Some file systems work better than others for large disk partitions. Windows 7 should always use the NTFS file system for best performance.
Cleaning up the file system will also help speed performance. You can use the Disk Cleanup tool to:
Remove temporary Internet files.
Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
Empty the Recycle Bin.
Remove Windows temporary files such as error reports.
Remove optional Windows components you don’t use.
Remove installed programs you no longer use.
Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.
To run Disk Cleanup in Windows 7, click Start and type “Disk Cleanup” in the search box. Select the drive you want to clean up.
Another way to increase performance is by turning off some of the visual effects that make Windows 7 look cool but use valuable system resources. In Control Panel, click the System applet and in the left pane, click Advanced System Settings. Under Performance, click the Settings button and then the Visual Effects tab. Here, you can disable selected Aero effects or just click Adjust For Best Performance, as shown in Figure G, which disables them all.
Figure G
You can turn off selected (or all) visual effects to increase performance.
Cleaning up the file system will also help speed performance. You can use the Disk Cleanup tool to:
Remove temporary Internet files.
Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
Empty the Recycle Bin.
Remove Windows temporary files such as error reports.
Remove optional Windows components you don’t use.
Remove installed programs you no longer use.
Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.
To run Disk Cleanup in Windows 7, click Start and type “Disk Cleanup” in the search box. Select the drive you want to clean up.
Another way to increase performance is by turning off some of the visual effects that make Windows 7 look cool but use valuable system resources. In Control Panel, click the System applet and in the left pane, click Advanced System Settings. Under Performance, click the Settings button and then the Visual Effects tab. Here, you can disable selected Aero effects or just click Adjust For Best Performance, as shown in Figure G, which disables them all.
Figure G
Conclusion
When troubleshooting a system slowdown, you should always look for potential hardware problems first. Then, investigate the common software problems. If you use a systematic troubleshooting plan, you should be able to improve the performance of most computers suffering from system slowdown.
When troubleshooting a system slowdown, you should always look for potential hardware problems first. Then, investigate the common software problems. If you use a systematic troubleshooting plan, you should be able to improve the performance of most computers suffering from system slowdown.
