Maximize Windows 7 Performance
Windows 7 is a good blend of performance and eye-candy. Out of the box, on a reasonably current machine, Windows 7 performs well but for those who want to squeeze a bit more performance out of it, it is still possible to do so.
1. You can start by not having the sidebar load when Windows starts up. The sidebar uses up memory and also increases the startup timing of the system. You can remove it when you do a right-click on the sidebar, choose “Properties” and then untick “Start sidebar when Windows starts”. This will prevent Windows from loading the sidebar by default.
2. If you can, consider adding more RAM into your computer. When you install more RAM (or memory), Windows will run much faster because it can perform its tasks without first needing to swap other stuff into the hard disk before performing the current task. Adding RAM can be rather expensive though, depending on which RAM specifications your computer takes.
3. The Aero theme, which gives Windows 7 its spiffy look, is also a resource-hungry creature. If you don’t mind choosing another theme, you can experience an increase in responsiveness. While changing the theme, you may also want to consider unticking the “Enable Transparency” option.
4. Run the Windows 7 Defragmenter. What it does is to consolidate all your files that may have been written all over your hard disk. This consolidation reduces the time the computer needs to hunt around for bits and pieces of files and programs, and results in faster loading times generally.
5. Make sure your Windows registry is performing at an optimal state and that there are no errors in it. The Windows registry is one of the most common causes of slowdowns and other problems. With the use of a good registry cleaner software, the registry can have all its errors fixed and optimization performed. This results in better stability as well as an improvement in performance.
