SPEEDING UP "WINDOWS 7"

EXECUTIVE-LEVEL "BIG PICTURE" SUMMARY:

If you are running "Windows 7" in an older computer with only 2 Gigabytes of RAM or even less RAM, you will find "Windows 7" to be very, very slow unless you use all of the tweaks in this document. If you have 3 or more Gigabytes and have a later model computer, you can still get more work done with "Windows 7" if you implement some or all of the tweaks in this document. For any computer that runs "Windows 7", these speed-up tweaks free up RAM and CPU cycles so that your software applications including your memory-resident "always on" virus/malware checker has more RAM and CPU cycles to do their work faster and more efficiently.

TWEAK THE NETWORK STACK FOR A BIG PERFORMANCE GAIN

"Windows 7" by default comes with both "IP version 4" and "IP version 6" automatically started and running all the time. You have to have "IP version 4" in order to use the Internet such as viewing Web sites with a Web browser.

However, (at the present time) "IP version 6" is only required if you are sharing a "Homegroup" with other "Windows 7" computes on your local area network. If you are not using a "Homegroup", you can turn off "IP version 6" to speed up your "Windows 7" computer as follows:

Click on the "Start" button.

Click on "Control Panel".

Click on "Network and Internet", if there is such an icon.

Click on "Network and Sharing Center".

Click on "Change adapter settings" (near the upper right -hand corner).

Use the RIGHT mouse button to click on your active network connection.

It might be a wired network adapter or a wireless network adapter:

Click on "Properties" on the popup context menu.

A "..properties" box will be displayed:

If there is a checkmark to the left of "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCS/IPv6)",

click on it to remove the checkmark:

Then, click on the "OK" button.

"Windows 7" often has both the wireless "WLAN AutoConfig" and the "Wired AutoConfig" running all the time.

An even bigger performance boost for "Windows 7" can be obtained by doing one (but not both) of the following tweaks:

If your computer has a wired network connection, turn off the "WLAN AutoConfig" service.

If your computer has a wireless network connection, turn off the "Wired AutoConfig" service.

Let's look at the steps for each of these procedures:

If your computer has a wired network connection, turn off the "WLAN AutoConfig" service:

Click on the Windows "Start" button.

Type in

services.msc

in the "Search all programs and files" box.

Press the <Enter> key of the keyboard:

Use the RIGHT mouse button to perform a click on "WLAN AutoConfig".

Click on "Stop" on the popup context menu.

Use the RIGHT mouse button to perform a click on "WLAN AutoConfig" again.

Click on "Properties" on the popup context menu.

A "..properties" dialog box will be displayed.

Use the drop-down list box to change the "Startup type" from "Automatic" to

"Disabled".

Click on the "Apply".

If your computer has a wireless network connection, turn off the "Wired AutoConfig" service:

Click on the Windows "Start" button.

Type in

services.msc

in the "Search all programs and files" box.

Press the <Enter> key of the keyboard.

Use the RIGHT button of your mouse to click on "Wired AutoConfig".

Click on "Stop".

Use the RIGHT mouse button to click on "Wired AutoConfig" again:

Click on "Properties".

Change the "Startup type" from "Automatic" to "Disabled:

Click on the "Apply" button.

The "..Properties" box will disappear.

CUSTOMIZE "VISUAL EFFECTS" FOR A BIG PERFORMANCE GAIN

Customize "Visual Effects" using the recommendations at

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1160391&seqNum=2

and

http://noobguides.blogspot.com/2009/12/reduce-visual-effects-and-animations-in.html

CUSTOMIZE THE WINDOWS SWAP FILE

If you have 1 gigabytes or more of RAM, adjust "Virtual Memory" for a "Custom size" with an "Initial size" and a "Maximum size" both to about 2.5 times the size of your total RAM plus or minus 500 Megabytes. Most 32-bit Windows Vista computers will limit your "Initial size" and "Maximum size" to 4095 Megabytes. If you do not have time to experiment with different ..size settings, just set both the "Initial size" and "Maximum size" to 4095 Megabytes for now.

See

http://www.itechtalk.com/thread3588.html

and

http://searchsystemschannel.techtarget.com/generic/0,295582,sid99_gci1366682,00.html#

for some screen shots and additional advice.

If you have less than 1 gigabytes of RAM, adjust "Virtual Memory" for a "custom size" with an "Initial size" and a "Maximum size" both to about 4095 Megabytes (~4 Gigabytes) minus the size of your total RAM (plus or minus 500 Megabytes).

For more details on fine-tuning your swap file to meet your specific needs, Ken Blake recommends that you follow the advice that was written by the late Alex Nichol. Nichol's excellent advice is located at

http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php

TURN OFF MEMORY RESIDENT SERVICES FOR A BIG PERFORMANCE GAIN

Click on <Start>, Click on <Run>, Type in

services.msc

Click on <Okay>.

Then follow the instructions at

http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/how-to-start-or-disable-services-in-windows-7/

and

http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/servicecfg.htm

and

http://www.techknowl.com/2009/03/disable-unwanted-services-and-speed-up.html

and

http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/How-To-Enable-Or-Disable-Services-In-Windows-7/806854

Reduce menushowdelay value:

See

http://www.bytetips.com/page/87/

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/731-menu-show-delay-time.html

DO NOT TURN OFF OR DISABLE "POWER" IN THE "SERVICES.MSC" WINDOW

The "Power" service has to be running and automatic in order for the "Windows Audio" service" to run.

DO NOT DISABLE "VOLUME SHADOW COPY" SERVICE IN THE "SERVICES.MSC" WINDOW

The "Volume Shadow Copy" service is required by backup software such as "Acronis True Image Home.." and "Macrium Reflect Free". The "Volume Shadow Copy" service is required for "Windows Anytime Upgrade".

PERFORM ADDITIONAL TWEAKS

Perform additional tweaks described at

http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/supertweaks.htm

and

http://www.tweakhound.com/windows7/tweaking/index.html

and

http://www.pcworld.com/article/172351/optimize_your_windows_7_pc.html

and

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63273

and

http://www.appscout.com/2009/03/what_can_you_turn_off_in_windo.php

and

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/09/05/disable-and-turn-off-homegroup-services-to-hide-or-remove-home-group-from-windows-7-explorer/

To turn on "Aero Peak" in Windows 7, see

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/01/13/how-to-turn-on-and-enable-aero-in-windows-7-enable-aero-peek/

To optimize Windows 7 for a netbook, see

http://snowulf.com/archives/637-Optimizing-Windows-7-for-Netbooks.html