What are the Best Ways to Optimize Windows 8.1?

[koolx]

Hello guys. I'm trying to find ways to optimize my windows 8.1 as much as humanly possible. I got some questions...

1) Which services do I disable?

2) How do I best optimize the ram?

3) How do I minimize as much as possible the start up time?

 

[Cliff S]

See this tutorial from Brink

 

[md2lgyk]

There is also a lot of information on Black Viper's site (Black Viper | www.blackviper.com) concerning what Windows services do and the optimum setting(s) for each of them.

 

[LMiller7]

I would avoid doing anything with system services. The performance benefits are highly overrated and the potential risks are much higher. This is a minefield where even experts go wrong. The problem is that there is no full documentation anywhere of what each service does so guides like Black Viper must often guess. Sometimes they guess wrong and that can mean some difficult troubleshooting for you. Setting a service startup to Manual is not a safe alternative to disabling it.

There is nothing to optimize with RAM. The so called memory optimizers are worse than useless.

 

[derek10]

Defrag regularly (I use Mydefrag)

Clean junk and registry using Ccleaner

With task manager -> startup to disable startup apps and make it start quicker.

Have at least 4 GB RAM

 

[OldMX]

Install lots of ram, a ssd and call it a day

 

[md2lgyk]

I would avoid doing anything with system services. The performance benefits are highly overrated and the potential risks are much higher. This is a minefield where even experts go wrong. The problem is that there is no full documentation anywhere of what each service does so guides like Black Viper must often guess. Sometimes they guess wrong and that can mean some difficult troubleshooting for you. Setting a service startup to Manual is not a safe alternative to disabling it.

I would tend to agree. However, Black Viper has been around since probably Win 95 and I have followed his recommendations for years without an issue. That said, given the speed of today's PCs and the sophistication of newer operating systems, any tweaking of services probably won't produce the noticeable performance gains it used to.

 

[TairikuOkami]

1) Which services do I disable?

Already mentioned Black Viper is a good guide: Black Viper’s Windows 8.1 Service Configurations
But obviously, depending on on your needs, there might be services you need or do not.
Look at my screen bellow, it shows the only services, I am running, the rest is stopped.

2) How do I best optimize the ram?

Disable Superfetch, which preloads junk and www.pcwintech.com/cleanmem
Note that Superfetch might be useful, disable, restart and see the effects.

3) How do I minimize as much as possible the start up time?

Clean up junk and disable startup items with CCleaner, then update drivers, defragment HDD.
www.eightforums.com/tutorials/44351-winsxs-folder-component-store-clean-up-windows-8-1-a.html

www.wisecleaner.com/wise-care-365.html contains Boot assistant among others, which measures you boot time and advice you about changes, but do not forget to disable it afterwards, it also slows down boot.

There are also many scheduled tasks by Microsoft, disabling them might get you a little CPU/RAM back.
I delete those, delete because when disabled, some re-enable later. But disable for testing at first.

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