Tweaks after a Clean Install

I just Clean Installed Windows 7 64-bit onto my Sony Laptop. However, I also installed all the Sony programs and drivers from the Companion CD that I was sent with my Upgrade disc. I was wondering what are some ways to optimize Windows 7 using various programs or features already on the OS to make the overall performance faster and more snappy. What programs/services/startups can I disable etc? Thanks.

 

I think you can disable Workstation service and the Application Experiences service safely. Windows Update set it to manual I think is the BEST.

 

nothing. leave as is, then it stays as is.

workstation service has it's uses, so have the application experiences. and windows update works well the way it is (and would not enhance performance ).


just let it be. run the infamous 'defrag boot files' batch to "clean up" after having installed everything, and then, be done with it.

 

I second dave's post.

Set it and forget it!

 

+100000, I always hear from people complaining how they were gaming and windows update reboots the pc during a game. I always want to know what updates (recommended and optional) there are before they are downloaded, so i always set windows update to manual. As soon as there is an update, i get the notification box, but that is all it does. It's up to me to check and see what's new and download it if I want it.

Also, if one really want to tweaks, then it's their responsibility to look up the information. If you don't think you need a windows service, look it up and see if you will "ever" require it.

Everyone has different needs and use their computers differently. I might not need/use a particular service, but someone else does. Even with everything non-essential disabled, you aren't going to get a "omg, wow" performance increase.

 

it's interesting, as win7 never restarts any of my systems even while they idle.

how ever they get the system to reboot while they actively use it is completely out of my understanding.

i now don't want to suggest that, maybe, they heard that happen from others, back in the glory days of xp. and still use this as truth today, as it's cool to bash windows, to show how you know better. gamers like to know better than their system..

now i don't want to suggest that

 

I don't know why you don't want to suggest that

I will say it outright. First, windows updates on a schedule. Second tuesday of each month. If an update comes out at any other time it is an out of band update and Microsoft is releasing it because it is VERY IMPORTANT. Third, I have never had Windows XP, Vista or 7 reboot while I was doing something.

There is no reason to disable Windows Automatic Updates.

I will add that disabling services is a useless endeavor. Services only use resources when they are doing something. You can disable all your services and it won't make a lick of difference.

For years we've had "tweakers" running around the Internet perpetuating bad advice based on old information that was relevant back in the Windows 98 days.

Run a chkdsk once a month. Run a defrag utility or leave your computer on Wednesday morning and let windows do it automatically. Run an antivirus monthly. Do occassional malware scans. Don't use peer to peer file sharing carelessly. Do that and you're set in 95 percent of all cases.

 

Honestly, Windows 7 got nothing to tweak. LOL.
Unlike Vista, I tweak it like crazy. XD
For Windows 7, basically, Windows Update I set it to manual(not disable), as I like to manually update my stuffs(without knowing what is happening is dangerous).

 

then again, a clean installed vista performs without any tweak about the same as a clean installed win7 on similar hw. which is fun. and will get forgotten in the history of os', where everyone will just remember how it was ME2..

 

I've disabled Automatic Update, since I only reboot on Sundays. Personal preference.

First thing I do is install Microsoft Office. And change the background.

 

There are other reasons to disable services other then to attempt to increase performance. I always disable Windows Error Reporting service. Disabling it doesn't increase performance, I just don't want it.

 

because you don't want your bugs that may occur to be fixed, right?

 

LOL. Some people don't want annoying message that prompt you to send reports and so on.
Windows Update set to manual is still the BEST for me. XD
Vista, hopeless, I did do a benchmark of tweaked and non-tweaked. Tweaked Vista is better definitely.

The 1st thing I do after installing Windows 7 is,
a.) Disable UAC
b.) Disable Restore Point Backup
C.) Disable Page Files(on my desktop only)
d.) turn off some unneeded services especially Windows Updates.
e.) Install everything needed(drivers, software and so on) and Windows Update(forgot add this XD).
f.) disable stupid start-ups
g.) Run CCleaner and restart.
h.) Defrag and restart.

 

Should I just use the defrag that came with Windows 7?

 

When I do a clean install...

A.) Install Windows
B.) Install Drivers
C.) Install all critical Windows Updates
D.) Install my applications/update those
E.) Move data from backup source to fresh system

Has worked many times for me.

EDIT: To RD: Yes. Let Windows handle defrag. Though in this case a 3rd party defrag is ok. But, Windows Vista and 7 do a great job at doing many maintenance tasks without user intervention.

 

Exactly. Or maybe because i simply don't want to send a report. I am the kind of guy that likes to fix things myself. If a program is giving me trouble, i will look it up online. I just don't sit by waiting for almighty, all-knowing Microsoft to do it for me.

 

I think deveperman mean MS will get to know the error and what causes it. So, the next time MS release Windows Updates or Service Packs, the problem will be fixed and the performance will be improved.
I don't like to send report because I do want it to bother or annoy instead. XD

 

heh what i do:
use my system

done

oh, and here, vista performs best the way it is.. must be my hw, then..

a) you're stupid, trying to show how clever you are, that you know better than the system
b) oh, i do that, i have windows home server backing up
c) never. it doesn't ever hurt (did in xp days, but they are so long gone), and only helps
d) yep, as it helps to disable services that don't even RUN when the system is in use (learn how services work in win7)
e) well, doh..
f) what startups? ah yes, none
g) ccleaner, after installing the os? nah.. after the first half year of use, maybe..
h) defragging? heh.. oldschool


all in all, your stuff is premature optimisations, check up what that means, and how it's stupid.

still, have fun with your systems. you put too much effort in optimizing things that don't matter (and benchmarking them to feel good, then)

 

yep, exactly because that's exactly how it works, right?

have you ever thought about why service packs exist, why windows updates exist? because microsoft knows the bugs it has to fix. how does it know it best? by getting informed about every issue people have, and thus counting them, and seeing where the real issues are.

it's like not going to vote. you have no right to blame your system to have problems if you don't contribute to get them fixed.

 

i just add that i install the non-critical ones, too. why not? they're free

 

I disable UAC, i guess I'm stupid. How dare I change my pc from the norm. Thanks for the enlightenment.


Instead of insulting people, you could have easily just given a link to the UAC thread or some other web page with reasons why to keep UAC on.

 

I do them as well, though they have a lower priority to the critical updates.

 

Never mind, insulting is fun. He likes to insult as he thinks he's clever.
I never have a thought that I am clever than MS or the System. But, it's my own choice on disabling it. Stubborn? No. I have encounter no problem at all without UAC for more than 1 year. What's the use? System error or spoil, just format. Very easy. But I never have something like that happen before, unless I am testing something like overly tweaking or cracking something(hahahah).

Darth Bane,
No need for the link or thread of UAC explanation. I know those thing very well. If you check those thread, there's me inside the discussion as well.
He can LOL me if he likes and thinks I am stupid. I am very happy without UAC as well as my friends are happy with it too(which has been all UAC disabled by me).

 

yeah, that's the hard part of it. your false knowledge gets spread to other people trusting in you. that's awesome.

well, doesn't matter. we diskussed it actually to death, yeah.

in short: uac helps. if uac annoys you, it's your fault as you try to do stuff with the system you shouldn't do that way, and should LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT INSTEAD.

but people got used to behaving wrong with their system with years of admin-running everything, feeling the need to be able to do anything to a system without the system being able to say "look, that hurts".

now it can, and the first thing people do: instead of learning why it's a good thing, they get rid of it. usual preemptive striking against progression, and the possibility to have to learn new stuff.

but glad you're happy in your dream world of "i don't need that, i know better". there is no other reason why you would, ever, disable uac, except one that is very very special in it's case (but i've encountered it before, but never on a system like yours)

 

for the reason it got implemented? for helping the system being able to prevent you, as a user, to change something in the system that can be irreparable, without you at least having to say "yeah, i (think i) know, what i'm doing".

 

I've tweaked and tweaked and researched and tweaked some more until I got my system running to peak perfect, shaving whole 10ths of a second off my boot up.

Of course there are always reasons to disable or tweak things--but that reason should not be whimsy.

As for UAC, not like this thread needs any more posts, but UAC is harmless in 99 percent of the cases. There are some reasons to turn it off, but to just blanket turn it off seems rather arrogant to me. Of course, I've been down that road, so don't take it as an insult.

Microsoft had a problem with Windows--they could either retrain the entire user base to load as baisc users, or allow users to conitune running as administrators but give them a little "Are you sure you want to do that" every once in a blue moon.

Linux users--well those who are not morons running in root all the time--simply cannot believe the stupidity of Windows users running as administrators all the time.

I have UAC on and have had relatively few warnings since I installed Windows 7. Windows Vista WAS a bit aggressive, but by sp1 it was toned down.

Leave it on. I fixed two computers this week where the owner turned it off and they would have been better served if it had been left on.

 

a = WRONG
b = WRONG
c = WRONG
d = WRONG
e = CORRECT
f = CORRECT (why do I want Adobe and Apple updaters running 24/7?)
g = yawn
h = Correct, if you mean the boot files.

3 out of 8, not too bad.

Gary

 

a.) UAC, it's user perferences. I like it off even you all said it's not good to turn off.
b.) I have my own backup, so, I am correct.
c.) For 8GB DDR3 RAM machine I find it's faster without page files.
d.) Sorry, it's not TURN OFF, LOL, it's MANUAL. TYPE too fast that time.
e.) OK.
f.) OK.
G.) Just to serve as clean-up
h.) OK.

So, overall i got 5/8 XD...

 

Enable UAC vs Disable UAC.

The eternal struggle. It's almost as bad as AA v the Jaggies. PC v Mac. Good v Evil. Light v Dark.

 

Years of running as admin without any issues and without Windows trying to hold my hand every step of the way, why on earth would I want to leave UAC on? Do you think I enjoy being questioned by my OS?

On the flipside of your "Everybody who disables UAC is stupid" argument, surely the stupid people are the ones who think that their system is going to devolve into a hotbed of filth and keyloggers if they don't let Microsoft nanny them through the day?

 

Frozen yogurt v. Ice Cream

Yankees v. The Red Sox

Ginger or Mary Anne?

 

Kobe v Jordan

Panama Beach v Daytona Beach

5.56 v 7.62

Audrey Hepburn v Grace Kelly

College Football v NFL


We need a battle royale forum. Like in Ars.

 

So how do you defrag the boot files? Where can I select them?

 

Look at post #27 - look at Gary's signature block area - he has links for the boot defrag - Vista or Win 7 - great little app!

 

Thanks, but to clarify it isn't really an "app" at all. Just a way to trigger the built in functionality that the OS already has in place. Other folks were rolling it into an app and claiming it was some sort of undocumented "magic". (cough, TuneXP, cough.) But that was just smoke and mirrors until I uncovered what was REALLY happening and duplicated the functionality in a simple batch file.

Gary

 

OK then - Great little batch file! - shaved 15-20 seconds off my boot time. Thanks for creating/posting it.

 

So your boot files work fine in Windows 7? Was hesitant to use it until it was proven to do no harm, only good.

 

Look at my signature line. There is a separate link for using the batch with Win7. Much more detail info is available when running it with Win7. Click on the link for more info.

Gary

 

Your Guide is good. But I always defrag the whole PC. So, the speed difference got no much difference. In addition, I got everything done in a 3 minutes only.
Anyway, thanks.

 

Failed to notice that. Running it on my laptop right now.

EDIT: Just wondering, I have a dual boot configuration on my notebook, when I run the defrag bootfiles, does it defrag both? It seems like it did, because my Vista booted up faster than usual. Haven't been running you boot files in quite some time. Although I did get hit with a "Recent hardware change or something caused blah blah" screen and asked if I wanted to scan to fix problems or start normally, chose the latter to no ill effects. Worried me for a second.

 

Defragging the whole drive is NOT the same thing. This is a specific defrag JUST for the bootfiles that not only defrags them, but more importantly it sequences them in the order needed by the boot process.

Gary

 

No it will not defrag both. You have to do each OS separately.

Gary

 

Hmp, are you 100% sure? I swear, I hardly boot Vista on my laptop but after defragging bootfiles on Win7 and accidentally choosing Vista, it boot up pretty fast. I hardly go on it, but when I do, it is pretty damn slow now.

 

Yes. How could it possibly do both? One OS does not know of the other. They are in separate partitons. No there is no way a batch file running on one could affect the other.

Gary

 

lol true...just found it really odd my Vista booted quickly after running the batch files, so I assumed it somehow affected it.