Windows 7 came out as a stable reliable operating system in the marketplace as compared to earlier versions of Microsoft Windows. Since that time, however, you may have noticed that your PC no longer performs at an optimum level as compared to the time you have bought it. As you install/uninstall programs the registry can easily become corrupted, which slows down the machine. In this article, we explore the common reasons why your machine has slowed down and provide you with tips to optimize Windows 7 to regain its speed and performance.

Keep Viruses and Spyware Away

It is easy to get viruses and spyware if you are a frequent user of the Internet or commonly transfer data from several sources such as flash drives, local area networks, and others. Most PC’s will slow down when infected with viruses and spyware. Thus, a slow PC may be an indication of one or more infected files on the system. Thus, to fully optimize Windows 7 you have to install anti-virus/anti-spyware software. Also, to keep your system safe, don’t forget to perform regular updates to these programs.

Turn off Unnecessary Startup Programs

In many cases when you Install new software programs their setup unnecessarily places the program into your startup group so it is read and started each time you boot the system. These programs can eat up your systems processing power but you can fix this by following these steps:

1. Click on Start;

2. In the search box type msconfig;

3. Press enter and a box will appear;

4. Under the Startup tab, you will see a list of the startup programs;

5. Uncheck programs that you don’t want to run on startup;

6. Click Apply and Ok.

7. Restart the Windows 7 system.

Defragment Your Hard Drive

If you are using a traditional hard drive, which has a spinning disk inside, then, you must defrag the hard drive as part of your routine maintenance. Over time reading and writing data to the hard drive will cause it to be fragmented thus requiring more time to perform operations on the data. You can defrag the disk by clicking Start and choose disk defragmentation. Then, simply open the application and run disk defragmentation to optimize Windows 7. One noted exception is that if you have Solid State Drive (SSD) hard drive, you should not defrag it because doing so will reduce lifespan. An SSD uses non-volatile flash memory so it does not have any rotating disk to defragment.

Memory Checkup

Random Access Memory (RAM) can be a processing bottleneck. To check your use of memory use Ctrl+Shift+Esc to start the Windows task manager. Next, go to your resource monitor by clicking the button at the bottom of the Performance tab in Task Manager. It displays a colorful physical memory bar to show you what is really happening with your memory. If it appears that you need additional memory to support the processes you are running then try inserting another RAM stick. More RAM can definitely increase system speed.

Ever Thought of Cleaning Windows Registry?

One of the most important ways to optimize Windows 7 is to clean its registry where all of your configuration settings exist. You PC will likely lag and slowdown if there are empty or corrupt registry entries. Therefore, you are advised to clean the Windows 7 registry. You can clean it manually but it is not safe especially for a person who does not know the structure. The best way to optimize Windows 7 from registry errors is to use a free Windows 7 registry cleaner. Registry cleaner will solidly diagnose your operating system’s registry and will fix errors.

Trying these things will only take a few minutes of your important time but will make your life easier when working on a PC with fully optimized Windows 7.