Windows 7: Optimizing Performance (part 1) - Fine-Tuning Visual Effects & Application Performance

In addition to the previously discussed features, you can fine-tune your computer’s performance by setting these performance options:

• Visual effects

• Application performance

• Virtual memory

• Data Execution prevention

• ReadyBoost

The sections that follow discuss each performance option in turn.

1. Fine-Tuning Visual Effects

The Windows 7 interface has many graphical enhancements including visual effects for menus, toolbars, windows, and the taskbar. Because displaying these visual effects can require substantial system resources, Windows 7 lets you optimize the way visual effects are used. You can optimize for appearance or for performance. You can also customize the settings or let Windows 7 choose the best configuration.

The visual effects available are:

• Animate controls and elements inside windows

• Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing

• Animations in the taskbar and Start Menu

• Enable Aero Peek

• Enable desktop composition

• Enable transparent glass

• Fade or slide menus into view

• Fade or slide ToolTips into view

• Fade out menu items after clicking

• Save taskbar thumbnail previews

• Show shadows under mouse pointer

• Show shadows under windows

• Show thumbnails instead of icons

• Show translucent selection rectangle

• Show window contents while dragging

• Slide open combo boxes

• Smooth edges of screen fonts

• Smooth-scroll listboxes

• Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop

• Use visual styles on windows and buttons

You can configure Windows performance by completing the following steps:

Figure 1. Optimizing visual effects

1. In the Control Panel, click the System and Security category heading link.

2. Click System. In the left pane under See Also, click Performance Information and Tools.

3. In the left pane, click “Adjust visual effects.” This opens the Performance Options dialog box shown in Figure 1.

4. On the Visual Effects tab, you have the following options for controlling visual effects:

   Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer

   Enables the operating system to choose the performance options based on the hardware configuration. For a newer computer, this option will probably be identical to the “Adjust for best appearance” option because of its hardware and performance capabilities.

   Adjust for best appearance

   Enables all visual effects for all graphical interfaces.

   Adjust for best performance

   Disables all visual effects.

   Custom

   Allows you to enable or disable the visual effects options individually.

5. Click OK to apply your settings.

2. Fine-Tuning Application Performance

Application performance determines the relative priority of applications being run by users and those being run by the operating system. Unlike earlier releases of Windows, Windows 7 does a much better job of prioritizing, and as a result, background processes and housekeeping tasks have less impact on performance. Because of this, the default configuration for application performance, which gives scheduling priority to applications you are running, is typically what you’ll want to use. The only time you may want to change this behavior is if you are using a computer running Windows 7 as a server. For example, if you were using a computer as a printer server or web server, you would probably want to change the scheduling priority settings.

Control application performance by completing the following steps:

1. In the Control Panel, click the System and Security category heading link.

2. Click System. In the left pane under See Also, click Performance Information and Tools.

3. Under Tasks, click “Adjust visual effects.” This opens the Performance Options dialog box.

4. On the Advanced tab, shown in Figure 2, select “Background services” to optimize performance for a computer you are using as a server. Otherwise, select Programs to optimize performance for a computer you use to run applications, such as Microsoft Word.

5. Click OK.

Figure 2. Setting the processor scheduling options