Computers, laptops and mobile devices of any manufacturer and with any operating system on board in the broadest sense are short-lived due to the release of more and more new equipment, which is constantly being improved. Over time, even the devices themselves do not start to work as fast as we would like due to accumulating garbage or even system failures, etc. That is why it is very often necessary to use computer analysis programs, the main purpose of which is not only to identify potential problems hardware or software, but also to increase the overall performance of the entire system. Based on such considerations, we consider several main categories of software that is useful for all occasions.
What is meant by computer analysis?
Before installing and using some programs for computer analysis, let's determine what exactly is meant by analysis. In this issue, several main areas can be distinguished. Firstly, we can talk about obtaining information about any “iron” component, its technical characteristics, operating mode, state of control software, the possibility of overclocking by software methods, etc., which can be fully attributed to some virtual devices. that can be involved in providing the full functionality of the entire computer system. Secondly, programs for analyzing the operation of a computer in terms of the performance of a hardware-software complex can also be classified as such software. Thirdly, various analyzers of computer systems presented in the form of antiviruses or software firewalls can be called analyzer applications. Thus, then we will focus on these three categories, and also consider some additional types of applications that can be used to monitor, identify, or eliminate possible problems, as well as to improve the performance of any system.
Built-in Windows operating systems
Many users, out of ignorance, sometimes immediately try to install applications recommended in various forums, completely forgetting that in the Windows systems themselves there are also a lot of tools necessary for the user (even if they do not always give the desired result). So, for example, you can get brief information on all components of the equipment in the same “Device Manager” (devmgmt.msc) with the ability to replace or update drivers, as well as determine the identifiers of any component to search for control software if it cannot be installed using Windows tools.
Also, quite detailed information blocks can be found in the system information (msinfo32), in the DirectX dialog (dxdiag).
In extreme cases, you can view the system performance index data, which, however, can be called a very conditional indicator, since the total score is set based on the lowest performance rating. Naturally, such tools provide only brief information and do not give a complete picture of what is happening.
Computer hardware analysis programs
It is considered behind the scenes that the most complete information on all indicators of the equipment installed on the computer is provided by specialized applications from third-party developers.
Among the programs for analyzing a computer system in an informative way or regarding the correct operation of existing devices with all the related indicators and parameters, the following utilities can be singled out separately:
- AIDA64 (formerly Everest);
- CPU-Z / GPU-Z;
- Speecy
- HWMonitor;
- specialized programs for monitoring and configuring graphics adapters from manufacturers (NVIDIA, AMD);
- narrowly targeted application settings for individual components (for example, SpeedFan to adjust the cooling system operating modes by changing the fan speed);
- analyzers of the status of hard drives and removable media, etc.
Some of these programs are paid, while others are not. Some require installation on a hard drive, others can be used in a portable form.
Finally, there is also a category of programs for computer analysis, in which you can use not only to view the basic information on the selected device and use the default settings, but also independently change some modes of its operation, even with overclocking using the software method.
Overview of Using Hardware Analyzers
Almost all applications of the described category are installed on a computer (if necessary) quite simply, since all processes are as automated as possible. But when using them, untrained users have problems. But one thing is certain. If you do not know how to use this or that utility, there is nothing to worry about using the standard parameters. In this case, we are talking about recommended options when performing fine-tuning of equipment operating modes. But in the general case, if you try to change the parameters, it is recommended to use the minimum step.
For example, in the case of the SpeedFan application, the percentage of increase in the speed of rotation of coolers should not exceed the threshold of five percent. When overclocking processors or video cards with specially designed utilities, it is recommended that you follow the instructions of the developers. But in any case, you need to keep a monitoring utility ready to monitor, for example, the same temperature indicators, for which applications like AIDA64 and its analogues are most suitable.
Improving computer performance with Windows
As for increasing productivity, programs for analyzing the state of a computer designed to disable some unnecessary functions and loading processes on the system are also not always advisable to apply, since some operations can be performed exclusively by the system without resorting to third-party software. So, for example, it is usually recommended to disable unused components located in the system startup section, deactivate some services in the Windows component section, disable background applications in the service management section, etc.
Computer Performance Analysis Software
But it’s impossible to take into account absolutely everything; own tools cannot be applied to some important software components of Windows. For example, any user who has ever encountered a change in the registry settings knows that manually cleaning it by deleting obsolete and incorrect entries or virus application keys manually is completely ungrateful. The same applies to finding junk files on the hard drive, removing the remnants of uninstalled applications, optimizing the use of RAM, etc. For this, special utilities have been created, usually called optimizers, cleaners, and uninstallers.
Which optimizers and how best to use?
Among the huge number of programs for analyzing a computer according to the above criteria, one can single out general-purpose applications that have several modules that optimize the entire system at once (ACS, CCleaner, Windows Manager, All-on-One Toolbox and the like), and narrowly targeted utilities for optimization only a single component (for example, to clean the registry, Internet acceleration, network troubleshooting, etc.).
Of particular interest are uninstallers, the most prominent representatives of which are the iObit Uninstaller and Revo Uninstaller programs, which allow you to remove the main components of any program (even “wired” into the system) and get rid of the remnants in the form of files and registry keys. Almost all the described applications have a special mode for automatic troubleshooting and troubleshooting, so the user usually only needs to mark the necessary modules and enable automatic optimization. Some utilities of this class, when creating bootable media, can even be used to restore the system.
Antivirus software
Finally, in a separate category you can combine all kinds of antivirus packages. True, portable utilities that are used to search for viruses or adware on already infected computers are most popular, since it is quite common to encounter situations where regular threats are skipped or the user ignores their warnings. Among such applications, programs like AdwCleaner, Dr. Look most relevant. Web CureIt, KVRT, Kaspersky Rescue Disk, AVZ and the like. Such programs can often be used not only for its intended purpose.
For example, the AVZ utility, in addition to the built-in antivirus, has a fairly impressive set of tools designed to fine-tune and optimize Windows.