Most of the Windows users with the passage of the weeks, using the computer normally, after having installed some programs and surfed on the internet, they can notice how the operating system becomes bigger (or fat) and how each operation seems to take longer time for execution. The solution to this natural problem is to do maintenance and remove what is not needed, therefore trying to improve performance by lightening Windows.
This time the discussion is overall so it is not simply a matter of using the usual automatic optimization tool (like a Ccleaner) but just going to look for those superfluous components that can be removed from Windows and that are almost never used.
The goal of lightening Windows 7, whatever version it is, can be summarized in 8 points .
READ ALSO: How to lighten Windows 10 by eliminating the pre-installed apps
1) Remove Windows accessories that you don't need .
Windows is a mass operating system and is used by 95% of the world's population.
For this reason, it integrates a series of processes and tools to do things that most people don't need (even if some are really interesting: see the best Windows 7 accessories)
In some cases Windows makes it easy to activate and also to deactivate and remove some of these internal tools and programs so as to lighten the system.
Just go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features (or program installation ) and click on the link on the left " Activating or deactivating Windows features ".
If you have administrator privileges, you can disable some components which are generally not used.
For example, they could be disabled:
- In multimedia features, Windows DVD Maker can be useless (never seen used by someone) if you already use another program to burn DVDs and, above all, Windows Media Center can be uninstalled if you do not plan to connect the PC to the TV ( see here how to remove Windows Media Center and uninstall it from Windows 7 if it is not needed), I would always leave Windows Media Player but those who use different video players (or if they install Klite codecs with VLC), can also choose to delete it.
- Tablet PC components is useless even if it installs the Windows Journal program to write freehand on the screen.
- Windows Gadget Platform may be disabled if you don't use desktop gadgets (in Windows 8 they will no longer exist).
- XPS Viewer and XPS services can be removed because nobody uses XPS files (see here how to read and create XPS files and convert them to PDF).
- The Games, I think are quite useless.
If you want to take extreme, you could also decide to uninstall Internet Explorer even if, personally, even if I don't use it, I think it is always essential to open those old sites and those Windows applications that do not work with other browsers (such as Windows Live Mesh).
In this regard, I remember an old article on Windows Lite, XPLite and nLite, of the programs that allow you to remove even the theoretically non-eliminable features of Windows.
2) Uninstall old programs
On Windows 7, in the program installation window, you can sort the list by "Last use".
You have to right click on the column header, press on Other and then choose to include Last used.
This way you can actually check which programs you never use and, therefore, remove them.
In another article I also listed the best tools to uninstall programs completely without leaving traces and recommended to use the Slim Computer tool to find and remove unnecessary programs that slow down the computer .
I would add, for those who want a nice clean and snappy pc, that you could also use a more powerful program manager such as Comodo Programs Manager .
This tool allows you to monitor all installations, noting all the changes made to the system by these installed software, so that they can be easily restored after an uninstallation. This happens all the time, in the background, and does not require user intervention.
For monitored installations, installable packages can be created so as to save all the customized settings and find them in a subsequent installation.
Comodo Programs Manager does a constant and automatic monitoring so those who install and uninstall many programs every day, may find it useful to keep the system light.
3) Disable unnecessary services
Services are programs that run in the background on Windows to perform some system functionality.
Going to the Start menu you can write services.msc on the search box or on Run, to open the configuration window of the services
In another article, I indicated the services that can be disabled from the automatic start of Windows but, for those who do not trust, there is an automatic program that, based on the personal way of using the PC, automatically disables unnecessary services in Windows 7 and Vista.
4) Optimize the boot time
Anyone who owns a decent PC, which is not older than 4 years ago and with sufficient RAM memory, should use the Soluto program to turn on the PC quickly by monitoring Windows startup .
I have already talked about this program and I want to point it out again as I believe it is among the best tools for Windows and among those indispensable for having a fast and light PC.
Very briefly, Soluto goes to check the programs that start when the computer is turned on and allows, from a comfortable and intuitive interface, to disable them or to delay their execution.
Soluto can also be configured in such a way that, after starting the computer, it closes so as not to occupy resources during the day.
For example, you can remove programs that do not need to be started at boot such as Google Update, iTunes, Real Player, Office Groove etc.
Soluto shows, at each startup, how long it took the PC to turn on and how much was saved after removing or delaying some items from startup.
If you prefer manual solutions, check the article on slow boot causes on Windows.
5) Needless to say , maintenance programs are indispensable for keeping Windows light and fast.
Of these I have spoken several times so I refer to the post on programs to optimize the PC and speed up system performance such as IOBIt Advanced System Care, Glary Utilities or the latest addition, Kingsoft PC Doctor to treat Windows .
Those who want a more advanced program by spending money, can instead buy TuneUP or System Mechanic which, I believe is, today, the best.
Basically, there are 4 maintenance operations on the Windows system:
- Clean the registry by removing incorrect references (see Ccleaner or other alternative programs)
- Defragment and clean the hard disk.
- Remove unwanted files (temporary, cache etc.).
- Basic malware scan using programs like Malware Bytes.
6) Delete the bigger files if unnecessary .
Large files of 1 GB or more can reduce computer performance as they fragment the hard disk.
To store big files like movies, perhaps in high definition or video game installations, it is better to use an external hard disk and not the main hard disk where Windows is also installed.
Refer to this guide to search for large files and check disk space.
7) The computer, during its use, creates the restore points that are used to go back to restore the system configuration if the PC does not work today while yesterday was fine.
If desired, you can manage Windows restore points by deciding what to include in them and when to create them.
Too many restore points can cause your computer to slow down, so much so that Microsoft recently released a hotfix to fix this problem.
8) Create a virtual machine for testing
Assuming you have reached a decent level of cleanliness and having lightened Windows by removing the things you don't need, the next step may be to prevent dirt from coming back.
For this, you can test any program in a virtual machine, before putting it on the main PC.
To create a virtual machine you need to use a program like VirtualBox and then install a new operating system from scratch, as if you were using another separate computer.
If you have followed these tips, if you have used the programs indicated or if you have used others, let them know how you have managed to increase system performance and keep Windows light and fast.
