How to Boost Performance on Windows? - Free Online Tutorial

In this Topic, we are going to see what are the ways we can boost our system performance and what are the major causes of loosing performance in our windows computer.

1. Disk Defragmentation... (While using Hard Disk Drive, not for SSD)

Disk defragmentation is the process of consolidating fragmented data on a volume (such as a hard disk or a storage device) so it will work more efficiently.

Fragmentation happens to a volume over time as you save, change, or delete files. The changes that you save to a file are often stored in a different place on the volume than the original file. This doesn't change where the file appears in Windows—only where the bits of information that make up the file are stored on the actual volume. Over time, both the file and the volume itself become fragmented, and your computer slows down as it has to look in different places to open a single file.

Disk Defragmenter is a tool that rearranges the data on your volume and reunites fragmented data so your computer can run more efficiently. In this version of Windows, Disk Defragmenter runs on a schedule so you don't have to remember to run it, although you can still run it manually or change the schedule it uses.

So, while saving a data to your Hard Drive, your file will be written in the free space and the task will be maintained by the file system. But if there is no continuous free space on your system and the space is scattered around the disk, your file will be saved on the gaps as many parts. while reading these parts, your disk head must move to all the parts which causes mechanical delay which cannot be tolerated at all.

To avoid this issue, we need frequently to defragment our system drive at least (C:\).

To do this, go to My Computer, right click on your C: Drive, click Properties, open Tools Tab, click on Defragment/Optimize, select C: Drive and click Defragment/Optimize.

Or, type dfrg.msc in Run and hit enter (Type dfrgui for Win7 and later).

2. Startup Programs...

Startups are the programs/applications which automatically start at the system startup.

We strongly recommend you to remove unnecessary programs from startup to boost startup and running performance of your pc.

You can improve your computer's performance by preventing unnecessary programs from running automatically when Windows starts.

To do this, you have to open registry editor and find the startup area there. But we do not recommend you to do this directly on registry. But, you can use free software tools like CCleaner from Piriform (Click here to Download).

AutoRuns for Windows is a free tool you can download from the Microsoft website that shows you all of the programs and processes that run when you start Windows. You can stop a program from running automatically when Windows starts by opening the AutoRuns for Windows program, and then by clearing the check box next to the name of the program you want to stop. AutoRuns for Windows is designed for advanced users.

Now, we do it with the help of CCleaner...

Open CCleaner, go to Tools, Startup, then Disable or Delete unwanted startup programs.

3. Registry Issues...

While installing most applications, they register their files and libraries on to the windows registry and most of them are not removing those registry entries while uninstalling the application.

So, these unwanted registry entries cause other applications to unnecessarily load these empty entries which causes major delay while doing many internal operations. To avoid this, we have to clean those entries from the registry. We cannot directly do this on registry editor. We need a third party applications like CCleaner. 

What Is a Registry Cleaner?

If you own a Windows PC, you'll be used to performing some basic maintenance tasks to keep it running smoothly and prevent problems with applications or files. Most of us regularly update our virus definitions, empty the Recycle Bin and so on.

When it comes to PC maintenance, a Registry Cleaner should also be part of your toolkit. Its purpose is to keep your Windows Registry tidy, efficient and help applications to run without a hitch.

But What's the Registry?

Think of the Registry as a database. On every Windows PC, the Registry stores preferences and settings for applications and the Windows operating system itself.

Windows does a good job of keeping the registry up-to-date, but doesn't tidy up after itself very well. Over time, as you install and uninstall applications, the registry can become littered with old entries. These can cause error messages and slow the computer down. If you want ensure that your PC functions correctly, and remains fast, you'll need to clean it up.

Malware

Malicious applications (malware) can also cause Registry problems. Even when the software has been removed, the remnants of that application may remain - causing error messages and slow downs. Cleaning the Registry can help to remove all this left over data.

Identity Theft

Many applications save data in the Registry, this may include personal information, such as your email address or passwords. After removing the application, some of this data may remain - creating a security risk! Cleaning the Registry will remove this left over personal data and help prevent data theft should someone get access to your computer.

Can I edit the Registry myself?

Technically, you can edit the Windows Registry 'by hand'. But there are two key reasons not to:

It's really easy to change the wrong setting

If you make a mistake, the consequences might be quite severe. (For example, your PC might refuse to start)

That's why Registry Cleaners exist - To do the job for you!

Benefits of Registry Cleaner Software

Once your Registry has been cleaned up, you will likely notice a performance boost and any error messages you saw whilst using your computer previously will be gone.

The Registry Cleaner will remove entries for non-existent applications, and it'll also fix invalid or corrupted entries. You'll probably find your computer starts much more quickly too!

CCleaner as a Registry Cleaner

The great news is that CCleaner contains one of the most used and respected Registry Cleaners on the market today. We encourage you to download and try it out, we know you'll like the results!

Open CCleaner, go to Registry, click Scan for Issues, click Fix Selected Issues, click Fix All Selected Issues. Done...

4. Temp & Prefetch...

Cleaning Temp folder and Prefetch folder will not show considerable difference in performance. But they free up some space on disk...

Temporary files, or foo files (.TMP), are files created to temporarily contain information while a new file is being made. It may be created by computer programs for a variety of purposes; principally when a program cannot allocate enough memory for its tasks, when the program is working on data bigger than the architecture's address space, or as a primitive form of inter-process communication.

Most operating systems offer primitives such as pipes, sockets or shared memory to pass data among programs, but often the simplest way (especially for programs that follow the Unix philosophy) is to write data into a temporary file and inform the receiving program of the location of the temporary file.

Some programs create temporary files and then leave them behind - they do not delete them. This can happen because the program crashed or the developer of the program simply forgot to add the code needed to delete the temporary files after the program is done with them. The temporary files left behind can accumulate over time and consume a lot of disk space.

Temporary files may be deleted manually. Operating systems may clear out the temporary directory on a reboot, and they may have "cleaner" scripts that remove files if they have not been accessed in a certain amount of time. Also, memory-based systems, such as tmpfs, inherently do not preserve files across a reboot.

What are Prefetch Files?

Prefetch files are great artifacts for forensic investigators trying to analyze applications that have been run on a system. Windows creates a prefetch file when an application is run from a particular location for the very first time. This is used to help speed up the loading of applications. For investigators, these files contain some valuable data on a user’s application history on a computer.

Why are Prefetch Files Important to Your Digital Forensics Investigation?

Evidence of program execution can be a valuable resource for forensic investigators. They can prove that a suspect ran a program like CCleaner to cover up any potential wrongdoing. If the program has since been deleted, a prefetch file may still exist on the system to provide evidence of execution. Another valuable use for prefetch files is in malware investigations which can assist examiners in determining when a malicious program was run. Combining this with some basic timeline analysis, investigators can identify any additional malicious files that were downloaded or created on the system, and help determine the root cause of an incident.

Each time you turn on your computer, Windows keeps track of the way your computer starts and which programs you commonly open. Windows saves this information as a number of small files in the prefetch folder. The next time you turn on your computer, Windows refers to these files to help speed the start process.

The prefetch folder is a subfolder of the Windows system folder. The prefetch folder is self-maintaining, and there's no need to delete it or empty its contents. If you empty the folder, Windows and your programs will take longer to open the next time you turn on your computer.