Wanem Online Guide: System optimizer

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How To Avoid And Fix Memory Leaks In Windows 10

Wanem Club July 08, 2019

You might have encountered issues with computer performance, potentially causing memory leaks. Various software can slow down your computer if it leaks memory (when a program fails to 'release' memory it has used). By default, a closed program should allow other software then to use that same area of memory. If, however, the program is still using the memory having been closed, that is where memory leak problems begin.

A memory leak is a Random Access Memory (RAM) loss caused by one or more programs. Therefore, a specific program is using more memory than it should, or it is not releasing it when the program closed, and continues to use the memory. A certain amount of RAM is required for a process to run, and this is perfectly normal, unless the system starts to behave abnormally. Memory leaks are usually only temporary, since restarting the computer empties RAM memory. If, however, the computer remains switched on with various processes running in the background, some processes might cause memory leaks.

Edit Registry

Windows Registry, usually referred to as just 'the registry', is a collection of databases of configuration settings in Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is used to store much of the information and settings for software programs, hardware devices, user preferences, operating system configurations, and much more. Many of the options exposed in the registry are not accessible elsewhere in Windows. To open Registry Editor, you will first need to open Run dialog box. Press Windows Windows key + R or right-click Start and select "Run" and type "regedit". Press Enter or click "OK".

NOTE: Create a restore point before you make any changes in Windows Registry (editing the Registry incorrectly can lead to more serious problems).

Follow this path by expanding every entry until you find the "Ndu" key: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services". Find "Ndu" key under Services and select it. Now you should see the "Start" REG_DWORD on the right pane. Double-click it and assign the value data to 4. Click "OK" to save the changes.

Now find the "Null" key under the same Services key and double-click "Start" REG_DWORD. Also set its value to 4 . Click "OK" to save the changes.

Now follow this path: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager" and select the "Memory Management" key. Double-click the "NonPagedPoolSize" REG_DWORD on the right pane. Change Base to "Decimal" and set value data to 192. Click "OK" to save the changes, exit Registry and see if memory leak problem is now solved. If not, try to restart your computer after editing the Registry.

Disable Superfetch

Superfetch is a Windows service that is intended to speed up application launching and improve system responsiveness. It caches data so that it can be immediately available to your application. Superfetch achieves this by preloading frequently-used programs into RAM so that they are not required to be called from the hard drive. This can sometimes affect performance and slow down the system, or cause memory leaks. To disable Superfetch, open the Run dialog box and type "services.msc". Press Enter on the keyboard or click "OK".

Now set the "Startup type" to "Disabled" and stop the service by pressing the "Stop" button. Click "Apply" to save the changes, restart your computer, and check if this solves the memory leak problem.

Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

Run the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. Windows Memory Diagnostic is a memory test tool, which is comprehensive and easy to use. To launch it, type "windows memory diagnostic" or "mdsched" in Search and click the "Windows Memory Diagnostic" result.

To run diagnostics, restart the computer. You will be asked if you want to restart now or to run it the next time you start your computer. When you restart the computer, Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool will start automatically. You will be able to see the test process and results on the screen.

Defragment Your Hard Drive

A built-in Windows feature called "Defragment and Optimize Drives" optimizes drives to help the system run more efficiently (or analyzes them to determine if they require optimization). To launch the defragmentation tool, type "defragment" in Search and click the "Defragment and Optimize Drives" result.

You will see a list of drives connected to the computer. Select the hard drive you want to defragment and click "Optimize". The optimization process should take a while. Wait for it to finish.

NOTE: We do not recommend that you defrag your drive if it is a Solid State Drive (SSD) or Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

How To Avoid And Fix Memory Leaks In Windows 10

Reviewed by Wanem Club on July 08, 2019 Rating: 5

The Best Ways to Edit the Windows Context Menu

Wanem Club February 25, 2019

Also referred to as Right Click Menu, the Context Menu is a pop-up menu that appears when you right click your desktop or an icon on your screen. Its purpose is to provide the user with a quick way to perform various actions such as copying or deleting files, deciding which program to use for opening a certain document, etc.

Why would you need to change the context menu? Either to extend its functionality or to get rid of some unused buttons. While the first is obvious, the second may need a bit of explanation: many computer programs will offer the "shell integration" feature (they will place one or more buttons in the context menu), but "forget" to remove it when you uninstall them. Depending on your tolerance level, there might come a time when your right-click menu will contain so many entries that it will slow you down instead of helping you get something done quicker, so removing some of them will be crucial.
There are two ways to modify the contents of your context menu: manually, by changing some entries in the registry editor, or by using specialized software to help you out. No mater which method you choose, if you are new to this kind of things, it's probably best to create a system backup before actually committing to any changes.
For the manual solution, you will need to open the registry editor by clicking on Start --> Run (or pressing the Windows key + R), and then typing regedit and pressing Enter. A new window will open and you'll have to navigate it the following way: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT --> * --> shellex --> ContextMenuHandlers. There you will find the entries from your context menu, and you can remove or edit whichever you want. The tricky part is that they might not have the exact same name as the text on the button, so finding the right entry might be a little difficult.
If you (understandably) consider that editing your registries is too complicated, and you would rather use a tool to help you out, here are a few applications that will make this assignment much easier:

ShellExView - a simple tool that will allow you to view and disable any item from your right click menu. This program is portable so you can easily copy it to an external storage device and use it on any computer you want.
Right Click Extender - as you've probably guessed from its name, this application is designed to help you add buttons to your context menu in order to enhance its functionality. The downside is that, as far I know, this program doesn't allow you to remove any context menu buttons except for the ones added by itself. The biggest advantage in using this tool is the fact that it helps you create system backup points directly from its interface, keeping you safe from unwanted changes.
FileMenu Tools - is a program that is easy to use, yet a bit more comprehensive than the ones previously mentioned. This application will allow you to remove as well as add functions to your right-click menu, configure the order in which they appear, create sub-menus and a lot more. Since it gives its users complete control and yet manages to be very intuitive, this application is the one I generally use for my context menu editing needs.
Ultimate Windows Customizer - I wasn't sure if I should include this application because it breaks the pattern of the other ones, but I decided to give you as many options as possible. What's different about this program is that it offers a lot more than just context menu editor. It also give you the possibility to tweak a wide variety of aspects regarding the Windows UI like the Start Button, Log-on Screen, Taskbar, etc. So, if you want to play around and do more than just modify the buttons in the context menu, you will probably find this tool appealing. However, if all you need is to edit the context menu, then you should choose one of the previous tools and keep things as simple as possible.

The Best Ways to Edit the Windows Context Menu

Reviewed by Wanem Club on February 25, 2019 Rating: 5

How to prevent Windows from installing unwanted programs?

Wanem Club February 25, 2019

Do you find annoying the fact that your PC can install some programs that you haven't even downloaded? Unfortunately, nowadays this is a frequent situation. The installer of the program you need may contain the software which sneaks into your PC without a permission. This type of programs is called Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP). PUPs are not viruses but they usually cause much inconvenience to all Windows OS users. In this article, I'd like to present a few universal ways to prevent potential problems.

Keep PUPs out of your computer

Unchecky is a great straightforward program that is designed to uncheck unnoticeable checkboxes that propose installing third-party software during the main program installation. Unchecky can also find additional hidden programs in an already-running file and notify a user of unwanted programs. Importantly, this useful and free program by Reason Company Software Inc. doesn't require any specific skills for using it and customizing its options. Almost perfect, it is also being updated automatically. To read more information about the Unchecky tool, proceed to the article by Tom Cooper and forget about annoying bundleware, once and for all.
If you don't want to install a standalone program for performing the task, you can handle it via Windows tools. Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows 10 have the AppLocker utility which is located in Group Policy Object Editor. It allows you to create a list of applications that are banned and can't be installed uncontrollably. You can compile your own list or import a standard .xml Locker file. To find the file, run Local Security Policy (secpol.msc) as an administrator, go to Security Settings → Application Control Policies → AppLocker.

Create a non-administrator account

There is a much easier way to stop your PC from installing unwanted programs. You can create a new Windows user account which has non-admin access to Windows functions by default. This way, you use the new account in the same confident manner as before: none PUP will be installed because your computer will request each program installation now. The slight disadvantage of this method is that you need to adjust your account from scratch and spend time regulating the programs installation by yourself.

Use sandbox security software

A sandbox is a separate mechanism for running programs, the lightweight variant of a virtual machine. The processes that you begin in the sandbox can only affect its own environment but not the host system. Thereby, you can work here with any file and if you find an unverified program safe, you can install it on your underlying operating system. If not, just perform the rollback in the sandbox.
The easiest way to create the sandbox system on your PC is Sandboxie. This is the program that lets you launch browsers, email clients, different software applications in the isolated space on your hard disk. Even if some PUPs are somehow installed, you just easily clear the sandbox and continue using your PC. Sandboxie offers multilingual support (25 languages available) for its users and protects computers from Internet-spread viruses. I should also mention that some antivirus programs have the sandbox feature too, for example avast! Internet Security or Kaspersky Internet Security.

How to prevent Windows from installing unwanted programs?

Reviewed by Wanem Club on February 25, 2019 Rating: 5

Best tweaks and tricks to improve Windows 10 performance

Wanem Club October 12, 2017

Windows 10 has just been officially released, but some of us have had it for a while, and there already are some very handy tricks and tweaks to make things run even smoother. Here you will find a list with best tweaks I know that will increase your operating system's performance and privacy. The one thing you should be warned about is that some of these tweaks involve changes in your registry files, so if you make a mistake, you may compromise your entire Windows. This small guide is for advanced user or people who are ready to reinstall their OS in case something goes wrong.

Delete previous Windows installation files

SInce most people install Windows 10 as an upgrade to their current operating systems, generally, there are left-over files containing some of your previous settings and preferences. These not only occupy unnecessary space on your hard disk, but may also be unnecessary. Unfortunately, getting rid of them isn't as easy as you would imagine. In order to delete previous installation files you will need to use Windows's Search function and use the query “Free up disk space” (without the quotes). Click on the shortcut that will be displayed, then choose your primary drive (Usually C: if you have multiple installed), and a new window will appear. Now select the Cleanup system files option, check the box marked Previous Windows installations, then press OK button and confirm you want to delete the files.

Enable new features in the Command Prompt window

Windows has always had a handy console called Command Prompt where you could use various advanced functions, but it was never very user-friendly. In Windows 10 however, you have access to a bunch of new features, such as the ability to paste text, copy the commands you enter and even copy the text that appears inside the console, but you need to enable them first. To do so, open the Command Prompt window (press the Win and R keys), type cmd and press Enter. In the window that opens right-click the icon (on the name bar in top-left corner of the window) and click on Properties. Once the new menu pops up, simply remove the check-mark from the box named Use legacy console, and once you restart the Command Prompt you will have access to all the new features.

Enable System Restore in Windows 10

System Restore is one of the most important functions, as (if you have the necessary storage space) it will enable you to quickly revert your operating system to a previous state in case something goes wrong. In order to enable this feature in Windows 10 you need to right-click the Start button the choose System from the list. In the new window click on System Protection(requires administrator privileges), then select your primary drive (usually C:) and click the Configure button. Now simply check the box marked Turn on System Protection and move the slider from the Disk Space Usage system to something above 0 (preferably, at least 15%). Click OK and you're done.

GodMode

Like the previous versions of the operating system, Windows 10 also has a built-in GodMode designed specifically for power users. Once enabled, this option will give you access to a wide range of customization settings and features that will otherwise be unavailable (in order to stop novice users from accidentally messing up some vital settings). The good news is that turning this mode on is very easy. All you have to do is create a new folder on your desktop (right-click on your desktop, go to New and choose Folder) and copy-paste GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} as its name. The folder will now change into an icon, and you can access all the GodMode settings from there.

Remove the Windows menus display delay

y default, Windows 10 has a small delay before displaying your menus. While not that noticeable, this could still make power users waste some time, so you may need to get rid of it. All you have to do is open your Registry Editor (press the Winand R buttons on your keyboard, then type regedit and press Enter) and find the entry named HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Now right-click on MenuShowDelay (it's in the right-side section), choose Modify and in the Edit String box change the 400 value to something lower (about 100should work just fine). After you press the OK button, the menus will have a much smaller delay which should practically be impossible to notice with the naked eye.

Turn off Wi-Fi Sense

Although a nice idea in theory, Wi-Fi Sense is a huge security and privacy concern for most users, as it automatically shares your Wi-Fi password with your contacts from Facebook, Skype or Outlook, connects to available networks and sends hotspot details about your PC. In other words, in most cases you will be much better off disabling this feature, but, unfortunately, a lot of people aren't aware that Wi-Fi Sense even exists, and even some of those who are don't know how to disable it. To turn off Wi-Fi Sense go to your Windows Settings, click on Network & Internet, then select Wi-Fi and press the Manage Wi-Fi Settings button. Now a new window should appear, where you can move the sliders to disable the Connect to suggested open hotspots and Connect to networks shared by my contacts options. Furthermore, you can choose which of your friends get the details about your network by checking or unchecking the respective boxes.

Enable hidden Dark Theme

If you're tired of the regular Windows 10 theme, you should know that Microsoft has also embedded another one (which is darker), but it's hidden from regular users. In order to use it, you will once again need to open the Registry Editor and find the entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize. Now, go to the right-side pane and create a new DWORD (right-click and choose New then DWORD), name it AppsUseLightTheme and set the value to 0 (it should be 0 by default, so you can just leave it like that). In case if you no longer want the dark UI for your modern apps, simply go back to the registry editor and delete the DWORD that you created. (Additionally, if you are somehow still using an older Windows 10 build, the DWORD should be SystemUsesLightTheme.)

Completely disable the Notification Center in Windows 10

Windows 10's Notification Center is pretty cool, but it can be annoying at times, especially to those who aren't used to it. If you don't like and you would like to turn it off, it's not very hard to do: open the Registry Editor and navigate your way to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer. Now create new DWORD named DisableNotificationCenter (check the previous tweak if you don't know how) and set the value to 1. Once that's done, restart your computer (log-out or just restart the Explorer), and the notification system should be gone (it disappears from the Windows Tray as well). In case you want it back, just delete the DWORD that you created.

Best tweaks and tricks to improve Windows 10 performance

Reviewed by Wanem Club on October 12, 2017 Rating: 5

Boost your Windows 10 PC for gaming

Wanem Club October 12, 2017

Today's games are quite resource-demanding, so a lot of people have a hard time running them on their slightly older Windows 10 computers. Trying to play a game that's constantly freezing or lagging is incredibly frustrating, so here are a few tricks that should boost your in-game FPS rate. However, just so we're clear, these aren't magic tricks, so you shouldn't expect to be able to play the latest games if full-details on a five-year old PC.

In-built solutions

Before you go and buy some pompous performance optimizer, there are a few things that you can do on your own to ensure that you have the best possible in-game performance:

Update video drivers - video cards manufacturers are constantly improving and optimizing their drivers so it would behoove you to have the latest versions available installed on your PC.
Close unneeded applications and background process - this will free up more resources for the game to use. In case you're unsure about a background service, Google it before closing it.
Modify the in-game settings - decreasing the resolution, the draw distance, level of detail, shadow quality and similar settings will increase the FPS rate. Disabling or decreasing the Anti-Aliasing can have a really big impact.
Stop the Game DVR recording - go to the Xbox settings and disable the Game DVR recording feature which Microsoft, in its "wisdom", has decided to enable by default for everyone.
Disable Nagle’s algorithm for online games - if you're constantly dealing with latency issues in a game that require an Internet connection, press the Win+R keys, type regedit and hit Enter. Now navigate to the following address HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE-->SYSTEM-->CurrentControlSet-->Services-->Tcpip-->Parameters-->Interfaces and start clicking the entries in that directory until you see a key with your IP in the right pane. Right-click under the key that shows your IP and creates the following DWORD values: TcpAckFrequency - set value to 1; TCPNoDelay - set a value to 1; TcpDelAckTicks - set a value to 0.

Third-party solutions

As far as third-party solutions go, many will promise to be a huge help, but they usually don't do that much. Both Nvidia and AMD have their own gaming optimizers that you can install along with the drivers and will automatically adjust the in-game graphical settings for the best performance. Another really great solution is a tool called MSI Afterburner, which won't only show you very detailed information about all your hardware components but will also help you overclock them and change your PC's fan profiles. Lastly, if your computer is quite old, I recommend trying out an application called SwiftShader, which instructs the CPU to take over some of the GPU's rendering functions.

Of course, there are a lot more tools designed to offer a smoother gaming experience, but not all of them are worth trying out. Before we end, let me give you one last piece of advice: if you're having issues with the FPS rate, stay as far away as you can from games in beta as they usually are very badly optimized.

Boost your Windows 10 PC for gaming

Reviewed by Wanem Club on October 12, 2017 Rating: 5

Optimize your slow Mac

Wanem Club October 11, 2017

There's nothing more frustrating than a Mac that takes a long while to execute your commands. Especially when you're in a hurry, not being able to do what you want to because the computer simply won't accept your input, can be downright aggravating. Fortunately, there are ways for you to solve this problem other than throwing your Mac away and buying a new one. Here are several applications that are specifically designed to optimize a slow Mac.

CCleaner

Most of the time, Macs are being slowed down by an excessive amount of junk, leftover files and installed applications that you no longer use. CCleaner is a tool that can really help you out with that. This tool will remove any junk data on your device, delete unneeded language files, clean your entire browsing history and completely uninstall the applications that you no longer need.

CleanMyMac

Serving pretty much the same purpose, CleanMyMac will clear the junk files from iTunes and iPhoto, the system junk and email attachments. Furthermore, it identifies the largest and oldest files on your Mac and offers to delete them, uninstalls applications and completely shreds the sensitive files that you don't want to be recovered.

SpeedUp Mac

.Made by Stellar, SpeedUp Mac includes some decent junk cleaning options as it removes leftover files, the cache, and cookies that resulted from your web browsing sessions, etc. and also uninstalls the application and defragments your disk. However, what I really like about it is that it can find duplicate files and remove them, as well as identify the larger files on your Mac in case you need more free space in a hurry.