Despite the fact that Windows is considered an operating system for ordinary users, unlike numerous Linux distributions, it still allows you to perform some operations for which advanced users still prefer the latter. In particular, this refers to access to hardware components. The OS itself and the installed drivers make sure (or at least try) to perform at their best and provide the best user experience. First, you need to know how to enable all processor cores on Windows 10, and we will discuss this issue in detail in this article.
Find out quantity
If suddenly you don’t know how many there are in total and want to find out the kernel version in Windows 10 in your processor, then this is where you should start. The easiest way to do this is using Windows tools itself. Right click on the Start menu > Computer Management. In the left menu, enable Device Manager > Processor. 
The number of points will indicate the number of processor cores that can be used when you know how to activate all processor cores in Windows 10. 
Similar information can be obtained using third-party programs:
- CPU-Z;
- AIDA64;
- Everest.
The first one is free, the rest cost money, but, of course, in addition to the quantity, they tell you how to view a huge amount of information about the computer and system, starting from the list of components and ending. Of course, they only provide information and do not know how to enable and run all processor cores in Windows 10. 
How kernels generally work and how to enable them
There is a common misconception that not everyone works on a computer. This is wrong. At any moment, in addition to turning on, all of them are involved, so of course, you will never know how to disable the processor core, because it is impossible. But there is another nuance - they can work with different frequencies, being responsible for different tasks. Modern processors are often equipped with several powerful ones that will run during games, editing and other complex tasks; and simpler ones - for elementary processes. This achieves a balance of performance and energy efficiency, which is especially important for laptops. But there is no answer to the question of how to enable a second processor core in Windows 10, because they all work the same way. 
It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that in some cases it is impossible to turn on and direct the power of everyone to process a specific task. It depends solely on the software developer. Only he decides whether to unlock the cores and whether to support multithreading or not. If not, only one will carry out the greatest load and all the work, while the rest work in a gentle mode.
How to enable all processor cores on Windows 10 at startup?
There is one moment in the operation of the operating system when in fact only one thing can be active - this is the process of turning on the computer. But even in this case, the situation can be changed and you can find out how to enable 4 cores on Windows 10 using the built-in system tools and BIOS.
In the first case, you need to enable the “Run” dialog box or use the “Windows + R” hotkeys. After that, enter “msconfig” and click OK. 
A window with basic system settings will open.
Option with BIOS
The second option on how to use and configure all processor cores to work in Windows 10 is to use the BIOS. It starts when you turn on the computer using the F2 or Del keys depending on the device type.
In the BIOS itself, again, depending on its version, you need to find the item “Advanced Clock Calibration” or similar, and there enable the value “All cores” or “Auto”.
Again, it should be noted that these settings will only affect the computer startup process and will not work this way. The operation of the operating system as a whole or individual programs depends entirely on the developers. Have they added this feature and how well have they optimized it?
How to enable all kernels on Windows 7? Users often ask this question and get stuck from time to time.
Even multi-core devices may experience stuttering. Let's take a closer look, how to effectively speed up your PC and “force” the system to use all available cores to their fullest.
Modern computers are multi-core devices. However, no operating system uses all cores to their full capacity.
Such a limitation is necessary to save resources on PCs and laptops.
Modern hardware technologies allow "load" the required number of cores when working with certain programs that require more performance.
If your PC doesn't start running faster even when running a powerful photo editor, game, or editing program, you'll need to adjust the processor usage mode yourself.
Method 1 – Setting up multitasking in OS startup mode
This setup option is one of the simplest and most effective. The bottom line is that overclocking the processor occurs immediately.
The user can always change the settings and return the original parameters.
Follow the instructions:
- Open the command window using the Win + R key combination;
- In the text field of the window that opens, enter the system configuration command msconfig;
Rice. 1 – calling the Windows configuration window
- Now go to the downloads tab. Here you can view the version of the installed OS, configure safe mode and other boot options;
- Press advanced options key;
Rice. 2 – Windows configuration window
- In the tab that opens, you can select the mode for using the available computing characteristics of your PC. Check the boxes next to the number of processors and maximum memory. These lines were previously inactive because the computer was in resource-saving mode;
- Select the highest number of cores and the maximum amount of available memory;
Rice. 3 – setting up boot parameters
After turning on the computer again, multitasking mode is activated. The user can also select fewer processors and memory.
The optimal number for fast work is 5-6 cores and 1024 MB of memory for each processor.
Read also:
Method 2 - BIOS setup
Another option for adjusting the operating speed of the OS is to add new settings in the BIOS.
This option allows you not only to increase the efficiency of completing tasks, but also prevents crashes that occur in the OS and the regular appearance of a blue screen.
The program allows for comprehensive configuration of hardware and software components:
- Processor;
- Cache;
- Motherboard;
- Memory;
- System module parameters (Serial Presence Detect).
To enable all cores we need the CPU tab. The figure below shows the configuration display window in the CPU-Z application.
At the bottom there is a Cores field, its value is the number of PC cores that operate at the same frequency. Enter the maximum number of processors in the field.
The Threads field must be equal to Cores.
Rice. 5 – main window of the CPU-Z application
After making changes, press the “OK” button. Turn off the program and restart the device.
Method 4 - AIDA64 program
Another good program for adjusting the number of cores used is . Application Features:
- Ability to view the hardware characteristics of a PC or laptop;
- Generating reports on device operation;
- Displaying the characteristics of the installed OS;
- Ability to change processor usage parameters;
- PC speed testing function.
First, look at how many cores are available in your PC. The information is located in the Multi CPU tab (on the left side of the window, select "Motherboard"-“CPU”):
Rice. 6 – main window of the AIDA64 utility
Turn on each of the cores. Restart the program and check if the processor activation has failed. This can happen due to a conflict between the program and the hardware components of the PC.
You should repeat the setup again. All that remains is to re-use it and enjoy its fast work.
It is advisable to activate all cores if there is an urgent need to perform complex operations in the process of editing videos or to speed up the operation of video games.
If your computer is too slow without using all cores, this may indicate a failure in the OS.
A set of actions should be carried out to optimize the operation of the operating system.
OS optimization
Computer optimization is actions that result in errors occurring less frequently.
How to optimize Windows? This procedure is carried out the same way, regardless of the system version.
To speed up your browser and other programs, close unnecessary processes in the Device Manager window.
And also clear the tab of unwanted software that starts when the OS is turned on and operates in the background.
Cleaning your hard drive of unnecessary files and other junk will help improve overall system performance.
Go to the “My Computer” tab, click on the storage medium icon and open the properties window.
Select Disk Cleanup and wait until the report on unnecessary files is generated. Clear all data by checking unnecessary fields.
Rice. 7 – Windows 7 optimization
Modern computers have great computing capabilities, so it’s difficult to surprise anyone with a two-, four-, or even six-core processor. But a novice user who is not familiar with the technical features of the device may be interested in how to enable all cores on Windows 10 to increase computer performance.
How to find out the number of processor cores?
You can find out how many cores are in the processor installed on your computer or laptop using programs, built-in Windows tools and in the description of the CPU.
In the CPU description
Check the device manual to see which model is installed on your computer. After that, find a description of the processor on the Internet.
Healthy! You can also see the model in the OS description: RMB on the Start menu → System → in the “System” block the name of the CPU is indicated.
On Windows
Programs
Many programs have been created that show the characteristics of the device.
CPU-Z
AIDA64
The shareware utility AIDA64 contains a large set of functions.
Run the program → Motherboard → CPU → Multi CPU. 
Alternative option: Computer → Summary information → Motherboard block → in the “CPU Type” line LMC on the processor → Product Information.
How many cores are used by default?
The main thing to remember! In a multi-core processor, all cores work always and simultaneously (read the article “”). Basically, they operate at different frequencies (depending on the BIOS settings or special utilities that come with the motherboards).
The benefits of running a multi-core CPU can be summarized as follows. If a person pours water into a bucket from one tap, he will do this work in one period of time. If you turn on the second tap, you can fill the bucket much faster, but the total volume of water that can be contained in it will not increase.
By using two taps the operation is optimized. The same thing happens when using multiple cores in the CPU - it processes the data that comes in for calculation faster and more efficiently.
Important! The processor operates in multi-threaded mode only if the program it is executing is optimized for this. If the software manufacturer does not support multi-core CPUs, only one core will be used.
How to use all cores?
On Windows 10
Important! Each core must have at least 1024 MB of RAM, otherwise you will achieve the opposite effect.
In BIOS
You can make changes to the BIOS only if they are “crashed” due to a failure in the OS (read the article “” to find out how to start a PC if it is unstable). In other cases, all processor cores are enabled automatically in the BIOS.
To enable all cores, go to the Advanced Clock Calibration section in the BIOS settings. Set the indicators to “All Cores” or “Auto”.
Important! The Advanced Clock Calibration section may have different names in different BIOS versions.
Conclusion
During operation, all processor cores are used, but they operate at different frequencies (depending on the settings made). You can enable all CPU cores at OS boot in the BIOS settings or in the System Configuration options. This will reduce the boot time of your PC.
Owners of powerful computer systems based on multi-core processors, of course, try to “squeeze” everything possible out of them in terms of increasing the performance of machines running, for example, Windows 7 or the like. But not everyone knows how to enable kernels on a “computer”. Windows 7, as well as newer systems, offers a universal solution, which will be discussed below.
What does enabling all processor cores do?
Many users have a rather distorted opinion about the system using all processor cores. Remember, you can enable two or four cores, but this is not the same as using two or four processors! The performance gain will not be as expected.
Transferring or reading data will be faster, but the amount of information processed will remain the same. To understand why and how to enable all cores on Windows 7 (and, in general, whether it’s worth doing), let’s draw some analogy with eating. It goes without saying that you can put food into your mouth with one hand, or with both. In this case, the hands are the processor cores. It is clear that using both hands will make the process much faster. But here’s the problem: when your mouth is full, no hands, even four or six, will help. There will simply be nowhere to put food.
Exactly the same thing is happening with computing capabilities. Here, only the optimization of the number of operations performed in a certain period of time by each core occurs, but the total volume remains the same, and, as they say, you cannot jump higher than this indicator.
How to enable everything on Windows 7 when changing BIOS settings
So, first, let's consider the most unpleasant situation, when for some reason changes were made to the BIOS parameters, settings were reset, or the system simply crashed.
In this case, when deciding how to enable all kernels on Windows 7, you need to rely on specific settings. To do this, use a section called "Advanced Clock Calibration", where the default value should be set to "Auto" or "All Cores" (in different BIOS modifications, the names of the sections may differ or be in tabs with other parameters).
After applying the changed settings, you only need to reboot the system. In theory, if there are no failures in the BIOS itself, all processor cores will be used automatically.
How to enable all kernels on Windows 7 using system configuration tools
However, even if the BIOS settings are configured correctly, and the processor cores are still not used, you can use the operating system’s own tools.
How to enable all kernels on Windows 7 in this situation? Here you need to call the “Run” menu and enter the “msconfig” command there to enter the configuration parameters. Here we have the “Download” tab we need. Just below the main window there is a button for additional parameters. Clicking on it takes us to the settings menu.
On the left we use the line for the number of processors and select the number corresponding to the number of cores. Don’t worry, the system will not display more than there actually are. For example, we need to solve the problem of how to enable 4 cores on Windows 7. As is already clear, we select exactly this number from the list. After the changes have been made, save the configuration and restart the computer.
But there are pitfalls here. You need to be very careful with such operations. It is important to know that when enabled, each core must have at least 1 GB (1024 MB) of RAM. If the RAM levels do not meet the required values, there is no point in trying. This way you can only get the opposite effect. In this case we are talking about hand-assembled stationary computers. This does not threaten laptops (if the equipment has not been changed), since any manufacturer takes into account the possibility of using all cores of the processor system. Please note that for 2-core processors, as a rule, at least 2 GB of RAM corresponds, for 4-core processors - at least 4 GB, etc.
Debugging and PCI blocking items must be disabled.
Instead of an afterword
So we figured out how to enable all processor cores in Windows 7. In general, as is already clear, this process in Windows 7 and higher does not cause any particular difficulties. Another thing is that you need to analyze in advance to see if the number of cores and RAM sticks matches, because as a result, the computer may completely slow down or, in general, fail. So it’s better not to joke with such settings unless you are firmly convinced that enabling absolutely all cores is absolutely necessary.
However, there should be no problems with the BIOS. Most systems, when reset to default settings, intend to make maximum use of the capabilities of modern multi-core processors. This decision was made, so to speak, as a last resort.
All modern computers are multi-core devices, which affect system performance. However, Windows 7, like any other operating system, does not use the processor cores to their full capacity. This is due to saving resources on the PC itself. Therefore, if your programs do not slow down and errors do not occur, we do not recommend using all the cores of the graphics accelerator. This action should be performed in cases where the PC power is not enough to run standard programs and games.
Configuring kernels through the startup menu
This option for using all the processor power is the simplest and safest. It is suitable for all versions of Windows OS (except XP). Any user, even a beginner, can perform these steps.
- Press “Win+R” and enter “msconfig”.
- The System Configuration window will open. Go to the “Download” tab and click “Advanced options”.
- In the window that appears, check the “Number of processors” box so that the item with the choice of cores becomes active. We set the maximum memory.
- Afterwards we save the result and reboot the system. Multitasking mode will turn on.
IMPORTANT! If your PC turns off during advanced settings, check whether your power supply has enough power.
Advanced CPU settings with AIDA64
The AIDA64 program is useful not only for its reports on the status and characteristics of individual PC components, but also for its functions of unlocking processor cores. To use the CPU capabilities using this program, you should do the following:
- We launch the program and select “Motherboard”, “CPU” in the menu on the left.
- Next, turn on each of the cores and reboot the system.
If the involved kernels did not bring benefits, it is worth returning the settings back.
Using CPU Cores Using CPU-Z
The CPU-Z program allows you not only to check what characteristics a particular PC component has, but also to optimize the operation of some of them. In order to enable all kernels, you must do the following:
- Let's launch the program. Go to the “CPU” tab.
- In the “Theads” item you need to set the value the same as in “Cores”.
- After rebooting the system, you need to check the changed settings.
Overclocking the processor using BIOS settings
To use all the cores of the graphics accelerator, you should go to the BIOS. To do this, restart your PC and press “F2” or “Del” several times. Then you need to make the following settings:
- Find the “Clock Calibration” section (It is only available for AMD products). Set the value to “All Cores”. In the “Value” item we set the value as a percentage.
- After rebooting the system, it is worth checking the PC for functionality.
These methods are quite simple and in rare cases cause the system to crash. However, if after editing the settings errors begin to appear, you should stop unlocking the cores and return the settings back.
To learn how to enable processor cores on a PC with Windows 7 and higher, watch the video: