Whatever Windows version has not been installed on the computer, the user will want to configure it to get the best performance. This question is especially acute for owners of weak hardware, which requires maximum free resources for stable operation.
Therefore, tuning Windows 10 for maximum performance is a great priority for them when purchasing new components such as a processor or video card.
Disk Defragmenter
When a large number of files are added to the hard drive, information is written not sequentially, but in fragments on different parts of the disk surface. In this case, fragmentation appears, and during a request for data, the computer takes longer to process them, because it needs to put all the "pieces" together. Defragment your disk to minimize these situations. This is done with standard utilities.
Good to know! In Windows 10, disk defragmentation is performed automatically once a week at a set time. But you can start this process after adding a lot of information to the computer in order to optimize the disk.
Important! In the "Disk Optimization" window you can enable / disable and configure automatic defragmentation.
Optimization of startup
In many programs, when they are installed on a computer, the function is enabled during system startup. They may not be used by the user, but, working in the background, they take away the resources of the computer, so its work slows down. Apps that you don't use should be disabled or completely removed from your computer if you don't need them.
Alternative options for disabling programs at startup can be seen in the video.
Disable unnecessary services
Just like startup programs, some windows services 10 load the computer resources, which leads to slowdowns. Disabling them will increase system performance.
- In the Run window enter the command services.msc.Alternative option: Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Services or open System configuration (in the Run window, enter msconfig) and go to the Services tab.
- RMB> Properties> Startup Type> Disabled.
- When using the Computer Configuration utility, uncheck the required services and save the changes.
- Reboot your computer.
Video
Watch the video to learn more about which Windows 10 services you can disable and how to do it.
Customizing visual effects
In Windows 10, a lot of PC resources are used to create visual interface effects. Disabling some performance parameters (visual effects) will increase the speed of older computers. But on modern gaming PCs, they will have less of an effect.
Disable adapting windows and the taskbar to the color of the desktop background, as well as Windows animations.
Indexing speeds up the search for files that are stored on your computer. But this function constantly scans them, monitors changes, so it uses system resources.
Important! You should disable indexing only when you are not using search on your computer.
Driver setup
One of the problems of slow performance of Windows 10, encountered by a large number of users, is non-original or outdated drivers. This problem is especially relevant for a video card. Look at the driver vendor and their version in Device Manager.
Clearing the Temp folder
The Temp folder in Windows 10 is used to store temporary and intermediate files created by the system and programs. Therefore, to speed up your computer, clean it:
An alternative way is to use the built-in Disk Cleanup utility.
Power settings
By default, Windows 10 sets to Balanced Power Mode, which slows down the processor speed if the device is idle or does not require maximum hardware performance. To speed up your work, put your computer into a "High Performance" power mode.
Cleaning from viruses and malware
If, after performing the above steps, the PC still slows down, and you do not understand why this is happening, viruses or malware are most likely the cause. Check Windows 10 with antivirus programs like DrWEB Cureit or Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
Output
Optimizing the performance of your Windows computer can help speed it up. To do this, you need to disable all visual effects, remove viruses, and also change the PC settings: disable indexing and some services, update drivers.
Introductory: the article was originally written about how to speed up your computer directly based on 10-tokens and tags about 7/8 were added later, so some of the nuances and points, within the framework of Windows 7/8, may be missing (this is normal) and should be skipped and / or performed through the appropriate tools for Win 7/8 (for example, control panel).
All the good time of the day and all that stuff.
With the release of a new operating system, traditionally, I receive tons of messages of a very different nature. Most of them, of course, concern solving various kinds of problems, but they also write relatively many questions about tuning, optimization, etc.
Today I would like to tell you with one article about basic setting and optimizing what is necessary, which I always do first of all on new system after installation (or already on the "filthy" operating system from the user). Of course, not everything will be told, but a lot, and this is what will allow you to understand how to speed up a Windows-based computer.
In general, I was going to write this material with the release of 7th, but somehow my hands did not reach a large article, and therefore there was a large cycle of small notes, each of which talked about some small aspect. Now it has been decided to correct this misunderstanding.
By the way, for several systems, in general, from the point of view of tuning and optimization, not much has changed, and therefore you can safely apply the following to Windows 7 and Windows 8, and use some principles on older systems.
Let's get started.
How to speed up a computer on Windows 10 and 7/8 - interface
I will show and tell using the example of the interface and Windows systems 10, but those who wish can easily apply all this to 7 or 8, since everything is identical with rare exceptions and the problem may be only slight differences in the interface and the absence of what needs to be optimized.
Disable background programs and services
Open the Windows settings (in relation to 10-tk basically) by the start method and by clicking the corresponding icon or setting (they are the same parameters, that is, not the control panel):
There, turn into " Confidentiality -Background applications", where either disable all background applications altogether, or most of those that you do not need. Usually their work in the background is not required, but sometimes they eat up resources:
Internet connection and ping can be optimized.
And search for the rest by tag.
In a nutshell, perhaps something like this.
Let's move on to the afterword.
Afterword
As I said, in fact, these are far from all the settings, but there is a certain necessary basis that will make your communication with the system faster, more convenient and even in places stable, that is, the question of how to speed up your computer will no longer arise.
As always, if you have any questions, thoughts, additions and all that stuff, then welcome to the comments on this post.
If you trust your computer so that someone else can work on it for a while, then it is better to disable the Control Panel and Application Settings in Windows 10 OS on the PC. Control Panel and App Settings are the two main interfaces where all the default settings in Windows 10 are located operating system and they can be changed and confused as well. Thus, it is recommended to disable all settings when you allow any user to work on your PC.
Application settings in Windows 10 actually means that you have replaced the traditional control panel with dependencies, and thus most of the functions and settings by default in the control panel are enabled in the Settings application in Windows 10. If you have configured the Control Panel or application settings as more interesting for you at the same time it will depend on who is using the system.
Therefore, in order to protect your system from such intrusions, we could consider several simple ways so you know how to disable and enable system settings according to your needs.
Method 1: enable or disable settings via the registry
Just like Group Policy, and if you have Windows 10 Home installed, windows registry can help you enable or disable system settings to trigger specific changes. But, before editing it, we recommend that you create a backup of the registry, as it can be fatal if something goes wrong with modifying the registry. The method is described below in simple steps:
Step 1. type Regedit.exe into the Start Menu / Taskbar Search Box to open the Registry Editor. Click “Yes” if a confirmation screen appears account User.
Step 2. After the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the next section:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
Step 3. If there is no “explorer key”, then right-click on the “Policy” button. Click the "New" button and then "key" and enter the name of the new key as a guide.
Step 4. On the right side of the panel, right-click on an empty space. Select “New” and then “DWORD (32-bit) value”. Rename the new setpoint as “NoControlPanel”.
Step 5. Once you have done this, double click on “NoControlPanel” and set the value to 0 to disable the Control Panel and application settings altogether. You can enable them again by changing the value from 0 to 1.
Method 2: enable or disable settings via Group Policy
The Local Group Policy Editor is a function with which you can manage and edit the local policies that are stored on your system, and here we wanted to use it to enable and disable settings in Windows 10. Although it is a little risky if you are not adept and you have difficulties with your system, so be careful when working with the Local Group Policy Editor. Otherwise, it can lead to fatal changes in your system.
The method is executed like this:
Step 1. You need to type gpedit.msc in the search box and press “Enter” to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2... Click on the User Configuration tab on the left side of the group list.
Step 3. Select “Administrative Templates” from the context menu and then click on the “Control Panel” button.
Step 4. Now, you can see several names with entries on the right side of the panel.
Step 5. Look for a policy called “Deny access to control panel and PC settings”.
Step 6. Double click on “Deny access to control panel and PC settings” for the login policy and after that you will see the “properties” dialog box.
Step 7. From the next "Properties" window; select the option “” Enable Disable Settings in Windows 10.
Step 8. After selecting an option, click on the “apply” button to save the changes.
So, from now on, no random user will be able to open your settings without your permission, so your system will be safe.
Note: if you want to enable the settings again, select the “disable” option so that the settings appear again.
Method 3: turn it on or off using the Control Panel
If you don't want to go through the hassle of editing the registry and group policy to disable or enable system settings, there are two registry tricks that can be used alternatively to disable and enable system settings such as a third party program.
Of the two files, one hack disables access to the control panel, and the other hack will allow you to gain access. The two registry files will be compressed into a zip file that can be downloaded from the Internet.
Enable or disable the use of Windows
Read the instructions below to know how to make them work:
Step 1. Download from Windows Internet Control Panel Hacks, which is actually a zip file containing two files.
Step 2. Click on the zip file and there you will see two files, one for disabling access and the other for accessing the control panel.
Select the file according to your needs and your settings will be restricted from opening without your permission.
Output:
Most of the Control Panel and App Settings have been included with Windows 10 lately to make the user experience more comfortable. Since the regular access control panel is a little confusing, changing the app settings in Windows 10 shows the settings and built-in functions with a clear difference, and you can easily choose the options.
Thus, the methods described in this article will undoubtedly help you to disable and enable the system settings as per your requirement to ensure security against misuse and operation of the system.
Windows Explorer improvements
Universal and built-in applications. New Windows Store
What features do we lose when we move to Windows 10?
Application "Parameters"
Tablet mode, Aero Snap and other improvements
Microsoft Edge
If you used the "Settings" application in Windows 8 and 8.1, then you are familiar with its main problem - you open the application, understand that the necessary functions are not presented and you are safely sent to the Control Panel.
Indeed, the Control Panel remains in Windows 10, and if you are an advanced user, you will use this tool from time to time. However, most regular users will never use the panel's services.
The "Settings" application has become a more comprehensive and functional solution with a logical arrangement of individual controls.
In early preview builds of Windows 10, it seemed like the Control Panel would continue to dominate system tweaks, but things changed very quickly - now Settings contains everything you need in 9 different sections.
While constantly testing the new OS, the techradar.pro expert last used the Control Panel in March. This indicates a rare need to look there to solve any configuration issue, now all this is conveniently done using the "Parameters" application.
There are a few things left that will require the Control Panel, for example, to reset the network adapter settings - but you must admit that these manipulations do not have to be performed often.
Each category in "Options" contains subcategories with concise names. The application is not as intuitive as the Control Panel, but the user can always find what he needs. There has been a rather significant breakthrough compared to a similar tool in Windows 8 and 8.1.
English-speaking users will not be able to simply invoke the Settings app with voice assistant Cortana, but also select a specific subsection. Unlike Windows 8, search usually finds exactly the categories you want, not everything.
The ability to switch to a dark theme has been one of the most anticipated features in Windows. Indeed, with a lack of light, such a color scheme is less tiring for the eyes. Previously, it was possible to install a black interface background for the tenth version of the OS. But the developers listened to users and in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update they finally added a simple, official way.
Opening the section "Options" → "Personalization" → "Colors", you will see at the bottom of the item "Select the default application mode." If you activate the dark mode here, then the background Windows interface will partially switch to black. The same applies to some standard and third-party programs from the Windows store.
Separately, you can enable the dark theme in the Edge browser. To do this, click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the program window, then click "Options" and under the item "Select a theme" select "Dark".
By the way, if you prefer Google chrome, you can download the dark theme from the Google store and even install it.
Sitting at the computer in the dark, you could notice how quickly your eyes get tired. This is because at night the display becomes too bright for a room without sunlight.
Microsoft took care of this issue and added a special monitor color mode "" in the Windows 10 Creators Update. It can be configured in the section "Settings" → "System" → "Screen".
When this mode is active, the system changes the temperature of the colors so that they do not tire the eyes in a dark room.
As you use Windows, it accumulates residual files and other debris, which clogs HDD and slows down the OS. There are many third party utilities that solve these problems. But until recently, there was no standard solution.
After updating to Windows 10, the Creators Update appears on the system, which clears the device's memory. You can activate and configure it in the "Settings" → "System" → "Storage" section under the item "Memory control".
Windows 10 has a set of standard applications that you can use to work with music, videos, web pages and other files without third-party software. For each file type, the system defaults to one of these preinstalled programs (or warns that it is not supported). This is why, for example, when you click on a downloaded music track, Windows immediately plays it in Groove.
But if you want to replace the standard player, browser and other programs with third parties, it is most convenient to do this in a special section of settings. Go to Settings → Applications → Default Applications and select here the programs you installed that Windows should use by default for various tasks.
The password assigned to the Windows account protects personal data and user settings. This function will be relevant for you if unauthorized persons have physical access to the computer. Of course, if you try hard, this protection can be bypassed. But in most situations, it will be enough.
You can put it, remove it or reset it, if you suddenly forget, in the section "Options" → "Accounts" → "Login Options".
By default, when you start File Explorer in Windows 10, a window opens. quick access to frequently visited folders and last viewed files. Perhaps this option suits you entirely. But in previous versions OS "Explorer" immediately opened the section "This computer", and there are users who are used to it.
If you are one of them or it is just more convenient for you to see in the "Explorer" local drives, you can return old look... To do this, open "Explorer", click "View" → "Options" and in the item "Open Explorer for" select "This computer".
Windows has long allowed you to hide files and folders, making them invisible. Thus, it is convenient to hide directories with important contents, so as not to accidentally delete anything you need. You can make an object visible or hidden through context menu: just right-click on a folder or file, click on "Properties" and check or uncheck the box next to the item "Hidden".
In addition, for convenience, the system can display its extension at the end of the name of each file: .exe, .png, .docx, or a letter designation of any other format.
By default, Windows 10 does not show items that have been hidden by developers or the user, just like file extensions. But you may need to display them. For example, to get into a hidden folder or view the format of a photo.
To enable the display of hidden objects or file extensions, open "Explorer", click "View" and check the necessary items: "Hidden items" or "File name extensions".
Windows 10 displays notifications on the screen like a typical mobile OS. In order not to be distracted by anything unnecessary, you can configure them in the "Settings" → "System" → "Notifications and actions" section. Here you can choose what type of messages will be sent to the screen, and set the notification options separately for each application.
In this section, you can also choose buttons for quick actions that will appear on the notification panel. They allow, for example, to instantly activate night mode display, adjust its brightness, or add notes to OneNote.
Errors in the system or third-party software, as well as incorrect user actions, may cause Windows to malfunction.
Fortunately, there is a mechanism that returns the OS to its normal state. This is a recovery service. It creates a copy of important system components every time you update Windows, a driver, or install new program, and saves it to your hard drive. In most cases, you will be able to restore normal system operation from such backups (restore points).
To go to the service settings, type in Windows search"Recovery", click on the result and click on the "System recovery settings" window that opens.
Once on the "System Protection" tab, select your system disk(usually this is drive C), then click on the "Configure" button and enable system protection. After that, specify the amount of disk space that will be allocated for storing backups. The more space, the more restore points you will have at your disposal. When it ends, the new points will replace the old ones. After all, click OK.
Now, if the need arises, you can return to the "System Protection" tab. To do this, there is a "Restore" button here.
But keep in mind that backups contain incomplete windows image, but only important system files.
10. Screen Calibration
Windows has a built-in display calibrator that you can use to improve color reproduction. The program will display simple step by step instructions... Having done everything as she tells you, you are in the optimal way. No special knowledge is required for this.
To start the calibrator, type the word "calibration" in the system search and click on the found item. Then follow the prompts of the system.
11. Action log settings
The Windows 10 April 2018 Update added the Activity Log feature to the system. With its help, you can at any time see what documents and web pages you have interacted with in the last days, and return to work on them. Moreover, the log can display actions not only from the current computer, but also from all other devices connected to your Microsoft account.
To customize your activity history, go to Start → Settings → Privacy → Activity Log. Check the box "Allow Windows to collect actions from this computer" if it was not enabled by default. Then select the checkbox "Let Windows sync my activities from this computer to the cloud" if you want information about the current computer to appear on other devices connected to it.
When done, click on the icon next to the Start icon on the taskbar. A timeline will appear where you can see previously opened documents.
12. System update options
Windows can get bored with offers to upgrade at the most inopportune moment. And sometimes it restarts the computer when you are not expecting it at all. To insure yourself against such cases, set up the so-called "Active period". This is the time of day during which you usually work at the computer. Windows will not update during the specified hours.
To configure the "Active period", open the section "Start" → "Settings" → "Center Windows updates"And click" Change active period ". Specify the work schedule at the computer and save the changes.
