[GUIDE] Speeding up Windows Vista

[gr34t3st]

Quick tips for tweaking Vista's speed. Performance > Beauty

Do away with the Sidebar
Control Panel > Windows Sidebar Properties > Deselect Start Sidebar when Windows Starts

Change the Windows Theme
Personalization > Windows Color and Apperance > Open Classic Appearance Properties
Change the Color Scheme to something like Windows Standard or another older theme.
While you're here, click Effects and turn off Menu Shadows and any other useless settings.

Change the desktop Background
Large photos can slow you down so pick a wallpaper with few colors or one solid color fill.

Take Visual Effects down a notch
Control Panel > System > System Protection > Advanced Tab > Performance Box
Turn off every option for best output but read through them in case you want to keep some.

Use Windows ReadyBoost
If you have a flash drive plug it in and turn on ReadyBoost. This will help speed you up.

Keep in mind these tips take performance over looks so don't expect vista to look very pretty after this.
Post any other tips you guys might have.

Spoiler: Provided by Vanden

Turn off the glass transparency setting.
Remove programs to run on start-up
Adjust your Virtual Memory Definitions
Disable Indexing
Disable..

• DFS Replication
• Distributed Link Tracking Client
• IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
• IP Helper
• IPsec Policy Agent
• KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator
• Offline Files
• Remote Registry
• Secondary Logon
• Security Center
• SSDP Discovery
• Tablet PC Input Service
• Terminal Services
• Windows Defender
• Windows Error Reporting Service

Spoiler: Provided by twelve

Use CCleaner regularly.

 

[Seth]

Useing the classic theme on vista is a crime...

 

[gr34t3st]

Not if you value performance over look.

 

[eldiablov]

Useing the classic theme on vista is a crime...

What is your problem Vanden ...

 

[twelve]

Doing away with the sidebar is the only one I've done, and it only helps to improve startup time. The visual affects make no noticeable difference to me during startup or any other time.

The best way I've found to keep Vista running smooth is to run CCleaner on a regular basis.

 

[Seth]

There are way better means..

Just turn off the "glass transparency" setting it's the source of much of Aero's memory usage.....( or disabling min/max animations)

Stop auto-start applications on startup.....

Adjust your Virtual Memory Definitions

And something that will do more than everything you list... Disable Indexing...

Once I got a little board and got rid of some of vista crappy extras like

Spoiler: Like

DFS Replication
Distributed Link Tracking Client
IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
IP Helper
IPsec Policy Agent
KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator
Offline Files
Remote Registry
Secondary Logon
Security Center
SSDP Discovery
Tablet PC Input Service
Terminal Services
Windows Defender
Windows Error Reporting Service

There are tons more you can do..

Additional Comment:

What is your problem Vanden ...

I dont have one why...I stand by my statement...

 

[gr34t3st]

Added them both to original post.

@Vanden: This guide was meant to be added to. Sorry that I didn't voice that in the original post well enough..

Post any other tips you guys might have.

Your post seemed like you were bashing me for some reason. I just intended for people to post the ones they were familiar with and those happen to be the only ones I've used. Thanks for contributing.

 

[yolarrydabomb]

Sorry to bump a old thread but I just wanna warn people...


I had a spare sandisk 2GB and its ready boost it said. So I plug it in and set it up, next morning I woke up my computer kept BOSD and found out that one of my ram sticks die. (Corsair DD2 800mhz)

Just to warn people. I wouldn't use it! it can probably damage your ram.

 

[MenaceInc]

ReadyBoost can in no way destroy your RAM.

although, in wanting to add to the thread, you may all want to check out http://www.speedyvista.com/

can give you some hints and tips on trimming the services in Vista helping with bootup time and general performance

 

[FrozenIpaq]

First someone should tell you that if you disable some services certain aspects of Windows get disabled with them (those services). If you disable some network sharing you will have to go back in and re-enable it if you want to create a network in your home and share printers/files (and when you do this you'll be asking yourself why it isn't working until you realize that you disabled the service).

If you are running a processor with multiple cores go into msconfig (system configuration) and go to the Boot tab --> Advanced Settings --> Change the processors from 1 to 2 (or 4 if you have a Quad).

Also try to keep as little programs from starting up as you can. Most apps that have updaters (like apple products/software) can be disabled. Also regularly defrag (especially after large downloads or installs).

 

[yolarrydabomb]

ReadyBoost can in no way destroy your RAM.

Sure did to mine but I not going to argue because past is the past. Microsoft probably fixed it.

 

[Zero]

For gaming, it tends to be more vital to disable Aero and all of it's affects, as it uses the GPU. Classic also is alot less intensinve than Aero Basic, and on my system where I have not got a great graphics card, using Classic has made a big difference.

Also, to stop some startup programs, I find the best tool is the built in msconfig.

As a warning to some, when using ReadyBoost, make sure it's on a stick that you probably aren't going to use again as the frequent read/write cycles can reduce it's lifetime substantially. It however, does not modify in any way how your actual RAM performs and is completely done by Windows.

 

[twelve]

Sure did to mine but I not going to argue because past is the past. Microsoft probably fixed it.

No it didn't. Your RAM happened to die while you were using Ready Boost. It's coincidence and nothing more.

Also regularly defrag (especially after large downloads or installs).

Vista comes with defrag as a scheduled task, so just leave your PC on overnight every now and then and it'll be fine.

However regular defragging is very important for people that use Windows Media Center for recording/watching TV (through a capture device). The buffering that occurs for rewinding/pausing live TV causes huge amounts of fragments to be created all over the hard drive.