How to Boost Windows 7 Performance

Although Windows 8 has been rolled by Microsoft about two years ago, the average computer user is probably still using Windows 7 and will continue to do so for quite a long time. The patch updates for the said platform did not stop even after the release of a new Windows OS. There are about 630 million users of this particular operating system, so you are sure that Microsoft will not be pulling the plug (or the support department) anytime soon.

Since the support for Windows 7 will still continue, it is better if you'll just maintain your computer in a good condition rather than upgrading it to a new operating system. Thus, here are some quick tips on how you can boost the performance of your Windows 7.

1. Check your Windows Experience Index score.

Microsoft has created a certain index in order to measure the capabilities of both your computer's hardware and software. This is called the Windows Experience Index. It quantifies your computer's performance via a base score, which ranges from a score of 1.0 to 7.9. To achieve great system performance, your base score should be high.

How can you check your score based on the Windows Experience Index? Follow these instructions:

* Click the Start button on the lower-left side of your desktop.

* Select Control Panel.

* Open the Performance Information and Tools.

* Click Rate this computer. If you have already had a previous assessment, click the Re-run the assessment to get your latest base score.

* You may be prompted for an administrator password. Kindly enter this information, and then click OK.

After you have seen your Windows Experience Index score, you can now determine if your computer is in need to tweaking or not. For instance, if you will just perform basic tasks in your PC such as writing documents or surfing the net, then a score of 2 is fine. On the other hand, if you want to run a graphics software smoothly, a score of 4 and higher is recommended.

If there is a need to improve your base score, you may do the succeeding steps.

2. Adjust the visual effects.

Depending on your hardware's capabilities, adjusting the visual effects can have a good or detrimental impact on your computer's performance. Through the Adjust visual effects menu, you can change how desktop elements such as windows or dialog boxes appear in your computer.

To access the Adjust visual effects menu, and to tweak it for best performance:

* Open the Performance Information and Tools.

* In the left-side of the menu, click Adjust visual effects.

* Under the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance.

* Click OK.

3. Adjust your indexing options.

Whenever you find a document or a program through the Search bar, your computer uses the Indexing service in order to look for the specific file that you have requested. By improving the Indexing capabilities of your computer, you will be able to increase the way it fetches information. To access the Adjust indexing options menu, and to tweak it for best performance:

* Open the Performance Information and Tools.

* In the left-side of the menu, click Adjust indexing options.

* In the Indexing Options, click Modify.

* Select all locations then click OK.

Note however that the Indexing service eats up a lot of memory, so you better proceed with caution. Determine first if your computer can handle a more sophisticated Indexing service.

4. Use disk clean up.

Finally, you can use the Disk Clean Up tool to get rid of the unnecessary files in your computer. Temporary files such as internet cache and cookies, and deleted files in the recycle bin needs to be removed to free up space in your computer. An expanded space will definitely bring about improvement to your computer in terms of speed.

To use the Disk Clean Up tool:

* Open the Performance Information and Tools.

* In the left-side of the menu, click Open disk cleanup.

* Select the drive to be run by the Disk Clean Up.

* Wait for the Disk Clean Up to finish analyzing the drive.

* The Disk Clean Up dialog box will appear, along with the possible files to be deleted. Tick on each file that you want to be removed.

* Click OK.

With the impressive support that Microsoft offers for the Windows 7 platform, it is much better for its users to maintain their software instead of jumping to another system. Given this, the guidelines above will definitely help you in keeping your Windows 7 in good shape.