Every Windows user knows that immediately after installation, the system works quite fast, but over time a huge amount of garbage accumulates in it, the presence of which begins to slow down the OS to a fairly high degree. To speed up your computer, read the material below. The proposed methods are quite simple and do not require any special knowledge and skills from the user.
What determines the speed of a computer?
In general, for some reason, it is generally accepted that the performance of any computer system depends mainly on the “iron” components that are installed in it (processor, RAM, graphics card, etc.).
In part, this is indeed the case, but do not discount software components, which, in the process of interacting with installed equipment, can also play an important role.
How to check computer performance?
As for checking how your computer works, you can simply open the "Task Manager" and look at the performance tab. This will display information about the load in real time, including the use of the processor, RAM, network connection or access to the hard drive.
You can also look at computer speed through the properties of the terminal, where, as a rule, a performance assessment will be immediately shown. If it is not there, you can simply go to the system section, which is located in the "Control Panel" and set up the testing there. But keep in mind that the overall score is set at the lowest rating. That is, if you have a powerful processor and a huge amount of RAM on board, but an outdated hard drive, this does not mean that the system will work in the optimal mode for which it is designed.
Physical methods for increasing productivity
Of course, all novice users begin to look for the source of all ills precisely in the hardware. This is not always correct, although there is some sense in this. In relation to stationary terminals, it consists in the fact that over time a pile of dust accumulates in the system unit, which is why the contacts on the motherboard can be loose. In this case, it is recommended to simply clean the filling, using the most ordinary vacuum cleaner with the minimum suction mode on.
On the other hand, the speed of a computer, of course, can be increased by installing a new processor, adding memory strips, etc. But there is one nuance to consider: if, say, a new processor has no more than 30% performance compared to the old one, you will not get a tangible result no matter how hard you try. The same goes for memory bars. If you install the brackets of the wrong standard, especially if it is not supported by the motherboard itself, the effect will be zero.
Software Methods
But, despite all this, there are many ways to improve the speed of a computer using software methods, which many often simply forget about. So, in the list of everything that can be excluded when using Windows, you can take into account elements such as:
- autoload;
- unused or unnecessary system components;
- Drivers
- swap and hibernation files.
It is clear that this will free up space on the hard drive, but you should not forget about it yourself. It is recommended that at least once a month to check the system partition for errors, as well as defragment. Just this process allows you to move executable objects of frequently used programs or opened files to the fastest areas of the hard drive, after which access to them will be accelerated.
Disabling unnecessary startup items
But let's see how to increase the speed of a computer in a slightly different way. For those who do not know, it is worth saying that many system or user processes are able to start at the time the operating system itself starts, which causes an additional load on the resources, since all executable files or dynamic libraries affect the processor and RAM in one way or another.
In this case, it is recommended to use the msconfig tool, enter the system configurator, go to the startup tab and disable all the elements that are there (this applies to systems of versions seven and below). In the case of, say, with Windows 10, you must initially call the "Task Manager" and find the desired tab there.
Deactivating Unused Services
The speed of a computer with Windows 10 or another system may also be due to the fact that the system itself includes too many background applets by default, which simply load the processor and RAM, constantly being in an active state. For example, why keep the service and print manager turned on if you do not have a printer. Why do you need an activated Hyper-V module if you are not installing virtual machines?
The question of how to increase the speed of the computer, in this case, is solved by entering the programs and components section, where exactly in the Windows components all unnecessary services are disabled. After that, the system is restarted without fail.
Drivers
The drivers of all installed devices also play an important role, being a kind of bridge between them themselves, the operating system and programs that can access them during their work. Just due to the fact that device drivers will be up to date, computer performance may increase significantly. It’s clear that Windows doesn’t have such tools, and updating drivers through the same “Device Manager” is a bad thing. So isn’t it easier to use utilities specially designed for this?
One of these can be called Driver Booster. True, it requires that the user have an active Internet connection, but when downloading drivers and integrating them into the operating system, it only addresses the websites of developers or equipment manufacturers, which completely eliminates the penetration of viruses and malicious codes into the system.
Disable swap file
How to adjust computer speed by another method, it will be clear if you go into the system settings and see how much virtual memory is involved, which is nothing more than a place reserved on the hard disk where program components are unloaded when there is not enough RAM.
You can even ignore what the system offers. For example, if there are eight gigs, the swap file in automatic view has a volume of about one gig. In fact, virtual memory reserves for itself space in the system partition three to four times more. Therefore, do not be afraid to disable the use of virtual memory. At least, at the start of the programs, access will be made to the RAM, and not to the hard drive.
Disable hibernation
The hibernation file is the worm that devours system resources and free space in the system partition. The essence of his work is that when switching to the appropriate mode, a full copy of the RAM with all the processes and settings hanging in it is written to it. The more RAM, the more programs are launched when you switch to this mode (which is used by default in the latest versions of the system), the more space it takes up on your hard drive. To get rid of it, manual removal is not required. It is enough to call the command line with administrator rights and enter the combination powercfg -h off in it. Please note that the console may throw an error if you run it without administrator rights. If this happens, go to the System32 folder and open the executable file through RMB.
Optimization Programs
Finally, the question of how to speed up a computer may have another solution, which is to use software methods specifically designed for this.
Of course, in this case we are talking about optimizer applications, in which there are not only modules for cleaning the system of accumulated garbage, but also for fixing invalid registry keys, detecting unwanted software, and much more. For example, the Advanced SystemCare program for computer performance has several modules that can be turned on or off to quickly scan and fix problems. Of course, this is far from all that she is capable of. But such a program for computer speed has its advantages in that it allows you to select the necessary cleaning modules, and if necessary, even defragment the registry.