There are many reasons why a computer starts to become slower but, among these, two are the main ones: the exhaustion of RAM memory and the use of the processor . As for the processor, usually the problem lies in badly made programs, occasional errors or viruses. You can always use programs that balance processes and CPU usage but, in general, when you open the task manager and you see a process that uses the CPU with thresholds above 50%, it is better to terminate it and, if the problem persists, delete the program that starts that process from the computer.
The RAM problem, on the other hand, is more delicate because, in general, it actually depends on the computer, how much memory is mounted inside it and how many programs run simultaneously in the background. When the processor is used 100%, there are several solutions to unlock Windows if the computer crashes. On the other hand, when RAM runs out, the PC does not freeze but slows down terribly, there is a continuous load on the hard disk.
It is therefore worth keeping an eye on the situation of how RAM is used, analyzing the active processes, identifying if the memory is wasted and, if necessary, freeing it for more important things.
To free up memory, as seen in other articles, you can use, for free, some programs that optimize the use of RAM automatically. However, they are useless and ineffective if you do not analyze the situation manually by checking how the system is using resources.
Process Hacker is an excellent program for this purpose (already mentioned in the article on how to improve the task manager and task management), free, portable (does not require installation) and that works on Windows 10 and Windows 7. After downloading the .zip archive, extract it to a folder and launch the processhacker.exe file (from the x86 or x64 folder).
The important part of Process Hacker is the processes tab which, similarly to the task manager, shows what is working on the computer, however providing more detailed information. By right clicking on the " Name " column, you can choose the information to be displayed, including Pvt. Memory, CPU and description .
" Pvt memory " stands for Private Memory and tells us, for each process, how much RAM is used . By double clicking on the " Pvt. Memory " column, you can sort the active processes based on how much memory they use, immediately identifying the most avid RAM ones. From the complete list, ordered by memory consumption, you will be able to see the useful programs, distinguishing them from those that are not needed and can be ended so as not to waste RAM.
By clicking on each individual process with the right mouse button or double clicking, you can access the properties tab which is divided into various sections.
For files called svchost.exe (and for other Windows system files) you can read the services that start that process. For these, from the Services tab, you can stop these services and try to see if the situation improves, without affecting the functionality of the computer.
After having found the superfluous programs, which do not need to remain always active, then you have to check if they are automatically executed when the computer starts .
For this purpose, you can use the Autoruns tool which avoids slow Windows startup or the internal MS Config tool.
Freeing up RAM also means better managing the programs installed and used on your computer. For example, plugins and browser extensions such as Internet Explorer 8, Firefox and Google Chrome make the internet load heavier and take up memory. Many tabs open at the same time take up more memory.
Large icons with photo preview, animated effects and tools to better manage Windows windows take up memory and slow down your computer.
Programs like iTunes, Nero, Adobe Acrobat Reader and others are heavy and can be replaced by lighter alternatives that do the same thing.
Each open Windows window takes up 5MB of additional Ram.
Disabling non-essential Windows services can also reduce RAM consumption, although you need to be especially careful here.
See, for such proposals, how to speed up your PC by disabling unnecessary services.
If you then keep your computer turned on 24 hours a day, it is advisable to restart it every so often so as to eliminate the consumption of RAM memory.
Finally, it is important to manage the paging file or virtual memory of the computer.
Applying these simple management rules can bring significant benefits in the loading speed of any program and can rejuvenate older computers . Since then, some programs persist to start automatically and without user permission, it is better to use tools like Process Hacker at least once every 10 days keeping under control the running processes.
