Windows 7 is the most popular operating system from Microsoft. Many users love it for its clear interface, functionality and stability. However, over time, the system begins to produce errors one after another, and its speed decreases, which is why it is so important to know the reasons for these phenomena and ways to improve the performance of your computer.

How to tune Windows 7 for maximum performance

The Windows 7 operating system sooner or later begins to suffer from the weight of software that is installed during normal use. New software downloads can significantly slow down your computer's speed. It is recommended to remove any programs that you do not plan to use.

Antivirus scanners and disk cleaners typically start automatically when you turn on your computer and run in the background. Many users do not even know that they are running. And programs at this time lead to a slow startup of the PC and, if they were not closed after turning on the computer, a decrease in its performance.

Tweaking the Registry to Optimize Your System Performance

There are several ways to clean the registry to improve your computer's performance. Let's look at each of them.

Through performance parameters

Through folder options

Through service properties

What does the MSconfig command do?

The MSconfig command is a standard utility designed to manage startup programs and Windows startup.

This program allows the user to customize the PC startup and remove unnecessary programs from startup. It can also be used to detect a virus if the computer has been infected with it.

Video: how to speed up Windows 7 using the MSconfig utility

Tuning Windows 7 for maximum performance using third-party programs

There are many utilities on the Internet to automatically clean your computer of temporary files and optimize its performance. Let's look at a few of them.

CCleaner CCleaner is a widely used utility for cleaning temporary files, cache or personal data. The program has a wide functionality: from minor settings to information from disks.

CCleaner's interface is simple and easy to use. Just go to the application and click the “Analyze” button for the program to start looking for temporary files that clog the system and which can be deleted.

You can also clear the cache using CCleaner.

When you open a website in a browser, all text and graphic information from that website is downloaded from the server and stored in the cache. Your computer remembers this information so that the site loads much faster in the future.

Frequently clearing your cache will free up space, but will slow down your web browser because sites you frequently visit will reload from the servers.

Advanced SystemCare Free

Advanced System Care Free is a popular program for cleaning and optimizing your PC. It allows you to optimize startup elements and clean your computer from unnecessary files and registry entries with one click.

The latest version of the program has improved cleaning of temporary files. In addition, the developers have added cleaning of installed driver packages, which allows you to free up disk space. Advanced SystemCare uses a built-in resource manager to show processes that are high on RAM, CPU, and disk resources, and then help you terminate them.

New features like FaceID and Surfing Protection & Ads-Removal provide a higher level of PC protection. FaceID automatically detects intruders who are secretly accessing your PC. Surfing Protection & Ads-Removal provides you with new, safe and free online surfing content.

Advanced SystemCare 10's Privacy Sweep, Spyware Removal, and Real-Time Protector tools help you remove more threats and fix more privacy issues.

Setting up the power supply

The type of power supply you choose affects the performance of your computer. When you use a high-performance power plan, you increase your computer's power consumption while still allowing it to operate at full capacity. However, the computer's performance will still depend on the work it does.

There are three types of power supply:

• Balanced is the default power plan that balances battery conservation and computer performance. The mode automatically increases the speed of your processor or decreases it if your computer needs it;
• High Performance is a power plan designed to maximize system performance and responsiveness. The mode does not reduce the speed of your processor even when the computer is not in use. When using a battery-powered laptop, you can use the high performance plan;
• Energy saving is a mode that saves energy by reducing processor speed and screen brightness and allows you to maximize the operating time of your computer.

Lowering the screen brightness increases the life of your battery. To get more time out of your laptop battery life, you can simply lower the screen brightness level manually.

To enable high performance mode:

How to find out your computer's performance

Video: How to find out your computer performance rating

There are many ways to improve your computer's performance. You can use like standard utilities Windows, as well as special programs for cleaning and optimizing the system. They do their job in minutes, but their use can significantly speed up the system. The main thing is to use proven methods and download programs from reliable sources.

Now there will be, I believe, a final article from me on how to improve Windows performance. In the last two articles, I examined in detail special programs with the help of which any user, even a beginner in the field of computer literacy, could easily “clean up” their system and increase its speed! Or maybe, for example, someone doesn’t want to install some additional programs on their computer and take up space (albeit not significantly), right? Well then, I suggest to such users that they familiarize themselves with the methods of “cleaning” Windows, optimizing it, using functions built into the system itself, and learn how to increase its performance, in some cases without installation additional programs! This is what I wanted to tell you about in this article :)

Well... Let's start studying the tools built into Windows itself to clean it and improve performance!

I will show all the actions using the example of the system that is the most commonly used at the moment, i.e. – Windows 7 (version “Maximum”). It is worth immediately drawing your attention to the fact that when using very stripped-down versions (For example, “Home Basic”), you may not have some functions for optimization.

So, first of all, the easiest way is to use a special Windows search tool possible problems in system performance.

Windows Performance Problem Finder

Using this Windows features We can sometimes immediately identify what may be causing a drop in the speed of our system. It’s not always possible to get a recommendation, but if your computer really starts to run slower, I recommend turning to this tool first.

How to start and what to do:

1. Go to the Start menu and open Control Panel:
2. In the control panel, immediately set the icon display method to “Category” mode. To do this, in the upper right corner in the “View” list, select “Category”:
3. Go to the “System and Security” category:
4. Go to the “Support Center” section:
5. At the very bottom, open the “Troubleshooting” item:
6. The window of the function we have selected will open. Now at the very bottom, in the “System and Security” section, you need to select the “Search for performance problems” item:
7. A wizard will start to diagnose problems on your computer that affect the performance of Windows. In the first window, click “Next”:
8. The process of searching and detecting problems will begin, which will take a few seconds:
9. The module will identify one of the possible causes and offer a configuration option. In my example, the module offered to check and configure programs that start immediately when Windows itself starts.

   In different cases there may be correspondingly different proposed solutions.

   In my case, you can click the “Launch System Configuration Tool” button and check whether there are indeed programs that can be disabled from automatically starting when the system boots:

   I see that only one program is running and it belongs to the virtual machine.

   This program is important for autorun, and therefore cannot be disabled. Thus, at this stage, the module for searching for problems with Windows performance It didn't help me, so I close the window. But you can click the “Next” button in it and there is a chance that it will give another possible solution.

   After clicking “Next”, the “Performance” module will finish its work and report all possible reasons drop in productivity. In my example, he didn’t find anything more than checking startup programs and disabling unnecessary ones:

   The “View advanced options” button doesn’t make sense, so we just click “Close Troubleshooter.”

The system on which I am showing you examples was installed quite recently and is not yet loaded with anything at all. In this regard, there simply cannot be any performance problems in it. But if the system has been running for a long time and you already notice that it has become slower, then this tool will probably offer you the solution you need.

If this tool does not produce results, then we will do everything manually :) Let's move on...

Hard Drive Cleaner

I’ll say right away that all built-in Windows tools can be found both through the “Control Panel” menu (as we did when opening the troubleshooter in the section above), and much faster - through search.

At the beginning of the article, I specifically showed how to find the desired function through the system Control Panel, so that beginners would know where and what they can find if necessary.

I will launch all subsequent Windows optimization utilities much faster through a simple Window search.

So, we moved on to the first remedy - cleaning the hard drive. This Windows utility allows you to clean up unnecessary, unused system and temporary files, as well as other components, and thereby improve productivity!

How to work with this tool:

1. To launch this tool, open the “Start” menu and type “Disk Cleanup” in the search bar at the bottom. The search results will immediately be displayed at the top, where we select the “Disk Cleanup” item:
2. If you have several local disks in your system (for example, C and D), then when you launch the Disk Cleanup utility, the first thing you will see is a window where you need to select the disk to clean. All garbage from temporary and unnecessary system files is located on the system disk. In 99.9% of cases, for everyone, this is drive “C” :) Select it and click “OK”:
3. The Disk Cleanup component will perform a quick analysis (a few seconds), after which a configuration window will appear. In the window that opens, at the top, scrolling through the list, check all the items. By clicking on each item, it will be displayed detailed description. Below in the line “Freed up space” you can see how much space will be freed up. In my example, this is only a little over 3 Megabytes, which is generally insignificant. But this is again for the reason that the system is completely new and without installed programs. And in some cases, the amount of data deleted can be calculated in Gigabytes!

   You won’t delete anything “vital” for the system and you don’t have to be afraid.

   Click the “Clean up system files” button:

4. The component will perform the analysis again and the same window will open, but we will have access to another tab called “Advanced”. Let's go to it:
5. At the top of the window you will be asked to free up additional space by removing any programs you don't need. Click the “Clear” button (the first one from the top edge of the window):

   I think the well-known “Programs and Features” window will open. Here you can see a list of all programs installed on your computer and remove any unnecessary ones. Very often this is especially true for beginners; users install a huge number of different programs over a long period of system operation. During this time, a decent number of those were collected that were completely installed by accident and were never needed or used. Also, a person stops using some programs for various reasons and they also turn out to be no longer needed. And all this resulting “junk” is stored on the computer, and some programs are even loaded automatically when Windows startup! It is through the “Programs and Features” tool that you can remove everything unnecessary and what you definitely no longer use, as well as programs installed by accident or by mistake and long forgotten.

   Just scroll through the list of programs, left-click on the one that can be removed and click the “Delete” button in the bar at the top.

   As you can see from my example (see image above), only 3 programs are installed, since the system is completely “fresh” :)

   When deleting, an additional window will be displayed where you need to confirm our action by clicking the “Yes” button:

   After the program is uninstalled, you can close the window and return to the Disk Cleanup component.

6. Now let’s start cleaning up old system restore checkpoints, which can take up several Gigabytes of hard drive space. For reference: checkpoints allow you to restore the system, returning it to an earlier state, for example, if you applied some settings and do not know how to fix it.

   Click on the second “Clear” button in this window:

   A warning window will appear, where we click “Delete”:

   All old checkpoints will be deleted and you will get additional free space on your hard drive. This is especially noticeable when more than a dozen control points accumulate.

   No notification will be displayed and therefore the Disk Cleanup window can now be closed. The work with him is finished.

Let's move on to the next tool for optimizing Windows - hard drive defragmentation.

Hard drive defragmentation

When working for a long time operating system A huge amount of different data is created, modified, copied, and deleted. In this regard, information becomes increasingly fragmented and is not located sequentially in the disk structure (one after another). This leads to the fact that the system requires more and more time to access certain programs and files and, consequently, the speed of Windows decreases.

A hard drive defragmentation tool will help redistribute information on the disk, arranging it in convenient order so that the system can access data as quickly as possible.

How to use the defragmenter:

1. Open the Start menu and type “Disk Defragmenter” in the search field. In the list of results that immediately appears, select “Disk Defragmentation”:
2. The Defragmentation Wizard window will open. First of all, I recommend disabling automatic scheduled defragmentation. This option is enabled by default in the Windows 7 and 8 operating systems. When the defragmentation process is in progress, it once again loads the system, while the system is still running fast. And it is best to perform it manually, when the system performance begins to decrease, for example, every 3-4 months.

   To disable scheduled execution, click the “Configure schedule” button:

3. In the window that opens, simply uncheck the “Run on a schedule (recommended)” checkbox and click the “OK” button:
4. We will again be taken to the main defragmentation window. Now select the very first local disk in the list (for me it’s “C:”) and click the “Analyze disk” button at the bottom:

   The program will begin to analyze the disk and identify the degree of data fragmentation on it. The analysis usually takes a few minutes.

   After the analysis is completed, again in the same window next to the disk we selected, the fragmentation percentage will be displayed. In my example – 4%.

5. Select the disk where the analysis was performed and the fragmentation percentage is more than 10 (or close to 15%) and click the button at the bottom “Disk Defragmentation”:

   The defragmentation process will begin, and you can monitor its progress in the same window, in the line next to the selected disk. This can usually take more than 1-2 hours and depends on the amount of data on the disk.

   In the system, many people have not one local disk, but two and sometimes more. Therefore, after defragmentation of the first disk is completed, start analysis and subsequent defragmentation of the next disk. In my example there is only one disk.

Okay, that's sorted out too. Let's consider the following tool - checking the hard drive for errors and correcting them.

Checking the disk for errors

When working with the operating system on the hard drive for a long time, errors may occur over time. This also leads to a fall sooner or later Windows performance. Windows has a built-in tool for checking local disks for errors and the ability to fix them.

The process is very simple.

How to check the disk and fix errors:

1. Go to the “Computer” section, where all local drives will be displayed. To do this, open the “Start” menu and select “Computer”:
2. Right-click on the first drive (for example, “C:”) and select “Properties”:
3. In the window that opens, go to the “Service” tab and click the “Run check” button:
4. Another window will open, in which check both boxes and now you can start checking. Be sure to keep in mind that the process of checking the disk and correcting errors will take a long time (at least an hour, as a rule) and this depends on the amount of data stored on the disk. Also, the scan itself will be performed after restarting Windows and will begin even before it loads, which means that you will not be able to work or do any business on the computer!

   To start the test, click the “Run” button:

   If you decide to check the system drive (the one on which Windows is installed), another window will be displayed with a warning that the system drive cannot be scanned while the system itself is running. Click the “Schedule disk check” button:

   Now you can close the window and restart your computer. The scan will begin automatically.

5. After the computer restarts and before the Windows operating system starts, a black window with white text will appear. This is checking the hard drive for errors. It all looks like this:

   By the way, in Windows XP the check is performed on a blue background :) Well, this is so, for reference :)

   If for some reason you wanted to cancel the check, you can do this within the first 10 seconds by pressing any button on the keyboard. Once the scan has started, it can only be interrupted by turning off the computer using the button or rebooting. I don’t recommend doing this because there is a risk of damage. file system.

   When the check is completed, the computer will restart automatically and boot into Windows.

   If you have several local disks in your system (as I said when I talked about defragmentation), then you should check the next disk and so on, one by one.

This is how the disk is checked for errors. As I said - nothing complicated :)

Well, now let’s look at the latest built-in program, which often helps to relieve the system by removing unnecessary programs from startup and increasing its speed. The tool is called “System Configuration”.

Disable unnecessary programs that boot with Windows

I already talked a little about what autoloading is in my previous articles about optimization. I’ll repeat myself a little :) Many programs start automatically immediately after the Windows system itself boots. These include, for example, components for automatic updates any programs; graphical driver management tools; simple user programs such as Skype, ICQ and much more.

The more programs there are in startup, the longer it will take for Windows to load (and slow down at this moment), and the further speed of its operation will also be reduced.

But the most important thing is that among these autorun programs, as a rule, there are several that are not needed at all and only load the system without bringing any benefit. Therefore, now I will show you how to configure startup programs using the built-in Windows tool.

How to configure autorun programs:

1. As in all previous cases, open the Start menu. In the search field, type “System Configuration” and select the desired result.
2. In the system configuration window that opens, we are only interested in the “Startup” tab. Let's go to it:

   Here you can see all the programs launched when Windows starts. In my case, the system is new and there aren’t really any programs installed. Required for autoloading are:

   • Various system protection (antiviruses, firewalls);
   • Necessary driver components: sound, video, etc. (a driver is a program for controlling a device);
   • The component responsible for the keyboard layout (cftmon.exe).

   Everything else can be turned on or off at will. For example, I recommend disabling program components that you always launch manually if necessary. In my example, this is “Adobe Reader and Acrobat Manager”. Also, if you do not need autoloading of programs such as Skype, ICQ, etc., then I advise you to disable them too.

   If you don’t know what this or that startup program is for and whether you need it, then information can always be found in search engine Google. Just type there the name of the program taken from the startup window.

   To remove a program from autorun, simply uncheck the box next to it. After necessary programs will be disabled, click the “Apply” button:

   Then click the “OK” button and a warning will appear stating that all changes will be accepted after a reboot. Check the box “Don’t show this warning again” and click “Exit without rebooting” to finish working with this tool:

   Thus, when quite a lot of programs are already installed on the computer, and the system itself has been running for several months, I recommend checking startup (as I wrote above) and disabling everything unnecessary from there.

At this point, we looked at all the important built-in Windows tools designed to optimize it and improve performance. Now I will give some recommendations.

General recommendations for maintaining normal Windows performance

After completing all of the above measures, the system should already work faster. But I will also now list some additional general recommendations:

1. Must be installed on your computer antivirus program and even better - together with a firewall. Your computer should also be regularly scanned for viruses. The fact is that infecting a system with viruses can easily make the system less productive for a number of reasons.
2. If the computer itself is not particularly productive, then try not to run a large number of programs and components at the same time. For example, a browser open on the system with many tabs open at the same time will slow down your low-power computer.
3. Do not allow the system to work without interruption (without rebooting) for 2 or more days. Perform regular reboots. This will help eliminate system errors that appear during long-term operation of Windows. The same thing happens when you constantly send your computer to sleep. You can't constantly use sleep mode instead of shutting down normally, because Windows will start to work slower over time.
4. And finally, if nothing I’ve said in this and previous articles about optimization helps, then you should think about upgrading your computer or buying a new, more powerful one. Sometimes this will save you from the constant torment of the computer slowing down even when nothing is really running on it :)/

No matter how fast and efficient new computers are, their performance may degrade over time. So even the state-of-the-art computer you bought last year won't be exciting after installing dozens of programs, downloading anti-spyware and anti-virus tools, and filling up your disk space with tons of junk from the Internet. Performance may decline gradually, and you will hardly notice it until one day, when you open a program or file, you exclaim: “What happened to my poor computer?”

Whatever the reason, there are many ways to speed up Windows operation and improve your computer's performance without the need to upgrade your hardware. Listed below are a few tips for optimizing Windows 7 to improve performance.

Windows 7 Troubleshooter

The first step is to use the performance troubleshooter, which automatically finds and fixes problems. This tool checks for settings that may be slowing down your computer, such as the number of users logged on and the number of concurrent running programs.

Open the Performance Troubleshooter. To do this, click the button Start and select Control Panel. In the search field, enter problems and then select Troubleshooting . In chapter system and safety select item Finding Performance Issues .

Updated: 09/15/2019 Published: 02/08/2018

Description

Poor performance computer:

• At boot (the system or desktop takes a long time to load)
• Slows down from time to time
• Frequently slows down and freezes
• When running games or demanding programs
• After reinstalling Windows
• When waking up from sleep or hibernation
• Suddenly “freezes” for a few seconds
• Stutters when scrolling the page
• Programs take a long time to open
• Low FPS in games
• Slow Internet connection
• Freezes tightly

Wherein, used to be a computer worked quickly. But it is possible that the problem occurs immediately after purchasing the PC.

Cause

There can be many reasons - from software errors to hardware failure:

• The presence of a process that loads the system;
• Viruses or the presence of several antiviruses in the system;
• A large number of programs in startup;
• Problem with RAM;
• Failure hard drive or any other component;
• Media logical errors;
• Incorrect power supply;
• Overheating (more often for laptops or all-in-one computers);
• Problem with drivers (usually after reinstalling Windows);
• Glitch in the operation of peripheral devices;
• System error;
• Crooked update installation;
• Computer obsolescence;
• Inconsistency with system requirements.

As a rule, it does not matter whether we have a desktop computer or a laptop/all-in-one computer. Most of these problems are true for any PC.

In this article we will try to consider the maximum possible options and solutions.

Solution

The article is largely focused on the Windows system, however, most of the recommendations are valid for other operating systems.

Before proceeding with the steps below, try simply restarting your computer. If it worked for a long time without restarting, this could be the reason. You can see how long Windows worked without rebooting using this article.

1. Check your computer for viruses

Viruses can launch their own processes, which lead to system brakes. You can check your computer using the CureIt utility or any other analogue.

You can also temporarily (or permanently) install the 360 ​​Total Security antivirus and perform a regular scan - the program will offer to delete not only suspicious files, but also clear startup and temporary data:

We agree, then reboot the computer.

We also make sure that several anti-virus products are not installed on the system - otherwise, they will conflict and create additional unnecessary load.

2. Check the status of the HDD/SSD

a) Physical condition:

Install the utility for hard checks disk and display the S.M.A.R.T. status. eg HD Tune or CrystalDiskInfo. If errors or warnings are detected, the media must be replaced.

The condition must be close to 100%, otherwise the disk may cause poor performance:

b) Free space:

Among other things, you need to make sure you have disk space:

If there is not enough space, the system will slow down.

c) Logical state:

If, when viewing the computer's load, the disk constantly shows 100% load, you can try disabling the page file. Read the article Disk is 100% loaded for more details. If you need to have a swap file, set static values ​​(the same for maximum and minimum - this will prevent its fragmentation):

3. Turn off visual effects

If graphics performance is weak, you should try disabling all the beauties of Windows.

Let's go to Control Panel - system and safety - System- click on Advanced System Settings:

On the tab Additionally In the “Performance” section, click on Options- in the window that opens, set the switch to the position Provide the best performance:

4. Install/update drivers

The problem is less relevant starting with Windows 10, since the latter can automatically update drivers (if there is an Internet connection), but does not exclude the possibility of a problem occurring.

And so, the absence of a driver for a device or the presence of a version with an error can lead to incorrect operation of the equipment and, as a result, to any problems, in particular, slow PC speed.

Go to device manager (command devmgmt.msc or right click on This computer in the conductor - Control - device Manager). Drivers must be installed for all devices (there should be no exclamation marks):

You can install or update drivers manually by downloading latest versions from the equipment manufacturer’s website or automatically using special program eg DriverHub.

5. Check running processes

Opening Task Manager(Ctrl + Shift + Esc) - in the window that opens you can see the recycling of equipment as a percentage:

If your computer's resources are completely full (90% or higher), you need to find the processes that do this. This information can be seen in the same task manager, but specialized utilities, such as Process Explorer, will show more detailed information.

We accept the license agreement - the main program window will open with the processes running on the computer and information about the resources they occupy.

We sort the list by processor utilization:

* System Idle Process shows processor idle time (free resource). The higher this indicator, the better.

We sort the list by memory utilization (actually allocated pages, excluding shared):

We sort the list by memory utilization (the sum of all memory pages):

If there are processes that load the system, we try to kill them:

However, when trying to stop the process svchost we will get an error:

Here we need to act differently. We hover the cursor over the name of the process and a pop-up window will appear with a list of services that hang on this process:

• Cleaning your computer from temporary files. There are various utilities for this, for example CCleaner.
• cleaning the registry. The safest way to do this is with the aforementioned CCleaner.
• We delete programs and games that we no longer use. This must be done using the Programs and Features tool, or, again, CCleaner.

On new computers with Windows pre-installed, especially laptops, the manufacturer/seller considers it their duty to install all the programs in the world. Removing this “necessary” software can lead to the computer starting to boot and work more than 2 times better!

If the new one is slow Lenovo laptop, update or remove the pre-installed antivirus.

7. Testing RAM

This is another component that is often the source of performance problems.

You can test your memory in different ways:

1. If there are several slats in the computer, remove them all, leaving one. We test and move to another bar.
2. We use a special utility, for example, memtest86.
3. We try to plug the memory into different slots on the motherboard.

If problems are detected, we return the memory for warranty or replace it with a new one. You need to buy the same bracket as the others or read the motherboard compatibility sheet.

8. Check the condition of the remaining equipment

Download and install the AIDA64 program and conduct a system stability test:

If problems are detected, the program will generate an error. In this case, the faulty component must be replaced.

9. We evaluate the operation of the power supply and electrical outlets

Not always obvious, but the real problem is the lack of power supply for normal operation of components.

There are several approaches to testing this theory:

1. Take the computer to a different power source, possibly in a different room.
2. Replace the power supply.
3. Use diagnostic utilities, for example, AIDA64.

On laptops, when running on battery power, the system may run slower to save power. In this case, we connect portable device to the power source or change the power supply mode from economical to efficient.

10. Setting up the power supply scheme

By default, Windows uses a balanced power plan. This is not always the best solution in terms of performance.

To change the power supply scheme, open Windows Settings and enter “food” in the search - select Selecting a power plan:

In the window that opens, open the hidden option by clicking on Show additional diagrams- select in the menu that opens High performance:

* if we see that the switch is set to the “Energy Saving” position, we should first try switching to Balanced.

11. Check the temperature

Overheating can cause poor performance - the system will run slower to prevent components from burning out.

To view the current temperature of the main components, you can use the above-described AIDA64 or SpeedFan.

If overheating is detected, you must perform the following actions (not recommended for warranty computers):

1. Disassemble the computer and clean it of dust.
2. Depending on the overheating component:
   • Remove the processor cooler, remove the remaining thermal paste, apply new thermal paste and put the cooler in place.
   • Remove the video card cooler, remove the remaining thermal paste, apply new thermal paste and put the cooler in place.
3. In case of desktop computer, install a cooler that blows hot air out of the case.
4. Check the functionality of all fans (visually and using a program, for example, SpeedFan).

12. Checking peripheral devices

Peripherals that work poorly or begin to fail can lead to problems with the computer itself.

Disable all devices except the mouse. Remove the CD from the drive, if there is one. We check the functionality of the computer. Disconnect the mouse, connect the keyboard, continue the test. If the computer works well without peripherals, we connect one at a time additional devices to determine which one is the problem.

13. Network problems / slow Internet

The system may have software installed, the operation of which is highly dependent on the network. Subject to availability network connection, but there is no network as such (for example, due to a logical error), these programs may try to send requests with high timeouts (response waits). At the same time, while waiting, they create a heavy load on the system, slowing down its operation. This most often leads to a deterioration in the computer's loading or attempts to launch various programs.

In this case, try unplugging the network cable or turning off WiFi. If the problem is resolved, try to figure out the network - this may be a temporary glitch or the firewall is not working properly.

If, by itself, the computer works satisfactorily, but the Internet speed is low, measure it using the corresponding article. If the speed is poor, try disconnecting the cable from the router and plugging it directly into the computer - if the speed remains low, contact your service provider. Otherwise, try connecting your computer to the router via wire rather than via WiFi. If it doesn’t help, reconfigure the router or replace it - quite often, switching to the 5 GHz frequency helps.

14. Make sure that the computer’s power meets the system requirements

If performance is poor when running certain programs or games, or after Windows changes for more new version, worth exploring system requirements software product data. It is quite possible that the computer should not work quickly with them.

If the problem only occurs with one specific program/game, try reinstalling it.

If the computer worked quickly with the same program/game before, try to analyze when the problems started. Also try disabling your antivirus program before starting.

We monitor the number of simultaneously running programs. In some cases, the computer may be running a browser with big amount open tabs + office programs. Every process requires resources. It is also worth knowing that each open tab browser is a separate process. We have to keep an eye on the numbers open source software and close everything we don’t use, otherwise, buy a more powerful computer.

If our computer has less than 4 GB random access memory and we are not planning an expansion, we are not installing 64-bit Windows - it consumes a little more resources. If more than 4 GB, install Windows x64, otherwise, all resources will not be used. This is also true for choosing a system edition: you should not install the maximum possible Windows, it is not a fact that all possibilities will be used, and resources will be wasted.

15. We use specialized software

There are utilities that can analyze your PC and report possible problem productivity. One such utility is Auslogics BoostSpeed.

However, this program requires a license, so we either buy it or use it as a source of information.

16. We evaluate performance

Beginning with Windows Vista There are system tools for general assessment of system performance. Based on this, we can conclude which component is outdated or slow.

To begin with, we perform the following check:

a) Windows 7:

Right click on Computer - Properties. In the window that opens, click on the link Windows Experience Index and press Rate your computer. The evaluation process will begin, which can take up to 10 minutes - wait, then we will receive the results, for example:

* in this example it is clear that the weakest component is the video card. This computer should comfortably handle office tasks, but will slow down when running demanding games. The maximum score is 7.9 points.

b) Windows 10/8:

Starting in Windows 8, the Experience Index assessment is run from the command line. To do this, open it as administrator and enter the command:

winsat formal -restart clean

We are waiting for the process to finish. Then open the folder \Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataStore. In the list that opens, select the latest file by date whose name contains Formal.Assessment (Recent).WinSAT.xml and open it using any browser:

We are interested in the tag WinSPR:

For convenience, you can download a utility that allows you to see the assessment in a convenient form - Winaero WEI Tool. Download, unpack, run:

*please note that the maximum score is 9.9 points.

I will also mention that in addition to the built-in tools, there are other utilities. For example, the free WhySoSlow.

17. Studying the system log

Based on the entries in the system log, you can try to draw conclusions regarding the operation of the PC. It is quite possible that this will help solve the problem.

The log can be opened with the command eventvwr or from the control panel.

It is necessary to pay attention to all errors and warnings, primarily for system events:

18. Trying to disable hibernation mode

If the hibernation file is damaged, waking up the computer will be accompanied by lags for several minutes. To solve the problem, turn off the power saving mode, restart the computer, and turn on the mode again.

To do this we open command line as administrator and enter:

Reboot the computer. Returning hibernation mode:

19. Software incompatibility

This is true in cases where everything works slowly when several programs are running at the same time.

As a solution, we try to update the program data. If add-ons (plugins, extensions) are used, we try to update them, reinstall them, disable them, remove them.

20. Game settings

If your computer is slow only at startup computer games or one particular game has low FPS (even though the computer is quite powerful), then you need to look at the settings of the computer game itself.

Some games have the option to support multi-core processing, for example CS:

Typically, it should be turned on for optimal performance.

21. Reinstall Windows

If all else fails, the only option left is to reinstall the system. This is not the most The best way solve the problem and should be resorted to only as a last resort.

Perhaps before this you should try to perform a system rollback using a checkpoint to a time when the computer was working normally. And, if this does not help, copy the important data to another medium or to the cloud, and reinstall the operating system.

This extreme measure can be caused by various problems:

1. Availability system error, which is very difficult to understand even for a highly qualified specialist.
2. Update installation curve.
3. Garbage that has accumulated over the years after installing/uninstalling various programs.
4. Single or multiple overflow system disk by 87.5%. The problem is related to the peculiarity of the NTFS file system to reserve 12.5% ​​of the space for MFT (which is necessary for the normal operation of the file system itself). When space runs out, the system takes 12.5% ​​of the reserved space from the MFT, which can lead to fragmentation of the latter. Defragmentation won't help anymore.

On average, in my experience, the lifespan of the Windows operating system is from 2 to 5 years.

22. Update BIOS

But there is a nuance! If the computer starts running slowly on its own, updating the BIOS will not help. There is a need for this procedure only if the computer starts to slow down after replacing some equipment, for example, a processor, disk, memory, and so on.

23. Changing the computer

In the case when even reinstalling Windows and all of the above did not help solve the problem, and the computer continues to work slowly, it is time to change the computer itself.

Firstly, over the years, the physical properties of components deteriorate due to the appearance of microcracks and oxidation of contacts, and secondly, software becoming more demanding and there is a need to increase capacity.

On average, the lifespan of a computer is from 3 to 7 years.

The performance of a computer is mainly influenced by the speed of interaction with storage devices, the correct selection of drivers and the serviceability of the operating system used. When creating the Windows 8 and 10 operating systems, the developers took into account previous errors and worked in depth to optimize the interface. Instead of the familiar three-dimensional effects, flat panels were introduced into the interface. In this way, the load on the graphics subsystem was significantly reduced. These innovations have made it possible to run new versions of the operating system even on budget computers. But, despite this, you will still have to upgrade the RAM and hard drive. One of the currently most popular operating systems under named Windows 7 requires much more resources than its younger counterparts. That is why, for its comfortable use on budget computer models, it is necessary to take a number of measures to optimize it.

The main purpose of a personal computer is entertainment and work. This is what causes constant changes in the operating system in the form regular updates, removal and installation of various programs. During the constant change of software components, the processing of large volumes of photos or videos, a large number of temporary files accumulate on the computer’s hard drive. They fragment HDD and fill the system registry with inactive keys.
In addition to all of the above, the performance of the entire system can be reduced outdated versions drivers. But they are the ones responsible for the interaction between the computer hardware and software. Therefore, when the computer’s performance decreases, optimization must begin with defragmenting files on the hard drive and cleaning the operating system’s system registry.

Installing the latest driver versions.

Correctly selecting and installing new driver versions can take considerable time. DriverPack Solution is undoubtedly considered a leader in the field of optimizing this task. In fully automatic mode, this program will check the drivers installed on the computer with its database current versions. You can also install them automatically. What is important is that before installing each driver, the program creates a system restore point.

But still, I recommend updating drivers manually by downloading them from the official websites of equipment manufacturers.

(There have been cases when, after installing drivers from the assembly, Windows simply refused to boot in normal mode, only in safe mode, but this happened extremely and extremely rarely, but one should not deny the fact )

Autorun check.

Not all programs running in the background carry practical benefit. But they have a huge impact on the loading speed of the operating system and the load on the computer hardware. Because of such programs, the battery life of laptops is reduced. Both vital programs, such as anti-virus protection tools, and add-ons to various programs that are absolutely unnecessary in everyday activities can function in the background.
Cleaning the startup list will give a very good performance boost. For convenience, it is recommended to use the free CCleaner program. After launching it in the “” menu, you need to disable unused components that are in autorun.

A similar result can be achieved manually using the built-in tool " system configuration" In the “” tab, perform the same actions as in CCleaner. After restarting the computer, all changes will be automatically activated.

Order on the hard drive.

A very noticeable drop in computer performance is felt when there is a high degree of fragmentation of files on the hard drive. The defragmentation function is available using a special program built into the system. But it does not always cope with its functions at the proper level. The Piriform Defraggler program has good functionality and capabilities. It is recommended to use it for high-quality disk defragmentation. Its interesting feature is that in addition to the entire hard drive, it can defragment a separate directory.

Attention! This recommendation is in no way applicable to solid state SSD drives. Defragmenting such disks will not only lead to decreased performance, but also a significant reduction in resource usage.