Optimization Windows 7 for quick work and load
This article provides few advices, ways and facts which affect on a speed of work and load a new operation system Windows 7. Turning off some functions and unused services can significantly speed up its work. The article will be very useful for users who don't have powerful PCs or notebooks.
Pay your special attention that the article does not claim to the title "breakthrough in optimization". We share the view of that Microsoft tried to optimize the system initially, but If you think that the work speed of your Windows 7 is not good enough and makes you feel uncomfortable then you can follow steps below.
It's not necessary to follow all steps. Usually to reach a comfortable work in Windows 7 environment you only need to turn off the heavy graphical animation and unneeded autoload elements.
1. Set a classic theme: Start → Control Panel → Appearance and Personalization → Change the theme → Basic and High Contrast Themes → Windows Classic.
2. If you don't wish to set a classic theme, then it's recommended to turn off a transparency of windows: Start → Control Panel → Appearance and Personalization → Change the theme → Window Color → Uncheck the checkbox "Enable transparency" → Save changes.
3. Turn off visual effects: Start → Control Panel → System and Security → System → On left side "Advanced system settings" → Performance – button "Settings..." → Visual Effects → Adjust for best performance.
4. If you have an unused flash drive, you can use ReadyBoost (a software technology that enables the operating system to use available capacity flash drives such as USB Flash Drive and Solid State Drives (SSD) to increase the amount of virtual memory), right-click on the icon of the desired drive → Properties → ReadyBoost → Provide a device for technology ReadyBoost.
5. If the system is installed on your computer for a long time, and all this time it has been used actively then you can do the system disk defragmentation: Start → All Programs → Accessories → System Tools → Disk Defragmenter → choose disk → Analyze disk → Defragment disk
6. Remove all unnecessary from startup: Press the key combination "Win + R", then type in the appeared window: msconfig. Startup tab.
7. Turn off system restore (if enabled): Start → Control Panel → System and Security → System → On left side "System protection" → Configure... (for each disk) → Turn off system protection.
8. Turn off unused services: Start → Control Panel → System and Security → Administrative Tools → Services → Double click on the needed service → Startup type → Disabled (and stop service).
A list of services which can be disabled without damage for the system:
- Windows Search – search, file indexing, if you don't use a search then this service is not needed.
- Application Experience – collects the information about program compatibility with Windows 7 and warns users about this.
- HomeGroup Provider – if you don't use a homegroup in your local network, then you don't need this service.
- Function Discovery Resource Publication – can be turned off if you don't have local network and you are not going to provide a common access to your resources.
- Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service – common access to Windows Media resources.
- Diagnostic Policy Service – diagnosing problems is usually useless, but beginner can leave this service as it is.
- Themes – if you have a classical theme then this service is useless.
- Windows Modules Installer – disable the installation of updates.
- Windows Firewall – protection from unwanted connections from the network.
- Security Center – can be turned off, this service shows notifications which are not needed for advanced users.
- Windows Update – also can be turned off.
As a result of system optimization on the test computer, the memory usage decreased by 62 MB (338 MB instead of 400 MB), and time of OS loading was reduced by 10 seconds, also processor load was reduced.
