During those intense gaming sessions, ping can be annoying. Whether you are gaming competitively or not, it can ruin your entire gaming experience. Because, when the ping gets high, it creates a lot of lags.

So, how to fix ping on Windows 7? Well, a high ping is usually caused by a slow or cluttered internet connection. So, try to improve your internet connection at first. Other than that, there are a couple of tweaks you can do with the settings app on your Windows 7 machine. Read on, for a detailed guide on fixing high ping or latency on Windows 7 computers.

What Causes High Ping on Windows 7

There’s no one culprit that’s responsible for high ping or network latency on Windows 7 computers around the world. Instead, it depends on your particular usage scenario, network and PC configuration, etc.

1. Network Congestion

Network congestion happens particularly during peak hours when there are a lot of people using the internet at the same time. As a significant amount of bandwidth gets consumed, you experience high ping. 

2. ISP Issues

If your ISP is experiencing technical difficulties or problems with its network infrastructures, it’ll cause network latency. Depending on the situation, it can either happen sometimes or all the time. 

3. Background Processes or Downloads

If there are applications or processes running on your Windows 7 computer that are consuming a lot of bandwidth, it can lead to high ping. So, if you are downloading large files, doing software updates, or streaming something in the background, it can cause high ping. 

4. Wireless Interference

If you are using a wireless connection, interference from other electronic devices or neighboring networks can degrade your signal quality and result in high ping. Distance from the wireless router and physical obstacles can also affect the quality of your wireless connection.

5. Outdated Network Drivers

Outdated or incompatible network drivers on your Windows 7 computer can cause issues with network connectivity and result in high ping. It’s a good idea to keep your network drivers up to date by checking the manufacturer’s website for the latest versions.

6. Malware or Viruses

Malicious software or viruses on your computer can cause various issues, including high ping. They may eat up network resources or interfere with your network connection. This can result in latency and slow response times.

How to Fix Ping or Network Latency on Windows 7?

Now that you know what can cause high ping, let’s now discuss how you can fix it, ensuring a smoother network experience all-round.

1. Check Your Internet Connection

When you are experiencing high ping, the first thing you should always do is check your internet connection. If possible, use a different internet connection to check if it’s the network or your device which is causing the issue.

If possible, reduce the number of devices on your network. Or use your computer at a different time of the day, when your network is less congested. However, if you are experiencing high ping all of a sudden, it’s probably your ISP. Contact them and inform them about the issue. They’ll fix it,

2. Use Event Viewer

If something like a virus or malware, Windows update service, background process, backup service, etc. is eating up your bandwidth without you knowing, it can cause network latency. To check if that’s the case, you need to use the Event Viewer. Here’s how to use it:

• Start by right-clicking on the Start button.
• Select “Control Panel.”
• Inside the Control Panel window, choose the “System & Security” option.
• Look for the “Administrative Tools” icon and double-click on it.
• In the Administrative Tools window, find and double-click on “Event Viewer.”
• When the Even Viewer opens, you can select the type of logs you want to review. We recommend that you review both Application and System logs.

Now carefully look for any app or service that is consuming an unusual amount of bandwidth. If you find one, simply disable the service or uninstall the app.

3. Disable SkyDrive.exe

SkyDrive is the name of Microsoft’s sync engine for Windows 7. In modern-day operating systems like Windows 10, it’s now been renamed as OneDrive.exe. Either way, a lot of users have reported that this backup service uses a lot of bandwidth and causes high ping. So, simply disable the service from the service manager.

4. Use a Ping Booster

Ping boosters basically work like VPNs, connecting you to the fastest available server for the game region. These apps won’t be of much help if you are living in the same region as the server you are trying to play games in. However, for servers outside of your region, they can help a lot to reduce ping and improve latency. A few popular ping-enhancing apps are PingBooster, PingZapper, ExitLag, etc.

5. Turn on Compound TCP

Compound TCP, when turned on, increases TCP window quicker than traditional TCP. So, turning it on can reduce or even fix your ping issue in Windows 7. Here’s how to turn it on:

• Open the Command Prompt with admin rights by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting “Command Prompt (Admin).”
• In the Command Prompt window, type or copy and paste the following command:

netsh int tcp set global congestionprovider=ctcp 

• Press Enter on your keyboard.

Now your Windows 7 will handle sudden bursts of data much faster, which will improve latency to a great extent, especially if you are using a broadband connection.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions and Answers)

How do I enable ping in Windows 7?

Open “Windows Firewall and click on Advanced Settings. Then click on “Inbound Rules” from the left pane. In the right pane, locate the rules named “File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request – ICMPv4-In).” Right-click on each rule and select “Enable Rule.”

Can VPN reduce ping?

Although VPNs are not designed to reduce ping, they can certainly improve it. By rerouting data, it can reduce ping.

Final Thoughts

To fix ping on your Windows 7 computer, if you are using wireless internet, consider using an ethernet connection while you game. Reduce the number of devices connected to your router and make sure that your computer is virus and malware-free. If none of this help, turn on Compound TCP from the command prompt.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by.