Article by George Norman

On 17 Jun 2011

If you feel like your Windows 7-powered computer is not as fast as you would like it to be, Redmond-based software giant Microsoft has got you covered. Microsoft has been kind enough to provide a few tips on how you could speed up your Windows 7 PC. Here are the tips Microsoft made public:

Tip: Use the Performance troubleshooter
To use the Performance troubleshooter click Start -> Control Panel -> type in troubleshooter in the search box and then click Troubleshooting -> click Check for performance issues under System and Security. The Performance troubleshooter will look for problems that may cause your computer to act sluggish.


Tip: Get rid of software you don’t need
This one makes sense. If you no longer need the functionality a software application has to offer, if you don’t need a software application, it’s best to uninstall it. If the computer came with some preinstalled software applications that you don’t need, take the time to remove them. Some of these applications may automatically run at startup, thus needlessly consuming memory and processing power. Even if they don’t run at startup or in the background, they are needlessly taking up space.

Tip: Limit the number of programs that run at startup
As mentioned above, some applications automatically run at startup and eat up memory and processing power. When you have a lot of applications that automatically run at startup, your computer may take a long time to boot up and may run sluggishly. You can limit the number of applications that run at startup by using the Autoruns application, via the System Configuration tool, or by using a 3rd party application like CCleaner.

Tip: Defragment and clean up your PC
You can defragment your hard drive by using Disk Defragmenter and you can clean up your PC by using Disk Cleanup. When you defragment the hard drive, fragmented data is rearranged and your hard disk works more efficiently. When you run Disk Cleanup you remove junk files that only weigh down your system.

Tip: Close windows and programs, restart your PC
If you have several browser instances open, several documents open, an instant messaging application open, a media player open, and several other files open, your PC may struggle to keep up. You should close the applications and exit the windows you don’t need.

When you’re computer bogs down it may be a good idea to restart it. When the PC is restarted, the PC starts fresh. Various services that were started by programs and never stopped, are stopped when you restart the PC.

Tip: Scan your system for malware
If malware managed to sneak onto your computer, it may be responsible for your computer’s performance issues. You should scan your system to make sure it has not been infected. Sometimes viruses and spyware can get past your existing antivirus product and infect your system.

Tip: Turn off the eye candy
All the eye candy makes Windows 7 a pleasure to look at. But the simple truth of the matter is that all the visual effects may slow down your computer. To adjust all visual effects for best performance, do the following: click Start -> Control Panel -> type performance information and tools in the search box -> click Performance Information and Tools -> click Adjust visual effects -> click the Visual Effects tab -> click Adjust for best performance -> click OK.

Tip: Get a new PC
If you installed Windows 7 on an older PC, it may be that your performance issues are due to the old hardware. Run the Windows Experience Index and if the score is lower than 3, then consider getting a new PC.



Tags: Microsoft, Windows 7

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