Simple Ways To Boost Windows 7 Performance

Windows 7 is a great new operating system from Microsoft and is being considered as a great addition in terms of features over Vista, but as you know that once the features are added to your system then they will definitely consume some resources too. You can optimize Windows 7 by allowing only those features which are needed and disabling all unwanted features. Here are some small tips which you can follow to get the best out of Windows 7.

Disable Search Indexing

In order to speed up the search process, the Search indexing service scans through the files and folders on the Windows system and records information about them in an index file. But it also consumes some resources from the system, so if you are performing searches once in a blue moon then it would be better to keep this feature disabled

Remove Unwanted Startup Programs

Startup programs run when your login to the system, so have a look at which programs you have allowed to run on start up, as you might find many of those in the list which you no longer need at all or you do not need them to start on the system boot up. For disabling unwanted programs from running on startup, click Start, then type msconfig and hit Enter. Now in the System Configuration window, go to the startuptab and uncheck the programs that you don’t want to run upon startup.

Disable Aero

The Aero feature adds a great look and feel to your Windows 7 OS, no doubt it is one of the great perks of Windows 7. But what if you are running a slow computer or your system is running some resource hungry applications, then it would be better if you keep this feature disabled. Follow the simple stepshere to disable it in Windows 7.

Turn Off System Sounds

If you don’t really need the system sounds, then you should keep them disabled for the better utilization of the system resources. For this purpose, click Start, then type mmsys.cpl and hit Enter. Now disable the sounds you don’t need from this dialogue box.

Remove Unwanted Fonts

It is recommended to remove the unwanted fonts from Windows 7. To remove fonts click Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Fonts, then select the font and hit Delete.

Optimize Application Launching Time

You can optimize the application launching time by setting the values of EnablePrefetcher and EnableSuperfetch parameters to 1. In order to set the value of these parameters, open the registry editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management \ PrefetchParameter option in the left sidebar, here you will be able to see these parameters in the right side bar.

Always Keep The Latest Device Drivers

It is a well known fact that the latest the device driver is, the faster the performance of the device will be, so always check for the latest updates regarding your system’s device drivers. In this regard you can also get help from some tools like the Device Doctor.

Prioritize The Running Processes

Process priority is a basic operating system functionality, almost every operating system offers a way to increase or decrease the priority of the processes. So if you feel that your core application is not running up to the mark or some other secondary application is taking more resources then required, then you can change the priorities of the respective processes to keep your system running smooth.

Need more help on this topic? Check the article here.

Defragment Your Disks Regularly

Disk Defragmentation makes sure that the stored files are in one contiguous piece which results in better system performance. So its always recommended to defragment your system properly to optimize your system performance.

Find Bottlenecks

If your system is performing sluggishly then it is vital that you should identify the reason for this bottleneck. Once you are sure of what is causing the issue, then you will easily be able to kill the culprit.Resource Monitor is one of the great Windows 7 utilities which you can use to investigate such situations.

Switch Off Unwanted Windows Features

Windows Features offers a great way to enable/disable specific Windows features. You can load it by clicking Control Panel > Programs > Windows Features on or off. Here identify which features you don’t need and disable them to avoid the resources usage. Just like I don’t play much of the default windows games, so I have kept them disabled.

Set Power Settings to High Performance Mode on Windows 7

As we move along in the Faster 7 series and work on speeding up your operating system, you will find that not all tips apply to you. Do not fret, I have a whole catalog of speedup tips. In the instance that a tip does not apply to you, just make a mental note (for the future) and move on to the next Windows 7 speed tip. Windows 7 Performance Mode is built into the power management portion of the operating system. For many users who have laptops this feature comes set as “balanced” right after they have installed their operating systems.

Modifying the power settings to ‘Performance Mode’ will ensure your operating system will run top notch whether or not you have your computer plugged into an outlet. Many people think this setting just impacts their “sleep mode” and “hibernation” settings. In reality, power management for operating systems has become far more sophisticated and even cause modification in processor speeds and visual effects.

Personally, I do not use my laptop without it plugged into a wall, so this is definitely a feature I want to make sure is enabled.
1. Select the Windows 7 ‘Start Button’

2. Choose ‘Control Panel’

3. Select the ‘System and Security’ item

4. Halfway down, select ‘Power Options’

5. Under ‘Plans Shown on Battery Meter’, select ‘High performance’

6. If it does not exist under ‘Plans Shown on Battery Meter’, click the expansion arrow next to ‘Hide additional plans’

7. Select ‘High performance’

8. That’s it!

Now remember, this will greatly reduce your battery life if you are using a laptop that is not plugged in. If you are an individual who is always using their laptop away from a power outlet, this isn’t recommended for you. Thanks for stopping by, more tips to come!

Enable ReadyBoost on a Removable USB Flash Device

ReadyBoost is a feature new to both Windows 7 and Windows Vista operating systems.  Utilizing a high speed USB port, the computer can store information temporarily onto a separate USB device and access it quicker than from a hard drive.  The theory behind ReadyBoost is utilizing a separate removable USB flash device as your “hard drive cache” instead of your hard drive.  This makes sense for those of you who understand that a hard drive is slower than high speed flash drives.

Not all USB ports and USB flash devices support the ReadyBoost technology, and to be honest, although this is great for a speed boost, it certainly isn’t worth going out and purchasing a “ReadyBoost” enabled flash drive.  This speed tip is one of those tips you follow if you have a USB flash drive lying around collecting dust, which most of us technology geeks have anyways.

You will also not be able to use the ReadyBoost function if you do not have USB 2.0 on your computer.  Most computers that are capable of running Windows Vista and 7 were built long after 2.0 became a standard, so it would be surprising if your computer does not have ports of this speed.
1. Plug in your ‘USB Flash Device’

2. Go to your ‘Desktop’

3. Double click on ‘Computer’

4. Locate the removable device on the list.

5. Right click on the ‘USB Flash Device’

6. Select ‘Properties’

7. Select the ‘ReadyBoost’ Tab

8. If your device does not support ReadyBoost, Windows will let you know at this point.

9. If your device does support ReadyBoost, use the ‘slider’ to specify how much of the flash devices memory you wish to use.

10. The more memory you allocate the better.

11. Select ‘Apply’

12. Select ‘Ok’

13. That’s it!

Change Prefetch Parameters.

 This a dangerous task to complete unless you follow these steps exactly. If you're not sure about anything, don’t continue.
1.Go to Start > Run and type regedit to initialize the registry editor.
2.Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SYSTEM>CurrentControlSet>Control>Session Manager>Memory Management>Prefetch Parameters to access the parameters.
3.Double-click EnablePrefetcher. Once the new window pops up, there should be a small, editable text box with the number 3 in it. (Windows allows 4 options: 0, 1, 2 and 3.) 3, the default, fetches everything.
4.Change this to 2. Your PC will boot a lot faster and your PC performance shouldn't be affected.
5.Click OK and then close regedit.