What slows Windows down?

[captaincranky]

How is vista unsupported,when xp was launched before it and its support ends in April,2014?
And according to an article here,support for vista ends in 2017

Um, because it seems they changed it. The same as they did with XP.
Feb-20, 8:30AM PST: (I think this was 2012)

Updated with Microsoft confirmation of policy change.
Microsoft’s support lifecycle for Windows is clearly spelled out. Consumer versions get five years of mainstream support, and business versions get an additional five years of extended support. That was true when I first wrote about this issue in 2008, and it was equally true in 2009 when I published an updated post covering Windows 7.
Under those guidelines, mainstream support for Windows Vista is set to end in less than two months, on April 10, 2012.
This month, with almost no fanfare, Microsoft has revised its support policy for consumer versions of Windows so that they qualify for extended support as well. If you go to the Support Lifecycle home page and search for a product family, you get new results for Windows Vista and Windows 7 that include Extended Support end dates for consumer versions of both products.

That from your link. It seems they do it with every OS they release. PR most likely. So, the consumer's thinking, "hey, support for my OS is ending, better get a new one". In any case, it seems kind of late in the product's life cycle to be to be wasting time or even bothering with whether it's slower than Win 7, faster than XP or whatever. Evey time this question comes up, "which is faster, XP, Vista, or Windows 7", the answer turns out to be "Linux".

None of the foregoing, explains why an AV program(s) slows down an OS, and Windows get the blame, does it? Or why an Android tablet is perceived to "outperform" either version.

With forum threads, as with computers in general, "garbage in, garbage out", seems to be a good rule of thumb.

Vista is mostly a dead issue, even to those who still use it. I have a laptop with Vista on it. I'm utterly ambivalent about the OS. It isn't good, it isn't bad, it runs the computer OK. Is it slow, well sort of. Why? Probably because it has a 2.2 GHz single core Celeron in it. So, I should blame the OS for that? I should put Windows 7 in it for a 5% performance increase? Not likely.

At the end of the day, Win XP is still a rip roaring good, solid, and serviceable OS, that goes fast, and doesn't take a lot of hardware to run. A while back I had some noob condescending to me thus, "well I feel sorry for you if you still have to use XP".

Anyway here's a Wiki page on current support policy of all Windows editions; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows Give it a quick read. Is it completely correct... dunno..

Does Vista even matter? Not according to this: http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0

And here again, feel free to checks these facts for being reasonably current.

 

[T77]

At the end of the day, Win XP is still a rip roaring good, solid, and serviceable OS, that goes fast, and doesn't take a lot of hardware to run.

I completely agree.
Probably WIn7 is what Vista should have been in the first place.

 

[tipstir]

System Files Structure collects too much old data junk files these need to be flush out of the system daily. Then there is hidden collections on the system too.

I use all below are freeware and you need the 4 because not all programs will remove what needs to be removed safe.

1. Wise Disk Cleaner (manual)
2. Wise Registry Cleaner (manual)
3. JetClean (manual)
4. UnCleaner (manual)

No.4 above will do this:

[FONT=Arial][FONT=Verdana]The software engine will search / clean:[/FONT][/FONT]

• [FONT=Verdana]Windows Update Downloaded & Log Files *[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Account Temp Files for All Users[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]LocalApplicationData Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]ApplicationData SubItems Logs[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Microsoft .NET Framework Logs[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Windows Installer Temp Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Windows Folder Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]ServiceProfiles Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Downloaded Installations[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Performance Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Drivers Inf Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]ReportQueue Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Shutdown Cache Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Prefetch Cached Data[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]DataStore Temp Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Explorer Temp Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Narrator Temp Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Shell Cached Icons[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Shell Cached Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Updates Temp Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]System32 Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Offline Web Pages[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Cached Wallpapers[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]System Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Panther Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Logon Temp Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]WINSAT Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]MSDTC Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Debug Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Root Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Wbem Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Font Cache Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Cached Folders[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]WER Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]WDI Log Files[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]CatRoot Logs[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Recycle Bin[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Driver Logs[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Temp Files[/FONT]

After you do all 4 the system is so clean she runs quick!

 

[tipstir]

Okay

Speed up Windows...

1. Run System Ninja (freeware)
2. Run Slim Cleaner (freeware)
3. Free Windows Tuner
4. Uncleaner (freeware)

All 4 are free but what it when you install Free Windows Tuner it tries to install some ads, I just setup a block on the app)
That fixes those ads.

So you install all 4x programs
In your System Ninja twice on your system prior to that you uncheck off internet cookies
In Slim Cleaner you need to go under Settings and save the cookies you want to keep on your PC the rest will get removed. Run Slim Cleaner on Auto Clean and also run Defrag under Disk Tools. First run do a full and after that a quick.

Free Windows Tuner will disable the bootup animation in Windows 7/8 really don't need that slowing and using more memory so that can be disabled. The software does this for you. If you want it back just open up msconfig and remove any checks for boot options.

Free one also frees up page file blocks on your system thus give you more memory free. Beside a Memory Optimizer it does some other things.
Next I run Uncleaner this tool removes all the hidden junk on the system that other cleaners don't remove.

Also run MSE from Microsoft for AV AS.

 

[Jad Chaar]

CCleander + Aslogics Defrag + Aslogics Registry Defrag = fast PC. No need for any other software. The registry defrag should be used rarely since the registry doesnt get fragmented often. So basically Defrag + CCleaner and you are good to go.

 

[tipstir]

CCleander + Aslogics Defrag + Aslogics Registry Defrag = fast PC. No need for any other software. The registry defrag should be used rarely since the registry doesnt get fragmented often. So basically Defrag + CCleaner and you are good to go.

You should give what I recommend a try and you'll be happy with the results. System Ninja and Uncleaner go beyond what CCleaner could do for you. Also Slim Cleaner can drop some of those defrag and registery defrag programs you use. Windows Tuner speed-up the system one step a head. These are manual programs ran twice a day. Depending on how impacted your system is daily.

 

[PigeonUK]

I'm sorry if this has already been mentioned but having multiple programs run on startup can affect your PC's performance. Applications such as origin, uTorrent ect.

 

[tipstir]

Who said to have them on startup. These would be run manually..

 

[PigeonUK]

Who said to have them on startup. These would be run manually..

I'm not replying to your post, I'm replying to the topic in general. Sorry about any misunderstanding.

 

[tipstir]

1. Run System Ninja Free
2. Run Wise 365 Free/Pro
3. JetClean Free/Pro
4. Slim Cleaner Free
5. Free Windows Tuner
6. UnCleaner Free

These are what I run manually each day sometimes 3x times because I am very active on my system.

Windows Base Systems from 7 to 8..
Desktops
Laptops
Netbooks
Tablets

Run them manually you don't want to use up more memory than you have too. JetClean and Free Windows Tuner remove and free up memory also clears out additional VRAM and Clipboard Memory. These has to be done.

Slim Cleaner Free use that to defrag your HDD also for startup programs management. Don't have to have so much loaded. That's a Cloud base app so it can tell you what you need to keep or remove. Plugins and extensions for browser try not to overload your browsers.

Chrome has issues with flash/shockwave it can crash or get overloaded. Run all 6 apps above it it does. Got to flush out the system, just like you flush out coolant system in your car and oil. Think of your system as steam ship engine room.

Also the first one System Ninja run it 3x times one or twice a day. Don't have to run it all the time though if you forget to do it, then it will take longer to run.

 

[Martina Thomas]

The main reason for slowing down windows is installing a huge number of useless software. Unnecessary movie files occupy huge memory space and slows down your PC. Uninstall rare used program and delete movies from pc.

 

[tipstir]

Well you have to only install what you need and remove any additional software. Use firewall like Windows 7/8 Firewall Control to monitor and block access to software that tries to install adware and malware on you PC. Force software not to call home. Windows 7 and 8 firewall can be setup to do that. But it doesn't block software that installs other things.

This software above is a very good program, but the makers of it use installer that forces you to install other software. If you try to block it it still tries to install it. I found away to get around that installation of the other software pest. So now this free software runs as it should without the junk running on your system. V2.0.6.0 is most current.

 

[feemally2]

My pc is slow down when I used the AVG pc cleaner than I start using Eset smart security now pc is working fine.

 

[Kibaruk]

So... considering this is an 8 year old list of software, has there been any update? Maybe not keep this as sticky anymore?

We have no idea the improvements made over 8 years.

 

[LNCPapa]

You're right - it is looking pretty old and probably shouldn't be stickied any longer. We should get an updated process up that isn't dependent on software but rather general practices and explanations of start up, delayed start up, and background process as well as things like modified context menus, processes, customizations and services that can affect day-to-day performance. This thread should then be linked in that new thread for reference sake so people can understand things like adding lots of fonts can be a factor in these slowdowns.