Windows 7 on a Compact CQ57 with a duo core AMD C50. Before you go and tell me that this is basically a cheaper computer, I'm aware of that. We got a new HP touch screen with windows 10 and dang is that sucker-bob fast. So....I got to thinking, surely there has got to be a way to still use the older computer strictly for internet use, it has a good display and decent graphics for internet and you tube stuff, just couldn't bare to get rid of it. Did some research and dropped internet explorer and all its associated files, loaded google chrome. Installed 4 Gigs of RAM and increased the usable C drive for extra virtual memory. Dropped a bunch of programs like windows search, all the networking programs except for my personal one, killed all the screen option stuff and dropped all the windows sounds. Cleared out all the personal stuff like music files and pictures and dropped them into a external hard drive, then reboot windows 7 to factory settings. Scanned for malware and adjusted startup programs. CPU is still, not as much, running 100% at times. Is there anything else I could drop that comes to mind? I basically followed this website: http://www.sysprobs.com/22-easy-free-steps-windows-7-faster-faster and some other links embedded within it. Is google chrome a cpu hog? I've read some that I could assign one processor for certain programs like chrome and would free up the other one for the other functions, but I don't think that would necessarily speed things up. Like I said, this will be strictly used for internet surfing and researching for my 13 year old.
Windows 7 is slowwwwwww....did some changes but...
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Originally Posted By: Schmoe
Is there anything else I could drop that comes to mind? I basically followed this website: http://www.sysprobs.com/22-easy-free-steps-windows-7-faster-faster and some other links embedded within it. Is google chrome a cpu hog? I've read some that I could assign one processor for certain programs like chrome and would free up the other one for the other functions, but I don't think that would necessarily speed things up. Like I said, this will be strictly used for internet surfing and researching for my 13 year old.
Yeah you could drop Windows altogether and get Arch Linux.
Jokes aside, google chrome isn't more a CPU hog than FireFox, so pick your poison unless you want to keep using IE
Is there anything else I could drop that comes to mind? I basically followed this website: http://www.sysprobs.com/22-easy-free-steps-windows-7-faster-faster and some other links embedded within it. Is google chrome a cpu hog? I've read some that I could assign one processor for certain programs like chrome and would free up the other one for the other functions, but I don't think that would necessarily speed things up. Like I said, this will be strictly used for internet surfing and researching for my 13 year old.
Yeah you could drop Windows altogether and get Arch Linux.
Jokes aside, google chrome isn't more a CPU hog than FireFox, so pick your poison unless you want to keep using IE
I'd install one of the easier to use Linux distributions on it. That's what I did for my youngest daughter 2 years ago. She's now 8 and it's still working beautifully for her.
I would let Microsoft manage virtual memory automatically. You don't want to be hammering the disk unnecessarily. Sometimes its the AV. My AMD systems like bitdefender AV with a small footprint http://filehippo.com/download_bitdefender_antivirus/. Also make sure evil McAfee is gone with this tool. http://us.mcafee.com/apps/supporttools/mcpr/mcpr.asp
Following those online guides usually makes no significant difference to how Windows performs. They promise the world yet don't deliver outside maybe synthetic benchmarks. Forget them.
Is this a fresh Windows 7 installation? If it's old and gummed up with years worth of temp garbage, reinstalling it is the best thing you could ever do to fix a performance issue.
Good that it has a dual-core CPU but that one's quite a turd. Do not expect miracles no matter what you do.
It probably has a bottom of the barrel, slow, mechanical hard drive. SSDs are getting cheaper every day so maybe installing the cheapest SSD you could find would be a huge improvement. A 128mb model, maybe a refurb, can be had for less than $40 if you look around. Totally worth it especially if you like to tinker and plan on keeping this thing for a few more years.
4mb is just fine for total RAM for something like this so you're good there.
And while it's not something I usually recommend, Linux is always an option. Mint or better yet Lubuntu ('Lightweight Ubuntu') would be a good place to start.
Good luck!
Is this a fresh Windows 7 installation? If it's old and gummed up with years worth of temp garbage, reinstalling it is the best thing you could ever do to fix a performance issue.
Good that it has a dual-core CPU but that one's quite a turd. Do not expect miracles no matter what you do.
It probably has a bottom of the barrel, slow, mechanical hard drive. SSDs are getting cheaper every day so maybe installing the cheapest SSD you could find would be a huge improvement. A 128mb model, maybe a refurb, can be had for less than $40 if you look around. Totally worth it especially if you like to tinker and plan on keeping this thing for a few more years.
4mb is just fine for total RAM for something like this so you're good there.
And while it's not something I usually recommend, Linux is always an option. Mint or better yet Lubuntu ('Lightweight Ubuntu') would be a good place to start.
Good luck!
I recently blew out my HDD and replaced with linux Mint (17.3 MATE specifically). Really, really liked it. Much leaner and much faster for every day tasks than either Win7 or Win10 for me. Not as plug-and-play as Windows but with a little research nothing was too hard.
Unfortunately, the drivers available for my hardware just ran my games like [censored]. Granted, its a slightly dated machine, but so are the games. Currently reformatted everything and running a clean install of Win10. Heavily considering adjusting the partitions and dual booting to Linux for non-gaming and file sharing tasks but I don't want to have to reboot every time I play a game.
Unfortunately, the drivers available for my hardware just ran my games like [censored]. Granted, its a slightly dated machine, but so are the games. Currently reformatted everything and running a clean install of Win10. Heavily considering adjusting the partitions and dual booting to Linux for non-gaming and file sharing tasks but I don't want to have to reboot every time I play a game.
Just found this. Every updaye up to mid 2016 in one package.
http://www.howtogeek.com/255540/the-last...enience-rollup/
http://www.howtogeek.com/255540/the-last...enience-rollup/
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Chrome is more of memory hog than a CPU hog, but still would tax that particular CPU fairly much.
Find out what process is using all the CPU. Open up task manager.
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Following those online guides usually makes no significant difference to how Windows performs. They promise the world yet don't deliver outside maybe synthetic benchmarks. Forget them.
Is this a fresh Windows 7 installation? If it's old and gummed up with years worth of temp garbage, reinstalling it is the best thing you could ever do to fix a performance issue.
Good that it has a dual-core CPU but that one's quite a turd. Do not expect miracles no matter what you do.
It probably has a bottom of the barrel, slow, mechanical hard drive. SSDs are getting cheaper every day so maybe installing the cheapest SSD you could find would be a huge improvement. A 128mb model, maybe a refurb, can be had for less than $40 if you look around. Totally worth it especially if you like to tinker and plan on keeping this thing for a few more years.
4mb is just fine for total RAM for something like this so you're good there.
And while it's not something I usually recommend, Linux is always an option. Mint or better yet Lubuntu ('Lightweight Ubuntu') would be a good place to start.
Good luck!
Came to say the same. Get a 128 or 256gb SSD hard drive. Put your OS and other regular use program on it. Use the old hard drive as a backup for files, photos, etc...
Following those online guides usually makes no significant difference to how Windows performs. They promise the world yet don't deliver outside maybe synthetic benchmarks. Forget them.
Is this a fresh Windows 7 installation? If it's old and gummed up with years worth of temp garbage, reinstalling it is the best thing you could ever do to fix a performance issue.
Good that it has a dual-core CPU but that one's quite a turd. Do not expect miracles no matter what you do.
It probably has a bottom of the barrel, slow, mechanical hard drive. SSDs are getting cheaper every day so maybe installing the cheapest SSD you could find would be a huge improvement. A 128mb model, maybe a refurb, can be had for less than $40 if you look around. Totally worth it especially if you like to tinker and plan on keeping this thing for a few more years.
4mb is just fine for total RAM for something like this so you're good there.
And while it's not something I usually recommend, Linux is always an option. Mint or better yet Lubuntu ('Lightweight Ubuntu') would be a good place to start.
Good luck!
Came to say the same. Get a 128 or 256gb SSD hard drive. Put your OS and other regular use program on it. Use the old hard drive as a backup for files, photos, etc...
Originally Posted By: Schmoe
Be cool if there was something out there that you would, turn the computer on, BAM....chrome loads up and that's it.
That's basically what a Chromebook is.
Be cool if there was something out there that you would, turn the computer on, BAM....chrome loads up and that's it.
That's basically what a Chromebook is.
Originally Posted By: AlaskaMike
I'd install one of the easier to use Linux distributions on it. That's what I did for my youngest daughter 2 years ago. She's now 8 and it's still working beautifully for her.
I recently bought an older I5 Elitebook that came with Windows. I replaced the HD with an SSD and loaded Linux Mint and it boots up in under 8 seconds - wicked fast! It took me 15 minutes to load the completed distro.
I still have Windows on the old HD - I might put it in an external HD case, in the event that I ever need to run Windows.
I'd install one of the easier to use Linux distributions on it. That's what I did for my youngest daughter 2 years ago. She's now 8 and it's still working beautifully for her.
I recently bought an older I5 Elitebook that came with Windows. I replaced the HD with an SSD and loaded Linux Mint and it boots up in under 8 seconds - wicked fast! It took me 15 minutes to load the completed distro.
I still have Windows on the old HD - I might put it in an external HD case, in the event that I ever need to run Windows.
Agree with some others, the HDD in that laptop is slow. A nice 256gb ssd can be had for under $100 (sometimes closer to 50).
Also it looks like that model only has 2gb ram. I might have another 2gb I can send you for postage if you can verify you have the socket open. Contact me by PM if you want it. No promises I have to find it but I am not going to go looking unless you want it
Also it looks like that model only has 2gb ram. I might have another 2gb I can send you for postage if you can verify you have the socket open. Contact me by PM if you want it. No promises I have to find it but I am not going to go looking unless you want it
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Originally Posted By: Schmoe
Linux....looks a little out of my league. Be cool if there was something out there that you would, turn the computer on, BAM....chrome loads up and that's it.
Elementary OS?
https://elementary.io/
Linux....looks a little out of my league. Be cool if there was something out there that you would, turn the computer on, BAM....chrome loads up and that's it.
Elementary OS?
https://elementary.io/
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