"Operating system. Installing and configuring system parameters." Automatic ADSL Internet connection when Windows starts in "stealth mode". Deleting data permanently
The Windows operating system has very "universal" settings by default. Many system services that operate with such settings are not needed by most ordinary users. They not only significantly increase the startup and shutdown time, but also take up part of the RAM and other computer resources, which sometimes significantly reduces its performance.
There are many programs, such as BoostSpeed, for example, that configure Windows according to certain patterns, turning off some unnecessary services. But these programs, as a rule, are paid, and their templates cannot take into account the full variety of user needs. Independent (“manual”) optimization of the operating system makes it possible to better understand the principles of its operation and achieve maximum level computer performance.
Read about the process of installing the system and software. Further, we will only talk about setting up the already installed software.
Before you start optimizing Windows XP, it is advisable to make a copy of the registry. To do this, select "Export" from the "File" menu. In the "Export registry file" window that opens, specify the save location, file name of the registry copy, in the "Registry range" section, check the "Entire registry" checkbox, click the "Save" button.
I propose to configure (optimize) Windows XP in few steps:
1. Customize sounds and screen properties.
We go "start" - "settings" - "control panel"
In the control panel, select the “sound and audio devices” category, in the window that opens, click on “sound and audio devices” again, the “properties: sounds and audio devices” panel will open. On the “sounds” tab, set the sound scheme to “no sounds”, click the “apply”, “OK” button.
Sound accompaniment of the operating system will be disabled (any clicks, etc.). When watching videos, listening to music, in games and other applications, the sound will be preserved. This should slightly speed up the startup speed of old and weak machines, although this may not be done.
We return to the "control panel", go to the "appearances and themes" category, click on the "screen" link, the "properties: display" panel will open. Go to the "themes" tab. I recommend choosing the "classic" theme (especially for weak machines). The interface of the system, of course, will suffer, but this will have a positive effect on its performance. It's up to you to decide what is more important to you. After choosing a theme, do not forget to click the "apply" button.
Go to the "desktop" tab. Here we select the background image (“wallpaper”) for the desktop. I recommend choosing the “no” option (especially for weak machines). There will be no picture on the screen, but some RAM will be freed. Press the "apply" button.
Tab "Screensaver", then click on the button "Power". The "Properties: power options" panel will open on the "Power schemes" tab, set "Display off" to "Never" - the monitor will not turn off while watching movies. Press the "apply" button and return to the "properties: display" panel.
On the Appearance tab, click on the Effects button. In the panel that opens, uncheck the box next to "Apply the following transitional effect for menus and tooltips", check the box next to "Use the following screen font smoothing method", set the value to "normal" in the box, uncheck the items "Use large icons", "Display shadows...”, “Display window contents...”, press the “OK” button, return to the “properties: display” panel.
Go to the "Parameters" tab. Here we set the screen resolution. For 15-inch monitors, the optimal resolution will be 800x600, for 17-inch monitors - 1024x768, although if you have an old computer, you should not set the screen resolution too high. Then we adjust the color quality. For weak machines, I recommend setting the quality to “medium (16 bit)”. Press the "apply" button.
Click the "Advanced" button. The "Properties: Monitor Connectivity Module" panel opens. Go to the "Monitor" tab, check the box "Hide modes that the monitor cannot use", in the "Screen refresh rate" box, set the maximum possible value.
On weak computers, with an increase in the refresh rate of the screen, system performance is significantly reduced. Therefore, what frequency to put is up to you. In any case, set the screen refresh rate below 75 Hz. I do not recommend (bad for the eyes).
Click the "Apply" button, then the "OK" button.
2. Optimization of system properties.
Open the System Properties panel.
To do this, right-click on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop. In the menu that appears, select "Properties". You can also hold down the "Win" key (on the bottom row between "Ctrl" and "Alt") and press the "Pause Break" or "Break" key (on the right, near the "Num Lock" key).
In the system properties panel that opens, do the following:
Next, go to the "Advanced" tab. In the "Performance" section, click the "Settings" button, the "Performance Options" panel opens. Here, on the "visual effects" tab, check the "special effects" item, leave the checkboxes only for "use styles ...", "use typical tasks for folders", "smooth out jagged screen fonts".
On weak machines or if you need to achieve maximum performance, it is best to disable all visual excesses (check the box "ensure the best performance"), but in this case the Windows XP interface will become the same as in Windows 2000. Do not forget to click the "apply" button.Now in the "Performance Options" panel, go to the "Advanced" tab. Here, in the paragraphs "processor time distribution" and "memory use", we put a checkmark next to "programs", click the "apply" button. After that, in the "virtual memory" item, click the "change" button.
In the "virtual memory" panel, configure the size of the paging file (the space reserved by the system on the computer's hard drive, which is used to expand it in the event of a lack of RAM).
In doing so, adhere to the following principles:If the computer has enough RAM (at least 1024 MB), and you can do without a paging file, disable it altogether. In other cases, or if after that you encounter the message "Windows is running out of free virtual memory", install a paging file of the following size:
If you have 256MB of RAM, then the swap file is 384 MB;
-If 384 MB - then 256-384;
-If 512MB - then 256-512;
-If 1024 MB or more - half the size of the RAM.- Set the initial and maximum size of the paging file to the same values;
Do not install the swap file on a partition that has an operating system installed or is in active use. If your computer has multiple hard drives, install the paging file on the fastest one.
Select the "System Restore" tab, put a tick (click) in the "Disable System Restore on all drives" box, click the "Apply" button.
Thus, we disable the system restore service. Approximately 85% of users believe that this service can be disabled, and I agree with them. I have never used a recovery service in my entire adult life. But it specifically slows down the operating system.
Disable automatic system updates. To do this, go to the "Automatic Updates" tab, check the "disable automatic updates" item, click the "apply" button.
Disabling automatic updates will save you from the annoying desire of the system to update via the Internet, taking up the bandwidth of the Internet connection and consuming traffic. If necessary, you can download the necessary updates manually through Microsoft Update.
We return to the "system properties" panel, select the "advanced" tab, in the "boot and restore" item, click the "options" button. In the "boot and recovery" panel that opens, leave the checkboxes only next to the "display a list of operating systems" item. In the item "recording debugging information", select "(missing)", press the "OK" button.
Disable error reporting: in the "System Properties" panel on the "Advanced" tab, click the "Error Reporting" button. In the window that opens, put a tick only next to "Disable error reporting", remove the rest of the checkboxes, click "OK".
If you don't use Windows Messenger (or don't even know what it is), you should uninstall it to free up additional resources. Click on the "Start" button and select "Run". In the line "Open" copy the following -
RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove
Click "OK". If the system prompts you to restart, restart.
Disable indexing of logical drives. To do this, we do the following with them one by one: open "My Computer", right-click on the disk icon, select "Properties" in the menu that appears. In the "Properties: local disk..." window that opens, uncheck the box "Allow indexing of the disk for quick search", click "Apply". Next, check the box next to "...... and to all attached files and folders", click "OK" and wait for the settings to be applied.
Disable unused services.
Windows includes many services that, by default, start with the operating system, increasing its boot and shutdown time, taking up part of the RAM and other resources of the machine. Most of them are not used in most cases.
To disable these services, open the Services panel.
To do this, hold down the "Windows" button (usually with the image of a window, located in the bottom row, on the left, between the Ctrl and Alt buttons) and press the "R" button ("K" in the Russian layout). You can also select Run from the Start menu. A program launcher window will appear in the lower left corner of the screen. Write services.msc in it and click OK.
You can also open the Windows Services Control Panel in another way: "Start" - "Settings" - "Control Panel" - "Administrative Tools" - "Services".
To disable a specific service, right-click on it in the services control panel, select "properties" from the menu that appears.
In the panel that opens, on the "General" tab, in the "launch type" column, select one of the following items:
- "disabled" (the service will not start);
- “auto” (the service starts together with the operating system);
- "manually" (services are started only when necessary)
and be sure to click the "apply" button.
Here is the list of services with a description of their main functions. Depending on the tasks that are solved using a computer, some of them can be disabled in the following way:
- Print Spooler– the service is needed only if there is a printer. In other cases, it can be disabled.
- Remote Access Connection Manager- “manually”, if the Internet does not work after that, then return “auto” (sometimes needed for DSL).
- Security Account Manager- "auto"
- The event log- "auto"
- Performance Logs and Alerts- disable this service.
Machine Debug Manager- Needed only by developers in the process of debugging programs. In other cases, you can turn it off.
DHCP client- Needed only to work in a network that has a DHCP server. If you don't know what it is, you can disable the service.
DNS client- the service is needed if there is a network or modem. If not, we turn it off.
MS Software Shadow Copy Provider- Controls the creation of shadow copies. Shadow copy - it is needed in the process of creating Backup system files. Startup type set to "manual"
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing- "manually"
plug and play- Never disable this service, as it is responsible for automatic device recognition, etc.
Windows Audio- do not turn it off if you need sound on your computer.
Windows User Mode Driver Framework- "auto".
telnet- can be turned off
Windows Installer- "manually"
QoS RSVP- can be turned off
Windows Firewall- turn off
Wireless setup– only needed if appropriate adapters are used to communicate with laptops or access points. In other cases, you need to disable.
Automatic update- turn off.
Web client- turn off.
Secondary login– This service allows you to run processes as a different user. If you have a home computer with one user and you are your own administrator, you can safely disable the service.
Auto Connection Manager remote access - "manually"
Logical Disk Manager- "manually"
Starting DCOM Server Processes- set this service to "manual"
Secure storage- "auto"
Windows Management Instrumentation- "auto"
Changed Link Tracking Client- disable.
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator- "Manually". Needed for remote computer control.
NetBIOS over TCP/IP support module- turn it off.
Computer Browser– You can usually disable the service. If there is a network, then this service must be enabled on at least one network computer.
Shell hardware definition– the service can be disabled, but CD autorun will not work.
Task Scheduler- Don't turn it off. Disabling will speed up the download at first, but can increase it a lot later.
Work station- "auto"
Server- I usually turn it off, but if your computer is connected to the local network and you want to share disks, then it's better not to turn it off.
Network connections- “auto”, and if there is neither a network nor a modem, then you can turn it off.
IMAPI CD Burning COM Service- the service can be disabled, but you will not be able to burn a CD using standard Windows tools. For these purposes, use Nero or other similar programs.
System Restore Service- you can turn it off.
Windows Time Service– the service automatically checks the time set on the computer with the server. Disable this service and set the time "manually".
Image Download Service (WIA)- turn it off. If you have a scanner or you connect a digital camera to your computer, it's better to leave it.
Error Logging Service- if you are not a programmer, then turn it off.
SSDP Discovery Service- turn it off.
Network Location Service (NLA)- do not turn off if there is a network, otherwise - turn off.
IPSEC Services- Turn it off. If there is a domain, then it is better to leave it.
Cryptography Services- "auto"
Terminal Services- Can be turned off. Remote Assistance won't work
Smart cards- turn it off.
Fast User Switching Compatibility- If you are the only user of the computer, then the service can be disabled.
Help & Support- "manually"
Telephony- "auto"
Topics- do not disable if you are using WindowsXP styles. On weak machines, it is better to disable it, but in this case there will be no beautiful interface.
System event notification- "auto"
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)- NEVER DISABLE THE SERVICE unless you want to reinstall your operating system!
Remote registry- disable
Security Center- can be turned off. The system will no longer bother with messages about all kinds of security threats.
The list of services is not complete, it may differ in different operating systems.
After disabling unnecessary services, restart the computer.
4. Setting up the startup list.
In addition to Windows services, some user-installed programs run along with the operating system, which also take up part of the computer's resources. Their autoload is not always necessary. As a result, some of them can be disabled.
To do this, you need to start the autoload editor:
while holding the "Win" button, press the "R" button (or click "Start" with the mouse, then "Run"). In the program launch window, write msconfig and click the OK button.
In the "system settings" panel that opens, go to the "startup" tab.
To disable unnecessary programs, uncheck the boxes next to them. Disable all programs that do not need to be loaded at system startup. There is no and cannot be a universal list of such programs, since it depends on what is installed on your system. For example, these are all kinds of tray controls (NvMcTray, Ati tray control, tray control). In general, anything that contains the word tray in its name or path should be disabled. If you have an Nvidia graphics card, never disable NvC bpl and ctfmon!
After analyzing the functions of each program that is present in the startup list of the computer, remove the extra checkmarks and click the "apply" button. After that, we restart the system.
5. Setting up the QoS service.
If the computer you are setting up is not connected to a network or the Internet, you can skip this step and go directly to the next one.
At this stage, we will configure the "Quality of Service" service, which reserves 20% of the channel bandwidth, and any - even a modem, even a high-speed Ethernet channel. The peculiarity of this service is that even if the QoS service is disabled, the bandwidth is not released.
You can release it as follows: while holding the "Win" button, press the "R" button (or in the "Start" menu, select "Run"). In the program launch window, write gpedit.msc and click OK.
In the left part of the "Group Policy" window that opens, open the following: "Computer Configuration" - "Network" - "Qos Package Manager".
Now double-click on the Limit Reserved Bandwidth link (should appear on the right side of the Group Policy panel).
In the “properties: limit reserved bandwidth” panel that opens, go to the “parameter” tab, enable it (check the box opposite “enable” with the mouse), change the “Bandwidth limit (%)” parameter from 20 to 0, click the “apply” button .
A reboot is required for the changes to take effect.
6. Making some changes to the system registry.
Ways to further optimize the system lie in the system registry. Attention!!! Any rash changes to the registry can lead to serious consequences (up to the complete inoperability of the operating system and the need to reinstall it).
So, what can be changed in the system registry:
If the computer's hard drive is formatted in NTFS, opening folders containing a large number of files on it is quite slow, because Windows updates the file access label each time, and this takes some time. This function can also be disabled: launch the registry editor (see point 1), in its left part we follow the path:
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" - "SYSTEM" - "CurrentControlSet" - "Control" - "FileSystem".
Now in right hour In this registry editor, we create a new parameter of the DWord type, call it NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate and assign it a value of 1. To do this, in the right hour of the registry editor, right-click on an empty field, in the "create" menu, select the item "DWORD Value"
A new setting appears on the right side of the Registry Editor. We rename it to NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate, right-click on it, select "change" from the menu that appears. In the menu that opens, in the "value" field, set 1, in the "calculus system" mark "hexadecimal" and press the "OK" buttonAnother setting in the registry that you can change is the speed at which the Start menu opens. By default, it opens with a delay of 400 milliseconds. To reduce this delay, open the registry editor (see step 1), on the left side of the editor, follow the path:
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER" - "ControlPanel" - "Desktop". Now on the right side we find the MenuShowDelay parameter.
Right-click on it and select "Edit" from the menu that appears. In the panel that opens, in the "value" line, set 0 (or another desired delay value) and click the "OK" button.
The Start menu will now open faster.Set the interrupt request priority (IRQ) for "CMOS and clock", which should increase the performance of the motherboard. First you need to determine which interrupt request this device is using in the system (usually IRQ08, but still needs to be checked). Hold "Win" and press the "Pause Break" ("Break") button. In the "System Properties" window that opens, on the "Hardware" tab, click the "Device Manager" button. In the "System devices" section, right-click on the item "CMOS and clock", select "properties" in the menu. In the window that opens, go to the "Resources" tab, find and remember the IRQ value for the device, close all windows.
Now we launch the "Registry Editor" (see above) and in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Control/PriorityControl section we create a new DWORD parameter called IRQ**Priority (where "**" is the IRQ number that we remembered, the name without spaces ), set its value to "1".Disable POSIX: open the registry editor and in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\Control SessionManager\SubSystems section delete the Optional and Posix lines.
Disable DLL caching: in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer section, create a new DWORD parameter with the name AlwaysUnloadDLL and the value "1".
You can turn off low disk space messages: in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer section, create a DWORD value called NoLowDiskSpaceChecks with a value of "1".
Disable Dr.Watson - a debugger that is launched by default on every application crash. To turn it off you need open registry editor: press the “Windows” button on the keyboard (usually with the image of a window, located in the bottom row, on the left, between the Ctrl and Alt buttons) and, while holding it, press the “R” button (“K” in the Russian layout). Or select "Run" from the Start menu. A program launcher window will appear in the lower left corner of the screen. Type regedit in it and click OK.
On the left side of the registry editor, go to the following path:
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" - "SOFTWARE" - "Microsoft" - "Windows NT" - "CurrentVersion" - "AeDebug", we find the "Auto" parameter there (it will appear on the right side of the registry editor).
Click on the "Auto" option with the right mouse button. In the menu that appears, select "Edit"
In the window that opens, change the value of the parameter to 0 and click the "OK" button.
Dr. Watson is disabled. After such a registry change, if an error occurs in the application, the system will offer to either close it or transfer it to the debugger for debugging.
Setting up the operating system is necessary to improve its performance, stability, reliability and, in the end, for comfortable work at the computer. Both freshly installed operating systems on new or old computers, as well as those that have been in operation for some time, are subjected to configuration. Some people, having bought a new computer with an installed operating system, naively believe that everything is ready and no settings are required. They are delusional. The newly installed operating system is configured by default in a very universal, but not optimal way, which is not suitable for everyone. Some services included by default are not needed by the user and he will never use them. Extra unclaimed services consume more system resources, disabling them can improve the overall performance of your computer. On the contrary, some services, according to the specifics of working at a computer, are also necessary for the user, in order to understand why this or that command is not executed for him, at best, he has to read the help for the operating system for a long time and look for answers in it. Operating system setup affects more than just computer management services and functions. During the setup of the operating system, technical and software components are affected, such as HDD, video card, processor, motherboard, sound card, graphics, registry, utilities, startup, memory, swap file and more. A properly configured and optimized operating system allows it to work for a long time without failures with maximum efficiency. For example, you bought audio speakers, connected them, turned on some music, music plays from the speakers, but somehow it does not play correctly. The output of the column must be configured in a certain way for a certain room. With a computer, the same thing, it must be configured in the right way to perform a certain range of tasks.
The operating system, depending on the tasks set by the client, can be configured either comprehensively or specialized. By complex tuning, we mean such a tuning, in which the system is fully configured to achieve maximum efficiency of all software products. By specialized tuning, we mean such a setting when the user works with certain software applications in which he needs the maximum return from them, regardless of the work of other applications. An example in this case would be Adobe Photoshop. A person draws in the program and wants it to work as fast as possible, while the speed of some other applications can be neglected. The optimization process begins with finding out the needs of the client. Then a work plan is outlined for setting up the operating system. After the work on setting up the operating system, the client accepts the work.
In order for your operating system to work efficiently, use these tips or order customization from us. Periodically defragment disks, clean the registry, remove old and junk files, remove unused programs and applications, optimize graphics, clean autoload, create several profiles (for example, your own and guest), install high-quality antivirus program and check your computer for malware, adjust the screen resolution that is convenient for you, create system restore checkpoints, make and save an image of the entire operating system on a separate disk or other storage medium. These simple tips will allow you to work with it for a long time without reinstalling the operating system, and in case of a breakdown, you can always roll it back to a certain date. If you do not have enough special knowledge, time, effort, desire and you need to set everything up, then use our services. We are always happy to help you.
Various components of the Windows Control Panel are used to configure operating system settings.
Some of these tools allow you to customize your system to make better use of your computer's resources, such as system performance, system startup and recovery options, user profile management, and so on. Other settings, such as multilingual support, display properties, and so on, help you customize Windows to better use your computer.
To open the control panel, click the button Start and select command Control Panel. If you selected the Classic Start menu style, click Start, point to the command Setting and choose Control Panel
Setting up multilingual support.
In the window that appears language and regional standards tab Regional Options select a language from the list to set the format for displaying numbers, dates, times, and monetary units.
Click the button Setting, if you want to change the display settings for dates, times, numbers, or currency separately.
On the tab Numbers You can customize the display settings for integers and floating point numbers used by Windows XP and many applications. Be careful: many poorly written programs rely on a certain number format and fail when parameters are changed.
On the tab Currency unit you can customize the display format of money amounts. When switching from one currency to another (for example, from national to euro), you can change the sign of the currency, and then press the button OK or Apply. Other fields will change to match the new currency.
On the tab Time you can customize the time display format. Based on the settings on this tab, Windows determines how the time will be displayed on the screen.
The way the time is displayed can be customized by selecting 12-hour or 24-hour format, time separators, and AM and PM designations.
If the desired format is not in the Time Format group, set it as follows.
Action | Do the following |
Time display in 24-hour format | Enter in capital letters H or HH to mark the hour |
Time display in 12-hour format | Enter in lower case h or hh to mark the hour |
Printing zeros at the beginning of numbers consisting of one digit | Enter two characters HH or hh |
Display without leading zeros for hours, minutes, and seconds with one digit | Enter one lowercase ( H) or capital letter ( h, m or s) |
Displaying a single-letter AM or PM time indicator | Enter a lowercase letter t |
Displaying a two-letter indicator of the time before or after noon | Enter in lower case tt |
Text display | Enclose text in apostrophes ("") |
On the tab the date you configure the short and long date format. These settings are used by Windows XP and many programs for displaying and converting dates. Be careful: many poorly written programs rely on a specific date format and fail when parameters are changed.
On the tab Languages you can customize the keyboard layouts used and how to switch between them. One of the keyboard layouts is always used by default. It is also possible to install additional language support tools. To do this, select the appropriate checkbox in the Additional language support section.
Right-to-left and compound writing languages include Arabic, Armenian, Georgian, Hebrew, Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese. Windows installs files for most other languages on your computer automatically.
It is recommended that you install these files only if you intend to enter or receive text in one or more of these languages. Installing language files may slightly slow down the performance of your computer.
After adding the language files, you need to add the languages in which you want to enter and display text. The added languages are loaded into memory each time the computer is started.
It is recommended that you install these files only if you intend to enter or receive text in one or more of these languages. Chinese, Japanese and Korean require approximately 230 megabytes (MB) of free disk space. Additionally, input method editors (IMEs) will be installed for each of these languages.
After adding the East Asian language files to your computer's hard drive, you must add the languages in which you want to enter and display text. The added languages are loaded into memory each time the computer is started.
You can also set up a keyboard shortcut to switch between layouts or enable a specific layout. Click the button More tab Languages.
By default, the combination is used to switch between layouts. Left Alt + Shift. When installing more than 2 layouts, this combination cycles through them. If necessary, you can set a keyboard shortcut to enable a specific layout. It consists of the Ctrl or Alt keys on the left, Shift and one of the keys of the numeric row of the keyboard (0-9, ~, Yo). To change the keyboard toggle key combination, click the button Keyboard Options. In the window that opens, click the button Change keyboard shortcut.
On the tab Additionally you can select language support for non-Unicode programs to display information in their own language. Check the boxes next to the required encodings.
The system locale only affects programs that do not use the Unicode format. The selected language does not change the menus and dialog boxes of Windows and other programs that support Unicode.
After making the necessary changes, click the button OK.
OS of the Windows family. general characteristics. Windows file system. Basic Windows objects (file, folder, document, shortcut, application).
Currently the majority personal computers around the world are running some version of the Windows operating system ( Microsoft). The software products of this family have common characteristic features:
a single graphical user interface;
step-by-step execution of operations due to the presence of Masters;
multitasking;
Support for work in a network environment;
Availability of a universal system of data exchange tools between applications (clipboard, dynamic data exchange - DDE, object linking and embedding - OLE).
In operating systems of the Windows family, open architecture (Windows Open Services Architecture– WOSA), which provides mechanisms for solving the problem of information transfer, regardless of its location and presentation format. With their help, a computer user can easily connect to any of the information services located on different networks or operating systems. Currently standard access is provided to databases, mail, telephone networks and licensing systems, network services and specialized services (financial systems and real-time data).
Features of Windows OS:
1. Focusing on an unprepared user (simplicity of work in the operating environment;
2.Single user interface
3.Optimal memory management;
4. Ability to connect new external devices without reconfiguring the OS;
5.possibility auto tuning computer: The OS determines what components the computer on which it is installed is made of, and configures itself to work with these components.
6. the ability to use in a particular program objects created by means of another program;
7.Compatible with MS DOS;
8. Ability to simultaneously run multiple applications and easily switch from one program to another;
9. Ability to use animation, multimedia and more;
10. Support for scalable fonts (not raster, but vector fonts are used).
11. Multitasking (ensuring the simultaneous execution of several tasks and switching from one to another), the basic concepts of multitasking - process (program execution as a whole), thread (part of the process executed in parallel)
In Windows OS, applications, folders, documents are treated as objects, so the user is given the opportunity of the so-called object-oriented approach.
All objects have certain properties, and certain operations can be performed on them. For example, documents have a certain volume, they can be copied, moved, renamed. Windows are sized and can be resized. Folders can be opened, copied, moved, renamed. Although each of these objects has different properties, you can perform different actions with them, the technology for working with objects and the interface are universal. This allows the user to achieve uniformity when working with different objects.
You can get acquainted with the properties of any object, as well as perform the operations allowed for it, by calling context menu.
Basic concepts of Windows OS:
1.Document- any file, created by the user.
2.Tool- a program with which the user's documents are created and edited.
3.Folder- serves to organize the storage of documents (similar to a directory in MS DOS). A folder, like a directory, can contain subfolders.
4.Basket- a technology that allows you to throw away unnecessary documents.
5.Pictogram or icon - a conditional graphic symbol, provided with an inscription and uniquely related with the corresponding object.
6.Label- a conditional graphic symbol, with the help of which a link to an object is organized. This is the path to an object that is stored elsewhere, or a special link file. For the same object, you can organize multiple labels, deleting a shortcut does not lead to deleting the object itself.
7.Desktop- hidden folder \Windows\Desktop - it cannot be absolutely clean. As a rule, special folders "My Computer", "Recycle Bin", "My Documents" and "Network Neighborhood" are located on the desktop. On the desktop, it is advisable to create shortcuts for quick access to the disks, folders and documents most frequently used.
8.command center. There are several of them in Windows9x. These are special application and control programs.
Taskbar (Start button - programs, documents, settings, help, run, stop and shutdown; buttons for all open folders and programs);
My computer (a tool that allows you to get information about the composition of the computer, disks, folders);
Printers;
Control Panel;
Network Neighborhood (a tool that provides quick access to network resources - disks, printers, common to all computers on the network)
A control is a standard object used by the OS to enter various kinds of information.
Menu. This is a set of all kinds of commands, from which you need to choose one. An example is the Windows main menu that appears after pressing the START button. The menu is a list of commands from which you need to make a choice. Command selection is done by mouse button and click. This usually results in the execution of a particular command. All menus have common properties: they can have several levels (menus, submenus), they can have items that are not available for execution (faded), they can have items that open dialog panels when selected (these items have names that end with ellipsis)
16. Types of Windows windows and their main elements. Operations on windows. Fundamentals of working in Windows. Explorer in Windows: possibilities of use.
Windows has several types of windows. Application window associated with a specific application (for example, a Word word processor window) and is characterized by the presence of additional elements, such as menus, toolbars, etc. Document window generated by the application itself and used to work with the document. Dialog window provides the organization of user interaction with the application or OS, it can only be closed or moved. This type includes dialog boxes for setting the date and time, keyboard and screen properties, page settings in the word processor Word, etc. System message window is designed to display warnings generated by the OS or application (such a window can be moved or closed).
AT application windows any running ones are executed or the contents of the folder are displayed. Opening or closing the application window is the same as starting or terminating a program. These windows can be moved, minimized and maximized. The main elements of the application window are:
Workspace - inner part window;
Borders - a frame that bounds the window, the size of the window can be changed;
Title - a line above the top border of the window;
Horizontal menu bar - located under the heading, contains menu items;
The toolbar, located under the menu bar, is a set of buttons that provides quick access to some commands;
The minimize, maximize, close buttons are located in the upper right part of the window.
Document windows designed to work with documents and "live" inside application windows. They can also be expanded, closed, minimized, moved, but they always remain within the limits of their application window. A document window always contains a title (document name) and often also scrollbars and rulers.
Dialog boxes. Used to make settings and set various program parameters. Dialog boxes contain a variety of controls.
2. command button. When pressed, a command is executed. The mouse is used to operate the buttons. A simple mouse click is used to work with controls, a double click is used to work with objects (icons and folders). Clicking the right (secondary) mouse button is used to access the properties of objects, and the context menu is opened.
3. Lists are a set of values to choose from.
4. Drop-down list. A list that has a dropdown button (in the form of a triangular arrow). If you click on it, a list will open, and you can select the desired value in it, for example, the month of the year. Lists are made drop-down only for compactness.
6. Entry field. For example, entering the current year. This control is also called a text box. It allows you to enter textual information.
7. Counter buttons. Data in text fields is usually entered using the keyboard, but if it is numeric data, then it is convenient to use the counter buttons. It's a pair of arrow buttons. Clicking on the top button increases and clicking on the bottom button decreases the value.
8. Standard command buttons. The author of the program can create any buttons, but there are several common buttons: OK (to enter the settings made and close the dialog box), APPLY (to save the settings, but do not close the window), CANCEL (to cancel all the settings made and close the window).
9. Tabs. A dialog box can have so many controls that it won't fit. In such cases, the window is composed of several tabbed pages. Tabs have spines. To open another page of the dialog box, you just need to click on its spine with the left mouse button. For example, choose the menu item Find\Files and Folders... A dialog box will appear that contains three tabs: Name and Location, Date, Advanced.
10. Checkboxes. These are controls that have two states. They allow the user to make the desired selection of options. Checkboxes can be used in groups, then they allow you to select multiple options from the same list. Dropdown does not give that which opportunity.
11. Switches. They look like checkboxes, they also have two states - on, off. But one of the switches is always on. When another switch is turned on, the previous one is turned off.
12. Context menu. The Windows desktop contains icons for programs, documents, folders - all these are Windows objects, including the Desktop itself. Each object has individual properties (for example, names, icons, etc.). If you right-click on an empty area of the Desktop, a context menu will open. It contains commands specific to the object that was clicked.
13. Engine (slider). It is moved by dragging with the left button pressed. Allows you to smoothly change the value of a parameter (for example, volume).
14. Scroll bar. If the window contains so much data that it does not fit, the window will have scroll bars that you can use to "scroll" the contents of the window.
15. Inscription. A plain text message that the user can read but cannot edit. The inscription itself does not control anything, but helps the user to control the program.
Conductor is a utility that provides the user with alternative options for working with the Windows file system. It allows you to view the structure of the file system on this computer, as well as on all computers connected to the network. With the help of Explorer, you can manage folders and files (open, delete, copy, rename, print, perform quick view when installing the corresponding Windows component, create new files of various types and folders), manage the display of the file system structure.
Window Explorer is divided into two parts: the left one displays the tree of directories (folders), and the right one shows the contents of the current folder (Fig. 3.5.). The folder tree may not display all branches, in which case a "+" symbol appears at the beginning of the branch. To expand a branch, press the “+” key on the numeric keypad, and to collapse the branches, press the “–” key. To display all branches, press "*".
launch Explorer can be done in one of the following ways:
1. Start Programs Conductor.
2. Right-click the [Start] button and select Conductor.
When performing operations on files, you should select them. To select file (or another object ) by clicking on it with the left mouse button. To select a group of files, select a file - the beginning of the range, then, while pressing the key, select a file - the end of the range. Explorer will select all the objects located between them. To select an unrelated group of files, you should select while holding down the key and, while holding it, click on the files you want to select. To cancel the selection, click anywhere in the free area.
The operating system includes a variety of interface and parameter customization options and provides various ways its implementation. This allows the system to be adapted to the user's requirements.
In Windows OS, you can configure: Desktop, current date and time, keyboard, mouse, options in the [Start] menu (Main menu), and more. The settings are called custom configuration and saved for each registered user. On subsequent boot, the OS asks for the username (account) and password. In case of a match, the previously made settings configuration is restored.
The configuration tools are: system folder components Control Panel, context menu of Windows objects, control elements of dialog windows of the operating system and its applications.
In the system folder Control Panel collected administrative utilities , which provide one of the most convenient and non-disastrous ways to customize your system, software, and hardware. The dialog box of this panel is activated by the command Start Settings Control Panel.
For detailed information about the purpose of the control panel applications, open the window Control Panel and run the command View Table.
Let's take a look at the most commonly used customization options.
All tasks related to hardware configuration are performed using the Hardware Wizard Hardware Wizard , which is called by running the utility Equipment installation. With it, you can install new hardware devices, diagnose hardware conflicts, set device properties, disable devices.
Windows implements the ability to automate the process of installing new hardware by supporting the plug-and-play mechanism (install and use), which assumes that the system automatically recognizes a new device and selects the necessary driver (the OS includes many built-in drivers for the most common devices from various manufacturers).
Installation and removal of software products and components of the operating system, the Microsoft Office suite, as well as other packages installed on the computer, is carried out by the utility The installing and deleting of programms. With its help, you can also create a boot disk that allows you to start the system in critical situations (when the operating system on the computer is destroyed).
Utility Language and standards allows you to set regional standards (display numbers, date, time, currency) and select input languages.
Utility Internet Options allows you to customize the screen display and Internet connection settings.
Using the utility Date and time The user can set the time zone, current date and time, and automatic daylight saving time.
Utility Keyboard serves to set the language layout of the keyboard (usually English and Russian are installed, but you can add new ones, for example, German, Belarusian and others), display its indicator on the Taskbar, as well as the speed of re-typing a character.
Using the utility Mouse you can change the appearance of mouse pointers, ensure the convenience of left-handers.
Utility Screen serves to set the desktop background, color and font design of the window interface elements, monitor settings, splash screen that appears on the screen during a temporary suspension of the user's work.
With the command Properties the context menu of the Windows object has the ability to configure some of its parameters, for example, you can open a folder for shared access; restrict access to it by setting a list of users who have permission to work with its content; allow only reading files from the folder, etc. The set of properties available for editing is determined by the object type.
The main options for setting using the controls of the operating system dialog boxes are laid in the menu View and Service, for example, with the command View Arrange icons By disk name in the My Computer window, the list of disks is set to be displayed in alphabetical order, and by the command Service map network drive the selected disk of any computer on the network is perceived by the system of this computer as one of its "native" disks. At the end of working with a network drive, it must be disabled by command Service Disable network drive.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, when buying a computer, the user receives a pre-installed operating system in the kit - today, as a rule, this is one of the options for Microsoft Windows Vista. This assumes that such a computer is already ready for use, and therefore, you can turn it on and immediately begin installing the software. This is partly true, but it should be borne in mind that the OS preinstalled by the manufacturer is most often not configured and optimized, but has default settings. Therefore, before installing the software, it is recommended to perform additional configuration of the operating system. This also applies to those users who independently migrate from Windows XP to Windows Vista. It is known that Windows Vista is very demanding on computer resources. But what if the budget does not allow for a PC upgrade, or Windows Vista is installed on a laptop, the configuration of which is a priori weaker than that of a desktop PC, and an upgrade is not allowed at all? How to configure the operating system in such a way that it can be used on computers that are weak by today's standards? How can I configure the Windows Vista operating system so that I can get the most performance out of my PC no matter what my PC configuration is? This is what will be discussed in this article.
The performance of a computer as a whole depends to a large extent on how its operating system is configured. You can tune the OS in such a way as to get the most performance out of the computer, but for this you will have to give up many of the "bells and whistles" that are purchased with the OS. You can do it differently: configure the operating system in such a way as to make the external interface as attractive as possible. Fortunately, modern operating systems provide ample opportunities for this - various desktop themes, translucent windows, and various visual effects are provided. The Windows Vista operating system offers much more options for this than Windows XP - here you have a new Aero Glass interface, and Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D technologies, and even additional desktop gadgets (Sidebar). Through the use of all these visual effects and bells and whistles, the front-end can really be made very attractive. But all the visual effects available in Windows Vista can also be implemented using special utilities in Windows XP. And as for the Aero Glass interface, it is still a long way from the Xgl interface for Linux systems with visual effects such as transparent windows and a rotating 3D desktop. In addition, visual effects that increase attractiveness eat up a significant proportion of PC resources. Therefore, if you want to have a unique interface, it is better to immediately switch to Linux. If you are primarily interested in the operating system as a software product that implements user interaction with a computer and allows you to run all other programs, and high PC performance is necessary for efficient operation, then you will have to optimize Windows Vista for maximum performance.
In this article, we will consider the main methods for configuring the OS for maximum performance using the operating system as an example. Microsoft systems Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit (English version). Since there is no fundamental difference between the localized Russian and English versions, we will also indicate in parentheses the names of the dialog boxes that are used in the localized Russian version of the OS.
It is advisable to install and configure the operating system for maximum performance in the following sequence:
- operating system installation.
- installation of INF files and device drivers and OS updates.
- disable the UAC function.
- Removing desktop wallpaper.
- Removing unused icons from the desktop.
- Disable visual effects.
- Disable anti-aliasing of screen fonts.
- Swap file optimization.
- Disable System Restore.
- Disable the automatic OS update service.
- Disable unused services.
- Registry editing.
Operating system installation
It is advisable to install the OS on a clean, formatted hard drive. The easiest option is when the computer has only one hard drive. In this case, you can split it into two logical drives (C: and D:), one of which (logical drive C:) is used to install the operating system and all applications, and the second is used to store data. If there is no necessary data on the hard disk, then it is best to start the OS installation procedure by deleting all existing logical partitions, then creating them and formatting them under the NTFS file system. But if the logical partition of the hard disk contains important data that cannot be deleted, then deleting the logical partitions of the hard disk is unacceptable. For example, if your hard drive had two logical partitions (C: and D:) and the first of them had an operating system installed that you want to reinstall, and the second contains data that you need to save, then you cannot delete the C: partition. The fact is that if you delete the C: partition, then after that the D: partition will automatically become the C: partition, and the operating system will be installed on the data disk, which, of course, is acceptable, but not advisable. Therefore, if there is data on one of the logical drives, deleting the boot partition C: is unacceptable, but it can be formatted before installing the OS.
If the disk is clean, then partitioning the hard disk into logical disks is best done when installing the operating system. Under the OS and applications, it is enough to allocate a logical partition of 40 GB in size.
It is worth noting that if you often have to deal with reinstalling the operating system, then it is optimal to have two hard drives in the system, on one of which the OS and all applications are installed, and on the other all the necessary data is stored. In this case, when reinstalling the OS, you will be more or less insured against accidental deletion of logical partitions and loss of all data.
All modern motherboards have an integrated RAID controller that allows you to create RAID arrays based on several hard drives. Before you start installing the OS on a RAID array or on a hard drive connected to a RAID controller, you need to correctly configure the RAID controller in the BIOS settings, that is, specify which drives will be included in the RAID array, set the array level, etc. d.
Also, if your system is using a RAID array, or if the hard drive is simply "hooked" through a RAID controller, you will need to install the RAID controller driver during the operating system installation phase, although you probably won't need any additional driver because Windows Vista already contains a huge database of drivers.
Another specific case of installing an operating system is the presence of an integrated card reader in the computer. If logical partitions are removed and then re-created during the OS installation, the card reader must first be disabled. Otherwise, the operating system will be installed not on the C: drive, but on another logical drive, which may adversely affect the launch of some programs.
As for the actual process of installing the Windows Vista operating system, it practically does not require user intervention, and therefore comments in this case are superfluous.
Installing INF files, device drivers, and OS updates
Immediately after installing the operating system, you must install the INF file (sometimes referred to as the chipset driver) and any necessary device drivers. Keep in mind that for most devices, drivers are installed automatically from the driver database of the OS itself. However, it is worth checking if there are newer versions of drivers on the manufacturer's website.
You should start the driver installation procedure from the INF file (chipset driver). All other drivers, in principle, are installed in any order, but it is better to stick to the following scheme:
- Install the chipset driver (INF file).
- Restart your computer and install the video driver.
- Reboot the computer and install (if required) the Windows driver for the RAID controller.
- Install the sound card driver.
- Install the network controller driver.
- Restart your computer and install all other drivers.
Naturally, all drivers must strictly match the OS version. The chipset INF file allows the operating system to correctly recognize the motherboard chipset, as well as all the controllers integrated into it. It is best to download the chipset INF file from the website of the chipset manufacturer or motherboard manufacturer, since the CD that came with the motherboard may not contain the latest version of the INF file. If, for example, your motherboard is built on an Intel chipset, then download latest version INF file (Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility) is available from www.intel.com.
UAC (User Account Control) is a user rights control function aimed at an unprepared or average user who really needs some kind of safety net against all sorts of rash actions. As for the experienced user, this feature is more annoying than helpful. And the constant confirmation of command execution, which has to be done with the UAC function activated, to some extent reduces the overall performance of the PC. Therefore, we first of all recommend disabling this annoying feature.
So, to disable the UAC function in the dialog box Run(Run) (to quickly open this window, press the key combination Win+R) you need to type the command msconfig(Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Run the msconfig command
In the opened dialog box System Configuration(System configuration) you need to go to the tab Tools(Service) and select an item from the list Disable UAC(Disable Accounting for Control Records (UAC)) - fig. 2. Pressing the button Launch(Running) the console appears with a notification that the command ran successfully The operation completed successfully(Operation completed successfully). The changes will take effect after you restart your computer.
Rice. 2. Disable the UAC function
To install the classic desktop view, call the dialog box Taskbar and Start Menu Properties(Taskbar and Start Menu Properties). To do this, right-click on the taskbar and select Properties from the context menu that opens. As a result, the dialog box we need will open. Another way to access it is via control panel(control panel) ( start->Settings->control panel->Taskbar and Start Menu) - rice. 3. Tab start menu(Start menu) check the box Classic Start menu(Classic Start Menu) - fig. four.
Rice. 3. Calling the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties Dialog Box
Rice. 4. Set the classic desktop look
Removing desktop wallpaper
Based on the principle that performance is incompatible with excesses, right-click anywhere on the screen and select the item in the context menu that opens. personalize(Personalization) (This dialog box can also be accessed from the Control Panel ( start->Settings->control panel->Personalization)). A dialog box opens Personalization(Personalization) - fig. 5, in which you need to go to paragraph desktop background(Desktop background).
Rice. 5. Personalization Dialog Box
Then in the dialog box desktop background(Desktop background) instead of Windows Wallpapers(Desktop backgrounds) select solid colors(solid colors) desktop (Figure 6).
Rice. 6. Choice of desktop color
Removing unused icons from the desktop
If certain icons on your desktop are not used, you can remove them. To do this, open the dialog box Personalization(Personalization) and in its left part select the item Change Desktop icons(Change desktop icons). In the opened dialog box Desktop Icon Settings(Desktop icon settings) you need to check only those icons that should be displayed on the desktop (Fig. 7).
Rice. 7. Removing unnecessary icons from the desktop
The energy scheme is set in the dialog box Power Options(Power) which can be accessed via control panel(control panel) ( start->Settings->control panel->Power Options).
In the dialog box Power Options(Power) should select the power plan High performance(High performance) - fig. eight.
Rice. 8. Setting the power saving circuit
Note that it is advisable to select the mode only in exceptional cases, for example, when testing a PC. For normal PC use, this mode is inappropriate to use, as it blocks the processor's ability to use various power-saving technologies. Accordingly, it will not be possible to effectively use the capabilities of the motherboard to control the speed of rotation of the fans, and therefore make the computer quiet. Therefore, in the normal mode of computer operation, it is advisable to apply the power consumption scheme balanced(Balanced).
Disabling visual effects
At the next stage, you need to get rid of all sorts of visual effects, shadows, etc., that is, give the desktop and all windows a strict look. To do this, in the dialog box System Properties(Properties of the system) ( start->Settings->control panel->System) on the tab Advanced(Optional) - fig. 9 - click on the button Settings...(Settings…) in a group Performance(Performance). In the opened dialog box performance options(Performance Options) tab visual effects(Visual effects) need to set the switch Adjust for best performance(Ensure Best Performance) which will eliminate all visual effects (Figure 10).
Rice. 9. System Properties Dialog Box
Rice. 10. Computer setup
for maximum performance
by turning off visual effects
In this case, the desktop will acquire a rather ascetic appearance. If the desktop view seems too simple to you, then you can turn off only part of the visual effects. To keep the appearance of the desktop from changing too much, we recommend disabling the following items in the dialog box performance options(Performance options):
- Animate controls and elements inside windows(Animated controls and elements inside the window);
- Fade or slide menus into view(Effects of fading or sliding when accessing the menu);
- Fade or slide ToolTips into view(Effects of fading or sliding when hints appear);
- Fade out items after clicking(Fade out the menu after calling the command);
- Show shadows under menus(Show shadows cast by menus);
- Show shadow under mouse pointer(Display shadows under the mouse pointer);
- Show translucent selection rectangle(Displaying a translucent selection rectangle);
- slide open combo boxes(Sliding when expanding lists);
- Slide taskbar buttons(Sliding taskbar buttons);
- Use a background image for each folder type(Display wallpapers for different types of folders).
Disable anti-aliasing for screen fonts
On the this stage turn off screen font smoothing. To do this, in the dialog box Personalization(Personalization) should select the item Window Color and Appearance(Color and appearance of windows) and in the dialog box that opens Appearance Settings(Design settings) - fig. 11 - press the button effects…(Effects...).
Rice. 11 Appearance Settings Dialog Box
After that, in the dialog box effects(Effects) uncheck all items ( Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts(Apply the following screen font smoothing method) - fig. 12, Show shadows under menus(Show shadows cast by menus), Show window contents while dragging(Display window contents while dragging)).
Rice. 12. Disable screen font smoothing effects
Swap file optimization
A swap file (swap file) is a disk space that is used by the operating system to store data in case there is not enough RAM. Basically, a swap file is slow RAM, so when a program starts swapping, it looks like the computer is freezing.
If you have 256 MB or more of memory installed on your computer, then it is best to fix the size of the swap file, that is, make its minimum and maximum sizes the same, and the more memory your PC has, the smaller the size of the swap file can be. Rejecting the swap file is generally not recommended, because even if the swap file is never used, some programs check for its existence and run only when the swap file is available.
Usually, minimum size swap file is set equal to the amount of RAM, and the maximum size is 2-2.5 times larger. It is optimal when the size of the swap file is fixed at 512 MB - provided that 256 MB of RAM is installed, or at 1024 MB - with a RAM size of 512 MB or more.
To set the size and location of the swap file in the dialog box System Properties(Properties of the system) ( start->Settings->control panel->System->advanced system settings) go to the tab Advanced (Advanced) and in the group Performance(Performance) click the button Settings… (Options…). In the opened dialog box performance options(Performance Options) go to the tab Advanced(Optional) and in a group virtual memory(Virtual Memory) click the button Change...(Change) - fig. 13.
Rice. 13. Performance Options Dialog Box
Opened dialog box Virtual Memory(Virtual Memory) allows you to set the size and location of the swap file.
Before setting the paging file size, you must first clear the existing one. To perform this action, you must uncheck the box. Automatically manage paging file size for all drives(Automatically choose the size of the swap file) and select the option No Paging file(No paging file) and click on the button set(Set), then restart the computer. This operation does two things at the same time: firstly, it deletes the swap file and gets rid of potential swap file corruption that can be caused by improper shutdown, and secondly, it places the newly created swap file in one unfragmented block on the hard disk, which also increases performance of the memory subsystem.
After the paging file is cleared, you can start creating a new one (Fig. 14). If the computer has only one hard disk and one logical partition, the paging file is located on the main partition of the hard disk (there are simply no other options). If several logical partitions are created on one hard disk, then it is recommended to place the paging file on the first of them. In the case when the system is equipped with two or more hard drives, it is recommended to place the paging file on a physical drive that is free from the Windows operating system and other applications. This will reduce the number of read head movements of the main hard drive and speed up the access time to the swap file on the other hard drive.
Rice. 14. Create a swap file
Disabling System Restore
In principle, the ability to roll back the operating system to a given configuration is very convenient, but it somewhat slows down the operating system, and in addition, you can offer more effective ways ensuring reliability in operation, for example, creating a disk image or BackUp-system files.
To disable the function System Restore(System Protection) in the dialog box System Properties(Properties of the system) ( start->Settings->control panel->System) go to tab System Protection(System Protection) and in a group Automatic restore points(Automatically create restore points on selected drives) uncheck all hard drives (Fig. 15).
Rice. 15. Disabling System Restore
If the computer does not have Internet access or the user does not want the OS to automatically download updates from the Microsoft website without his knowledge, then the automatic update service should be disabled. To do this, in the dialog box windows update(Windows Update) ( start->Settings->control panel->windows update) you need to select the item Change settings(Change settings) and in the dialog box that opens, check the item Never check for updates(Do not check for updates) - fig. 16.
Rice. 16. Disable the automatic update service
Disabling the file indexing service
You can slightly increase the speed of the disk subsystem by disabling the indexing service for fast file search. However, it is recommended to do this only if the number of files on the disk is not in the tens of thousands. Otherwise, this service is best left activated.
To disable the file indexing service, right-click on the hard disk icon, in the menu that opens, select Properties(Properties) and in the dialog box Local Disk Properties(Properties: local disk (C:)) uncheck Index this drive for faster searching(Index this disk for faster search) - fig. 17.
Rice. 17. Disable file indexing service
The next step in tuning Windows Vista for maximum performance is to optimize your hard drives. To do this, go to the dialog box System(System) ( start->Settings->control panel->System) and select link device manager(Device Manager). In the dialog box device manager(Device Manager) under Disk drives(Disk devices) you need to select the hard drive (Fig. 18) and, by right-clicking on it, go to the item Properties(Properties).
Rice. 18. Selecting a hard disk in the Device Manager dialog box
In the hard disk properties dialog that opens, go to the tab Policies(Policy) and mark the item Enable write caching on the disk(Allow disk write caching). If possible, please also check the box Optimize for performance(Optimize for performance).
In addition, it should be noted Enable advanced performance(Enable enhanced performance) - fig. 19.
Rice. 19. HDD optimization
The optimization of the hard drive will allow it to use the cache (memory area on the hard drive), which will provide a noticeable increase in hard drive performance, especially write speed. Note that these options cannot be changed if the user is dealing with SCSI drives or some Serial ATA (SATA) drives.
Next in the dialog box device manager(Device Manager) you must go to the section IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers(IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers). After opening the list of devices, right-click on the item Properties(Properties) on the first controller. In the controller properties dialog box that opens (its name can be, for example, ATA Channel 0 Properties), go to the tab advanced settings(Advanced options) and in the group Device Properties(Device properties) tick (if it is not checked) the item Enable DMA(Enable DMA) - fig. 20. We perform a similar procedure for each of the available devices.
Rice. 20. Hard disk controller setup
Disable unused devices
In the dialog box device manager(Device Manager) you can also disable all unused devices. For example, if the user does not need the IEEE-1394 port, as well as COM and LPT ports, then they can simply be disabled. To do this, right-click on the desired device and select the item in the context menu. Disable(Disable). In the future, if you need to connect one of the disconnected devices, this can be done by analogy with the above procedure, but in the context menu you need to select the item enable(Engage).
Disable unused services
By default, when installing the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, a large number of services are installed (for all occasions), most of which, however, may never be needed at all, so it is recommended to disable them to improve system performance.
Services can be accessed through a snap-in Services(Services) ( control panel->Administrative Tools->Services), after launching which (Fig. 21) the services available for configuration are displayed in a tabular form. Each line contains a description of the service, its status and startup type. By selecting the line with the desired service and double-clicking on it with the left mouse button, you can view a detailed description of the service, its status, dependencies, and the operating system file that starts the service.
Rice. 21. Services snap-in with services table
If startup type is set Automatic(Auto), the service will automatically start when Windows starts. Services with startup type Manual(Manual) can be started manually, and in addition, they can be started by other dependent services. If the service is disabled ( Disable), it will not run. For best performance, you can stop some services or set the startup type Manual. It is not recommended to set startup type Disable if you are not sure that the service is not in use.
The ability to disable a specific service depends on the configuration of the PC and on the scenario of its use. For example, if your PC does not use a wireless adapter, then a service such as Wireless Zero Configuration service, absolutely useless. A large number of services can be disabled if the computer is not part of the local network or does not have Internet access.
However, as a rule, the computer has Internet access or is part of a local network - in this case, most services cannot be disabled.
Gadgets on the Windows Sidebar look very impressive, especially if you have a widescreen monitor. However, you need to keep in mind that displaying these gadgets takes up a large amount of PC system resources. Therefore, if the task is to configure the operating system for maximum performance, then the display of gadgets on the Windows Sidebar will have to be abandoned. As a last resort, when running resource-intensive applications, you should at least temporarily close the Windows Sidebar.
Windows Vista Hotkeys
Nothing improves your productivity more than using keyboard shortcuts. And therefore, speaking about optimizing the operating system, we simply have to touch on such an important topic as hot keys.
Most keyboard shortcuts in Windows Vista are implemented by combining two keys: the Windows (Win) key, located between the Ctrl and Alt keys on the left side of the keyboard, and something else.
Here is a list of the most commonly used hotkeys:
- Windows+Space- displaying the Sidebar panel if it was initially hidden;
- Win+D- desktop display;
- Win+Tab- Windows Flip switching mode between active applications (if the mode is activated);
- Win+Ctrl+Tab- Windows Flip 3D switching mode between active applications (if the mode is activated);
- Alt+Tab- standard mode of switching between active applications;
- Win+E- opening the explorer (Explorer);
- Win+R- opening a window Run(Execute);
- Win+F- opening the search window;
- Win+U- launch Ease of Access Center;
- Win+L- blocking the computer;
- Win+T- switching between buttons in the taskbar;
- Win+M- minimize all windows;
- Win+Shift+M- expand the minimized window;
- Win+X- start Windows Mobility Center;
- win+number- launch the application from the quick launch bar. For example, by combining win+1 opens the application that is in the first place in the quick launch panel;
- CTRL+Shift+Esc- start the task manager;
- ctrl+w- close the active window or active tab;
- Alt+F4- close the active window.