Win7 or Win10? Which will run fastest on netbook PC?

[rans6andrew]

my Win7 netbook has slowed to glacial speed over the last couple of years. I have not installed anything new onto it during this time but the inevitable "new versions" of installed stuff has taken it's toll.

To reclaim some speed should I re-install my Win7? from the backup partition or should I grab a free Win10? not that I know exactly what each entails and what the risks are.

If I re-install Win7, will it need me to know the licence number which was originally on a label on the bottom of the machine, long since worn away and not, apparently, in the paperwork from when the machine was bought new?

I suspect that either route will require me to remove and backup all of my data/photos/files et?

Do I need to remove all of the programmes I have installed? Most of them are free to download (Firefox, Comodo firewall and AV, Open Office, Free42), I assume a fresh install of all of these things would be good thing to do?

If I end up going the Win7 route, is there a way to be sure that it won't decide to overwrite it with Win10? I understand that setting "no updates" doesn't always stop them from cocking things up.

Please advise, thanks.

Andrew.

[andytug]

A fresh install is usually a good thing every 2-3 years, it does improve things no end.
However, it might be worth a quick clean and tidy just to see if that improves it.
Quick couple of things - how much memory (RAM) has the netbook got? You should really have as much as you can cram in, I have a Toshiba one and upgrading it from 1GB to 2 made a real difference.
Try disabling Windows updates, W7 update has issues that can use up all the CPU making the PC virtually stop.
Try Ccleaner from Piriform.com, and run the clean part and the registry cleaner.
Is there at least 20-25% free on the hard drive?

A lot of laptops and netbooks have the Windows install on a hidden partition, a magic f key on boot forces a re-install, no media needed. Most netbooks have no DVD drive so may be worth downloading a W7 ISO to a USB stick.

If sticking with W7 would get either Never10 or GWX control panel to stop W10 installing. A program like Belarc Advisor can retrieve the W7 license key but bear in mind OEM ones can refuse to re-activate.

Most importantly, back anything you want to keep and/or important up to external media. Make a list of any programs you want as they will need installing again.

Also consider if you really need it to be Windows at all - I changed mine to Linux Mint over a year ago and have no regrets. If you use it purely for the Internet and Office docs it works better than Windows imo. You may need to get used to Firefox as a browser and Libre Office, but it doesn't take long.

[WeeJeem]

Originally Posted by rans6andrew

my Win7 netbook has slowed to glacial speed over the last couple of years. I have not installed anything new onto it during this time but the inevitable "new versions" of installed stuff has taken it's toll.

A lot of the slow-down will be due not just be the inevitable "creaking windows" but potentially to a stack of stuff installed by MSoft via the Windows Update process to steer (force!) unsuspecting users down the "inadvertant and unwanted installation of Windows 10" route.

Originally Posted by rans6andrew

To reclaim some speed should I re-install my Win7? from the backup partition or should I grab a free Win10? not that I know exactly what each entails and what the risks are.

The "risks" are minimal, other than the one where you install Win10, hate it and end up installing Win7 again. But since you're already thinking about reinstalling Win7, that could be seen as a bonus - ie you now know to avoid Win10 like a dose of the plague.

The only hanging question would be whether a "Windows7-updated-in situ- to Win10" still has the same speed issues, and there's only one way to find that out...

Originally Posted by rans6andrew

If I re-install Win7, will it need me to know the licence number which was originally on a label on the bottom of the machine, long since worn away and not, apparently, in the paperwork from when the machine was bought new?

Belarc Advisor is your friend. Download and run, and you will be presented (amongst much other info) with the original Win7 licence code. I always feel the urge to print a hard copy of the report produced, just in case.
Your other friend is the "Create Recovery Disks" utility that will let you create a (set of) reinstall DVD, just in case the version on the disk partition gets hosed during any Win10 shennanigans.
Your other other friend is the Control Panel / Programs and Features option, which will let you see (most of) what you have installed over the years and might wish to reinstall.

Originally Posted by rans6andrew

I suspect that either route will require me to remove and backup all of my data/photos/files etc?

You will certainly to need to back them up - the (re)install will typically blow them away. But then, like the rest of us, you've been taking regular backups anyway, haven't you?

Originally Posted by rans6andrew

Do I need to remove all of the programmes I have installed? Most of them are free to download (Firefox, Comodo firewall and AV, Open Office, Free42), I assume a fresh install of all of these things would be good thing to do?

Only "net-licenced" software would need to be uninstalled first - eg Microsoft Office - so that the licence is "freed up"and hence available again when you reinstall it. Things like the MS Office licence key also appear on the Belarc report

Originally Posted by rans6andrew

If I end up going the Win7 route, is there a way to be sure that it won't decide to overwrite it with Win10? I understand that setting "no updates" doesn't always stop them from cocking things up.

To avoid (or at least minimise the risk of) infestation by Win10, download and run Never10 from Gibson Research and/or the GWX Control Panel from Ultimate Outsider.

Hope this all makes sense - good luck and have fun

[jimtherev]

Excellent summary by WeeJ. Should find its way into the FAQ file at the top of this section.
Answering the one bit he didn't address: I have two pretty-much identical Lenovo laptops, one with W7, t'other with W10. The W10 one runs slightly faster than the W7 one; both had a clean software install within a couple of weeks of each other. Only other difference (which I would guess makes no diff to speed) is that the W7 one dual boots with Linux - which I don't like very much, but maybe that's just me...

[WeeJeem]

A couple of loose ends to tie up, perhaps:

• I would advise against use of any registry cleaner - the potential to trash your system is far, far greater than any benefit.

• If your OS key doesn't authenticate correctly online after the reinstall, use the automated phone system method. It works a treat.

[andytug]

Originally Posted by WeeJeem

A couple of loose ends to tie up, perhaps:

• I would advise against use of any registry cleaner - the potential to trash your system is far, far greater than any benefit.

• If your OS key doesn't authenticate correctly online after the reinstall, use the automated phone system method. It works a treat.

YMMV, but I've been using Ccleaner and another one (Eusing) for a number of years with no issues, on XP and 7. Not necessary every day or week, once a month is more than enough or after uninstalling something.
The main thing both do is delete redundant entries, which I find speeds up bootup and shutdown times if they start to get long.
Ccleaner is worth having for other reasons too, cleans out temp files, old restore points, gives a one-step list of programs with one-click uninstall, etc.

[noughtsnones]

Samsung N102SP netbook also slowed to glacial operation ...
Windows 10 Home was marginally faster than Windows 7 Starter.
Real speed arrived after installed memory (RAM) increased from 1GB to 2GB (about £17).

Windows 10 was not really usable due to screen driver default to 800x600px instead of the native 1024x600px:-
The problem falls in the business gap between Intel (Graphics Media Accelerator 3600 Series), Samsung and Microsoft.
The solution I chose is linux [Lubuntu 16.04 Xenial Xerus] ... <fastest>!

[rans6andrew]

thanks for all of the good advice.

I bumped the memory from 1GB to 2GB (max allowed) as soon as I bought the netbook, a Samsung 220N plus. It doesn't seem to use much more than 50% of this even when it is grindingly slow. Task manager doesn't reveal what is dragging it down but FF sometimes grabs 70% of CPU usage for many seconds at a time, sometimes with a "not responding" message in the top banner. There is plenty of disk space left, defragging didn't seem to improve it.

I am open to the benefits of Linux, I run "Mint" on my most powerful machine with FF and Open Office. The big BUT though, is that I need to keep access to a few things that are PC only such as GPS update software (car and aircraft), ham radio rig toolkit, morse code tutor (my preferred one is not available for Mint). I also access internet based, software defined radios, (websdr.org) which let you monitor all of the amateur radio bands using a small utility which they download/install/call when invoked. There doesn't seem to be a Linux option on the websites involved. Having these on a portable machine is important to me.

I think Win7 would be the best option if I can re-install without cocking it up.

[noughtsnones]

Hmmm, slow Firefox is familiar.

I regularly tidy with CCleaner to keep browser applications speedy; the options I've ticked for Firefox are ...
Internet Cache
Internet History
Cookies
Download History
Session

[andytug]

Would look to see if there's a magic function key that returns it to factory settings then, I think.

[FlightDetent]

I would advise against use of any registry cleaner - the potential to trash your system is far, far greater than any benefit.

hear, hear!

[rideorflight]

Just be cautious of what you use to speed things up. A lot of those antivirus, pc cleaner and the like are just as scammy as the things they claim to eradicate.

[rans6andrew]

I installed Belarc Advisor and it does display an OS serial number and the key code, thanks.

It also displays a scary amount of other stuff, such as 67 missing security updates. Is it likely that these are doing anything to slow the machine down by being absent?

[le Pingouin]

Apart from potentially leaving you open to malware that will slow you down......? Unless one of the patches is for fixing a flaw that slows down your netbook I doubt their absence would be the problem. A netbook is just a very underpowered PC so will be slow.

Have a look at what is loading at start up and consider disabling anything non-essential:

How to Disable Startup Programs in Windows

[11277m]

Take the Belarc Advisor "missing security updates" warning with a pinch of salt.

It told me I had a few missing updates, but when I googled the KB numbers I found none of them actually applied to my computer.