Increase performance W10 without hardware upgrade

AndyPix

Sorry - i just re-read your OP and you are not interested in hardware.


So for the software side of things - you have taken care of malware and also taken care of possible conflicting or crap AV solutions.


So next you need to see if any other software is misbehaving.


OPen task manager (press ctrl alt and del and then click task manager) and click at the top of the cpu column to order the list biggest first.
Is any one program using a large chunk of the CPU % ??

stphnstevey

AndyPix wrote: »

Sorry - i just re-read your OP and you are not interested in hardware.


So for the software side of things - you have taken care of malware and also taken care of possible conflicting or crap AV solutions.


So next you need to see if any other software is misbehaving.


OPen task manager (press ctrl alt and del and then click task manager) and click at the top of the cpu column to order the list biggest first.
Is any one program using a large chunk of the CPU % ??

No need to be sorry, I have already been told I am not clear, so likely me lol

Its not quite that I am not interested in hardware, just I havent had time to do anything about it. I was hoping for any tweaks to speed things up. Its not that it is unbearably slow, just not always able to cope, but thats when I have 10+ tabs, Word, Excel, Windows Explorer and youtube music playing!!, which I realise are probably the reason

Task manager has 1GB for Chrome, although I culled the Chrome Extensions from around 15 to 5, as each extension seemed to use around 250MB according to the Chrome Task Manager. The Great Suspender has been working for me quite well, culls Chrome down to about 600MB and still allows me access to tabs suspended in 3-10 seconds, the longest being Gmail as it reloads

The next memory user used to be Avast (unfortunately cant remember exactly how much it generally used), but now its WD Anti-malware service at around 100MB and Malwarebytes 82MB

The rest all seem to be windows things, a long list but nothing above 30MB and most around a couple MB

I am running at around 60-70% RAM, 4GB

Its a HP G56-106SA XM667EA with Intel Pentium N3540 Quad Core, 1TB HDD, 4GB RAM purchased new in 2011 direct from HP.

I have replaced the screen after it cracked for unknown reason (not abuse as we generally take care of them, maybe overheated in bag after not turned off fully, unsure). No other modifications. That was via following a Youtube video, but I have done some minor other bits with desktops computers, like adding a new HDD drive, but that was luck rather than knowledge!

I am considering seeing if I can replace the DVD drive with the HDD drive and adding a SSD, plus maybe some secondhand RAM

grumpycrab

stphnstevey wrote: »

I have replaced the screen after it cracked for unknown reason

With respect, if you've changed the screen you can easily swap to SSD (subject to having the cash and the time.)

stphnstevey wrote: »

culled the Chrome Extensions from around 15 to 5

Extensions will suck up memory AND are a potential security risk

dipsomaniac wrote: »

Back up and do a clean install of win10.

Best non-hardware advice.

DoaM

WD Anti-Malware ... Western Digital Anti-Malware? If yes, why do you have it? (It's not really needed).

stphnstevey

DoaM wrote: »

WD Anti-Malware ... Western Digital Anti-Malware? If yes, why do you have it? (It's not really needed).

Windows Defender

Full title is
"Anitimalware Service Executable" then you expand it too "Windows Defender Antivirus Service"

There is also "Windows Defender Security Centre" further down

Are there any setting worth changing beyond the default Win Def settings? Ransomware Protection was off, so I turned that on, though I haven't tried to save things to any of the folders it says it protects yet

I did a quick scan with Win Def which didnt take more than 20 mins. I went to do a full scan and it said 10 hours!


I have Ublock Origin as a Chrome Extension as well as Windows Defender Browser Protection. I also have OneTab (which I think I might turn off as I do not need it now), The Great Extender (seems to be working well with the biggest effect on memory use and reason for no real need for OneTab) and Category Tabs for Google Keep (I realise Chrome Extentions are a security risk, but I do like this one and haven't managed to part with it)

Are Chrome Extensions that are disabled as good as removing them?

I have the firewall on just the lower setting on my Virgin Media Router - should this be set to the highest level or is this likely to be too restrictive?

that

press start and type wmic select it (a black dos type box appears)

in there type diskdrive get status and after you press return it shows
Status
OK

if it does not show OK, you have disk issues

grumpycrab

that wrote: »

press start and type wmic select it (a black dos type box appears)

Blimey, that's clever. Same as chkdsk or c: -> properties -> tools -> check ?

D_M_E

Think part of the problem is the N3540 processor which I think is one of the Atom series.

grumpycrab

D_M_E wrote: »

Think part of the problem is the N3540 processor which I think is one of the Atom series.

Not sure about Atom but CPbenchmark says 1931, so would be fine with an SSD

stphnstevey

that wrote: »

press start and type wmic select it (a black dos type box appears)

in there type diskdrive get status and after you press return it shows
Status
OK

if it does not show OK, you have disk issues

Done as is ok (although not sure what that means lol)