Setting up Windows 7 for maximum performance. From free space on drive C

One of the most important criteria that characterizes a computer system is its performance. Let's figure out how to increase this basic figure of a desktop PC or laptop with Windows 7.

Before we get down to the question of how to improve productivity, let's figure out what it is and what, in fact, we are going to improve. In Windows 7 there is such a system indicator as "Performance Index". It is based on an assessment of individual PC components: processor, RAM, graphics, game graphics and hard drive. The overall index is set according to the weakest link. But for a number of reasons this assessment cannot be called unambiguous and many experts are quite critical of it.

Undoubtedly, the power of the above components directly affects the performance of the PC, that is, the volume of processes that the computer can process per unit of time. Next, we will look in detail at ways to increase the impact of these components to improve the performance of the OS as a whole.

Method 1: Improve Hard Drive Performance

One of the important factors in increasing operating system performance is hard disk optimization. Many users pay secondary attention to this factor, believing that for the performance of Windows, what is important, first of all, is the amount of RAM and processor power. But in vain, because a slow hard drive slows down the computer as a whole, since other OS components constantly access it to process files and other objects located on it.

First of all, you can clean your hard drive of junk and unnecessary files, which will speed up its operation. This can be done both through the system and using third-party specialized programs, such as.

The operation of defragmenting the hard drive helps to increase the speed of the HDD, and therefore the performance of the system as a whole. It can be done using a special system utility or third-party ones.

In addition, you can increase the performance of the HDD by properly configuring it in "Device Manager".

Click "Start" and go to "Control Panel".

Go to the section "System and Security".

In the block "System" click on the inscription "Device Manager".

In the interface that opens "Device Manager" click on the item "Disk devices".

A list of physical hard drives connected to the PC will open. This can be one device or several. Double-click the left mouse button ( LMB) by the name of one of them.

The hard drive properties window opens. Move to section "Policy".

The performance policy is specified here. The items in this section may differ for hard drives from different manufacturers. But, based on general logic, look for the position that should help increase performance. For example, "Allow caching" or " Optimal performance". After checking this item, click "OK" in the current window.

Method 2: Increasing the amount of RAM

You can also increase system performance by increasing the size of RAM. The most basic and yet effective method to achieve this result is to purchase an additional or larger RAM stick. But unfortunately, this is not always possible, both for financial and technical reasons, because 32-bit Windows 7 supports a RAM size of no more than 4 GB. But there is a way to bypass this limitation.

In order to increase the amount of RAM without changing the hardware configuration, a paging file is created on the hard drive, which forms the so-called virtual memory. When there is a lack of RAM resources, the system turns to this allocated area on the hard drive. Therefore, to increase PC performance, you need to enable the specified file if you have it disabled.

Click "Start", and then right-click on the item "Computer". In the menu that opens, select "Properties".

The OS properties window will open. On the left side, click "Additional options...".

In the shell that opens, click on the button "Options..." in the block "Performance".

The performance settings window will open. Here move to the section "Additionally".

In the block "Virtual Memory" click the button "Change…".

The virtual memory regulation window opens. At the top of it you can check the box next to the parameter "Automatically select..." and the system itself will select the settings for the paging file.
But we advise you to set the parameters manually. To do this, first of all, uncheck the checkbox "Automatically select...", if it is installed there. Then, in the partition selection window, select the logical drive where you want to locate the paging file. Move the switch below to position "Specify size". After this field "Original size" And "Maximum size" will become active. Put there the same value for the desired amount of virtual memory in megabytes. Then click on the button "Set" And "OK".

In order for the entered settings to take effect, you need to restart the computer.

It is important to remember that you should not create a paging file that is too large. Firstly, you thus lose workspace that you could use to store files. Secondly, the access speed of a hard drive is much slower than that of hardware RAM. Therefore, when increasing virtual memory, it is possible to process a larger volume of processes simultaneously, but the performance decreases, which negatively affects the performance of the system as a whole. It is believed that the optimal size is one and a half times the amount of hardware RAM of the PC. We recommend setting the size of the paging file based on this calculation. If you already have it installed, we recommend changing its size to the optimal one.

Method 3: Disable graphic effects

It's no secret that graphic effects consume a significant portion of the power of the video card and processor and use a considerable amount of RAM. To free up the resources of these objects to perform other tasks and thereby improve overall system performance, you can disable some visual effects.

In addition, you can also optimize the consumption of graphics resources using the video adapter control panel. The algorithm for setting the necessary parameters differs depending on the manufacturer and model of the video card, but the essence comes down to choosing performance between performance and quality, or at least establishing the optimal balance for you between these two criteria.

Timely updating of its drivers and installation of special software designed to optimize the operation of the video card will also help improve the performance of the video adapter.

Method 4: Disable applications in startup

Quite often, during installation, programs are added to autorun, thereby not only slowing down the system boot, but also consuming resources throughout the entire working session. But at the same time, the user does not always need these applications to work, that is, they often consume OS resources in vain. In this case, you need to remove such items from startup.

Dial combination Win+R. In the window that opens, enter:
Apply button click "OK".

The system configuration editing window opens. Move to the section.

The startup section will open. What you do next depends on whether you want to disable automatic startup for all items or just some of them. The first option will bring greater effect, but you need to take into account that there are programs that, to solve your specific problems, it is preferable to leave in autorun. So the decision is yours.

In the first case, just click on the button "Disable everything". After this, the checkboxes next to all list items will be removed, then click "Apply" And "OK".

In the second case, uncheck the boxes next to those items that you are going to remove from startup, but do not touch the checkboxes next to the names of programs left in startup. Next, as before, press "Apply" And "OK".

After this, a dialog box will open asking you to restart the PC. Close all active programs and click .

After the restart, the selected applications will be removed from startup, which will free up system resources and improve its performance.

Method 5: Disable services

The load on the system is also carried out by various running services. Moreover, not all of them are needed by the user, and the actions of some of these objects have even more negative consequences than positive ones. It is advisable to disable such elements to improve PC performance. The principle of deactivation is approximately the same as the principle of removing programs from startup. But there is one important caveat: disabling services must be treated more carefully, since deactivating an important element can lead to incorrect operation of the system.

Click "Start" go to "Control Panel".

Next, go to "System and Security".

Click "Administration".

Select from the list that opens "Services".

Opens "Service Manager". Highlight the service you want to deactivate, and then on the left side of the window click "Stop".

The deactivation procedure will be performed.

After that double click LMB by the name of the same service.

The service properties window will open. In the dropdown list "Startup type" choose a position "Disabled". Then press the buttons "Apply" And "OK".

You will be returned to the main window "Dispatcher", and the service itself will be completely deactivated. This will be evidenced by the lack of status "Works" in column "State" opposite the disabled element, as well as the status "Disabled" in the column "Startup type".

After performing the specified manipulations to disable all unnecessary services, the speed of the system should increase due to the release of resources. But, we repeat, be very careful about which service you disable. Before performing the procedure, read our separate material, which tells you which services can be disabled without significant negative consequences for the OS.

Method 6: Cleaning the registry

Another way to speed up your PC is to clean the system registry of outdated and erroneous entries. Thus, the system will not access the specified elements, which will increase not only the speed of its operation, but also the correct functioning. For these purposes, special ones are used. One of the most popular applications for performing this task is the one already familiar to us from Method 1 CCleaner.

Method 7: Setting up the power supply

The next option to increase the speed of the OS is to properly configure the power supply.

This method is especially suitable for desktop PCs, as it has virtually no negative consequences. But if you use a laptop, you need to consider whether to use it, as it can significantly increase the rate at which your battery drains.

Method 8: Overclocking the CPU

By default, the processor is not configured to use its maximum capabilities. It always has a reserve of power, and therefore there are ways to free up this power to improve OS performance. As a rule, they are carried out using special software. But it is worth remembering that overclocking a processor is a rather dangerous procedure, which, if done incorrectly, can lead to PC failure. In any case, overclocking the processor leads to increased wear and tear, and if done incorrectly, even to failure in the shortest possible time.

As you can see, increasing system performance in Windows 7 is carried out mainly by reducing the load on individual components. In this case, you often need to choose what is more important to you: speed or visual appearance. Although there are also methods where such a dilemma does not arise, for example, cleaning your PC from garbage. In this case, optimization has only a positive nature, provided that you do everything correctly.

The speed of a computer is of interest to every user, to a greater or lesser extent. In order to squeeze out Windows 7 maximum, you can resort to a number of well-known methods, both the simplest and the more complex for the average user.

In this article we will look at methods for manually tuning the system, and will not resort to the help of special programs designed to increase system performance.

Cleaning startup

Many programs that you install are added to startup at startup. Windows . They automatically start when you turn on the computer. By checking the list of these programs and removing those that you do not use often (or do not use at all), you can speed up your system.

To do this, you need to run the system configuration management tool:

Start -> Control Panel -> System and Security -> Administrative Tools -> System Configuration

or enter the value “ msconfig" and press Enter.

Windows , and you can delete those you don’t need. This can also be done manually by deleting the corresponding values from the system registry. The list of programs that are in startup is located in the following registry branches:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Disabling unnecessary services (services)

Disabling unnecessary or rarely used services will relieve some of the RAM load, which will allow other applications to run faster. Before disabling any services, we recommend creating a system restore pointin case of any complications (especially for inexperienced users):Control Panel -> System -> System Protection -> Create...

So, the list of services is here: Start -> Control Panel -> System and Security -> Administrative Tools -> Services

Here you can disable little-used services. The following can be safely disabled:

· Tablet PC input service
· Computer Browser
· IP Ancillary Service
· Remote registry
· Program Compatibility Assistant Services (Advanced Users)

Setting process priority

In order for running applications to work faster, you need to give them a higher priority compared to background processes. In this case, active applications will be allocated more processor time. By default, the system is configured this way, but the balance between resources for active and background processes can be shifted even further.
For this answers the meaning Win32PrioritySeparation, which lies in the registry branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl. To open the system registry, type "regedit " on the command line.

The default hexadecimal value is 2 ( hex)
Recommended value – 6 ( hex)
Valid range: 1 to 26 ( hex)

You can try other values to speed up your system as much as possible. Attention: use value 0 You can’t, your computer will immediately freeze!

In addition to changing the overall balance of processor resources, you can set higher priority to individual programs. This can be done through the Task Manager.

Sometimes this is useful. For example, if some program is performing a very long operation and you need it to do it faster, then setting it to a higher priority may help.

Changing Performance Options

operating system Windows 7 makes it possible to configure some parameters that can speed up the system. To open a dialog Interaction Options you need to go here:Start -> Control Panel -> System and Security -> System -> Advanced system settings -> Settings (on the Advanced tab) .

Here on the Visual Effects tab you can disable animation in the Start menu, disable the feature Aero Peek , window transparency and other parameters. If you select the "Ensure best performance" option, all visual effects will be disabled Windows Aero, and the system will work faster, however, you will sacrifice all the beauty that gives us Windows 7.

Aero Peek acceleration

Aero Peek is a function that makes all windows transparent when you hover the mouse over the small square to the right of the clock. To reduce the response time of this function you need to change the key DesktopLivePreviewHoverTime type DWORD , which is located in the registry branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

If there is no such key in a given branch, you need to create it and then simply change its values. A decimal value of 1000 equals a delay of one second, 500 equals half a second, and so on.

Shutdown User Account Control (UAC)

User Account Control ( UAC) notifies the user about those changes in the system that require administrator rights. This service displays notifications when you try to install a new program, when changes are made to the file system, etc. This can be useful for beginners, but is often frustrating for experienced users. To turn off notifications fromUser Account Controlyou need to do the following:

· Run System Configuration (" msconfig " without quotes on the command line).
· Go to the “Services” tab and in the list find the “User Account Control Settings” item
· Select this item and click the “Run” button.
· A dialog will open in which you can use the slider to adjust the notifications.

The changes made are activated after the computer is restarted.

Convenience and degree of comfort when working on modern computer technology depend on many circumstances. It is impossible to configure Windows for maximum performance without understanding this issue. At a minimum, the following factors are significant:

The power of the devices included in the computer.
Installed operating system.
The operating system settings made, for example, by Windows settings.
Resource intensity of the software used
The complexity and volume of everyday tasks.
Network activity of the user or software.
Computer type: desktop or portable.

And many other nuances that we left without attention.

Further, we will assume that we are dealing with Windows 7 version - the most common version of the Microsoft operating system today. Therefore, some further recommendations for setting it up may not be relevant for other versions, while others, on the contrary, are universal.

The operating system has many components with varying degrees of performance. Therefore, they should be considered separately. Our goal is to get the fastest possible system without changing anything in the equipment. So, let's look at these components in order.

Working with a hard drive

The hard drive is one of the nodes most responsible for operating speed. The fact is that no matter how data storage on a disk is organized, it cannot avoid fragmentation - a situation when logically related data ends up being physically placed in different areas of the disk. In this case, the disk's reading head performs many additional operations to detect the required pieces of information. There is a way to avoid this - to produce the so-called.

In Windows, this is very easy to do: select the icon of any section in the “My Computer” window, right-click on it and select the “Properties” menu item. In the window that opens, go to the “Services” tab and click on the “Run defragmentation” button. Right there on the “General” tab there is another button that allows you to increase the performance of your computer - the “Disk Cleanup” button. With its help, you can remove all unused and swollen system files that slow down the user’s work.

In addition to the tools built into Windows, you can also use third-party programs to increase hard drive performance. For example, the Norton Disk Doctor software package

Getting rid of unnecessary things

Very often, Windows is turned by users into a sort of landfill or junk shop. The system has a crazy number of necessary and unnecessary programs installed that affect performance. Any OS adjustment turns out to be powerless if a lot of rubbish is detected in autostart. All this starts when the computer starts, eats up RAM, conflicts with each other for the right to own system resources, and can sometimes crash Windows immediately after logging in.

While working, do not open too many windows at once. If you are not currently using the Internet, close your browser. FireFox alone is capable of “biting off” half of the system’s RAM. Launch only what you actually work with - close other programs. This is another useful trick to tune performance without tuning anything. The culture of proper work in Windows is a serious thing.

The next trick concerns disabling not your programs, but unused system ones. Windows contains a lot of completely useless things that function only thanks to the connivance of the user. They also affect your computer's performance. To ensure maximum Windows performance, there is no need to configure them - you just need to disable them. First of all, this concerns visual effects.

The operating system has a rather complex structure. Its operation is ensured by a huge number of different programs - services and processes. There are many factors that affect the speed and performance of Windows 7. This article describes how you can increase the speed of your personal computer.

The physical part of the computer (processor power, amount of RAM, solid-state drives) is not discussed in the article. Obviously, the better the PC, the more tasks it can solve, and the faster it copes with them. This guide describes the process of fine-tuning the system, which will bear fruit on any hardware.

General information

First, you need to understand what exactly affects Windows performance. This guide only covers factors that can be influenced by any user without assistance from computer specialists:

Defragmentation

This feature allows you to increase the speed of your hard drive and, consequently, the entire computer. Using a special utility, the system sorts all information on the media, optimizing the route of the reading head.

Over time (due to deletion, new files, copying and editing), the data becomes fragmented again and the process must be started again.

Defragmentation is performed both using standard Windows tools and using special third-party programs. Also in the OS you can set up a schedule for regular operation at a time convenient for you.

Pay attention! Only the hard drive (HDD) needs regular defragmentation. Solid state drives (SDD) from such a procedure only wear out, without receiving any increase in performance.

Swap file

The function of the paging file is to compensate for the lack of free RAM on the computer. Some of the contents of RAM are transferred to the hard drive, freeing up space for tasks of primary importance. If you have a lot of physical memory installed, for example, 16 or 32 gigabytes, there is no point in making these settings.

To increase the swap size in Windows, you need to do the following:

Performance settings

There is a special section in Windows settings dedicated to increasing computer performance. How to open it is described in the previous section of the manual.

In addition to setting the swap volume, users may be interested in the following options:

Autorun

If you want to reduce Windows boot time and improve performance, it is recommended to disable unnecessary applications from startup. For example, if you rarely use Skype, you can cancel its automatic launch at the same time as the system starts, and turn it on only when necessary.

You can manage autorun in the configuration menu of the applications themselves. Torrent trackers, clients for cloud storage, instant messengers and other utilities running in the background have a special item in the settings.

But it’s much more convenient to work with a single list for Windows:

Registry optimization

To avoid any inconsistencies in the registry, you must install and uninstall all applications correctly. If any problems still arise, use CCleaner to clean out junk from the registry and bring performance back to the previous level.

Hi all. Many users are afraid to change anything in the system settings for fear of errors.

In fact, any user can set up a computer on Windows 7. Sometimes even the simplest changes can make your computer much easier to use. You could see this as an example in the article -. Today we will look at the basic settings of Windows 7, which are not much different from Windows XP.

First of all, it is worth remembering that the path to all settings lies through the Control Panel, which can be accessed through the Start menu.

If you have additional setup programs installed on your computer, there may be shortcuts to these programs in the control panel.

1.1

This system program protects your computer from penetration of spyware into the system both via the Internet and via a Local Network.

Those applications that you want to allow or deny access to the network are configured manually by adding them to the “Exceptions” section.

Correctly setting up a firewall is important for the system, since viruses that get onto your computer can easily send your personal information to attackers, as well as access passwords to various information. If you don't have an antivirus installed, make sure your firewall is turned on.

It’s better, of course, to use it, which, if configured correctly, will prevent viruses from standing a chance.
Read more about antivirus settings in one of the following articles. In order not to miss, .

1.2

Probably, among all the OS settings items, there is no simpler and easier one than setting the date and time on the computer. By opening this item, you have access to editing date and time values.

If you have access to the Internet, the setup can be significantly faster. You just need to check the box next to “Automatic settings” and the system will check the time via the Internet every time you connect to the network - jxym is convenient by the way.

Considering the fact that changes have occurred in Russia over time, the user who lives in Russia needs to uncheck the box “Automatic transition to winter time and back.”

In order to get to the date and time settings, just double-click on the clock on your desktop or find the corresponding shortcut in the control panel.

1.3

This section allows you to troubleshoot and resolve sound problems with additionally installed musical devices (synthesizer or).

The Volume tab, Advanced item allows you to configure the parameters of your sound system (headphones, connected speakers, Dolby or Digital sound quality, etc.) to improve sound quality.

The Sounds tab allows you to change the sound scheme of standard system sounds or select sounds yourself. The Speech and Audio tabs allow the user to set parameters for audio input and output, as well as change the volume.

1.4

The Keyboard section is important because the settings allow you to adapt to your preferences (typing text or often spending time playing games).

This component will help you set the delay time before replay (for gamers the value should be set to minimum), adjust the Replay Speed (players set the value to maximum), and also specify the cursor blinking frequency.

1.5

In the section Mouse You can control any parameters of this device. Tab Mouse Buttons allow you to change the positions of the buttons, set the speed of reaction to a double click, and also enable the ability to stick the mouse button.

Chapter Signposts gives the user access to the color and shape settings of the cursor, and in the tab Pointer Options You can set the speed of cursor movement, enable/disable the display of the trail while it is moving.

1.6

The operation of this section determines the smooth operation of connected printers and faxes, allows you to configure deep parameters for printing, specify the canvas size, color palettes, and much more.

If you are lost in the settings and do not know what and how to configure, then it is better not to touch this section, since incorrect work with it can affect the correct operation of the equipment. All section settings are set to default.

1.7

This section is considered one of the most important in the list of Windows 7 settings. This section gives us the opportunity to almost completely control all folder settings.

If your attempt to set the settings yourself fails, then you should use the item "Restore Defaults". Tab View is responsible for additional settings for the appearance of folders. Be careful when changing functions in this section.

1.8

Another important section of the OS is the item System Properties. To quickly get to this item, you need to click on the “My Computer” icon and select “Properties”. Or just go to the shortcut through the control panel.

In particular, the average value of system performance, the amount of RAM (random access memory) are indicated here, the properties of the processor are described, the average value of the system performance rating is displayed, and more.

If you go to the Hardware tab, and then go to the Device Manager section, you can view a tree of all devices connected to your computer.

If you double-click the left mouse button and hover the cursor over any of them, you will receive detailed information about the date the device was initially connected, its release date, device code, performance data, brief information about drivers, etc.

If there is a need to install drivers on a connected device, you must use Device Manager.

Chapter "Additionally" allows you to configure the computer's performance, for example configure or . Also, in the visual effects tab, you can leave only shadows and display styles to free up some RAM and increase performance on a weak computer.

You can learn more about the best tips for increasing system performance by reading a series of articles:

If you store important documents and files on your computer that you are afraid of losing, then it would be advisable to enable the function "System Restore". This will ensure data safety in case any failure occurs in the OS. The function allows you to return the computer to the state when the restore point was specified.

1.9 Setting up Autorun programs in Windows 7

If there is a need to disable the launch of some programs that open when Windows starts, then do the following: go to the “Start” menu - we need the “Run” command and type msconfig in the window by pressing the Enter button.

In the window that appears, we need the “Startup” tab. Afterwards, you need to uncheck those applications that you do not need during system startup. Keep only the most necessary programs.

The fewer programs there are in startup, the faster your Windows will be in working order when you start your computer.

1.10

The registry is a system component that stores all the data about the state of the computer, its main functions and properties, the data necessary to start the system, etc. There is no need to configure the registry.

If there is a need to add or change one of the functions, then you should “arm yourself” with the program or do it using CCleaner.

This utility helps you make changes to the registry and save them. This program is not limited in functions that affect registry changes, so it will help you adjust your PC to suit you.

These were the basic Windows 7 settings that every computer user needs to know about. It is best to do optimization immediately after installing the operating system. Read more in the article -. If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to listen in the comments, but that’s all for today. Good luck to you :)