Improving Windows Performance IN DEPTH A+ Edition 8

4.

Restart the computer. Run the system for a while and see if performance improves.

2.

Scroll down to and click Windows 7 Basic and close the window.

These are following steps to manually remove software:

1. First try to locate and use an uninstall routine provided by the software. If this works, you are done and can skip the next steps. 2. Delete the program folders and files that hold the software. 3. Delete the registry entries used by the software. 4. Remove the entries in the Start menu and delete any shortcuts on the desktop. 5. Remove any entries that launch processes at startup.

To disable the Aero interface using Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Open the Personalization window and click Window Color. Then click Open classic appearance properties for more color options. The Appearance Settings box opens. 2. Under Color scheme, select Windows Vista Basic and click Apply. Close the dialog box and window.

9.

After running the system for a while, if the performance problem returns, you can dis- able the Windows Search service and leave it disabled. However, know that searching will not be as fast without indexing

3.

After the program or service is stopped, try to delete the program folder again. If you still cannot delete the folder, look for other running programs or services associated with the software.

10.

As a last step when editing the registry, clean up after yourself by deleting the Save Uninstall Key.reg file on your desktop. Right-click the icon and select Delete from the shortcut menu.

3.

As you research startup processes, Task Manager can tell you what processes are cur- rently running. Open Task Manager and select the Processes tab. If you see a process and want to know its program file location, click View and click Select Columns. In the Select Process Page Columns, check Image Path Name and click OK. The Image Path Name column is added

4.

Back up the Uninstall key to the Windows desktop so that you can backtrack, if necessary. To do that, right-click the Uninstall key and select Export from the shortcut menu

STEP 3: DELETE REGISTRY ENTRIES

Editing the registry can be dangerous, so do this with caution and be sure to back up first! Do the following to delete registry entries that cause a program to be listed as installed soft- ware in the Windows 7/Vista Programs and Features window or the XP Add or Remove Programs window of Control Panel:

1.

Find out if the indexing service is currently indexing the system. To do that, click Adjust indexing options in the left pane of the Performance and Information Tools window. (You can also enter Indexing Options in the search box.) The Indexing Options box appears (see Figure 11-52).

MANUALLY REMOVING SOFTWARE

Focus on getting rid of programs that refuse to uninstall or give errors when uninstalling. In these cases, you can manually uninstall a program. Doing so often causes problems later, so use the methods discussed in this section only as a last resort after normal uninstall methods have failed.

Registry Keys That Affect Startup And Logon Events

If a system is giving repeated startup errors or you have just removed several programs, you might want to search through registry keys where startup processes can be located.

6.

If performance does improve, it is possible that the problem was caused by a corrupted index database. To rebuild the database, first use the Services console to set the Windows Search service status back to Automatic (Delayed Start) and to start the service

5.

If performance does not improve, restart the indexing service. To do that, use the Services console to set the status of the Windows Search service to Automatic (Delayed Start) and start the service. Then move on to the next section of this chapter, Step 7: Plug Up Any Memory Leaks

9.

If the list of installed software is not correct, to restore the Uninstall registry key, double-click the Save Uninstall Key.reg icon on your desktop.

STEP 2: DELETE PROGRAM FILES

If the uninstall routine is missing or does not work, the next step is to delete the pro- gram folders and files that contain the software. Look for the program folder in one of these folders: C:\Program Files C:\Program Files (x86) In Figure 11-62, you can see the Registry Mechanic folder under the C:\Program Files (x86) folder. Keep in mind, however, the program files might be in another location that was set by the user when the software was installed. Delete the Registry Mechanic folder and all its contents.

2.

If you don't find the program on the Processes tab, check the Services tab. If you find it there, select it and click Services (see Figure 11-63). The Services console opens where you can stop the service. (Note in the figure the Registry Mechanic software by PC Tools is running under the PC Tools name.)

STEP 7: PLUG UP ANY MEMORY LEAKS

If you notice that performance slows after a system has been up and running without a restart for some time, suspect a memory leak. A memory leak is caused when an application does not properly release memory allocated to it that it no longer needs and continually requests more memory than it needs. To see how much memory an application has allocated to it that is not available to other programs, open Task Manager and click the Processes tab. In the menu bar, click View, Select Columns. Verify that the Memory Private Working Set, Handles, and Threads columns are checked and click OK. If you observe that the values in these three columns increase over time for a particular program, suspect the program has a memory leak.

2.

If you see Indexing speed is reduced due to user activity at the top of the box, wait while indexing is in progress and the status changes to Indexing complete. You can now stop the indexing service.

2.

If you want to find out if disabling a startup entry gives problems or improves per- formance, temporarily disable it using Msconfig. To permanently disable a startup item, it's best to uninstall the software or remove the entry from a startup folder. See Appendix G for a list of startup folders

5.

In the Export Registry File dialog box, select the Desktop. Enter the filename as Save Uninstall Key, and click Save. You should see a new file icon on your desktop named Save Uninstall Key.reg.

STEP 1: PERFORM ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

It might seem pretty mundane, but the first things you need to do to improve perform- ance of a sluggish Windows system are the routine maintenance tasks that you learned in Chapter 10. These tasks are summarized next:

3.

Locate a key that contains the entries that make up the list of installed software. Use this criteria to decide which key to locate: For a 32-bit program installed in a 32-bit OS or for a 64-bit program installed in a 64-bit OS, locate this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Uninstall For a 32-bit program installed in a 64-bit OS, locate this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Uninstall

1.

Look for the program file reported on the Processes tab of Task Manager. If you see it listed, end the process. The Command Line column can help you find the right program.

Verify critical Windows settings.

Make sure Windows updates are current. Verify that antivirus software is updated and set to routinely scan for viruses. Make sure the network connection is secured. If the system is experiencing a marked decrease in performance, suspect a virus and use up-to-date antivirus software to perform a full scan of the system.

Clean up, defrag, and check the hard drive.

Make sure at least 15 percent of drive C: is free. For Windows 7/Vista, make sure a magnetic hard drive is being defragged weekly. If you suspect hard drive problems, use Chkdsk to check the hard drive for errors and recover data.

STEP 1: FIRST TRY THE UNINSTALL ROUTINE

Most programs written for Windows have an uninstall routine that can be accessed from the Windows 7/Vista Programs and Features window, the XP Add Remove Programs window, or an uninstall utility in the All Programs menu. For example, in Figure 11-61, you can see in the All Programs menu that an uninstall item is listed for the Registry Mechanic software installation. Click this option and follow the directions on-screen to uninstall the software. Alternately, you can use the Programs and Features window to uninstall the software.

Windows starts with no errors. If you are having trouble loading Windows, it's best to address the error first rather than to use the tools described here to improve performance.

Now let's look at 10 steps you can take to improve Windows performance.

Monitor The Startup Process

Now that you have the startup process clean, you will want to keep it that way. You can use several third-party tools to monitor any changes to startup. WinPatrol displays a little black Scotty dog in the notifi- cation area of the taskbar to indicate it's running in the background and guarding your system. Also, many antivirus programs monitor the startup process and inform you when changes are made.

1.

Open Msconfig, select the Startup tab, and look for a specific startup program you don't want. If you're not sure of the purpose of a program, scroll to the right in the Command column to see the name of the startup program file (see Figure 11-47). Then search the web for information on this program. Be careful to use only reliable sites for credible information. Use the Location column to find out how the program was launched.

7.

Open the Indexing Options box and click Advanced. The Advanced Options box opens

2.

Open the Registry Editor by using the regedit command in the search box.

8.

Open the Windows 7/Vista Programs and Features window or the XP Add or Remove Programs window and verify that the list of installed software is correct and the soft- ware you are uninstalling is no longer listed.

STEP 8: CONSIDER USING READYBOOST

ReadyBoost uses a flash drive or secure digital (SD) memory card to boost hard drive performance. The faster flash memory is used as a buffer to speed up hard drive access time. You see the greatest performance increase using ReadyBoost when you have a slow magnetic hard drive (running at less than 7200 RPM). To find out what speed your hard drive is using, use System Information (Msinfo32.exe) and drill down into the Components, Storage group, and select Disks.

STEP 10: DISABLE THE VISTA SIDEBAR

Recall that the Vista sidebar appears on the Windows desktop to hold apps called gadgets. The sidebar uses system resources and disabling it can improve performance. To do that, right-click the sidebar and select Properties from the shortcut menu. The Windows Sidebar Properties box appears. Uncheck Start Sidebar when Windows starts. Then click Apply and OK to close the box.

Registry Mechanic

Registry Mechanic is utility software that can clean the registry of unused keys.

STEP 5: REMOVE STARTUP PROCESSES

Restart the PC and watch for any startup errors about a missing program file. The software might have stored startup entries in the registry, in startup folders, or as a service that is no longer present and causing an error. If you see an error, use MSconfig to find out how the program is set to start. This entry point is called an orphaned entry. You'll then need to delete this startup entry by editing the registry, deleting a shortcut in a startup folder, or disabling a service using the Services console. It's unlikely you will be able to completely remove all keys in the registry that the soft- ware put there. A registry cleaner can help you find these orphaned keys, but if no errors appear at startup, you can just leave these keys untouched. Also, an installation might put program files in the C:\Program Files\Common Files or the C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files folder. Most likely you can just leave these untouched as well. Address all error mes- sages you encounter and stop there.

1.

Right-click the desktop and select Personalize from the shortcut menu. The Personalization window opens

Check For Unwanted Scheduled Tasks

Scheduled tasks might be unnecessary and can slow a system down. The best way to uninstall a scheduled task is to uninstall the software that is responsible for the task. Open the Task Scheduler window and search through tasks looking for those you think are unnecessary or causing trouble. Research the software the task works with and then you might decide to uninstall the soft- ware or disable the task. Don't forget to restart the system to make sure all is well before you move on.

STEP 6: DISABLE THE INDEXER FOR WINDOWS SEARCH

The Windows 7/Vista indexer is responsible for maintaining an index of files and folders on a hard drive to speed up Windows searches. The indexing service has a low priority and only works when it senses that the hard drive is not being accessed by a service with a higher priority. However, it might still slow down performance. Do the following to find out if this service is causing a performance problem:

STEP 9: DISABLE THE AERO INTERFACE

The Windows Aero interface might be slowing down the system because it uses memory and computing power. Try disabling it. If performance improves, you can conclude that the hardware is not able to support the Aero interface. To disable the Aero interface using Windows 7, do the following:

STEP 2: CLEAN WINDOWS STARTUP

The most important step following routine maintenance to improve performance is to verify that startup programs are kept to a minimum. Before cleaning Windows startup, you can use Safe Mode to set a benchmark for the time it takes to start Windows when only the bare minimum of programs are launched

STEP 3: CHECK IF THE HARDWARE CAN SUPPORT THE OS

The system might be slow because the OS does not have the hardware resources it needs. Use the Windows 7/Vista Windows Experience Index to quickly zero in on a hardware com- ponent that might be a bottleneck. If you suspect that the processor, hard drive, or memory is a bottleneck, consider using the Windows 7 Resource Monitor, the Vista Reliability and Performance Monitor, or the XP Performance Monitor to get more detailed information. If the bottleneck appears to be graphics, the problem might be solved by updating the graphics drivers or by updating Windows.

2.

Time the boot again, this time using Safe Mode. To boot the system in Safe Mode, press F8 while Windows is loading and then select Safe Mode with Networking from the boot options menu

1.

To be on the safe side, back up the entire registry using one or more of the methods discussed earlier.

7.

To delete the key, right-click the key and select Delete from the shortcut menu (see Figure 11-65) and confirm the deletion. Be sure to search through all the keys in this list because the software might have more than one key. Delete them all and exit the Registry Editor.

Observe Performance In Safe Mode

To find out if programs and services are slowing down Windows startup, boot the system in Safe Mode and watch to see if performance improves. Do the following:

8.

To rebuild the indexing database, click Rebuild. A dialog box appears warning you that this can take some time. Click OK. Close the Indexing Options box.

STEP 4: REMOVE THE PROGRAM FROM THE ALL PROGRAMS MENU AND THE DESKTOP

To remove the program from the All Programs menu, right-click it and select Delete from the shortcut menu. If the program has shortcuts on the desktop, delete these.

Investigate And Eliminate Startup Programs

To speed up startup, search for unnecessary startup programs you can eliminate. Tools that can help are System Configuration (Msconfig.exe), startup folders, and Task Manager. Follow these steps to investigate startup:

3.

To stop the indexing service, open the Services console. Then stop and disable the Windows Search service (see Figure 11-53).

STEP 5: CHECK FOR A HISTORY OF PROBLEMS

Try to identify when the slow performance problem began, and then use the Windows 7 or Vista Reliability Monitor to find out what changes were made to the system around that time and what other problems occurred. If you don't know when the problem started, skim through the line graph at the top of the Reliability Monitor window and look for drops in the graph. Also look for critical events indicated by a red X

1.

Use a stopwatch or a watch with a second hand to time a normal startup from the moment you press the power button until the wait icon on the Windows desktop disappears.

Uninstall software you no longer need.

Use the Windows 7/Vista Programs and Features window or the XP Add or Remove Programs window to uninstall programs you no longer need

For extremely slow systems that need a more drastic fix, do the following:

Using Msconfig, disable all startup items on the Startup tab. Then restart the system and see what problems you get into with a program disabled that you really need. Then enable just the ones you decide you need. An even more drastic approach for extremely slow startups is to disable all non- Microsoft services. On the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and then click Disable all.

6.

When you expand the key, you see a long list of subkeys in the left pane, which might have meaningless names that won't help you find the program you're looking for. Select the first subkey in the Uninstall key and watch as its values and data are dis- played in the right pane (see Figure 11-64). Step down through each key, watching for a meaningful name of the subkey in the left pane or meaningful details in the right pane until you find the program you want to delete.

STEP 4: CHECK FOR PERFORMANCE WARNINGS

Windows 7/Vista tracks issues that are interfering with performance. To see these warnings, open the Performance Information and Tools window and click Advanced tools. The Advanced Tools window appears, as shown in Figure 11-50. If Windows knows of performance issues, they are listed at the top of this window. Click an issue to see a recommended solution.

ReadyBoost Continued..

~When you first connect a flash device, Windows will automatically test it to see if it quali- fies for ReadyBoost. To qualify, it must have a capacity of 256 MB to 4 GB with at least 256 MB of free space, and run at about 2 MB/sec of throughput. If the device qualifies, Windows displays a dialog box that can be used to activate ReadyBoost ~When you click Speed up my system, the device properties box appears with the ReadyBoost tab selected. Here you can decide how much of the device memory to allot for ReadyBoost.