If Windows 7 Is Slow Run The Performance Troubleshooter

To determine why Windows 7 is slow, you need to navigate to the Control Panel and type troubleshooter in the search box as shown below. This will bring up several options.

Select the top option, Troubleshooting.

Under System and Security, select Check for performance issues.

When the Windows 7 performance troubleshooter launches, click Next.

You will likely see several problems if Windows 7 is slow. You should read and act on any recommendations Windows recommends to correct the performance issues. In the example above, Windows detected that we had programs loading at start-up that do not need to be loaded automatically when Windows boots. By disabling these programs, we can decrease the amount of resources those programs consume.

Windows 7 Is Slow Conclusion

Overall, Windows 7 is a performance powerhouse, and uses resources quite efficiently. If your Windows 7 is slow despite using the performance troubleshooter, consider trying these additional options:

• Run Disk Cleanup to remove unnecessary files. A full hard drive can cause performance issues when Windows runs low on space.
• Run Disk Defragmenter. Once you free up space, run the Disk Defragmenter utility to organize your data. You can get to both of these utilities by navigating to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools.
• Run a Registry Cleaner. Registries can, over time, become cluttered with old data and bits and pieces of programs you have uninstalled. A registry cleaner will safely get rid of those entries.
• Add more memory. Adding RAM can drastically improve the speed of your computer.

Visit our forums if Windows 7 is slow and you need additional help or get more computer repair tips with our Windows 7 articles.

Windows 7 Safe Mode Options

Windows can be configured to boot in Safe Mode. If Windows 7 is stuck in Safe Mode, go to the Start button and type msconfig in the search box. This will open the Microsoft System Configuration utility. Look under the Boot tab and make sure the Safe Boot box is not checked.

Safe boot can be run in the following modes:

Safe boot: Minimal. This boots Windows into Safe Mode, running only critical system services. Networking features are disabled.

Safe boot: Alternate shell:  This option boots to the Windows Command Prompt in safe mode. It runs only critical services. Networking and desktop are disabled.

Safe boot – Active Directory repair: This will boot to the Windows desktop in safe mode, running critical system services and Active Directory.

Safe boot – Network: This option is similar to Minimal mode. It boots to the Windows desktop in safe mode, running only critical system services, but networking is enabled.

No GUI boot:  This will not display the Windows desktop when booting.

Boot log:  Stores all information from the boot process in the file %SystemRoot*Ntbtlog.txt.

Base video: This boots to the Windows desktop in minimal VGA mode. It loads standard VGA drivers instead of those specific to the video hardware of the computer.

OS Boot information: Displays the driver names as they are loaded during the boot process.

Make all boot settings permanent: When this option is selected, you cannot roll back your changes when selecting Normal Startup on the General tab; all options that you wish to change back will have to be altered manually.

Windows 7 Is Stuck In Safe Mode Alternative Resolution

While the msconfig Boot option is worth trying, it’s not likely the problem unless someone was tinkering with the msconfig utility. Therefore, you should try other options to boot normally if Windows 7 is stuck in Safe Mode.

1. Try a System Restore. Go to Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore and try and reset the computer back to a date where the computer was functioning normally. You will not lose any data.
2. Uninstall any recent programs or remove any hardware that was recently added to the computer.

If Windows is stuck in Safe Mode and you happen to have a full install disk, try to repair Windows:

1. Put the Windows installation disc in the drive, and then start the computer.
2. Press any key when you are prompted.
3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard, and then click Next.
4. Click on Repair your computer.
5. Click the operating system you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options box, click Startup Repair.
7. Restart the PC when the process is complete.

Contact us in our forums if Windows is stuck in Safe Mode and you still can’t get your computer to boot normally

Steps To Create A System Image In Windows 7

You can navigate to the Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore or you can also click the Start button and type “backup” into the search bar.

In the Backup and Restore Window, click the Create a system image link in the left-hand column.

You’ll next need to specify the location where you’ll save the image. We do not recommend saving the image to another partition on the same hard drive. If the hard drive fails, the image you created is gone. Instead, create the image on a secondary hard drive within the computer, an external hard drive, a place on the network, or span it across several DVDs.

When you create a system image in Windows 7, you need to specify which drive you want to create an image of. This will typically be the C: drive, which contains the Operating System and programs installed on the computer. You can include other partitions, but this will make the image larger and take longer to install.

Windows will then begin the process of completing the backup. If you selected DVDs as your image option, you will be prompted to insert the first disk at this point.

Once this is complete, you will be asked if you want to create a system repair disk. We highly recommend taking the time to do this. The system repair disk will enable you to boot to the disk and restore your computer with the image you created during the above process.

Just insert a disk and click the Create disk button to begin.

Why Create A System Image In Windows 7

It’s not a matter of “if” your hard drive will fail, but “when.” It’s not a matter of “if” you’ll get a virus, but “when.” Those of us that have been using computers for years realize disaster is inevitable. Now that you can create a system image in Windows 7 without having to use expensive programs such as Norton Ghost, you have no reason not to create this valuable backup option. So tweak your new system to perfection and create the backup image today! Read other popular Windows 7 articles here.

Screen Display Is Upside Down Fix

Depending on your version of Windows, and even the type of video card software you have installed, the method of rotating Windows will vary. The screen display is upside down issue can sometimes be corrected by using the shortcut key stroke CTRL + Alt + the UP arrow, and in other cases you can access the rotate feature via the Display options in Windows. In Windows 7, go to Start, Control Panel and then do the following:

Click on the Appearance and Personalization link.

Next, click Display. Then in the left column, click the Resolution link.

You will then see the various resolution and display options available to you. If your Windows version supports it, you will also be able to click the drop-down options for Orientation. Under these settings, you will see the option for Landscape, Portrait, Landscape (flipped) and Portrait (flipped). The default option should be Landscape. If the screen display is upside down, it’s likely the option for Landscape (flipped) has been selected.

Screen Display Is Upside Down Conclusion

If your screen display is still upside down despite these suggestions, please feel free to join our free forums or read our other Windows tutorials. This problem can still be associated with Windows software or a setting in the monitor itself. If you have installed a video card, you can also select the options in the new video card’s advanced display options to fix this.

 Run The Windows 7 Performance Monitor

You can initiate the Windows 7 Performance Monitor utility by doing to the following:

Go to the Start button and type perform / report in the search box.

The scan will run for a few minutes as it gathers details about your computer. It will be looking at several important hardware and software factors, including:

• Diagnostic Results
• Software Configuration
• Hardware Configuration
• CPU
• Network
• Disk
• Memory

Once the Windows 7 Performance Monitor is finished scanning, it will present its report. You can expand the various sections to reveal the details of the report and resolve any problems that might be listed in the results. Particularly useful are the hardware and security checks that could be problems for your PC that don’t immediately manifest.

Windows 7 Performance Monitor Conclusion

The Windows 7 Performance Monitor contains a lot of information that will not be useful to the average computer user, but it does group the results together in a logical report that exposes problems and detailed information about your PC you might not have known, such as bottlenecks in your hardware that might be affecting performance in the Resource Overview category or problems with your malware protection in the Security category.

The report should be run quarterly to give your PC the checkup it needs to continue running properly for a long time.

If you have questions about your computer’s performance, or if you need help running the Windows 7 Performance Monitor, join our free forums and ask. Or read our other informative Windows 7 tutorials.

Download SyncToy 2.1 and install it on your computer.

Next, create your Left and Right folders. Left means copying files from HERE and right means putting files THERE.  You will have the following options to control how you sync your folders: You can Synchronize, which means files changed on either side will update the other side. You can Echo, which means files will be copied and updated left to right, and Contribute–which means anything deleted on the let will not be deleted on the right.

If you have a huge Network Attached Storage (NAS) you might want to select Contribute as your backup method, as you probably want to keep everything, no matter what accidentally gets deleted on your main computer.

Schedule SyncToy In Windows 7 to Run Automatically

Probably the one drawback to using SyncToy is that it doesn’t have a built-in scheduler. You will need to use the Windows Task Scheduler to set up your backups. To do this, navigate to Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Task Scheduler and click the Add Basic Task. Give it a name, select a scheduling method, then browse to the SynToy folder located in the Programs folder of the C drive and select SyncToyCmd.exe file. The path will appear in the Task Scheduler pane. You will need to modify that path so that it reads “C:Program FilesSyncToy 2.1SyncToyCmd.exe” -R and then click Next.

Schedule SyncToy in Windows 7 will automate the process of syncing files. If you have questions, please visit our computer repair forums and ask.

Can’t Connect To Windows 7 Homegroup

Unfortunately, Homegroups doesn’t always work. There can be network issues and configuration problems that prevent your computer from creating or joining a Homegroup.

If you can’t connect to Homegroup,  go to Start and type Homegroup in the search bar. Click on the Homegroup link that appears in the search results.  If someone has created a Homegroup you can click the Join button and type in the password the host computer has generated, or you can create a Homegroup if one doesn’t already exist.

If, however, you receive the error message “This computer can’t connect to Windows 7 homegroup,” you have to change the network location to Home. To do this, go to the Control Panel and click on Network and Internet, and then click on Network and Sharing. In the View your active networks area, click the link below the top option. It might say  Public. Change your network location to Home in order to connect to the Homegroup.

Click on the Home option to change your network location. You should now be able to see the Homegroup that has been created by another computer.

Next, click the Join button and then put in the password generated by the host computer. This password needs to be typed into every Windows 7 computer that wants to join the Homegroup. If there are other Operating Systems on the network, they will need to share files via the Public folder in Windows or setup shares in the traditional manner and map these network locations accordingly.

Successfully Connect To Windows 7 Homegroup

You have now successfully connected to a Homegroup. You can then choose what you want to share with the other computers in the Homegroup. If you still can’t connect Windows 7 Homegroup join our free forums for additional help.

BlueScreenView scans the minidump files that are created when your system crashes. It displays all of the information about the crashes in a single table that is easy to read. It shows the minidump filename, the date, and basic information about the crash. All of this valuable information can help you track down the application or driver that is causing your BSOD. The program can be run on multiple version of Windows, including Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

But for the program to work, you need to make sure your computer writes error information when it crashes. To do this, right-click Computer (or My Computer) and select Properties. Under the Advanced tab, click Settings in the Startup and Recovery section.

Next, under System failure, make sure the Write an event to the system log box is checked.

You can then download and run the BlueScreenView program from the Nirsoft website. Install and run the program if you have been experiencing BSOD Flashes Too Quickly for you to read.

BSOD Flashes Too Quickly

Any system crashes that occur should be reported when you run the program and provide you with clues you couldn’t otherwise see. Stop error codes, memory address, driver details and other information can help you track down the issue so you can fix the problem and avoid future BSODs.

If you have a BSOD flashes too quickly problem that cannot be resolved using this program, join our free computer repair forums and we will try and help you discover why your computer is crashing.