Improving System Performance without Adding Memory (Windows 8)

Managing startup applications by preventing background applications from loading

A startup application is software that opens when Windows opens. Over time, as you install more and more apps, the number of startup applications increases. Common apps that load and run in the background are security software, Windows Update, instant messaging software, and multimedia apps. You can increase system resources by stopping some of these tasks from loading, or by changing their settings.

Using System Configuration to prevent applications from launching

Perform the following steps to selectively prevent items from starting when Windows launches.

CAUTION: Disable only those items that are known and unwanted. Disabling system-critical items might cause problems.

1. From the Start screen, type msconfig to open the Search charm, and then select msconfigfrom the search results.
   Figure 5: Searching for msconfig

   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   The System Configuration tool displays.
2. Click the General tab and make sure Selective startup is selected.
   Figure 6: Selective startup

   
3. Select the Startup tab, and click Open Task Manager .
   Figure 7: Open Task Manager

   
   The Task Manager window opens with Startup tab selected.
4. Select any startup items that do not contribute to the system and are unwanted, and clickDisable .
   Figure 8: Disable a startup application

   
   If you are unsure about an item, write the name down and research it on the Internet. Do not disable an item if you do not know what the item is. For a list of files that are recommended not to remove, refer to the HP support document Microsoft System Configuration (Windows 8) .
5. If prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.
6. If Windows or other software stops working after a checkmark is removed from a task, restart the computer and reverse these procedures to replace the checkmark. If needed, you can start the computer in safe mode. For more information, see the HP support documentWindows 8 Safe Mode .

By completing these steps, Windows runs using Selective startup. This means that Windows prevents the selected applications from starting. If Selective startup is disabled in the future, all the selected applications will start again.

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Emptying the Recycle Bin

1. On the Start screen, click the Desktop tile.
2. On the Windows desktop, double-click the Recycle Bin  .
3. To restore any mistakenly deleted items, right-click the file(s), and then select Restore .
4. Click the Manage tab, and then click Empty Recycle Bin .
   Figure 9: Empty Recycle Bin

   
5. Select Yes to confirm.
   Windows removes the contents of the Recycle Bin from the hard drive.

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Deleting temporary files and directories

Deleting temporary files and folders increases hard disk space and reduces the time Windows takes to access the hard drive. It also resolves problems with spooling print jobs. Windows uses a Temp folder to temporarily store files intended only for temporary use. Over time, these files can build up and cause problems. To delete these files, use the following set of steps:

1. Close all open software applications.
2. From the Start screen, type disk cleanup to open the Search charm, and then select Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files from the search results.
   Figure 10: Searching for disk cleanup

   
3. Select the drive you want to clean up, and then click OK .
   Figure 11: Select drive

   
   A message opens telling you that Disk Cleanup is calculating how much space you can free on the drive you chose.
   Figure 12: Disk Cleanup

   
4. When the Disk Cleanup window appears, displaying a list of Files to delete, place a check next to the types of files you want the Disk Cleanup tool to delete. Temporary files are safe to delete.
   

   CAUTION:Selecting some options can have a negative effect. Examples: Selecting Hibernation File Cleaner can prevent the computer from entering hibernation. Selecting Setup Log Files deletes the files that online phone support agents use to help troubleshoot setup problems. If you are unsure about what to delete, do not delete the files until you know if the files are not important for your use of the computer.
   Figure 13: Select types of files to delete in Disk Cleanup

   
5. Click OK .
6. Click Delete Files .

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Checking for hard disk drive errors

Perform the following steps to check the integrity of the hard disk drive in Windows 8.

1. Close all open software applications.
2. From the Start screen, type file explorer to open the Search charm, and then select File Explorer from the search results.
   Figure 14: Searching for File Explorer

   
3. Right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and then click Properties .
   Figure 15: Hard disk drive properties

   
4. In the Properties window, click the Tools tab.
5. Under Error checking, click Check .
   Figure 16: Error checking

   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
6. On the Error Checking window, click Scan drive .
   Figure 17: Scanning the drive for errors

   
   Windows checks the hard disk drive for errors.
   If a window opens stating that Windows can't check the disk while it's in use , click Schedule disk check and follow the on-screen instructions to restart the computer and scan the disk for errors.

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Defragmenting the hard disk drive

The Optimize Drives tool takes all the scattered bits of program data and groups them together in more efficient areas of the drive. Use these steps to defragment the hard drive:

1. Close all open software applications. This includes background apps, such as virus scanners.
2. From the Start screen, type defragment to open the Search charm, and then selectDefragment and optimize your drives from the search results.
   Figure 18: Defragment and optimize your drives

   
   

   NOTE:If Optimize Drives repeatedly starts, a hidden background program is still accessing the hard drive. Restart the computer in safe mode and try again. For more information, see the HP support document Windows 8 Safe Mode
3. Select the drive to defragment and then click Optimize .
   Figure 19: Optimize Drives

   
   Defragmenting the drive could take a few minutes or a few hours, depending on the amount of data on your hard disk drive. You have the option to click Stop if you need to stop the tool.

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Preventing memory allocation problems

Allocated memory space from software applications that are no longer open can cause problems. Over time, this unused memory space can build up, causing Windows to slow down and use the hard drive more. These memory leaks are causing the system to slow down if the computer runs well when first turned on, but performs noticeably slower after several programs are opened and closed.

Memory leaks can happen when software is closed before it has fully opened. Always allow apps time to fully open before closing them. As a rule, wait five seconds after an app opens before closing it again, even if the app was opened unintentionally.

On rare occasions, an incompatible app might continue to allocate memory while it is running, causing the system to slow down and eventually lock up.

To immediately fix memory leaks, restart the computer. For a permanent fix, isolate software applications that might be causing the leaks by using the following steps:

1. Start with a fresh session of Windows by restarting the computer.
2. From the Start screen, type task manager to open the Search charm, and then select Task Manager from the search results.
   Figure 20: Task Manager

   
   Task Manager opens.
3. Click More details at the bottom of the Task Manager window.
   Figure 21: Task Manager

   
4. Select the Performance tab, and then click Memory to view the amount of available physical memory.
   Figure 22: Performance tab in Task Manager

   
5. Click Open Resource Monitor to view how your computer is using the memory.
   Figure 23: Open Resource Monitor

   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
6. In the Overview tab, click the arrow to expand the Memory section, and then scroll down to view which apps are using memory.
   Figure 24: Resource Monitor

   
7. Open an app suspected of causing the computer to run more slowly.
8. Check the percentage of Used Physical Memory and write it down.
9. Close and reopen a suspected app repeatedly and check the percentage of Used Physical Memory, comparing this number to the one recorded. Each time, wait about 10 seconds before opening the app again.
10. If the percentage of Used Physical Memory continues to increase, a memory leak is occurring. Contact the software manufacturer for available patches or fixes.
11. If the Used Physical Memory percentage returns to the same numbers or similar each time, the suspected app is probably not creating a memory leak.

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Freeing up space on the hard drive

Windows uses unused space (free space) on the hard drive for different types of operations, such as caching and virtual memory. The computer might not run reliably if the free disk space drops below five percent of the total disk space.

CAUTION:You might see a RECOVERY (D:) or FACTORY_IMAGE (D:) hard drive. This hard drive is reserved for system recovery and should not be used for anything else.

To view the amount of free space on the hard drive:

1. From the Start screen, type file explorer to open the Search charm, and then select File Explorer from the search results.
   Figure 25: Searching for File Explorer

   
2. Right-click the hard drive (C: is most common), and then click Properties .
3. View the amount of space available next to Free space.
   Figure 26: Free space

   

Use the following steps to remove unwanted software applications and increase hard drive space:

1. From the Start screen, type programs and features to open the Search charm, and then select Programs and Features from the search results.
   Figure 27: Searching for Programs and Features

   
2. On the Programs and Features window, right-click the app you want to remove, and selectUninstall .
   Figure 28: Uninstall

   
3. Read and respond to any messages that might open while the software is being removed from your computer.

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Adjusting System Restore settings

System Restore is a feature of Windows that can revert system software and settings back to a particular date. System Restore does this by saving the changes made to system files in a restore point. These restore points use a large amount of hard drive space. System Restore uses up to four percent of the hard drive with restore points if left unadjusted, regardless of the size of the hard drive.

CAUTION:If you are experiencing system problems and may need to restore your computer to an earlier time, DO NOT remove the restore points.

CAUTION:Selecting Turn off system protection will prevent the system from creating future restore points. You cannot restore the hard drive without restore points.

Use the following steps to reduce the space System Restore uses for restore points:

1. From the Start screen, type file explorer to open the Search charm, and then select File Explorer from the search results.
   Figure 29: Searching for File Explorer

   
2. Select the Computer tab, and then click Properties .
   Figure 30: Computer Properties

   
3. From the tasks pane on the left, click System protection .
   Figure 31: System protection

   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   The System Properties window opens with the System Protection tab selected.
4. Click Configure .
   Figure 32: Configure System Protection Settings

   
5. Reduce the amount of hard drive space the system reserves for system restores by sliding theMax Usage: slider bar to 2%. You can choose a higher or lower percentage depending on how many restore points you want and the capacity of your hard drive.
   Figure 33: Max Usage

   
6. Click OK .

Creating a restore point

System Restore automatically creates restore points each week or when system changes are made. You can manually create a restore point to save your current system files.

To create a restore point:

1. From the Start screen, type file explorer to open the Search charm, and then selectFile Explorer from the search results.
   Figure 34: Searching for File Explorer

   
2. Select the Computer tab, and then click Properties .
   Figure 35: Computer Properties

   
3. From the tasks pane on the left, click System protection .
   Figure 36: System protection

   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   The System Properties window opens with the System Protection tab selected.
4. Click Create .
   Figure 37: Create a restore point

   
5. Type a description for the restore point and click Create .
6. After the restore point is created, click Close .

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Updating software

Software conflicts can cause the system to slow. HP, Microsoft, and other software manufacturers release updates to address these problems. Make sure that you go to HP's software download site and use Windows Update tool regularly.

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Turning off nonessential graphical features

Graphical features and applications can use a lot of system resources. Turning off these features can improve system performance. This section explains how to adjust visual effects for best performance.

Adjusting visual effects for best performance

Follow these steps to adjust visual effects, such as menu and window graphics, to optimize performance:

1. From the Start screen, type file explorer to open the Search charm, and then selectFile Explorer from the search results.
   Figure 38: Searching for File Explorer

   
2. Select the Computer tab, and then click Properties .
   Figure 39: Computer Properties

   
3. From the tasks pane on the left, click Advanced system settings .
   Figure 40: Advanced system settings

   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   The System Properties window opens with the Advanced tab selected.
4. Under Performance, click Settings .
   Figure 41: Advanced system settings

   
   The Performance Options window opens.
5. Click the Visual Effects tab.
6. Select Adjust for best performance , and then click OK .
   Figure 42: Adjust for best performance