Program for working with RAM. Video: how to disable startup programs. What is cache

On many computer-related websites there will certainly be links to programs that promise to improve the performance of our computer in one click and turn an old, slow computer into a high-speed “spacecraft”. that such “one-click” optimizers are at a minimum useless, and that the issue of optimization needs to be approached completely differently - more thoughtfully and certainly not with a “one-click” tool. There are also RAM optimizers, which rank particularly high in the list of useless utilities, because they not only do not bring any benefit, but also reduce the speed of your computer. And now I will explain why.

What is the popularity of memory optimizers based on?

The popularity of memory optimizers is based on our belief that small free memory- this is very bad. Although in fact there is no tragedy in this, because it is good! This may seem strange, but it is true.

What is "free memory"?

Indeed, there is always little free memory... However, the concepts have changed a little over the past five to seven years. Now large free memory does not mean greater system efficiency, but rather less. The fact is that modern operating systems leave free only that amount of memory that may be urgently required by some newly launched application or running program during its operation. The system spends the rest of the reserved memory on running programs and services.

What is cache?

A cache is data that has been used by the system or programs and that has been reserved in RAM in case it is needed again. Data is backed up in memory because the reading speed from RAM is many times higher than the reading speed from hard drive. If necessary, the system uses this data again and displays the result on the user's screen without delay. If this data were backed up on the hard drive every time, the loading speed would be much lower, which would greatly slow down the speed of the system as a whole and create an increased load on the hard drive.

As an analogy, we can give an example with the browser cache, which is stored on the computer’s hard drive (graphics, styles, scripts, flash animation, etc.). Loading all this data from the internet for every single page would be too wasteful and time consuming. Because everything modern browsers they reserve this “heavy” data on the hard drive and load only the main content, which greatly speeds up the display of pages for the user. A similar principle is used when operating the system cache, which is stored in RAM for quick access to the data.

Therefore, it is worth changing your views on memory: in new operating systems, the concept of “free memory” is synonymous with resources wasting away in vain. This is just a reserve so that the system can give it to the next application for a while while the occupied memory is freed. Windows will release it itself required by the application the amount of RAM from cache data or transfers data from rarely used programs to the swap file.

Note that the operating system does all this on its own, without the help of any optimizers. Then why are such “memory cleaners” and “boosters” needed?

How do memory freeing utilities work?

There are only two basic principles of their work:

• They use the EmptyWorkingSet function from Windows API. This feature forces unused data from memory to be flushed to the paging file on the computer's hard drive. Visually, the amount of free memory in the task manager will increase, but will programs run faster? Definitely no. Because the reading speed from the disk is much lower than the reading speed from the computer's RAM.
• The second method of “cleaning memory” is that the optimizer application requires a lot of memory from the system. The system itself forcibly frees memory from cache and unused data. But after about ten minutes, Windows will understand that the optimizer program does not need this memory and will give it back to the cache and data of other programs.

What can you do to really help your system with memory optimization?

The answer is simple - just don’t interfere with Windows and follow simple tips.

• Try not to run too many applications idle. There are users who do not close the Word window after editing text. And they edit a lot of documents per day and they all hang in the background and “eat up” memory.
• Remove unnecessary applications from the computer, especially if they hang in startup.
• Add memory physically if your computer allows it. The cost of RAM is now very affordable, and you will see the effect of increasing memory immediately!

All third-party “optimizers” and “memory boosters” are at a minimum useless, and at a maximum they will slow down the system, showing a short-term release of a small amount of RAM.

The question of how to speed up a computer interests a huge number of users, and interest in it does not fade. You can really influence the speed of your computer using optimization operating system. Most of the functions and capabilities of modern operating systems remain unclaimed by ordinary users. Many people, after reinstalling the OS, do not make any changes to the configuration and are content with the standard settings, which are not the most optimal.

We will analyze in detail all the most current methods Windows optimization 7 to improve computer performance. If you follow our recommendations, you will probably notice that your computer will run much faster.

Problem. Operating systems of the Windows family have not only a convenient, but also a beautiful interface. This, in turn, imposes quite serious requirements on the computer hardware. With all the abundance of interesting visual effects, the hardware must ensure smooth operation and the highest possible performance. If the computer is not the most powerful, then a drop in performance is guaranteed. This problem is especially relevant for owners of low-power laptops and netbooks, whose manufacturers primarily set themselves the goals of increasing energy efficiency and reducing costs.

Solution. To solve this problem, it is recommended to turn off almost all visual effects and leave only the basic ones. In this case, you are guaranteed a productivity increase. Optimizing Windows 7 for visual effects is quite simple. Go to the Start menu and type “Visual Effects” in the search bar. Click on the section that appears “Configure presentation and system performance.”

For convenient settings, place the selector next to the “Ensure the best performance” item, and absolutely all the checkboxes will be cleared. After that, check the following boxes:

• Enable desktop composition
• Using Window and Button Display Styles
• Show thumbnails instead of icons
• Smooth out jagged screen fonts

Click “Apply” and restart the computer.

Problem. All files recorded on HDD, are divided into fragments using a special algorithm. This is done to make the most efficient use of the remaining disk space. As a result, when the computer tries to read a file, it collects a huge number of individual fragments scattered throughout the hard drive. This process is aggravated by the presence of tens of thousands of fragments unnecessary files. This in turn can lead to a decrease in the performance of the hard drive and the system as a whole.

Solution. The only effective way out of the problem is regular cleaning of junk files and defragmentation of hard disk. Do an audit first unnecessary information on your computer. Delete annoying movies (which, by the way, take up a fairly large amount of memory), music and other files that are no longer relevant for you. Then remove programs you don't use. To do this, go to the Start menu --> Control Panel --> Uninstall a program. We audit outdated applications and get rid of them using the “Delete” button.

After cleaning up the garbage, we move on to defragmentation. To do this, go to “My Computer” right click mouse click on required disk and select “Properties” --> “Tools” --> “Run defragmentation.” Select the disk and click the “Disk Defragmenter” button.

Optimizing your hard drive will really help you speed up your computer. The effect will be especially noticeable on those computers where this procedure has not been carried out for a long time. Let us remind you that it is advisable to carry out defragmentation regularly to maintain optimal operation of the hard drive.

Problem. Even on powerful and expensive computers Over time, a decrease in the loading speed of the operating system is noticed. And in most cases, the culprit is the huge number of programs that are running simultaneously along with the operating system. Update managers for various applications and agents are added to startup social networks, all kinds of messengers, antivirus. By the way, it’s better not to remove the latter from startup, because ideally antivirus program must constantly protect your computer in real time. We will disable all other “unexpected guests” from autoloads.

Solution. For simple and effective removal To remove unnecessary programs from startup, it is recommended to use CCleaner. Its main specialty is cleaning the registry (we'll talk about this later), but it also does an excellent job of optimizing startup, providing the user with a convenient and intuitive interface.

Launch the program, go to the “Tools” tab --> “Startup” and use the “Turn off” button to remove from automatic start all the programs you don't need.

Problem. It is believed that a dirty registry can negatively affect the speed of a computer, as can problematic RAM. Everything is clear with the registry. In case of incomplete removal installed applications“garbage” remains in it (application settings, links to non-existent shortcuts, incorrect file extensions). Over time, there is more and more garbage. And if we want to speed up the computer, then the garbage needs to be removed.

With RAM, everything is somewhat more complicated. This is a very important component of the computer and talk about optimal performance There is simply no way to operate a system without adequate RAM. Failures in RAM can be caused by manufacturing defects, problems with the power supply, or even voltage surges. In any case, optimizing Windows 7 necessarily involves diagnosing RAM.

Solution. You can clean the registry using the previously mentioned CCleaner program. RAM diagnostics can be carried out using the operating system. To do this, open the Start menu and type “Diagnose computer memory problems” in the search box.

A window should appear in which you need to select the type of check (it is recommended to select the first option).

After the computer restarts, a memory check will begin. It may take a long period of time, so do not plan any urgent computer-related tasks during the diagnostic period. When checking on the screen, you will see something like the following window:

The end of the diagnostics will be accompanied by a computer restart. The next time you log in, you will be able to view the results of the scan. Optimizing Windows 7 must necessarily include working with the registry and RAM.

Problem. Many users have computers equipped with multi-core processors (with the number of cores from 2 or more). A larger number of cores in the processor should have a positive effect on the speed of the computer. Although the operating system itself automatically checks the type and characteristics of the installed processor, quite often only one core is used when starting the computer. Naturally, in this case, the loading speed of the operating system decreases.

Solution. The solution to this problem is very simple. The user can force the system to boot using the power of all processor cores. To do this, go to “Start” --> “All Programs” --> “Accessories” --> “Run”. Enter the command “msconfig” and click “OK”.

In the system configuration window that appears, go to the “Boot” tab --> “Advanced parameters...”. Check the box next to “Number of processors” and select maximum number. Click "OK".

If you don’t know how to speed up your computer, or rather, how to influence the startup speed of the operating system, then this method Perfect for you.

Problem. The standard and additional gadgets used in Windows 7 are undoubtedly very convenient and useful. Many users happily use them in their daily work to facilitate access to interesting information. On the other hand, gadgets can directly affect the speed of a computer, naturally in a negative way. Such gadgets will waste your system resources. On a powerful modern machine this may not be noticeable, but on weaker computers the performance drop will be noticeable.

Solution. Optimizing Windows 7 in terms of gadgets does not imply them complete removal. Keep 1-2 of the most frequently used and useful gadgets, and remove the rest. Still, with a high degree of probability, it can be said that you will receive most of the interesting information on the Internet. Why then load your system once again?

Problem. The Windows 7 operating system can use high-speed flash memory devices to effectively cache data from the most frequently launched applications. Actually USB memory A flash drive or SD card can be used instead of a swap file. Such a cunning manipulation makes it possible to speed up the read-write procedure, which will ultimately have a positive effect on the speed of the computer and the overall performance of the system.

Not all Windows users 7 can increase the amount of RAM in a standard way(by purchasing a new bar). A variety of reasons can prevent this. These are restrictions imposed by the chipset manufacturer or motherboard on their products, and the inability to purchase RAM of a suitable format.

Solution. To expand your computer's RAM, you can use standard USB flash drives and flash cards in SDHC/SD/MS format. To use a flash card, you will need a special card reader that is compatible with the card format. ReadyBoost technology is natively built into the operating system, so you don't have to download and install additional software.

Minimum requirements for drives when used in ReadyBoost:

• USB 2.0/3.0 standard supported
• Minimum read speed of 2.5 MB/s for information in 4 KB blocks
• Minimum write speed of 1.75 MB/s for information in 512 KB blocks
• Minimum free space 64 MB

Before choosing a drive for ReadyBoost, be sure to check its speed characteristics and make sure they meet the requirements. Using high-speed flash cards will provide maximum performance gains.

Go to “My Computer”, right-click on the external drive and click “Properties”. Go to the “ReadyBoost” tab. Place the selector opposite the “Use this device” item and use the slider to set the limit on the amount of memory used. Next, click “Apply” and “OK”. If you want to give the system access to all free memory external media, then set the selector opposite the item “Provide this device for ReadyBoost technology.”

Use this tricky way. We hope it will help you answer the question of how to speed up your computer.

Problem. Very often, when working on a computer, users forget to configure the power management scheme - a set of hardware and system parameters, which are responsible for the energy consumption of individual system components. The power management scheme can be configured to maximize power savings (minimum performance), balance power consumption, or maximize computer performance (maximum power consumption). You can simply forget about this simple parameter and at the same time negatively affect the performance of the system.

This problem is relevant for laptop owners. By default, the system sets the balanced power mode. When the laptop battery runs out, the power saving mode is automatically set. Later, when the laptop is connected to the network, few people remember about the economy mode and the need to switch it. This is how the speed of the computer is lost on simple things.

If you are using Personal Computer or laptop (but still running on mains power), adjusting the power plan can speed up the computer and improve overall system performance.

Solution. The solution to the problem is to control the power supply mode. Go to “Start” --> “Control Panel” --> “Power Options” and select the “High Performance” mode.

If desired, you can customize the power plan. To do this, select “Configure power plan” --> “Change advanced power settings.” Set your own values ​​as desired.

conclusions

We have looked at 8 ways to optimize Windows 7 that will help increase the speed of your computer. It is very difficult to fit all optimization methods into one article, so this is only the first part of the material. In future articles we will continue to examine interesting and effective ways optimization, since this topic is quite extensive and interesting.

Tweet

There are a number of programs that are essentially charlatan. They all promise a miraculous increase in computer speed by freeing up space in the computer's RAM. To understand why this is useless and even harmful, you first need to understand what RAM is, anyway?

What is RAM and why is it needed?

RAM(or RAM - R andom A access M emory, or RAM - ABOUT operative Z reminiscent U device) - volatile memory used to temporarily store instructions and data necessary for calculations performed by the processor (or processors) of a computer. This is described more accurately and in detail on Wikipedia, but I will focus on the actual problem of free space in RAM.

Note: I am speaking as simply as possible, omitting many terms and features, leaving only the essence required in the context of my note.

The processor needs RAM to fast access to data that the hard drive cannot provide in any way. Therefore, when the program is launched, it is loaded into RAM - this is the only way the computer can do calculations, driving data to the processor from RAM and back.

IN Windows running programs can be physically located not only “in RAM cards”, but also on the hard drive in a file pagefile.sys. This file is called the “swap file” or “swap” (from the English swap).

The idea is this: if a program takes up a lot of memory, part of it is dumped onto the hard drive into the paging file, freeing up “living space” for other programs, and if necessary, the data is loaded back into RAM.

Problem is that the speed difference between RAM and hard drive huge. This can be clearly demonstrated like this:

To ensure that only unnecessary data is dumped into the paging file, Windows runs a Memory Manager. It works quite successfully, thanks to which on a computer with 512 MB of RAM you can run programs that take up more than a gigabyte of memory. A typical example is modern versions Adobe Photoshop, 3DS Max and many other programs for complex calculations. Of course, with such a small amount of RAM, programs will be strongly slow down, but working in them is at the very least possible, but possible.

What do memory optimizers do?

Let me make an analogy with medications to relieve symptoms - they do not treat the cause, they only alleviate the symptoms. If a person has the flu, getting rid of a runny nose will not cure it. If the computer slows down and there is little free memory, it slows down not because of occupied memory, but because of an overly resource-intensive program or, for example, overheating.

All optimizers are required show the amount of free space in RAM. And often with red letters and warnings that this negatively affects the speed of the computer. Which is actually not true. If a program needs all the RAM, it means it is required for business (calculations) and to work fast she will only be there if she is given as much space as she asks for.

A typical example of programs that require large amounts of RAM are games. If a game requires 2 gigabytes of RAM, there is nothing you can do about it. Without the required amount of RAM, playing will be problematic due to the low frame rate - the game will slow down due to the fact that some of the data will be located on the slow swap file. RAM optimizers create same negative effect- after memory is freed, programs are allocated less memory than they need, which is why the “brakes” again begin.

Note #1: I'm not saying that frame rates in games are directly related to the amount of RAM. By installing more RAM in your computer, you will be able to increase performance only in those programs where the amount of RAM is really important, without regard to other more important parameters: processor frequency, video card characteristics, RAM frequency, speed hard disk, etc.

Note #2: Errors occur with programs under the general name “ memory leak“when a program “grows” for no reason and takes up all the memory unnecessarily, but in this case it is necessary to demand that the developers of this program correct the error, and not free up memory with optimizers.

How memory optimizers work

Memory optimization programs (they may have different names - SuperRAM, FreeMemory, Memory Management SuperProMegaEdition, etc.) can free up memory in several ways, but they are all tied to the principle of deceiving the Manager Windows memory:

1. The program calls a special function EmptyWorkingSet(), which forces all programs to dump as much of themselves as possible into the swap file.
2. The program begins to grow uncontrollably in memory, telling the Windows Memory Manager that it needs it for business (I speak in metaphors, but in fact this is exactly the case), as a result of which the Memory Manager throws away as much as possible more programs to the hard drive in the swap file.

The result is always the same: programs begin to slow down, but the number of free space in RAM is green and the memory optimization program says that everything is fine. As a result, the user is happy, opens a window with his favorite program and... waiting. Because his favorite program is starting slow down a lot. This will happen until the program returns “itself” to RAM from the swap file. As a result, the RAM becomes full again, the free space indicator again reports that the memory is busy, the user gets angry, starts clearing the memory, and everything happens for the second (third, fifth, tenth) round.

The opposite effect - so that the program takes up all the RAM supposedly For fast work- it will not be possible to achieve. I used the word “supposedly” because in the ideal case (when there is enough memory) programs take as much memory as they need And this process cannot be interfered with. If you interfere with the process, you will get slowdowns caused by frequent access to the swap file.

Another sad point: memory optimizers cannot unload from RAM unnecessary programs. We determine their “uselessness” ourselves; everything works differently in a computer. All programs are unloaded into the swap file indiscriminately.

Conclusion #1: freeing up RAM by optimizers only does harm and reduces performance.

Conclusion No. 2: You cannot judge the speed of a program by how much space it takes up in RAM.

Conclusion No. 3: If a program takes up a lot of space in RAM, it means it operates with large amounts of data. You can help her “think” faster only by increasing the amount of RAM, i.e. by installing more RAM cards into the computer. But this will not help if the other characteristics of the PC do not meet the requirements.

In order not to be unfounded, here is a link to similar conclusions with an explanation of how the Windows Memory Manager works: here.

How should memory be optimized?

The most obvious way to improve your computer's performance is to close unnecessary programs. The second is to install more RAM sticks (boards) so that programs “feel more at ease” and work faster. Other ways to speed up your computer directly related to RAM, No.

I repeat once again: memory optimizers are nonsense in order to make money from gullible users. The same stupidity is the adjustment " hidden settings memory" in Windows, since everything there is already configured most optimally after testing on a large number of computers. There are specific issues, but this does not apply to home computers.

About free RAM in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10

On forums I often see indignant cries (I quote): “ I installed Windows 7 (8, 10), looked at the Task Manager, and it said that one and a half gigabytes or all of the RAM was occupied! Windows 7 (8, 10) eats up a lot of memory!»

In fact, everything is completely different and there is no reason to be indignant. Quite the opposite: In modern operating systems, free memory is allocated for cache. This happens mainly thanks to the SuperFetch function. Thanks to the cache, programs start faster, since instead of accessing the hard drive, data is loaded from RAM (see the picture above, the difference in speed work hard disk and RAM are written in bold). If some program needs more RAM - cache instantly will reduce its size, giving way to her. More information about this is written on Habrahabr.

Conclusions:

1. There is no need to clear the memory, because each byte of space is used to the maximum effectively.
2. Forget about memory optimizers - they don't optimize anything and interfere with the cache and other Windows functions.
3. If a lot of RAM is occupied immediately after turning on the computer, this is absolutely normal and is not the reason for the slow operation of programs. Of course, if startup is full of a dozen or two programs that occupy this very memory, at the same time loading the processor and using the hard drive, It will definitely slow down. Such programs need to be dealt with by deleting them or removing them from startup, and not clearing the memory with optimizers.

There is also a myth that when using Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10, the cache interferes with programs. Allegedly, “when a program needs more RAM, it turns out that it is clogged with cache, and brakes occur.” This is actually not true. The cache disappears instantly and program straightaway the required amount of RAM becomes available.

Changing the page file size, moving it, or disabling it

Also quite common, in some way harmful, advice. There is a good article about this on Habrahabr. I will only give the most important conclusions of that article, adding my own from personal experience:

1. There is little point in changing the size of the paging file. Theoretically, ideally you should set the paging file size to no larger than what the running programs require, but the problem is that even if you use the same programs of the same versions day after day, the situations are different (you can run in browser, one tab, or maybe a hundred, each with a Flash game open) and the requirements for available memory will be different - the estimated “ideal” size of the paging file will change from minute to minute. Therefore, there is no point in changing the size of the paging file, since the “ideal size” of the paging file is constantly changing. It’s easier to leave the size determined by the system and not fool yourself.
2. If you disable the paging file on the system partition(in this case, the swap file can be used on other partitions), Memory dump will not work for BSOD errors. Therefore, if the system shows “ blue screen death", to identify the cause of the failure, you will first have to enable the paging file on the system partition, then wait for the failure to recur. There is only one situation when it is advisable to disable the paging file on the system disk (to lose diagnostic capabilities) and enable it on another - if two or more physical hard drives. Moving the page file to another physical disk can reduce the amount of stuttering due to load distribution across the disks.
3. Disabling the paging file (completely, i.e. on all disks) will cause problems and crashes of resource-intensive programs. You won't believe it, but even now, when an average of 16 GB of RAM is installed in a home PC, there are programs that require more. Personally, I encountered problems when rendering complex scenes using V-Ray and when working in the GIMP program - these programs are quite voracious in terms of available memory and close when there is not enough memory.
   Note: Obviously, programs usually do not write data to the page file themselves; the OS does it for them (but there are exceptions). Be that as it may, a disabled page file cannot be considered part of normal computer operating mode.
4. Moving the swap file to a RAM disk(very fast virtual disk, located in RAM) inappropriate.
   Firstly, and this is the most important thing when Windows startup The RAM disk may initialize later than the moment when the system needs the paging file. Because of this, anything can happen - from BSOD to spontaneous system slowdowns (I encountered the above when I was testing this idea).
   Secondly, the size of such a swap file will be small - the memory is not rubber. A choice arises - either a lack of RAM when there is a large paging file in memory, or program glitches when there is not enough space in a small paging file. There is no golden mean, because... a computer can perform completely different tasks.
   Exception when you can create big file swap on a RAM disk - if you have 16 GB of RAM or more. However, with such a volume of RAM, the paging file is almost never used, and there is no point in keeping it in RAM.
   Third, this is simply pointless, because swap is needed to expand virtual memory using a hard drive or SSD.

Clearing the swap file

In the swap file pagefile.sys a variety of confidential information can be stored - for example, pictures from recently opened pages in the browser. This is a normal process due to the way programs work in Windows. If you wish, you can enable the paging file to be cleared when the computer is turned off. However, this tweak will in no way improve performance; on the contrary, it will seriously slow down the shutdown and reboot of the computer.

If you Not work with confidential data, better do not enable pagefile.sys cleanup.

Availability of more than 4 GB of RAM in Windows

The Internet is literally flooded with user speculation about why 3.5 GB of RAM is available in bit Windows instead of, for example, the installed 4 GB. Many theories, myths, and legends were invented. For example, they believe that this is a limitation made by Microsoft that can be removed. In fact, this is partly true - there really is a forced restriction. You just can't remove it. This is due to the fact that on 32-bit systems, drivers and programs may become unstable when the system uses more than four gigabytes of RAM. For 64-bit Windows drivers tested more thoroughly, the above-mentioned limitation is not there.

In 32-bit Windows, only 4 GB of RAM is available, in 64-bit there is no such limitation and much more RAM is available - up to 192 GB.

But it's not that simple. Windows 7 Initial (Starter)(and its Vista counterpart) does not see more than 2 GB of RAM. This is also a limitation, but not due to unstable software. The fact is that Windows 7 Basic is distributed exclusively on low-power netbooks, in fact, almost free, so it was necessary to distance it from more expensive editions: Home Basic, Home Advanced, Ultimate, etc. Some of the limitations of Windows 7 Starter can be removed, but not the limit on two gigabytes of RAM.

As for the remaining 32-bit editions of Windows XP, Vista, 7 and Windows 8/10: in practice, even less is available to the user - 3.5 GB. The thing is that drivers also have their own addresses, which deprive the program Windows access to a portion of memory of 512 megabytes. There is a patch that allows you to “push” such addresses beyond four gigabytes so that the system begins to use all 4 GB of RAM, but this makes virtually no sense:

• As I wrote above, drivers and programs will not be able to work correctly after such a patch, so the system may begin to freeze, produce errors, i.e. behave unpredictably.
• Even if the computer has 8, 16, 32 GB or more RAM cards installed, this will not help in any way to use them in the 32-bit mode of the operating system.

What's the point of having an extra 512MB of RAM if the system becomes unstable? Here's a good example. You will still have to install 64-bit Windows.

Just because 4GB of RAM is visible doesn't mean it can be used effectively. The problem is that 32-bit Windows cannot competently allocate more than 2 GB of physical RAM to a process (program). Many people forget about this - and in vain. It doesn’t matter how much RAM is in the computer if the program cannot be given more than 2 GB of RAM. Example: if a user works in 32-bit Windows with Photoshop on a computer with 4 GB of RAM, Photoshop will be able to use only two gigabytes maximum, the rest of the data will be thrown into the swap file and will begin to slow down. It's the same with games.

In fact, only on a 64-bit operating system can programs utilize the full potential of more than two gigabytes of RAM. And not all of them, but only those designed to use more than 2 GB of RAM. The situation can again be corrected using the appropriate patches in 32-bit Windows, but this does not work with all programs. I repeat: only 64-bit Windows and 64-bit programs running in it are the only way to use the full potential of a large amount of RAM.

Meanwhile, the situation is different with server versions of Windows: much larger amounts of RAM are available there, even in 32-bit versions of the OS. Why this happens is described in the article Breaking the boundaries of Windows: physical memory from Mark Russinovich.

To show the difference in RAM requirements between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows, I installed Windows 7 in both bits:

Memory consumption of Windows 7 of both bits

Both Windows were installed in identical virtual machines with 2 GB of RAM each. Of the programs, only VMWare Tools are installed (used trial version virtual machine VMWare). In 32-bit Windows 7 it was allocated 606 MB, in 64-bit - 766 . Dedicated memory- this is generally all Virtual memory occupied by programs and the system (in RAM and the paging file). There will be less RAM used, depending on running programs.

Your newly installed system may have slightly different values, because the systems may be of different editions, with different drivers, etc. But the result will always be the same:

The 64-bit Windows 7 (and 8) only takes up about 150MB more RAM than the 32-bit version.

If you turn to official page with the system requirements of Windows 7 and Windows 8, you can see that 32-bit Windows 7/8 requires a computer with 1 GB of RAM, and 64-bit requires a minimum of 2 GB. Indeed, if you use 64-bit Windows 7/8 on a computer with 1 GB of RAM, there will be little free memory left, which will reduce the performance of the computer due to the obvious lack of RAM. On a scale of 2 gigabytes, the loss of 0.15 parts of a gigabyte will no longer be noticeable, but the advantages of a 64-bit system and 64-bit programs will begin to appear.

Conclusion: on a computer with less than 2 GB of RAM, it is more profitable to install 32-bit Windows 7/8/10. On a computer with more than 2 GB of RAM (or equal), nothing prevents the installation of 64-bit Windows 7/8/10.

About the advantages of 64-bit Windows versions 7/8/10 is described above, so I recommend moving on to it as soon as possible.

Increase RAM with ReadyBoost

Here Microsoft itself caused confusion at the time of the release of Vista, telling on its official website that with using ReadyBoost You can solve the problem with a lack of RAM using the principle of “inserting a flash drive and expanding the amount of RAM.” Actually this is not true. When ReadyBoost technology is running, a special file, where the most frequently used files are copied. Thanks to this, some programs start faster, which partially eliminates the problem of computer freezing, but, unfortunately, does not improve the performance of the system as a whole, and certainly does not increase the amount of RAM. ReadyBoost allows partially solve problems related to reading a slow hard drive, and nothing more.

Let's sum it up

• RAM optimizers cannot be used.
• Touching memory settings is the same, even if the program has many hints that give a feeling of control over the situation.
• Free RAM in Windows Vista/7/8/10 is used for good, it is better not to touch this functionality - everything works well, practically nothing can be improved.
• If your computer is slowing down, then this is more likely not because of the occupied memory (it is occupied by the useful cache), but because of either a large number of running programs or one program that “takes” everything for itself.

The process of cleaning and optimizing Windows OS has long become a trend. There are many commercial programs on the software market that offer various kinds of software operations that supposedly can speed up the system. Some of these operations can really be useful when the system disk is cluttered, for accessing the full list of startup objects, for correctly uninstalling programs, and in similar cases.

However, some operations will not provide any noticeable performance gain. Among the latter are utilities for optimizing RAM.

What is their operating principle, why are they of little use, and what will really help speed up a computer with insufficient RAM?

1. How RAM optimizers work

The essence of the work of RAM optimizers is to free it up for use for user tasks. The mechanisms for releasing memory for such programs may be different. Some forcefully upload data to the swap file and clearly show the user the amount of released resources. And others create the illusion of necessity a certain amount MB of RAM so that Windows itself removes what is needed into the swap file and frees up the requested volume.

For example, the optimizer utility as part of a comprehensive product for cleaning and optimizing Windows works according to the latter principle. We tell it how much RAM we want to free up within the available maximum amount. And the utility fulfills our order.

Another product - a utility - works on the first principle. The utility does not take pre-orders from us, it releases the volume that it can free up.

Such manipulations do not speed up the computer in any way. Firstly, after some Windows time will load the freed data back into RAM. Secondly, when accessing programs uploaded to the swap file, they can be terribly slow at first. Especially if the system is not working at SSD, and on HDD-disk. The latter have a negligibly low reading speed for small files that make up the program cache. Then how are such small files HDD will read at maximum speed 0.5-1 Mb/s, RAM will cope with this task at speeds exceeding 100 Mb/s. So why do you need such a productive resource to be idle?

2. Managing RAM resource by Windows system

The idea of ​​forcibly releasing RAM resources is based on myths about its ineffective use by the Windows system. However, on different computers- With 2 GB and, for example, with 8 GB RAM – at the same average loads (open browser, office or media applications) in the system task manager we will not see any significant differences in the percentage of memory used. At least weakly, at least powerful computer "RAM" will never be filled to capacity, there will always be some amount of idle resource left. As new ones are added Windows tasks It makes sure that there is enough resource for all active tasks. And so that there is some gap left for the possible connection of some other tasks. When you launch a resource-intensive program or game, the system will analyze which of the currently active processes are rarely used and dump them into the swap file. And she doesn’t need any optimizers or game boosters to help her.

Of course, if we weak device If we launch some powerful game designed for a large amount of RAM, Windows may not be able to cope with its tasks and display a message about lack of memory. There may be other abnormal cases - for example, a cluttered disk where the paging file is located, or the operation of programs that cause memory leaks. But these problems cannot in any way be prevented, much less solved, by RAM optimizer utilities.

Modern versions of Windows are designed to make optimal use of RAM resources, rather than to save them. A certain amount that may be required for new tasks is left unused, and everything else is put to work. Windows does not unnecessarily access the paging file, so as not to burden the work of already problematic HDD. So if in the task manager we see resource usage "RAM" on 70-80% under appropriate loads, this is far from a reason to worry and rush to turn it off Superfetch or run a memory optimizer.

3. How to really optimize RAM

On computers with 4 GB RAM doesn't need to do anything at all. This is the optimal indicator for average user tasks. It makes sense to increase it in hardware only if it is necessary to run certain resource-intensive games and programs, the operation of which fundamentally requires a larger resource. If your device has less 4 GB "RAM", it would be advisable to upgrade. Adding memory sticks DDR2 or DDR3- This is the simplest modernization of PCs and laptops. This is the cheapest upgrade when compared to adding or replacing other computer components.

If physically increasing the amount of RAM is not possible, in an environment Windows 8.1 And 10 you can exist relatively comfortably with 2 GB. In such cases, it is necessary to remove unnecessary background programs, do not allow too many applications to be active at the same time, and do not create a lot of active tabs in the browser. If possible, it would be advisable to replace HDD on SSD, this will give the most noticeable performance increase. Firstly, Windows will communicate more quickly with the swap file located on SSD. Secondly, other problems caused by slow operation will disappear HDD .

You can install editions on devices with low RAM Windows 7 or 8.1 Embedded– special stripped-down assemblies of these versions of the system, optimized for operation on low-power production equipment.

In a relatively short period of time, the seventh OS has become one of the most popular versions among users around the world. I really tried my best. However, nothing is perfect, and some users, inspired by the performance of the new OS, have a logical question: “How to optimize Windows 7?” However, increasing the effective functionality of a PC is not always associated with a hardware upgrade. In most cases, you only need to occasionally carry out “electronic” maintenance, and most importantly, be able to configure the computer for yourself. After all, each of you, dear reader, has your own preferences, individual vision and requirements for the computer technology used. Do you want to spice up your operating system? Do you want comfortable and stable work behind a computer screen? You have every chance to teach your PC to “fly”! Doubts will melt away immediately after reading the article.

How to optimize Windows 7: eight “awesome” recommendations

You should always remember that the seventh OS is, first of all, a program, like all other software, that uses the computer’s hardware resources. That's why system requirements this OS needs to be “respected”. RAM, processor power, and storage capacity are critical components of your PC configuration. Minimal discrepancies with the values ​​required by Windows 7 will be reflected in the operation of the system as a whole. It is worth noting that significant changes in the performance of the 7 cannot be achieved with a “weak” computer configuration. If everything is in order, and there is a “margin of safety”, the user has a lot of opportunities to influence the performance of his electronic “horse”.

Torque: hard drive without “brakes”

As information accumulates on your hard drive, its performance will decrease. In deciding how to optimize Windows system 7, first of all, attention should be paid to the organization of data storage. Standard means quite suitable for these purposes.

• Go to Start and select the Computer tab.
• On the system drive “C”, call up “Properties” from the list.

In the minimized window, click on the “Service” tab, after which you need to use the “Run” items hard check disk for the presence...” and defragment the partition (next block).

It wouldn’t hurt to go to the “General” submenu in the same service window and clean up the disk.

Additional memory - don't let us down!

In some situations, it is necessary to optimize the page file.

Windows 7 is quite “voracious” software environment, and RAM is often not enough for the correct operation of resource-intensive applications. Therefore, it makes sense to expand the swap file, which in the OS is referred to as “pagefile”.

• Go to the “Start” menu and, pointing at “Computer”, right-click the manipulator to call up the drop-down list, from which select “Properties”.
• The next click is on the “Advanced system settings” item, which is located in the left area of ​​the window (last in the list).
• In the window that opens, select the “Advanced” tab. In the “Performance” block, activate the “Options” button.
• Now follow the “Advanced” link to the settings area, from which by pressing the “Edit” key you will be given the opportunity to make the necessary edits.
• Since space on the system disk needs to be protected, and the question of how to optimize Windows 7 requires specific actions, it would be quite reasonable to move the “pagefile” to any other partition of the drive that is “non-critical” in terms of capacity.
• Highlight system disk(C) and uncheck the box.
• Now select the required partition and in the “Specify size” block enter the value: initial - the amount of RAM, maximum - double the memory value.

After a reboot, the changes will take effect.

Tricky system: hidden megabytes of RAM

Indeed, the OS may be hiding a small amount of RAM. As in the case that will be described below. However, there are situations when the system “does not see” entire gigabytes, and this is due to some limiting nuances. The OS optimized for games is a 64-bit system, since only this type of system allows the use of memory up to 32 GB. Of course, the 32-bit “brother” is much more modest with its possible 3 gigabytes, and, as you know, modern games are very demanding physical indicators installed RAM.

So, how to regain lost memory?

• IN command line(Start menu - search) type "msconfig".
• In the service window, open the “Downloads” tab.
• Activate "Advanced Options".
• Now uncheck the “Maximum memory” item, and next to “Number of processes” put the value “2”.
• Restart your computer.

The above example will get you Windows 7. However, more fine tuning RAM is possible only with the participation of special software.

Disabling “unnecessary” services

It is possible to carry out, so to speak, a reduction in “staff” in the system. That is, the incredibly huge number of services involved in the OS are meaningless “eaters” of resources for ordinary users. As a result, they simply need to be disabled. This is especially important when a laptop computer is used as a workhorse. After all, in order for the laptop to function for as long as possible, first of all, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of system resources to a minimum, that is, to optimize the operation of the laptop. Windows 7 is a system with an incredibly extensive base of integrated tools. However, by using only some functionality, it will still not be possible to achieve a significant increase in productivity. For a comprehensive solution, you simply cannot do without disabling “passive” services.

• Open the control panel and click on the “Administration” shortcut.
• Then (with administrator rights) click on “Services”.
• From the list provided, select the “elimination candidate” and through context menu stop its operation and then disable it through the “Startup type” tab.

Attention! The stability of the system directly depends on the coherence of the work of many services. Therefore, disabling services that you find objectionable may threaten the full functionality of the OS as a whole. So if you are not sure what to do, find out how to optimize Windows 7 using other tools and methods.

Idle operation and automatic braking

Perhaps you have noticed program shortcuts in the system tray. In fact, most of them remain unclaimed during the next work session. However, the resources they expend adversely affect the overall current performance of the OS.

Of course, some background programs just need to be turned off. The familiar “msconfig” command will make sure that nothing unnecessary is loaded along with the operating system when the workstation is turned on.

• After you are with search string Call up the “System Configuration” window, open the “Startup” tab.
• Unchecking the box allows you to deactivate the program, and in fact this is another element of the answer to the question “how to optimize Windows 7?”

Some caution: along with the system, programs and applications that are critical for the stable operation of the OS are automatically loaded. If you do not know how deactivating a particular startup item may affect you, it would be safer to refrain from unconscious actions.

A professional will tell you how to optimize your computer

Windows 7 uses a special database during its operation - the registry, where startup parameters are stored various services and applications, as well as data about operating system settings. There is a constant exchange of data between the registry and the OS, and it is lightning fast, amounting to several hundred calls per second. Programs also interact with the database. During operation, the registry accumulates a lot of unnecessary information in the form of “memories” of deleted software or changed settings in the operating system. Resulting in digital trash interferes with the efficient operation of the database. Performance decreases and the system becomes unstable. Unfortunately, the "seven" does not have a sufficiently clear and effective tool for debugging the registry; the OS has only a special editor in its arsenal. However, in order to be able to work in it, you must have the appropriate knowledge and have some skills. Nevertheless, today there is an incredible amount of software that can competently cope with these types of tasks. The user just has to launch the application and press a few buttons, the program will do the rest for him. It is possible to thoroughly optimize Windows 7 only with the help of comprehensive solutions, the use of which does not require the PC owner to have special knowledge. This will be discussed in the next paragraph of this article.

Almighty Helper

There is no point in focusing the reader's attention on the title specific program, because there is a lot of advice on which software is best for optimization. One thing to understand is that the program must be easy to manage and effective in operation.

For example, some “soft monsters” have the “one click” option, that is, the user only needs to press a certain button once, and the optimization process will take place in automatic mode. But despite the fact that the machine “knows” how to optimize Windows operation 7, there is still a risk of miscalculation.

Visual waste of resources

Now it's time to touch on the colorful side of the "seven". It really looks impressive in its stylish design. But, as you know, beauty requires sacrifice, and the user more than pays for the coveted graphics with resources allocated for visual effects in the form of system animation. Of course, in special cases, “beauty” will have to be turned off in Windows 7. A system optimized for games is, of course, the bare minimum in the name of freeing up the computing potential of the entire OS as a whole. And if you, dear reader, are not a gamer, but will not give up maximum system performance, resort to the method described below.

• Menu “Start” - “Computer” - “Advanced options”.
• Block - “Performance” - “Options” button.
• In the next window, open the “Visual Effects” tab.
• Check the "Get the best performance" checkbox.
• Then click “Accept” and “OK”.

Finally

There was no space within this article to describe the process of disabling the User Account Control service. The review material only scratched the surface of portable electronics, but in order to optimize the operation of a laptop, Windows 7 can offer several options for energy saving schemes. However, the main points of “overclocking” and methods of curbing “electronic appetite” were nevertheless taken into account and presented in full. Be in harmony with the system!