Network settings. Programs for setting up a computer What programs will help in setting up a PC

From computers supported by the program.

Collection of information

• Connection timeout (specified in seconds) - time during which a connection with a remote computer is expected (by default, 30 seconds).
• Poll timeout - time limiting the duration of information collection for a data group. The option is set in order to prevent freezing of information collection for any of the groups. If the computer is slow or has a slow network connection, then the value should be increased.
• Number of threads- the number of simultaneous threads through which there is a poll of remote computers using WMI. To speed up the process of collecting information, you can increase the number of threads to 50 or 100, to reduce the load on the server, on the contrary, reduce to - 5-10.
• Schedule -this setting allows you to automate the process of collecting information. Enable the Scheduled data collection option and configure the polling schedule.

• License information

For information on product serial numbers, follow the link " Configure getting serial numbers from the registry". This option is only possible for products that store serial numbers in the registry in unencrypted form. . The information obtained from the registry allows you to control the license purity of programs and operating systems installed on network computers. When adding a new template requires entering the path and name of the registry key responsible for storing license information (for example, serial number). Using the buttons " Edit"and" Copy"you can correct existing templates, as well as create new templates based on old ones.

Button " Import"allows you to import information about templates from a cfg file. We plan to place template files on our site to account for some popular programs. By importing, you can load the downloaded templates into the program.

Button " Save to file ..."you can upload templates to a cfg file. With the help of export you can send us information about useful programs to include in the template file licenses.cfgsupplied with the program by default.

Button " Send to developers"allows you to send a path configuration file to developers.

Option " Consider licenses despite the absence of products in the list of installed programs".

In case of incorrect removal of the product, information about the serial number in the registry may be retained. Therefore, the program usually checks the presence of the key in the registry with the list of installed programs. The option above allows you to discover all keys in the registry, if necessary (to detect copied, not installed products).

• Agent settings

In this section, you can configure settings for collecting information using a remote agent. Read about using agents.

To ensure information security when working with agents, the following settings are provided:

• Change TCP agent ports by default allows you to increase the security of working with agents.
• Using a password. Set a password if necessary. The passwords for the administrator module and agents must match for successful operation.
• Using IP filter. Turn on filtering and add to the list the addresses of computers with the main program "10-Strike: Computer Inventory" installed, from which the agent is allowed to receive commands and provide information.

After installing agents on network computers, you need to specify computers where information will be collected using the agent. Click the " Set the list of computers on which agents are used". In the dialog that appears, mark computers.

• User data from the registry

The registry contains information about OS and program settings, security settings, etc. Once you know the path to the values \u200b\u200bof these parameters in the registry, you can configure their collection in the inventory program. In this section you can specify such parameters. Click " Add to"and specify the parameter name, its path in the registry and the parameter value.
The data collected in this section is displayed in the "Computer card" data group tree node.

• Collecting information via SSH

The SSH protocol is used to collect information from Linux and MacOS. Use this section to set up an SSH connection. Enter your username, password and port. You can select the computers for which SSH polling will be used.
For each computer, if necessary, you can specify your own connection settings (option " Set your SSH port and account for each computer").

Data import

This type of setting allows you to use the method of collecting information from clients through a shared folder. When using the component 10-Strike Network Inventory Client (Further " client") on computers on the network that are configured to dump information into this folder, when the program is loaded, the collected data is imported into a common computer database. Along with the use of agents, collecting data from clients is also an alternative to polling via WMI.
Attention! Client data import folder and database folderx (see next parameter) must be different! When importing data from clients, the program transfers data files from the import folder to the database folder. If the option is enabled "Keep a change log", the program analyzes the difference between new and old files. Therefore, clients cannot directly drop data files into the database folder (see the next parameter)! The program may simply not see the new data.

• Importing data from FTP

Clients located on other networks can collect information locally using the client and upload it to an FTP server. In this section, settings for importing data from an FTP server are configured.

Import data from FTP". The program will connect to the FTP server and read client files. Specify the settings for connecting to the FTP server. Specify the server address, port, username, password and directory in the appropriate fields. To check if the settings are correct, click" Test connection".

• Data import from E-Mail

Clients located in other networks can send the collected information to E-Mail. In this section, settings for importing data from E-Mail are set.

To configure import, enable the " Import customer data from mailbox". Specify the POP server address, port, username and password in the appropriate fields. To check if the settings are correct, click" Test connection".

Custom fields

In this section of settings, you can enter fields with additional information about the computer (for example, the person in charge or his phone number, the date of the last repair or the period of warranty service). Data entry into the added fields occurs in the " Computer properties ".

Data filter

The list of installed programs may display programs that are not desirable in reports. For example, system or MS Office updates can clutter the list. By default, the program tries to filter system updates based on certain criteria stored in the registry. However, some updates still appear in the program list. To disable the display of these unwanted packages, use " Filter of installed programs"in the program settings.

Click the " Add to". Enter the masks for the names of the programs for which you want to turn off the display. For example," * update *" or " * (kb *".

Web interface

The program data can be viewed on remote computers via a web browser by connecting to the program web server.

Enable the option " Enable web interface", specify the port and authorization parameters (login and password).

To do this, you need to set the web server settings in the program: specify the port and authorization parameters (login and password). The default port might be occupied by some other web service or program. In this case, choose another unoccupied port. To check that the web server is working and that the settings are correct, open the web page. You can then save the settings by clicking " Apply settings".

Report options

In this section, you can set individual parameters for the generated reports: customize headers and footers, the arrangement of text in columns, insert a company logo.

Background check

This section of settings is intended for setting methods of background determination of the state of computers. Based on the scan results, the computer's status is displayed in color in the list (gray computers - inactive, blue - on). Background check helps to avoid connection with switched off computers, loads the program and the computer less when collecting information, saves the administrator's time.

• Background polling interval, in minutes - time interval between checks of the computer status (by default, 5 minutes).
• Timeout for connecting to a remote computer (ms) - time to determine the state of the computer (by default 500 ms).
• Ping check (send ICMP packets) - use ICMP protocol for background checking.
• Testing by connecting to a TCP port - use TCP connection with the specified port for background scanning. The drop-down list contains ports for standard protocols. When using firewalls on the network, ping (ICMP protocol) can be disabled on computers on the network. Checking TCP ports allows you to quickly determine the health of your computer. Examples of open TCP ports on computers in corporate LANs: 135 (DCOM), 139 (NetBios).

Backup

This section allows you to configure the backup of the entire inventory base and configuration files. This measure is necessary to avoid the loss of the collected data as a result of various reasons.

To configure backup, specify the location on your computer or other physical medium where the program will save copies of inventory databases in ZIP format (the " Save to directory").

To automatically save configuration files or the entire inventory base, enable the " Back up configuration files automatically"and" Save the entire database automatically". Set the frequency of the backup.

Program "10-Strike: Computer Inventory" - remote polling and inventory of enterprise PCs over the network. Creation of reports on hardware and software, monitoring of changes, detection of problems, notification of the administrator. Easy to install and configure. Take control of your computer fleet!

Download your free 30-day trial now and give it a try.

Computer performance depends both on the power of the hardware components and on the properly configured operating system. There is little benefit to increasing the amount of RAM if it is clogged with useless programs. A powerful processor will not speed up if it is limited to save battery power. Tweaking Windows can dramatically optimize system performance at no additional cost.

What affects system performance

The performance of Windows 7 is determined by many factors, one part of which is the trade-off between power, convenience and battery consumption, and the other depends on the "neatness" of the computer. Therefore, to increase performance, it is necessary to tune the system for maximum performance and remove all obstacles to its normal operation.

Perhaps an experienced user will want to independently debug each element of the system and customize the computer to suit his needs. For the rest, the best solution would be to use special programs for fine-tuning the system (tweakers), which show problems in a convenient and understandable way and help to fix them.

Optimization software (free and paid)

There are many programs on the market, the main purpose of which is to improve the performance of Windows 7. There are universal large applications and small specialized utilities, programs with many customizable options and one "red button". Most programs have additional functions that are not directly related to performance, but also important for the user, for example, the protection of personal data.

Universal

As a rule, universal programs have a large set of optimization utilities, but at the same time they are paid. Packages with limited functionality or outdated versions are distributed free of charge.

The Computer Accelerator program from the domestic developer AMS Software allows you to quickly and safely clean your computer from garbage, fix system errors, manage startup, and ensure the safety of the Internet.

Computer Accelerator works on all versions of Windows and is one of the leaders among programs for optimizing PC performance.

• Complete cleaning of debris.Safely removes unnecessary files that slow down your system.
• Search and elimination of registry errors.The program scans your computer, quickly finds malfunctions that interfere with the functioning of the system, and solves the problem in one click. Removes remnants of old keys, invalid extensions, missing DLLs, etc.

• Autostart management.The software allows you to quickly access the startup list. Here you can disable applications that start working when Windows starts, thereby slowing down this process.

Removing unnecessary software.Here you can completely uninstall applications that have not been used for a long time or were installed accidentally, but take up disk space.

• System monitoring.Computer Accelerator allows you to monitor the state of your PC and assess the degree of memory and processor utilization.
• Fast and secure networking... With the help of the program, you can speed up the browser by clearing the cache and cookies, as well as erase the history of visited sites.

The interface of the Computer Accelerator is as user-friendly as possible. Even a beginner will have no difficulty in working with the program.

• computer Accelerator design is modern and attractive,
• the location of all tools is convenient and clear,
• most tasks are solved by pressing one button,
• it is possible to configure the "Scheduler" so that the program itself performs cleaning and optimization of the PC.

Free program for changing network settings. The program is intended for non-commercial use and in the free version allows you to create up to six profiles containing different network configurations.

It is very easy to change the created profiles in NetSetMan (short for Network Settings Manager) - you just need to select the tab with the necessary settings and click the "Apply" button.

You make the necessary settings in advance in separate profiles, and then just switch to the desired one when changing the connection method!

Key features

NetSetMan allows you to change:

IP - computer address on the Internet.

DNS - a system that links domains to IP addresses.

Hosts - text file with instructions for forwarding.

• IP addresses;
• DNS, WINS and SMTP servers;
• name and workgroup of the computer;
• wi-Fi settings;
• network printers;
• hosts file entries
• some system properties (operating mode of the monitor, sound devices and power configuration).

In addition, NetSetMan can execute any BAT, JS or VB scripts, which allows you to change almost any setting available from the command line and / or thanks to third-party programs!

Comparison with analog

NetSetMan has a paid PRO version, but the differences between them are minimal. In fact, by paying € 18, you will receive:

Proxy - an intermediate server between the computer and the Internet.

• the right to use NetSetMan on a work PC;
• activate an unlimited number of settings profiles;
• functions of changing the proxy server, network domain and browser start page.

Therefore, it seems to me that it would be better to compare NetSetMan with a third-party application called WinAgents HyperConf:

In fact, the WinAgents HyperConf program is a kind of NetSetMan analog for system administrators, since it is designed not only to automatically change network settings, but also to maintain these settings in a working state.

And the license for it is sold for at least 10 cars. Therefore, for an ordinary user, working with NetSetMan will be preferable.

Program installation

NetSetMan is installed like all programs: you download the archive, open it and start the installer, and then follow the wizard's prompts.

At the first stages of installation, you will need to select the application language and accept the terms of the license agreement, after which you will have the following choice:

There are three possible installation options here:

1. A standard installation is the way in which NetSetMan will be deployed into the system like all regular applications. That is, a directory with the program will be created in the Program Files folder (by default), which will contain all the files necessary for work. In this case, the utility settings will be saved in the system registry.
2. Update - allows you to install a newer copy of the program over the one already installed on you. This method will be available only if you have used NetSetMan before.
3. Extract files. This method allows you to simply unpack all program files into the directory you specified. At the same time, nothing is written to the registry, and you can use NetSetMan as a portable application.

Perhaps we will finish the installation of the program in a standard way, although if you are a fan of portable software, you can complete the installation in the third way :).

Creating your first profile

After the installation of the program is completed, its working window will appear in front of us:

It consists of a menu bar (top), a number of buttons (to the right of the program name) and six tabs, which, in fact, contain all the possible settings.

In order to create the first settings profile, you need to call the context menu of the required tab (for example, Set 1):

First of all, let's rename our tab to something convenient and understandable. To do this, click "Rename" and in the window that opens, enter a suitable name, for example, let's call the tab - "Home" :).

After that, we need to go to the context menu of the tab again and activate the item “Get all current settings” there.

This action will automatically fill in all the fields with the settings that you have applied to connect to the Internet at the moment:

In addition, you can automatically fill in the required fields by clicking the arrow button located to the right of the required field (see the screenshot above).

Working with the program

So, we have the first profile ready - it's time to create another one so that you can switch between them.

I have a local area network connection at home, so as an example I will give the settings that I have to use if I want to connect to the Network with my parents:

DNS server - a program that handles DNS requests.

As you can see, for the Internet to work, we usually only need to know our IP address and the IP of our DNS server (which in this case is the modem). However, there are more complex cases that NetSetMan can help us with.

MAC address (eng. Media Access Control) - unique device number on the network.

The first such case is the problem of changing the MAC address of the network card.

Usually, such a need does not arise, however, if you have to work in several local networks, where traffic is distributed to the physical addresses of network devices, then you cannot do anything without this function.

Officially, NetSetMan does not yet have this option (although the author announced its implementation in the next beta version), but it is possible to execute almost any scripts, which significantly increases the program's functionality!

A script can be created in advance (and then simply opened), or you can write directly in the window of a special built-in editor, for access to which you need to activate the "Script" item in the desired program tab with a tick and click on the button to the right of the item name:

Let's consider working with scripts using a specific example. By default, there is no function for changing the MAC address in the Command line, but it can be implemented using a third-party console program - macshift.

This utility can be found in the archive with the NetSetMan program. All you need to do is unpack the files "Validmacs.h" and "Macshift.exe" (third file - optional) to the root of the disk C: \\ or in a folder C: \\ Windows.

Console (eng. console) - a window for entering text commands.

Thus, you have the opportunity to change the MAC address of the network card through the console. Now the matter is small - you need to write scripts.

The macshift command syntax is very simple: macshift -i "Connection name" 2889-82-002B (desired address).

We drive the line (with the MAC address changed to the one you need) into any editor like Notepad and save it as a BAT file.

Now all that remains is to open the created file in the NetSetMan script editor (see the screenshot above). Moreover, the script execution time can be set as "Before" changing the settings, and "After".

Hosts file management

Next to the "Script" item is the "Hosts" item. Its activation allows us to make changes to the system file of the same name, which is responsible for resolving and redirecting the addresses specified in it.

One of the options for using the editing function of this file may be to restrict access to some sites from your PC.

For example, I suggest to "ban" the site vk.com :).

This can be achieved by registering the local host address for the site (by default 127.0.0.1 ). We activate the "Hosts" item in NetSetMan and, using the button on the right (with the ellipsis image), call the window for editing the system host file:

Now, observing the syntax, on each new line we first write the address of the local host, and then, separated by a space, the address of the site to which we want to block access.

After forming the list, press the "Finish" button.

The most important thing is that NetSetMan does not touch the standard records of the host file, but it can both add and remove the site addresses added through the program.

Thus, you can create a profile, for example, for your children, in which to restrict their ability to access certain sites!

System properties management

The last function that I would like to draw your attention to is "System Properties". By activating this item in the NetSetMan window, you will be able, using the profile, to change not only the network settings, but also some monitor, sound and power settings:

We figured out the capabilities of NetSetMan, so it's time to try applying the profiles we created. To do this, just go to the desired tab (profile) and click the "Apply." in the upper right part of the program window:

This will open a window that will display all the actions performed by the program.

Above the list of actions there is a line of progress of applying new settings, and above it is the "Cancel" button, which will change to the "Finish" button upon completion of the network configuration.

We press the latter and we have at our disposal a completely reconfigured Internet connection!

Additional tools and program settings

So, above we have already figured out the principle of operation of the NetSetMan program and examined in detail some of its capabilities. Now it's time to get familiar with some of the non-core, but sometimes needed, features. It's about buttons on the toolbar. There are only three of them:

1. Profiles. This button calls the profile management window. Unfortunately, in the free version we cannot delete any of the six profiles, but we can rename them.
2. The note. This button allows you to leave short notes (up to 256 characters) with comments to the active profile. Here, for example, you can insert the script text in order to be able to restore it in case of file loss (see the screenshot above).
3. Autoswitching. This button opens a window in which we can configure automatic switching to a Wi-Fi profile when an open network signal is detected.

The only thing left without proper attention is the menu bar.

The first item - "Profile" - activates a menu similar to the context menu described at the beginning of the section on creating the first profile. Therefore, it makes no sense to describe it separately, and we move on to the second point - "Options":

Here we have three sub-items:

• import;
• export of profiles;
• and the "Settings" themselves.

For example, if you forgot to put the Russian interface language or want to disable autorun NetSetMan, then you can do it right here.

Also pay your attention to the "Administration" tab. With its help you can activate the encryption of all data stored in the program!

The third menu item - "Tools" - contains some standard links to the tools for managing network connections built into the system and not only:

The last thing I want to tell you about is the ability to work with NetSetMan in "Compact Mode":

To switch to this mode, just click on the corresponding label in the upper right corner. It is worth noting that you cannot edit the profile settings in this mode, but switching the network configuration is much more convenient (at least in my opinion) :).

Advantages and disadvantages of the program

• simplicity of the interface;
• convenient system for changing profiles;
• expanding the functionality of the program by executing scripts;
• the ability to quickly automatically receive the current settings;
• access to the most requested built-in Windows functions.

Disadvantages:

• there is no built-in function for changing the MAC address of the network card;
• no built-in task scheduler.

findings

If you are a modern laptop owner and often use it while traveling to access the Internet, then NetSetMan is an indispensable tool for you that will allow you to forget about the inconveniences associated with changing network settings forever.

If you yourself are not very good at configuring network settings, then you can always ask your friends or colleagues (for example, an office sysadmin :)) to do it just once, and then always enjoy uninterrupted access to the Internet!

Afterword

In the modern world, there are probably practically no people left who, in one way or another, would not use computer equipment. Most people today have more than one PC at home ... Moreover, the second computer is most often a laptop.

Still, with the modern possibilities of almost universal access to the Network, laptops are still the most successful solutions for replacing a full-fledged office (and even multimedia) PC.

However, the whole variety of options for connecting to the Internet has one (and sometimes very significant) disadvantage - the need to change the connection settings every time.

Let's say you use a laptop as a work machine at home, in the office and with friends. At the same time at home you "sit" on an ADSL connection, at work in a "LAN", and with friends on a "dedicated line". And your laptop also has Wi-Fi, which you can use to surf in open networks ...

And for each case, you have to climb into Network connections and shaman with the settings every time! Scary? Of course :) But today we learned how to save ourselves once and for all from this nightmare with the help of a fairly simple, but practically irreplaceable utility NetSetMan.

P.S. It is allowed to freely copy and quote this article, provided that an open active link to the source is indicated and the authorship of Ruslan Tertyshny is preserved.

A modern person spends a lot of time at a computer, whether it is stationary equipment or a laptop, therefore it is advisable to create the most comfortable conditions for yourself when working with it.

In addition to external factors such as room lighting, device settings play an important role in ensuring comfortable and safe use.

For the most fine tuning, you may need a program for.

Introduction

What are these programs and what are they for? Such software assumes quick access to all possible settings and parameters of the computer screen. With the help of it you can adjust any parameter of the monitor optimally exactly "for yourself".

Of course, access to most of the functions provided by such a program is can provide their own computer resourcesfor example they can be accessed via Control Panel.

Nevertheless, it is much more convenient to do this through a special program, in fact, with one click of the mouse.

The functionality of such programs is quite wide - they help to change the color, brightness, screen resolution, control it, adjust the position of buttons, panels and shortcuts, etc. That is, such software "contains" all the possibilities of changing screen parameters to simplify access to them ...

In addition, some software helps to configure more complex parameters that cannot be changed using your own computer resources.

Why is it so important to carefully fine-tune your monitor settings? This is due to the fact that the main load when working at a computer falls on the eyes, and it is the screen that creates it. Thus, by carefully adjusting the monitor, this load can be reduced, which can potentially even help maintain good vision.

Main characteristics

It is often quite difficult to choose the most optimal program, since it is necessary to simultaneously take into account a whole variety of parameters.

To simplify and speed up this process, the summary table below shows the main characteristics of all the software included in the TOP, which may be of primary importance when choosing.

Name	License	Multi-monitor	Russification	Installation	Reference materials
UltraMon	Paid	yes	yes	Required	Absent
Nokia Monitor Test	Free of charge	not	yes	Not required	Present
Power strip	Paid	yes	not	Required	Present
UD Pixel	Free of charge	not	yes	Required	Absent
Is My LCD OK	Free of charge		yes	Not required	Absent
InnjuredPixels	Free of charge	No, but suitable for TV work	yes	Not required	Absent
Actual Multipal Monitors	Paid	yes	yes	Required	Absent

Taking these parameters into account will allow you to quickly choose the most suitable software for yourself.

UltraMon

The most functional and simple program of all presented in the TOP. It is easy to work in it and it helps to make fairly fine monitor settings, to change even the smallest parameters in a wide range. It is distributed for a fee, but has a trial period.

Especially convenient for working with - it allows you to copy and move desktops from one monitor to another, copy them, stretch the taskbar across multiple monitors, etc. It also allows you to perform technical setup of screens - change color, resolution and more.

The advantages of this software are as follows:

• "Sharpening" for multimonitoring;
• Simple control and intuitive interface;
• Wide functionality.

• Paid license;
• Quite a narrow functionality is the setting of technical parameters;
• A large number of functions that are not required by an ordinary PC user.

But what users who have already worked in this program say: “I couldn't find anything better than this program”, “Doesn't have some functions that are in Actual Multipal Monitors, but in general I'm satisfied with the software”, “It works stably, the functionality is sufficient for optimization screen management ".

Nokia Monitor Test

This is a small and lightweight utility designed to adjust monitor parameters (geometry, contrast, and others) without changing its control systems. The name should not confuse you - the software is designed to work with screens and.

It has high-quality Russification, and the help files installed in the utility will help you decide on the settings depending on the nature of your work and the volume of work.

This will reduce the strain on your eyesight when working at the computer.

• No need to install the program;
• Availability of reference materials for setting up;
• Minimum load on the hardware and memory of the device.

• Narrow functionality;
• Lack of possibility of any adjustments, except for "technical" ones;
• Works stably on most systems.

The opinions of users who are already actively using this program are as follows: “It's a pity that it is impossible to run on Windows 8 X64. I tried everything and nothing happens ”,“ It allows you to qualitatively adjust the monitor and evaluate all the basic parameters of the picture. The set of tables is reference. Excellent program! ”,“ The monitor helped to bring back to life ”.

Power strip

An application that allows you to configure technical parameters and control both one monitor and several at once. It is distributed for a fee due to its high complexity and wide functionality.

It differs in that it supports, including old ones.

Has 500 settings for display settings, video cards, both the simplest and the most complex. There is extensive and clear help for all complex and simple functions and parameters.

• Support for multi-screen mode;
• Very wide functionality;
• It is equally convenient both in working with multi-screen systems and with simple ones.

• Paid software distribution;
• The need to install it;
• Quite a significant load on the memory and hardware resources of the computer.

And here is what those who actively use it say about the program: “My favorite program”, “This program will allow you to discover new opportunities, so download it soon”, “I have been using the program for a long time, I consider it the most valuable of similar ones.”

UD Pixel

Programs and utilities for fine-tuning the operating system, processor, graphics, memory, storage have always been popular. But now their relevance is growing. In the age of tablets and laptops, desktop upgrades are no longer essential.

Many people use platforms 3-5 years ago. Such computers perfectly cope with most tasks, but sometimes more is required of them: a new game is released or another version of a resource-intensive program appears. This is where tweakers come to the rescue, eliminating the need to update your desktop PC.

How can I increase processor performance?

The easiest but most risky way to increase CPU performance is overclocking. However, sometimes you can do without it. The fact is that for almost 10 years, CPU development has been largely focused not on achieving maximum performance, but on increasing efficiency.

As a result, in order to save power, the OS and chips are tuned in such a way as to minimize power consumption. One of the most common ways is to park the cores. If the system considers the load level to be low, only one core is used. Needless to say, algorithms do not always work perfectly. If you need a high performance guarantee, it's best to disable this feature.

Disable core parking - ParkControl

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: Bitsum Technologies.
• Size: 1.35 MB.
• OS: Windows.
• from our catalog.

ParkControl utility allows you to park (disable) kernels without plunging into the jungle of OS settings and restarting your computer. The fact is that Windows does not allow you to manage this function. By default, it is assumed that everyone needs it. The utility allows you to select a power saving profile, as well as determine the conditions for parking cores, or completely disable the function.

Single CPU loader - enabling only one core

• License: Freeware.
• Developer:.
• Size: 6 KB.
• Requirements: .NET Framework.
• from our catalog

Support for multi-core software is still far from ideal. Some programs and games do not support it at all, in others it is not implemented in the best way. It should be taken into account that modern processors have a turbo mode, in which all cores are disabled, except for one, the frequency of which is maximized. Sometimes there are times when it is more profitable to run a program or game in single-core mode forcibly. This is where the Single CPU loader comes in.

The utility works simply: the user is prompted to specify the path to the executable file of the program to be launched. It will work in single core mode. It should be noted that the Single CPU loader may have problems running old applications written in the era of single-core chips.

Mz CPU Accelerator - CPU resource allocation

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: Michael Zacharias.
• Size: 1.3 MB.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / XP X64 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64.
• from our catalog.

Mz CPU Accelerator also allows you to increase application performance without increasing the processor frequency. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe program is simple: the application whose window is active should receive the maximum computing resources. Those that run in the background consume a minimum of resources. At the same time, it is possible to configure exclusions by defining several programs that will have constant priority.

Likewise, you can create a "black list" for programs that are not allowed to be optimized. In addition, like the Single CPU loader, it has the ability to force programs to run in single or multi-core processor mode. The developer honestly warns that if the CPU is overloaded, you won't get a big effect from his brainchild.

Now let's turn to solutions that, in one way or another, involve hardware to increase performance. In the first place are specialized programs.

AMD OverDrive - Tuning AMD Processors

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: AMD.
• Size: 30.3 MB.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / XP X64 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64.
• from our catalog.

AMD OverDrive is a well-known solution for optimizing system performance based on AMD processors. Its feature is ready-made overclocking profiles created based on the settings of world-famous overclocking specialists. You can try several balanced options, including tuning both the CPU itself and the memory.

In addition, you can create your own profiles optimized for specific applications. For advanced users, access to advanced system settings is provided.

The program features an integrated testing and monitoring system. After applying these or those settings, you can evaluate what exactly happened in the end and how much it corresponds to the task, whether it ensures the stability of the system.

ClockGen - computer overclocking

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: CPUID.
• Size: 30.3 MB.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / XP X64 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64.
• from our catalog.

The program, like SetFSB, allows you to overclock your computer by manipulating the PLL chip. This component is responsible for generating frequencies for the system bus, processor, RAM, PCI.

The first thing to do is determine the PLL installed on the motherboard. This can be done by searching the internet and also by reading the PLL frequencies using the software.

Having determined which generator is in the computer, you need to select the desired profile. Then you can set the frequencies for the processor, memory, etc. ClockGen allows you to separately define parameters for PCI Express operation, i.e. By changing the bus frequency for the graphics accelerator, the user will keep the rest of the settings intact.

And vice versa, by overclocking the processor and memory, you don't have to touch the video card. It should be noted that it is often more profitable to use proprietary utilities of motherboard manufacturers for dynamic overclocking using PLL. They already know exactly which generator was installed. For example, ASUS AI Booster,.

Optimizing random access memory (RAM)

"Pills" that improve computer memory can be of general action. For example, utilities for overclocking the system bus. By increasing its frequency, they also contribute to an increase in the performance of RAM. But there are two more tricks that allow you to use RAM more efficiently.

The first is suitable for almost everyone. It consists in completely clearing memory of unused data and providing maximum capacity at the disposal of running programs.

The second is best used on computers with a lot of RAM. RAMdisk technology creates a virtual storage of frequently used data in RAM. As a result, they are read faster, and the system and programs run with better performance. This technique is similar to Intel's ultrabook technology, when a small SSD is installed along with a hard drive, which stores the data necessary to boot the system.

Windows Memory Speed \u200b\u200bUp - How to Clean Up RAM

• License: Demo / $ 11.95.
• Developer: Potatoshare Software.
• Size: 625 Kbytes.
• OS: Windows 2K / XP / Vista / XP X64 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64 / 8 32-bit / 8 64-bit.
• from our catalog.

Windows Memory Speed \u200b\u200bUp provides the first trick of memory management. The program monitors the memory load and when you click on the "Set up memory now!" clears it of unnecessary data. Free RAM capacity is increased, which should have a positive effect on PC performance.

In addition, you can configure automatic cleaning of memory when a certain load level is reached, for example, 50%. You can set it to clean after a specific period of time, for example, every 5 minutes.

Windows Memory Speed \u200b\u200bUp has an intuitive and very nice interface, but it costs money. In demo mode, you can manually optimize the RAM, the automation is disabled.

Wise Memory Optimizer - Free RAM Cleaner

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: WiseCleaner.
• Size: 862 KB.
• OS: Windows XP / 2003 / Vista / XP X64 / 2008 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64 / 8 32-bit / 8 64-bit.
• from our catalog.

Wise Memory Optimizer also cleans up memory, but it does it for free. You can do this manually and automatically. In the second case, the user sets the load level at which to do the cleaning and the desired amount of freed memory. Another setting is to run the cleaning process only when the processor is idle.

Memory Cleaner - easy cleaning of RAM

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: Koshy John.
• Size: 497 KB.
• from our catalog.

Memory Cleaner cleans memory from unused data and resets the system cache separately. The process is started manually and automatically at a certain RAM load or after a certain period of time. Automatic cleaning conditions cannot be adjusted. The load level is set to 80% and the frequency is set to 5 minutes.

MemOptimizer - advanced cleaning of RAM

• License: Trial / $ 19.95.
• Developer: Pointstone Software.
• Size: 1.9 MB.
• OS: Windows XP / 2003 / Vista / 2008/7.
• from our catalog.

MemOptimizer has advanced functionality compared to previous programs for cleaning memory. First, the program allows you to track the use of not only RAM, but also virtual memory. Secondly, it helps keep track of the CPU load.

Third, it can be used to increase the priority of an executable application, allocating more processor resources for it. Fourth, and this is the most interesting thing, the program allows you to create special shortcuts for launching some applications, for example, games. By launching the game using such a shortcut, the user will simultaneously clean up memory and optimize the processor.

SuperRam - clean up RAM in Windows 8 and 8.1

• License: Trial / $ 11.99.
• Developer: PGWARE.
• Size: 4.9 MB.
• OS: Windows XP / 2003 / Vista / XP X64 / 2008 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64 / 8 32-bit / 8 64-bit / 8.1 32-bit / 8.1 64-bit.
• from our catalog.

SuperRam allows you to automatically and manually clear your RAM. The automatic defaults assume that when less than 18% of the RAM remains free, the program will try to clean out 40% of the capacity.

In addition, SuperRam has a memory test. You can determine which tasks she copes better, and which ones are worse, display an average score. Finally, statistics on RAM usage are kept here.

The strong point of SuperRam is its normal support for Windows 8 and 8.1.

RAMDisk - a virtual disk in RAM

• License: Demo / $ 18.99.
• Developer: Dataram.
• Size: 6.9 MB.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / 2008/7/8 32-bit.
• from our catalog.

And here is the second way to optimize memory. RAMDisk is a kernel-level driver that allows you to create a virtual hard disk in RAM. It can store frequently used data, including programs. This greatly improves PC performance.

The program supports WDM standards, so you can assign any letters to RAM disks, split them into several, format, etc. - in a word, everything is the same as with ordinary hard drives.

The RAM disk can be turned on and off at any time. First of all, using this program will speed up applications that heavily load the I / O system, and to a lesser extent - the processor and memory.

You won't be able to boot Windows from a RAM disk, but you can use it to host the system in a virtual machine such as VMWare.

The free version of RAMDisk allows you to create virtual disks with a capacity of up to 4 GB, after payment - up to 32 GB. The program requires at least 512 MB of RAM and the .NET Framework 4.0 to be installed.

The same tasks with the same limitations can be solved with the help of Dataram RAMDisk.

How to overclock a video card

If a user needs fine tuning or overclocking of a video card, in most cases he does not need to turn to Internet search engines. It is enough to look into the box of the accelerator and take out the disk with the drivers - as a rule, it contains proprietary programs from the video card manufacturer.

If you bought a non-boxed version, then you can look at the PC specifications and go to the website of the manufacturer of the accelerator or laptop. All companies offer solutions that can increase GPU and memory frequencies, optimize device settings, and do so with minimal risk.

Such programs often have a similar interface, as many of them trace their ancestry back to. Their main drawback is the binding to devices of a certain manufacturer and a spectacular brutal, but not very convenient design. One such program is MSI Afterburner.

MSI Afterburner - Overclocking MSI Graphics Cards

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: MSI.
• Size: 21.9 MB.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / XP X64 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64 / 8 32-bit / 8 64-bit.
• from our catalog.

MSI Afterburner is designed for MSI GPU-based video accelerators from AMD and NVIDIA. The main task of the application is to give the user the ability to change the settings of the video card: memory frequency, processor frequency, supply voltage, fan speed of the cooler.

The program window is divided into two parts. On the left are the sliders with which you can adjust the frequencies and other parameters. On the right is a hardware monitor that allows you to monitor GPU load and memory usage in real time, as well as other data on system performance.

There are five buttons for multiple presets. You can create them for individual games or other tasks.

At first glance, Afterburner is only about overclocking. In fact, this is not the case. Some of the functions are hidden in the program settings. Here, for example, you can assign hotkeys for taking screenshots in some games, recording video, activating profiles. You can also customize the display of monitoring and update drivers and BIOS.

ASUS GPU Tweak - Overclocking ASUS Graphics Cards

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: ASUS.
• Size: 21 MB.
• OS: Windows Vista / Vista64 / 7/7 x64.
• from our catalog.

ASUS GPU Tweak is a similar program from ASUS. In the main window, you can change the frequency of the processor and memory, as well as control the fan speed. There are also five buttons for 5 presets. You can separately adjust parameters for 2D and 3D graphics.

The auxiliary monitoring window on the left contains information about the system operation. To obtain information about the installed video accelerator, you can use the branded version.

ASUS GPU Tweak allows you to update your graphics card BIOS and drivers over the Internet.

In the settings, you can refuse to use the skin. The software will acquire a familiar and understandable look, but it will not be so beautiful. Along with screenshots, you can set up video recording during gameplay. For this, the parameters of the video are indicated and a hot key for "shooting" is assigned. There are hotkeys for activating overclocking profiles.

Gigabyte, Sapphire, Zotac and other brands of video cards have similar programs. One of the most useful features is the ability to create game profiles with optimal settings for a particular game. However, in ASUS GPU Tweak and MSI Afterburner, you need to select presets yourself. It's easier to use RadiT, although the focus will work only with ATI accelerators.

RadiT - AMD Catalyst Profiles

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: Mr. Lolman.
• Size: 3.3 MB.
• OS: Windows Vista / 7.
• from our catalog.

A small utility allows you to select and activate AMD Catalyst game profiles. Everything works very simply: you need to tell the program the folder where the executable file of the game is and select from the list a profile, each of which is signed. Further, when starting the game, the selected settings will be applied.

Thanks to profiles, you can improve the quality of the picture by optimizing anti-aliasing. There is only one problem - the utility works only with AMD video cards.

PowerStrip - Advanced Graphics Card Tuning

• License: Trial / $ 29.95.
• Developer: EnTech Taiwan.
• Size: 1.3 MB.
• OS: Windows.
• from our catalog.

PowerStrip is a powerful graphics management tool for any platform.

User can create profiles for each application. They assume settings for both the graphics itself and some other functions of the computer. For example, you can enable or disable the forced display of images on multiple monitors, cancel the settings for energy saving settings, screensaver, etc.

PowerStrip allows you to create profiles with display settings: resolution, refresh rate, color depth, and more. Color profiles allow you to create presets with settings for gamma, brightness, color temperature.

Finally, PowerStrip is also an accelerator overclocking tool. You can change the frequencies of the GPU and memory, as well as the timings of the latter, which is rare. It also turns off energy management, frequency control from the system, etc.

ATI Tray Tools - Advanced AMD Graphics Cards Configuration

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: Ray Adams.
• Size: 2 MB.
• OS: Windows 2K / XP / 2003 / Vista / XP X64 / 2008 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64.
• from our catalog.

ATI Tray Tools are another serious tool for getting maximum results. This time from AMD graphics cards. The program, along with overclocking the GPU and memory, allows you to plunge into the jungle of 3D graphics by adjusting the parameters of antialiasing, anisotropic filtering, textures, shaders, etc. All settings can be saved to profiles and activated using desktop shortcuts.

The possibility of automatic activation of profiles is provided. Having formed this or that preset, you can bind it to the application, and not only to three-dimensional games, but also for ordinary programs, for example, graphic editors.

To check the operation of the video card after overclocking, benchmarks are provided.

It is possible to adjust the speed of the accelerator fans depending on its temperature.

And, of course, ATI Tray Tools will replace standard Windows tools for managing display settings. Switching between different resolutions is more convenient with their help than the default tools.

NVIDIA System Tools - configuring video cards and NVIDIA chipsets

• License: Freeware.
• Developer: NVIDIA.
• Size: 71.8 MB.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / XP X64 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64.
• from our catalog.

NVIDIA System Tools is a set of tools for managing NVIDIA graphics and chipsets. The latter is less relevant, since the company has left this market for several years now, and the system logic itself is gradually being integrated into the CPU and less and less depends on its settings.

In terms of GPU control, the utility allows you to configure various hardware profiles for the accelerator, including the frequency characteristics of the processor and memory, as well as the voltage and cooling level of the video card.

The tool also allows you to automate profile management according to customizable rules. For example, when booting Windows, you can load a profile by default, in which the minimum frequencies for the accelerator are set, as well as the quietest control mode.

When the game starts, it will also automatically apply the settings for maximum performance. Once the game application is closed, revert to the default profile. In total, about a couple of dozen standard events and several reactions to them are proposed.

The package also includes a utility for configuring PhysX, displaying system parameters and forced loading of profiles.

Optimization of the hard disk (hard drive)

The best tweak for a disk subsystem is hardware. There are two options. The first is to organize a RAID array, which will seem complicated and expensive to most. The second is to install the operating system on an SSD, which in most cases is faster than a traditional hard drive. Half measure - use a hybrid drive.

SSD Tweaker - SSD Optimization

• License: Freeware / $ 12.95.
• Developer: Elpamsoft.
• Size: 450 KB.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / XP X64 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64.
• from our catalog.

In the case of SSDs, one of the main tasks of the tweaker program is not so much to increase the performance of the drive, but to help keep it as long as possible. SSD performance tends to degrade over time. This is due both to the peculiarities of the NAND flash memory itself, which is the basis of solid state drives, and to the fact that the OS is still focused on hard drives, therefore, by default, they either do not support or do not perform some vital procedures for SSDs. The necessary settings can be done in Windows and manually, but why do this if there is an SSD Tweaker.

It is useful for SSDs to reduce the number of times the drive is accessed. This will have a positive effect on system performance and maintain flash memory performance. If the amount of RAM permits, the program provides the ability to disable the cache, record file access times, Boot Tracing, configure Windows Prefetcher, system restore options and Windows Indexing Services. All this is in the free version. For a few dollars, you can get additional features like activating the TRIM flush algorithm, which can dramatically reduce the loss of SSD performance over time.

The same operations can be done using proprietary utilities such as others. They offer TRIM activation for free.

HD Tune Pro - testing the hard drive (hard drive)

• License: Trial / $ 34.95.
• Developer: EFD Software.
• Size: 2145 Kb.
• OS: Windows XP / Vista / XP X64 / Vista64 / 7/7 x64.
• from our catalog.

HD Tune Pro is a well-known utility for working with SSDs, hard drives and USB drives. It is mainly intended for testing and monitoring drives. Here you can check the read and write speed. You can also monitor the technical condition of the hard drive, find out the number of errors, bad sectors.

There are some tweaks in HD Tune Pro too. With the help of the utility, you can increase the performance of the hard drive by raising its speed, or vice versa, optimize the operation of the drive so as to minimize the noise. Many people may find the function of safely erasing information from disk useful.

Trying to increase the performance of individual components of a computer and the system as a whole, you need to understand that the main thing is not getting maximum results, but ensuring stability in an accelerated mode. Here you cannot do without such utilities as GPU-Z, which allow you to view the current operating parameters of the central processor and graphics accelerator. They also have built-in benchmarks with which to check the stability of the work. Finally, these utilities can also be used for overclocking.