14 Windows myths you shouldn't believe in

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It is high time to abandon these delusions. Unless, of course, you want to harm the system.

1. Windows slows down, freezes and constantly shows BSOD

Mac owners and Linux users take great pride in the stability and performance of their systems, pitting them against Windows all the time. The latter allegedly works with difficulty even on powerful hardware and lags all the time and falls into the blue screen of death. And in general, what good can we expect from Microsoft?

In reality, however, Windows' glitchiness is a stereotype that has been entrenched by failed systems like Windows 95 and Vista. Windows 10 demonstrates good stability and performance. Its only drawback is that it slows down on hard drives, loading them to capacity. However, modern versions of macOS also work fine only on SSDs. So if your system is installed on solid-state media, it will not slow down.

As for the "blue screens", then in these days they are also rare and in the overwhelming majority of cases are associated with problems with drivers or hardware.

2. Windows needs to be reinstalled for prevention

There is such a joke: "How many Windows do not install, but still reinstall". Perhaps this was true for Windows 95, which was notable for instability. And in most cases, reinstalling it was easier than figuring out what the next problem was.

And still some users argue that it needs to be regularly (say, once every six months) demolished, formatted and reinstalled - to speed up the PC and clean Windows from "garbage".

Truly, some people simply have nothing to do.

There is absolutely no point in "preventive" reinstallation. Windows 10 on an SSD is as fast and stable after several years of operation as after the first boot. Reinstalling a system from scratch is a last resort and should only be resorted to when the system refuses to start and no "Recovery Mode" helps.

And yes, in order to reinstall Windows 10 now, it is not necessary to write the image to a disk or flash drive and boot from it. Just click "Start" → "Settings" → "Update and Security" → "Recovery" and find the item "Reset the computer to its original state." Most importantly, do not forget to select the "Save my files" option.

3. It is better to partition the system disk into partitions C and D

This tradition is associated with the aforementioned reinstallations of older versions of Windows. When you often format the system partition, so as not to erase everything in one fell swoop, it is logical to pre-partition the disk into parts: C - for the system and D - for user data.

The argument is usually given as follows: “It's so convenient for me. If the system crashes, important files will remain in another section."

But in modern versions of Windows, it makes no sense to split the drive into C and D. After all, when you reinstall the system, the data … does not disappear. You will find all your files in the Windows.old folder.

And if you really want to separate the system and personal data, use not different partitions, but different disks. Start up a fast SSD for Windows and programs, and for music and photos, buy a HDD for a couple of terabytes. Fortunately, they are cheap.

4. Updates are evil, they need to be disabled

The internet is rife with claims that Windows is better off with automatic updates turned off. Because updates make everything slow down, break down - and in general Microsoft always makes things worse. So many users disable them immediately after installing the system.

This, of course, should not be done, because along with updates, the system downloads security patches, new driver versions and fixes for various errors and bugs. Windows with disabled updates is vulnerable and less stable. So let them download themselves quietly in the background, do not interfere.

If you are annoyed that the system starts updating when you need your computer most, click "Start" → "Settings" → "Update and Security" → "Pause updates" and postpone them until you have a free minute. Fortunately, the days of forced reboots in Windows 10 are long gone.

5. User Account Control (UAC) is also evil

When you install or run a new program, you may see a prompt "Allow the program to make changes …". This is UAC, or Windows User Account Control, a mechanism that is needed to prevent unwanted programs from interfering with the system as an administrator.

The Internet is full of instructions on how to disable UAC, because you see, it "gets in the way and annoys." But in fact, it is necessary to protect Windows. With user control disabled, the computer becomes extremely vulnerable. So do not remove it and read carefully what exactly is written in the UAC requests.

6. Windows disk should be defragmented regularly

Defragmentation is the process of organizing data on the hard drive, which increases the speed of reading files. There is an opinion that regular manual defragmentation of the HDD is a must. This is why programs like Defraggler are so popular, even though they should have sunk into oblivion.

In the days of Windows XP, defragmentation could actually speed up the system a bit, and Piggy even had a built-in tool that had to be started manually. But modern systems, starting with Windows Vista, perform disk optimization themselves in the background.

There is absolutely no point in running defragmentation and looking at the flashing colored squares, comforting yourself with the hope that now the system will "fly". Windows 10 will take care of its disks without you.

7. The registry needs to be periodically cleaned and optimized

There is no need. The registry is such a thing, where it makes no sense for an ordinary user to look at all. Even the thousands of "registry errors" that programs like CCleaner or CleanMyPC can find will not affect the speed of Windows in any way.

And deleting records at best just won't affect the health of your PC, but at worst it will break something. Not to mention the fact that some optimization programs charge $ 20-40 for what they do … They do nothing, though.

Microsoft has an unequivocal position on "registry cleaners": they are useless and sometimes "may contain spyware, adware or viruses."

8. Clearing the cache improves Windows speed

This is not true. Deleting temporary files can clean up some space on your system drive, but it won't speed up the system - unless, of course, it is installed on the built-in 64GB SSD, where every megabyte counts.

On the contrary, the need to recreate the cache, for example, of the browser will slow it down a little for a while, but then everything will work as before.

And yes, if you want to clean the disk from cache files - use not third-party "cleaners", but the built-in utility of Windows 10. Right-click the desired disk and select "Properties" → "Disk Cleanup".

9. Disabling the paging file also speeds up the system

Another myth is associated with the swap file, aka swap, aka pagefile.sys. Allegedly, deleting it will make the system faster, since it will stop unloading unused data from RAM and clogging the disk there.

However, this is not true. First, the paging file doesn't take up that much space to worry about. Secondly, disabling it even on computers with large amounts of RAM can lead to unpleasant consequences - for example, to crashes of programs that are demanding on the RAM. So there is no point in deleting pagefile.sys.

10. Windows is very vulnerable to viruses

Antivirus is the first thing that most users install on their PCs. And in some especially advanced cases, there may be several more.

But, contrary to popular belief, Windows 10 is quite well protected from viruses by itself: autorun of programs from removable media has long been disabled in it, UAC helps to protect against the installation of suspicious applications and the system has its own Windows Security antivirus.

So there is little point in installing free antivirus packages that try to sell you partner software and browser extensions, or paying for a subscription to "premium products".

11. Disabling system services makes Windows faster

Perhaps, in the past, disabling "unnecessary" services helped Windows speed up a little - when the gluttonous Windows Vista first appeared, and the norm of RAM was a maximum of 2 GB.

But now it makes absolutely no sense for users to look out for a long time in the list of services for those that can be "put under the knife." After all, you will gain a maximum of several megabytes of RAM, while also risking breaking something in the system. Instead, let Windows decide what to run and when.

And keep control of the programs you have installed. If it seems to you that the computer starts to boot slower, launch the "Task Manager", click "More" → "Startup". Select what you don't need, right-click and click Disable.

12. Programs need to be removed "correctly"

Utilities like Revo Uninstaller are quite popular. But not very useful. Yes, they can find a couple of small files, shortcuts and registry keys left over after uninstalling a program. But all this "garbage" does not affect the performance of your computer in any way. It makes no sense to install free versions of "uninstallers" and even more so spend money on paid ones.

Common uninstallers do their job quite well. Windows Add or Remove Programs is all you need. And if you often launch and test new programs, it is better to create a virtual machine for these purposes. The living system will be more whole.

13. And update drivers too

Another category of programs that many "advanced users" install on their computers are all sorts of DriverPack Solution, DriverUpdate or Driver Booster. They download driver updates for your PC's components. Necessary things, right?

True, at the same time, such applications also like to download a variety of junk software - for example, unnecessary browsers, extensions, antivirus packages, and other stuff. In addition, they do not bring much benefit, since Windows 10 is able to automatically install and update drivers. So it is better to bypass such third-party programs.

The only exception is official applications from video card manufacturers like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin. And then they are needed only by gamers trying to squeeze the most out of their graphics accelerator.

14. Real programmers don't use Windows

Finally, there is a popular misconception: "Power users don't use Windows." Allegedly, real programmers and hackers use only Linux and Mac, and Windows is this kind of "firmware for games" that runs a couple of times a week.

But in fact, according to a StackOverflow poll, most developers, 45.8% to be exact, use Windows. Which, in general, is logical, since a huge amount of software is created for this OS. So ditching Windows and becoming a penguin lover won't make you a tough hacker.