Windows 7 / Getting Started

Start Windows in Less Time

One of the sure signs of a PC that's been used for more than a few weeks is that it takes a lot longer to start up than when it was new. The longer load time isn't fatigue, nor is it a sign that the PC needs a faster processor; it's a casualty of all the junk that Windows accumulates on a day-to-day basis.
One of the best ways to shorten startup times is to not shut down. Rather, if you put your PC to sleep, as described in "Start Windows Instantly (Almost)" in this tutorial, you can power it back up in just a few seconds.

Several factors can impact the amount of time it takes for your computer to load Windows and display the desktop so you can start working, not the least of which is anything left over from the previous version of Windows. Since Windows 7 can't be installed over any operating system other than Vista this is much less of an issue than with any of its predecessors. That said, even the accumulation of drivers and applications on a one-virgin Windows 7 installation can eventually slow it down.

If you did install Windows 7 as an in-place upgrade from Vista, some of the old operating system files may've been left behind. While they're isolated and shouldn't cause any problems, they may be consuming several gigabytes of disk space. Run the Disk Cleanup tool (cleanmgr.exe) and place a checkmark next to Files discarded by Windows upgrade to delete them.

Naturally, wiping your hard disk and reinstalling Windows from scratch is a whole lot easier said than done, so here are some other things you can do to reduce Windows' boot time.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Windows 7 Performance
  2. Trim the Fat
  3. Tame Mindless Animation and Display Effects
  4. Make Menus More Mindful
  5. Start Windows in Less Time
  6. Eliminate unnecessary auto-start programs
  7. Clean out your Temp folder
  8. Start Windows Instantly (Almost)
  9. Put your PC to sleep
  10. Sleep and Hibernate troubleshooting
  11. Shut Down Windows Quickly
  12. Start Applications Faster
  13. Make Your Hardware Perform
  14. Windows 7 Get Glass
  15. Maximize the Windows Performance Rating
  16. Improve Battery Life
  17. Manage IRQ Priority
  18. Overclock Your Processor
  19. Hard Disk
  20. A Defragmentation Crash Course
  21. Enable automatic boot defragments
  22. If in Doubt, Throw It Out
  23. Optimize Virtual Memory and Cache Settings
  24. Part 1: Virtual memory settings
  25. Part 2: Defragment the paging file
  26. Part 3: Clear the paging file on shutdown
  27. Part 4: Advanced settings for the adventurous
  28. Choose the Right Filesystem
  29. Convert your drives to NTFS
  30. Advanced NTFS Settings
  31. Transfer Windows to Another Hard Disk
  32. What to look for in a new hard disk
  33. Work with Partitions
  34. The Disk Management nickel tour
  35. Create and delete partitions
  36. Resize and move partitions
  37. Alternatives to Disk Management
  38. Different ways to mount a volume