary thing; you can learn a lot of interesting things about your system...
4. Game Buster allows you to save videos and screenshots. Convenient, of course, but it’s better to use the Fraps program for these purposes (it has its own super fast codec).

Conclusion: Game Buster is a necessary thing and if the speed of your games leaves much to be desired, definitely try it! In any case, I personally would start optimizing the PC with it!

Game Gain

A shareware program for setting hidden operating system settings. To do this, this utility needs to know a few things about your PC:

• its processor (for example, I have AMD in the screenshot);
• Windows OS (In the example above, version 8, but keep in mind that the utility also supports others).

If the program has correctly identified your OS and processor, then press just one button - “Optimize”. In half a minute, the result is ready!

Conclusions: after running the utility, it cannot be said that the computer began to work much faster, but in combination with other utilities it gives results. It would be wrong not to mention it in this article. By the way, this utility has a paid version, which has a super Fast mode (we could not test it).

Game Accelerator

Game Accelerator is a fairly good program for accelerating games. However, in my opinion it has not been updated for a long time. For a more stable and smooth process, the program optimizes the Windows OS and hardware. The utility does not require specific knowledge from the user, etc. - just run it, save the settings and minimize it to tray.

Advantages and features:

• Several operating modes: hyper-acceleration, cooling, setting up the game in the background;
• defragmentation of hard drives;
• "fine" tuning of DirectX;
• optimization of resolution and frame rate in the game;
• laptop energy saving mode.

Conclusion: the program has not been updated for a relatively long time, but at one time, around 10 years ago, it helped make your home PC faster. In its use it is very similar to the previous utility. By the way, it is recommended to use it in conjunction with other utilities for optimizing and cleaning Windows from junk files.

Game Fire

"Fire game" translated into great and mighty.

In fact, it is a very, very interesting program that will help make your computer faster. Includes options that are simply not available in other analogues (by the way, there are two versions of the utility: paid and free)!

Advantages:

• switching your PC to turbo mode for games in one click (super!);
• optimizing Windows and its settings for optimal performance;
• defragmentation of game folders for faster access to files;
• automatic prioritization of applications for optimal game performance, etc.

Conclusion: in general, an excellent “combine” for those who like to play. I definitely recommend testing and familiarizing yourself with it. I really liked the utility!

Programs for cleaning your hard drive from junk

I think it’s no secret that over time a large number of temporary files accumulate on the hard drive (they are also called “junk”). The fact is that when the operating system (and various applications) operate, they create files that they need at a certain point in time, then they delete them, but not always. As time goes by, there are more and more such undeleted files, the system begins to “slow down”, trying to sort out a bunch of unnecessary information.

Therefore, sometimes the system needs to be cleaned of such files. This will not only save space on your hard drive, but also speed up your computer, sometimes significantly!

And so, let's look at the top three (in my subjective opinion)...

Glary Utilities

This is simply a super-combine for cleaning and optimizing your computer! Glary Utilities allows you not only to clear your disk of temporary files, but also to clean and optimize the system registry, optimize memory, backup data, clear your website history, defragment the HDD, get system information, etc.

What’s most pleasing: the program is free, frequently updated, contains everything you need, plus it’s in Russian.

Conclusion: an excellent complex; if you regularly use it together with some utility for speeding up games (from the first point), you can achieve very good results.

Wise Disk Cleaner

This program, in my opinion, is one of the fastest for cleaning your hard drive from various and unnecessary files: cache, browsing history, temporary files, etc. Moreover, it does nothing without your knowledge - first the system scan process occurs, then it informs you by removing what, how much space can be gained, and then the unnecessary is removed from the hard drive. Very comfortably!

Advantages:

• free + with Russian language support;
• there is nothing superfluous, laconic design;
• fast and meticulous work (after this it is unlikely that another utility will be able to find anything on the HDD that can be deleted);
• Supports all versions of Windows: Vista, 7, 8, 8.1.

CCleaner

Probably one of the most popular PC cleaning utilities, not only in Russia, but also abroad. The main advantage of the program is its compactness and high degree of Windows cleaning. Its functionality is not as rich as Glary Utilites, but in terms of removing “garbage” it can easily compete with it (and perhaps even win).

Main advantages:

• free with Russian language support;
• fast work speed;
• support for popular versions of Windows (XP, 7,8) 32 and 64 bit systems.

I think even these three utilities will be more than enough for most. By choosing any of them and regularly optimizing, you can significantly increase the speed of your PC.

Windows optimization and settings

In this subsection I would like to include programs that work in combination: i.e. check the system for optimal parameters (if they are not specified, set them), configure applications correctly, set the necessary priorities for various services, etc. In general, programs that will perform the entire complex of optimization and settings of the OS for more productive work.

By the way, out of all the variety of such programs, I liked only two. But they do improve PC performance, sometimes significantly!

Advanced SystemCare 7

What is immediately captivating about this program is its focus on the user, i.e. you don’t have to deal with long settings, read a mountain of instructions, etc. Installed, launched, clicked analyze, then agreed with the changes that the program proposed to make - and voila, the garbage is removed, with registry errors corrected, etc. it becomes an order of magnitude faster!

The Windows 7 operating system can work much faster and more efficiently, but for this you need to take certain measures. The main optimization measures should be considered.

Disabling visual effects

A very attractive design is envisaged. If you want to speed up the system, you need to understand that visual effects involve unnecessary resource consumption. You need to follow the specified path: Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced system settings.

When the settings window opens in front of us, the following actions are carried out: Advanced -> Performance -> Settings

In the design, the developers tried to simplify the optimization task as much as possible. You just need to select “Ensure the best performance” and the settings will be set automatically. This greatly simplifies the task at hand. The result will be a classic look. All this is presented in the screenshot below.

The new appearance may not always suit you and this requires some additional actions. You can easily choose any suitable option from the available list, taking into account the operating speed requirements of the OS. You should right-click on any free area of ​​the desktop and click “Personalize”.

Aero Glass mode can be accelerated by turning off transparency. This ensures that the translucent effect will disappear. Still in the same personalization section, you need to select the “Window Color” item, where you uncheck the “Enable transparency” checkbox.

For powerful devices this will not give any noticeable increase, but in the case of a weak video card it can provide a visible result.

Disable unused components

During the operation of the OS, one has to face a situation where a large number of services are used. The difficulty is that not all of them provide for efficiency. It is for this reason that it is important to pay attention to this factor during optimization. Disabling certain components will not harm the OS.

We follow the suggested path: Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Turn Windows components on or off. A window will appear with the content shown in the screenshot.

We look through the list of issued components and uncheck those that we do not use. To obtain more detailed information, hover your mouse over the element of interest.

When certain components are turned off, a system message of the following type will appear on the screen:

We confirm and continue optimization measures. It is necessary to list what exactly can be safely disabled:

• Default browser is IE if you use other programs to access the Internet
• Telnet server
• Built-in search engine, when it is not needed
• Telnet and TFTP clients
• Components of a tablet personal computer, since the setup takes place for a laptop or desktop device
• OS gadget system when there is no desire to use this feature
• Unix Program Subsystem
• Microsoft Message Queuing Server
• Operating System Activation Service
• Print service when the printer is not connected to the device

For all the changes made to take effect, you must restart the operating system.

Boot optimization for computers with multi-core processors

If you are using a multi-core processor, you can take some measures to speed up the operation of the entire OS. In most cases, Windows itself can determine such a moment, but checking will never be superfluous. You need to enter msconfig through the Run window.

Now you should go to: Download -> Additional options

The window that appears indicates the number of processors, as well as the amount of memory. Changes must be made only when the parameters do not match the real ones.

If adjustments are specified, then a reboot occurs for them to take effect.

Restoring the Quick Launch bar

If you are used to older operating systems, you may experience the inconvenience of the Quick Launch bar disappearing. In order to return, the following list of actions is required:

1. Right-click on the “Toolbar” icon
2. Panels -> Create Toolbar
3. A field opens where you need to enter a new path
4. %appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

When you click "Select Folder", you will be able to see Quick Launch. To return to the usual place, you need to left-click the mouse and then move to the “Start” button. You should right-click on the “Quick Launch Toolbar”, where the “Show captions” and “Show title” checkboxes should be unchecked.

After all the procedures performed, the panel will have the same appearance as in the OS predecessor XP. This is clearly shown in the screenshot below.

Disabling UAC

A similar innovation came to Windows 7 from Vista. We will not talk about the need for such a solution, since this is one of the most criticized elements. It is important to say that it can be disabled without serious loss to the security of the OS. The main thing is to use a different antivirus. It is necessary to consider various options for action in this situation.

It is possible to configure the frequency of notifications or completely disable this process. To complete the assigned tasks, you need to follow the path: Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Change User Account Control settings.

However, if necessary, you can adjust the frequency of notifications or turn them off completely. Do the following: Start - Control Panel - User Accounts - Changing User Account Control settings

As can be seen in the presented screenshot, several gradations of work are provided. You can set the slider to the most attractive option.

Power management system

The Windows 7 operating system allows you to control power within certain limits. The electrical energy consumption of the device is set through a special settings section. You can select the most economical or productive option, and also choose a balanced mode. To access the corresponding window, you need to follow the path: Start -> Control Panel -> Power Options. If you don’t touch anything, then the balanced option is set. Below is the appearance of the settings window:

After setting it, you should proceed to using additional settings. To do this, click on “Change advanced power settings”.

A window will appear where you can select the appropriate settings. Once they are selected, it will only be necessary to confirm this.

Optimizing browser performance

This item must be enabled if you are using the default browser - Internet Explorer. To speed up the work, you should take some measures:

1. Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt

2. Right-click and select “Run as administrator”

3. In some cases, a message from User Account Control appears. Launch confirmation is required.

4. In the resulting command line window, enter regsvr32 actxprxy.dll

5. You must press enter. When the task is completed correctly, the following message should be displayed.

After this, you can launch the IE browser. As it works, it should become much faster than before.

Speed ​​up animation when windows pop up

It is possible to significantly speed up the process of pop-up windows on the operating system. The operating procedure described below is provided:

1. Launching the Registry Editor. You need to use the following path Start -> Run -> regedit
2. Searching for the special key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse
3. The key is opened and the MouseHoverTime parameter is detected there. For optimal system performance, it is recommended to set the value to 150.
4. Now we are interested in another key. You need to find HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. It must contain the MenuShowDelay parameter. Its value should be set to 100.
5. For all changes to take effect, you must reboot the device.

Automatic login without requiring a password

A feature that will significantly speed up your work time is logging into the system automatically, without the need to use an access code. To do this, the following sequence of actions is required:

1. Follow the path Start -> Run
2. In the window, enter control userpasswords2 and confirm
3. The corresponding menu is displayed, where we are interested in the “Users” tab. In it you need to find your account and uncheck the box next to “Require username and password”.
4. In the window that appears, you must confirm your access by entering a password.
5. The system is rebooted to accept the changes.

Speeding up device shutdown

In some cases, when you turn off your computer, this process may take several minutes. When you find the shutdown time too long, there are certain actions you can take.

Go to Start -> Run, where in the window that appears you enter regedit with further confirmation. We are interested in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control key - this is what we need to look for. When detected, the WaitToKillServiceTimeout parameter is changed. Its new value should be 500 or so. The default is 12000.

Removing arrows from labels

It all starts with the standard path Start -> Run -> regedit. In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile you need to find the IsShortCut parameter and delete it. In order for the arrows to return to their place, the parameter must be restored. To accept the changes, the device reboots.

There is little doubt that Windows 7 has the best performance right out of the box. The system disk is practically newborn, there is nothing superfluous in it, so the system “flies”. Yes, the manufacturers of Windows 7 tried to impress their future users, especially those who are replacing their previous system with Windows 7. At first, everything goes fine. The Seven starts up, shows decent performance, which pleases the user, but then it begins to upset him with its “slowness.”

Unfortunately, the developers of Windows 7, who probably work on super-fast PCs, thought little about the many settings that are responsible for system performance, counting on the fact that the bulk of users will be housewives with their own laptops and tablets. And not every more educated user, especially if he has problems with English, has access to the information on setting up system parameters to increase its performance, which is posted on the Microsoft website. The article makes an attempt to tell users what optimization of Windows 7 is possible, to introduce them to its techniques for increasing the speed of the operating system and the computer as a whole.

It is unlikely that any user will like it if he has to wait several minutes for the operating system to load. Although a computer with Windows 7 boots from previous versions of the OS, many users are not averse to speeding it up with some tricks.

Using multi-core

To enable support for multi-core processors at boot time, enter msconfig in the search bar. Then you need to follow the path “Boot” tab - “Advanced parameters” - “Number of processors”, mark it, set the value equal to the number of cores in the installed processor, and finish everything by clicking “OK”.

Then you need to restart the computer and make sure that the OS loading speed increases.

Disabling applications from startup

The OS loading speed also depends on the number of applications that are loaded simultaneously with Windows loading. Their list can be seen using the same msconfig command, but on the “startup” tab:

Often, this list includes (unbeknownst to the user) applications that do not require downloading at all, but they increase the download time. To optimize Windows, you should exclude such applications by unchecking them and clicking “OK”. After this you should reboot.

Speeding up PC shutdown

You can also speed up your computer's shutdown by reducing the time interval allotted for shutting down active programs. If they do not have time to complete on their own, Windows will forcefully stop them. To reduce the computer shutdown time, you need to edit the registry. Without going into details of this process, it should be said that you need to find the WaitToKillServiceTimeout parameter in the registry and change its value from 12000 to 2000.

Speed ​​up launching applications from the Start menu

If you do not use the classic view of this menu, then you can optimize it, that is, increase its speed as follows:

• Right-click on the taskbar or Start button.
• From the context menu, select the “Properties” sub-item.
• In properties, open the “Start Menu” tab.
• On the tab, click “Customize”.
• Remove the checkbox from the “Highlight recently installed programs” item.

Graphics acceleration

In the case where the PC does not have a sufficiently powerful graphics adapter (it has a cheap video adapter or one integrated into the motherboard), the AERO interface can cause a significant decrease in system speed. You can optimize the graphics system in this regard by disabling some AERO functions, but without losing the main advantages of this mode. Which AERO features can be disabled and which can be left, and how to do this? And this is done like this:

1. In the Control Panel (CP) we find the “System” section and click on the line “Advanced system settings”.
2. Open “Advanced” and click on “Options”.
3. Open the visual effects tab.
4. Uncheck all parameters except those shown in the following figure and click “OK”.

Increasing file copy speed

The seven has a new function - the so-called “remote differential compression”. It is used when copying and moving files and consists of calculating the differences in the source and destination files. This is done to reduce the amount of data being rewritten, but requires additional time to calculate their differences. This feature can be disabled as follows:

1. Select the “Programs and Features” section in the PU.
2. Click on the line “Turn Windows components on or off.”
3. In the constructed list of system components, uncheck the “Remote differential compression” element.

Enabling ReadyBoost

The optimization of Windows 7 conceived by the developers has been supplemented with a new function - ReadyBoost. The purpose of this function is to virtually expand the computer's RAM by connecting external USB drives and Flash cards. The OS will use them as cache memory, thereby speeding up read/write operations and increasing the speed of the entire system. You just need to enable it, and for this you need:

Registry optimization

The registry files of a computer with Windows 7 are a kind of database about the configuration and settings of the OS itself and installed applications. This database, unfortunately, tends to become cluttered and fragmented over time. And since it is accessed very often, this can cause a significant drop in the speed of the computer. Therefore, the registry should be periodically cleaned and defragmented.

The built-in defragmentation tools in Windows are not designed to work with the registry, so optimizing it is usually done using some third-party utility. An example is the CCleaner program, known to many users. After launching it, you need to select the “Registry” item in the menu. In the window that opens, click the “Search for problems” button and wait for the results of the analysis of the registry status. If any problems are found, then you need to click the “Fix” button.

Defragmentation of hard drives

Severe fragmentation of hard drives can also cause a decrease in computer speed. This especially applies to the system disk, since it is used almost constantly during system operation. To defragment it, you can use the tool built into Windows – the Defrag utility. To launch it you should:

1. Click "Start".
2. Click on “Computer”.
3. In the window that opens, right-click on the system disk and select “Properties” from the context menu.
4. In the properties window, open the “Tools” tab and click the “defragment” button. A window will appear that looks like:

As you can see from it, defragmentation can be performed in two modes - scheduled and manual. When manually defragmenting, you should first determine its need by running a disk analysis. If after this it turns out that the disk is heavily fragmented, then you need to start defragmenting it by pressing the appropriate button.

Disabling UAC

The UAC (User Account Control) feature is one of the most important system security features. You should carefully weigh the pros and cons of turning it off. And yet, many users disable it, relying entirely on high-quality anti-virus protection. Function or reduce the level of protection. In any case, this requires administrator rights. Changing the protection level is done as follows:

1. In the PU, open the “User Accounts” section.
2. In the window that appears, click on the line with changing user account control settings.
3. In the window shown in the following figure, set the slider to one of the 4 protection level positions. In the lower position, UAC is completely disabled.

Disable unused services

It's no secret that the system has services that are rarely used or not used at all. It is clear that such services can be disabled without harm to the functioning of Windows 7. Moreover, disabling them will free up RAM, make swapping less frequent, that is, speed up the computer. This tool requires extreme caution and accuracy, so before you run it, you should be on the safe side by creating a restore point. This will help you roll back to a previous state in case of possible problems as a result of disabling them. This operation should not be performed in group mode; it is better to do it step by step, each time making sure that the operating system is functioning normally.

Services such as:

• Remote registry.
• Support IP Service.
• Service entry Tablet PC.

When disabling other services, you need to have complete confidence in what result this will lead to.

To disable a service, go to the “Administration” section of the control panel and select the “Services” category on the right side of the window that appears. As a result, a list of all system services will appear. You need to find the required service in this list and double-click on it. A window will open with the parameters of this service, for example:

If the service is running, you must first stop it using the corresponding button. Then set the “Startup Type” to “Disabled” and click “Apply” and “OK”.

Conclusion

Of course, this is not a complete list of techniques for optimizing and configuring a computer with Windows 7. In conclusion, we present a table of the best third-party programs for optimizing Windows 7. They all have different functionality, which is also listed in the table.

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