Optimizing Your PC Performance

[RelentlessOhio]

I don't use any social media websites or anything, so I instantly got rid of tiles and got Classic Shell. Still don't like it. A lot of PC games I own barely work or don't work at all on 8.1.

Injustice works obv. because it was released when Win 8 was out already.

 

[chores]

I don't use any social media websites or anything, so I instantly got rid of tiles and got Classic Shell. Still don't like it. A lot of PC games I own barely work or don't work at all on 8.1.

Injustice works obv. because it was released when Win 8 was out already.

well of course do whatever you prefer but if you can stomach the interface changes windows 8.1 is faster and more secure! (but it probably doesn't make that much of a difference in everyday use)

 

[RelentlessOhio]

well of course do whatever you prefer but if you can stomach the interface changes windows 8.1 is faster and more secure! (but it probably doesn't make that much of a difference in everyday use)

Windows 8 is not faster in any aspect in my eyes. Takes much longer to boot, not nearly as many programs are optimized for it, and it just plain uses way more resources than Windows 7. Again this is my personal opinion. There are plenty of people who like it. But for what I do daily, it's just dumb to have Windows 8. I should have reformatted months ago, but I'm so lazy I'd have to move all my movies to my external, re-install Injustice, and download all the current drivers/windows updates. Definitely an all day process.

I just have not enjoyed my experience with Windows 8, at all. It was mainly created for social media and connectivity, and that's the complete opposite of what I use PC's for.

 

[chores]

Again, use whatever you prefer, but just for accuracy's sake you should know that windows 8 DOES boot and shutdown faster than windows 7 and it DOES use less system resources. This is info that is really easy to google! I understand people hating on tiles and the touchscreen friendly features, but really if your main interests are optimal performance then it is akin to saying 'i prefer this toyota corolla to this mercedes because the mercedes is pink and has bumper stickers on it!" -- the only arguments are aesthetic or at the very least not performance based. it is people buying into the "windows 8 tiles are stupid!!!" bandwagon which is just as dumb as the windows 8 marketing target audience

 

[Killphil]

Windows 8 is not faster in any aspect in my eyes. Takes much longer to boot, not nearly as many programs are optimized for it, and it just plain uses way more resources than Windows 7. Again this is my personal opinion. There are plenty of people who like it. But for what I do daily, it's just dumb to have Windows 8. I should have reformatted months ago, but I'm so lazy I'd have to move all my movies to my external, re-install Injustice, and download all the current drivers/windows updates. Definitely an all day process.

I just have not enjoyed my experience with Windows 8, at all. It was mainly created for social media and connectivity, and that's the complete opposite of what I use PC's for.

Give a few examples of the games that aren't working on windows 8/8.1? I'm no PC specialist, but I did just drop $1300 on a "sleeping giant" as my friend calls it. I run Windows 8.1 on it and the first game that I had trouble getting to work was an expansion pack for the Sims 3. I had to change some .dll files and app files to get them to work (a simple copy/paste). League of legends runs, starcraft 2 runs, and as far as I can see all my steam games run on 8.1.

I'm not doubting you, I'm actually just curious. My experience with 8.1 is I go from power button to desktop in <15 seconds. Of course the computer has a 64 GB ssdd and hardly any files on it.

On topic: thanks for all the advice, I'll be sure to cut off the visual effects and look into windows disc cleaner.

 

[RelentlessOhio]

Give a few examples of the games that aren't working on windows 8/8.1? I'm no PC specialist, but I did just drop $1300 on a "sleeping giant" as my friend calls it. I run Windows 8.1 on it and the first game that I had trouble getting to work was an expansion pack for the Sims 3. I had to change some .dll files and app files to get them to work (a simple copy/paste). League of legends runs, starcraft 2 runs, and as far as I can see all my steam games run on 8.1.

I'm not doubting you, I'm actually just curious. My experience with 8.1 is I go from power button to desktop in <15 seconds. Of course the computer has a 64 GB ssdd and hardly any files on it.

On topic: thanks for all the advice, I'll be sure to cut off the visual effects and look into windows disc cleaner.

MK9 Komplete requires just a clusterfuck of .NET and Visual Runtime installs just to get it to load. Deus Ex: HR is barely playable, if you can get it to run at all, same with Metro 2033.
Couldn't get Resident Evil 5 to run.

The only games I've gotten to run smoothly first install are Injustice, League of Legends, and HAWKEN. And that's because they have all been updated to be compatible, or were made during/after Windows 8 came out.

If you plan on gaming, trust me, stick with Windows 7. It's just so much smoother and stable for games.

 

[NoxiousDonny]

@RelentlessOhio or anyone who might know, do you, being an IT manager, know what this is, what it could be from or if it's harmful?

I didn't do a malware scan but my malware bytes detected two of them:
PUP.Optional. Frostwire TB.A

 

[RelentlessOhio]

@RelentlessOhio or anyone who might know, do you, being an IT manager, know what this is, what it could be from or if it's harmful?

I didn't do a malware scan but my malware bytes detected two of them:
PUP.Optional. Frostwire TB.A

Frostwire one isn't harmful. But that usually means you had the program installed at some point, and it's known to be littered with shady files.

PUP.Optional stands for Potentially Unwanted Programs. It's actually a part of Malwarebytes, and when it pops up, it means you are downloading a file, or visiting a website that Malwarebytes has listed as potentially dangerous or harmful.

They won't affect your PC. Malwarebytes does a good job, I'd keep the PUP of course, but delete the Frostwire, if Bytes hasn't automatically done it for you.

 

[NoxiousDonny]

Frostwire one isn't harmful. But that usually means you had the program installed at some point, and it's known to be littered with shady files.

PUP.Optional stands for Potentially Unwanted Programs. It's actually a part of Malwarebytes, and when it pops up, it means you are downloading a file, or visiting a website that Malwarebytes has listed as potentially dangerous or harmful.

They won't affect your PC. Malwarebytes does a good job, I'd keep the PUP of course, but delete the Frostwire, if Bytes hasn't automatically done it for you.

Well, first off thanks for the info. I knew that PUP stands for Potentially Unwanted Programs, but as I'm paranoid about these things I was still worried.

But... I've never installed Frostwire. I was on twitch when the alert popped up.

Oops, I already deleted the PUPs. I searched for Frostwire and tried to uninstall but could not find it, as I was sure I wouldn't because I've never downloaded it.

 

[RelentlessOhio]

Well, first off thanks for the info. I knew that PUP stands for Potentially Unwanted Programs, but as I'm paranoid about these things I was still worried.

But... I've never installed Frostwire. I was on twitch when the alert popped up.

Oops, I already deleted the PUPs. I searched for Frostwire and tried to uninstall but could not find it, as I was sure I wouldn't because I've never downloaded it.

That's odd, I have no clue how the Frostwire threat got detected. 99% of the time it's due to the actual program. Again, neither do anything harmful. Anytime Malwarebytes alerts you on a page you're visiting or wants to remove some threats, just quarantine them. I've never had any system issues with it, it's a great program.

 

[NoxiousDonny]

That's odd, I have no clue how the Frostwire threat got detected. 99% of the time it's due to the actual program. Again, neither do anything harmful. Anytime Malwarebytes alerts you on a page you're visiting or wants to remove some threats, just quarantine them. I've never had any system issues with it, it's a great program.

I'm not quite sure what's going either, but your posts have put my mind at ease, thank you.

Yeah malwarebytes is great.

 

[RelentlessOhio]

I'm not quite sure what's going either, but your posts have put my mind at ease, thank you.

Yeah malwarebytes is great.

No problem, it's part of what I do for a living.

And if you're ever unsure, you can boot in safe mode (loads just the bare minimum programs to run Windows) and run a full scan.

 

[NoxiousDonny]

No problem, it's part of what I do for a living.

And if you're ever unsure, you can boot in safe mode (loads just the bare minimum programs to run Windows) and run a full scan.

Excellent.

I'm doing an IT course whilst in school, so I might end up doing something similar.

Might I ask what it is you actually do? Like, where you do it and what business and area it's for? I only ask because I might need some ideas for the near future.

 

[RelentlessOhio]

Excellent.

I'm doing an IT course whilst in school, so I might end up doing something similar.

Might I ask what it is you actually do? Like, where you do it and what business and area it's for? I only ask because I might need some ideas for the near future.

I do mostly Help Desk. Basically employees submit a ticket for a problem they are having at their workstation, and I fix it remotely. If I can't remotely, I do it physically.

I also fix some network and server issues when they need me to, but I don't enjoy that as much.

 

[NoxiousDonny]

I do mostly Help Desk. Basically employees submit a ticket for a problem they are having at their workstation, and I fix it remotely. If I can't remotely, I do it physically.

I also fix some network and server issues when they need me to, but I don't enjoy that as much.

That's awesome.
I'd like to do something like that.

 

[RelentlessOhio]

I got lucky with the job. They needed someone ASAP so they basically hired me on the spot because their old IT tech just quit out of nowhere.

 

[NoxiousDonny]

I got lucky with the job. They needed someone ASAP so they basically hired me on the spot because their old IT tech just quit out of nowhere.

Oh okay, that was lucky.