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Optimize Windows Vista for better performance

Jan. 31, 2008 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

Sometimes Microsoft is so cute. Here's a good example:

No matter how fast or shiny computers might be when they are new, they all seem to get slower over time. That state-of-the-art PC you bought last year might not feel like such a screamer after you install a dozen programs, load it with antispyware and antivirus tools, and download untold amounts of junk from the Internet. The slowdown might happen so gradually you hardly notice it, until one day you’re trying to open a program or file and wonder, "What happened to my poor PC?"

Whatever the cause, there are a lot of ways to help speed up Windows and make your PC work better—even without upgrading your hardware. Here are some tips to help you optimize Windows Vista for faster performance.

  • Delete programs you never use
  • Limit how many programs load at startup
  • Defragment your hard drive
  • Clean up your hard disk
  • Run fewer programs at the same time
  • Turn off visual effects
  • Restart regularly
  • Add more memory
  • Check for viruses and spyware
  • Check your computer’s speed
  • Disable services you don’t need
  • Don’t settle for slow

Discuss this Article 21

bond07
on Jan 31, 2008
By the end it says "Don’t assume you have to sit there and tap your fingers while you wait for programs to open and tasks to complete. With these tips, you just might be able to turn your tortoise into a hare—or at least a faster tortoise." How can MS write something like that? Is this fake or a case of sabotage?
DRWAM
on Jan 31, 2008
It can happen to any OS. But believe it or not, many novices just do not know enough to help themselves and will rely and friends and tech services. I have friends call me every week for problems and will reinstall Windows for someone two times a month. They can't even reinstall the OS, and sometimes do not know where they placed the recovery discs! One question to you all is why do I NOT always need the install key when reinstalling after I erased the entire drive? Is the info stored on the mobo somewhere? The last two installs using XP [not SP2] using two different install discs did not ask me for the key. I was just going to use the key on the sticker on the side of the machine, but it never ask me and I can't recall being asked to activate it, although I could be wrong. I used an XP disc withouot SP2 as the keys that they owned were for that edition and I was not sure if their key would work with an XP SP2 disc. I sure as heck will not use pirated discs or keys, cause I am afraid of the police or Feds. Any reason why I did not need the key?
gavers
on Jan 31, 2008
Well that is pretty silly. "Defragment your hard disk?" I thought it wasn't possible in Vista to manually defrag. Oh, and "without upgrading your hardware" then "add more memory." If that's not an upgrade, I don't know what is.
xtreem0
on Jan 31, 2008
you can manualy defrage your harddisk in vista... and the add more memory if u use readyboot could be considerd not an upgrade. (just a thought.)
sttevo
on Jan 31, 2008
I cannot believe what I am reading!!! Ok, let's pay for a bunch of features then disable them just so we can use the operating system.
DRWAM
on Jan 31, 2008
My buddy's new Dell XPS 410 with a 2.4 quad and 2GB of RAM, had plenty of crapware. Granted it was only in operation for only a few hours, but it was not only far from slow, and it was pretty dang speedy with Vista. It took a while to startup, but was speedy. If I were a geek like you guys, I would buy one. I'm typing on my Mac right now and still love Leopard, but Vista seems just as easy to love to me, an average user.
drylight
on Jan 31, 2008
So cute? They are cute? If this was Apple you'll be all over it. This is actually quite lame. Not cute. Lame. Basically they are saying; so you bought out latest OS. Sure, it's slower than our previous OS, so here are some things you can do so you won't be so upset that you bought a lame duck. They give not tips on how to prevent people's eyes being hurt by having to look at a UI that's like looking at one's grandfather in drag.
lotsamystuff
on Feb 1, 2008
Vista: The joke that writes itself. And then there's this: http://tinyurl.com/3xxh9n
joe-dokes
on Feb 1, 2008
A couple of observations. First, I love the one about restarting your computer. Truth be told, I've had to restart my Macs occasionally. I've even been forced to restart 10.5 because of a hard crash on two occasions. (Yes, I love the features of Leopard and think its excellent, but I do look forward to 10.5.2) That being said, the one thing I love about OS X is that I NEVER turn the computer off. I simply put it to sleep, or let it go to sleep and its ready to work when I am. The fact that MS admits that its computers NEED to be shut down regularly is laughable. So much for the promise of five nines of reliability. Secondly, I love how the Mac has changed the computing paradigm. Prior to OS X the standard adage was Intel giveth and Microsoft taketh away. This was also true of Mac OS prior to X. OS X changed this, the expectation amongst Mac users is that each version of X should be as fast or faster than the previous. Or at least it should feel faster. Microsofties now want the next version of their OS to no be a hog. Think about this, it is revolutionary. Window 3.11 to Win 95, required a lot more ram and probably a Pentium to run well. Win 98 to Xp required a new machine. Xp to Vista seems to also require a new high end machine, and guess what people have finally said enough! This is truly a paradigm shift. Regards Joe Dokes
spywarebiz
on Feb 1, 2008
So they market this OS, then we have to turn off most of its features just to get it to work. Ive done most of these tips and Im still getting BSOD's on my new Dell lappie. In fact, Im drafting a support letter to them now.
daveinla
on Feb 1, 2008
Actually there's a very good article on that topic on El Reg (as usual): http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2008/01/30/speed_up_vista_tips/ I also agree with the general feeling that this article from Microsoft is pretty pathetic... They're just acknowledging that Vista is bloated and that people need to take measures to make it work as it should. I think it's a problem inherent to Windows. Most computers comes bloated with crapware that load automatically at startup. 95% of people don't even know they run and they know even less how to remove them. Secondly, the installation process on Win is very obscure. You never know what the installer does what it installs and where. Some program could be installing spyware and various services that you never know about. And last it's very hard to identify what's running on Windows and knowing what exactly to remove in order to improve your config and not screw it up. The services listed in process viewer always has obscure names and you rarely know to what app they belong. The registry base is a nightmare also. Some program or service can be remove but not the registry entry and that is gonna mess up your comp. Microsoft needs to get rid of that shit. That article of El Reg has a very nice tip: use that Process Explorer program. You can download it free from MS website and it's somehow equivalent to OS X' Activity Monitor. It gives you a little bit more details about the services running the dlls, and even their registry entries !! Very nice http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx?wt.svl=rel...
daveinla
on Feb 1, 2008
Oops, I forgot to mention, a very useful program to eliminates all the bloatware and the unneeded services and registry entries that are invalid is ccleaner. It's a great freeware and does wonders on an old Windows install. http://www.ccleaner.com/features
xtreem0
on Feb 1, 2008
wow so much negativity you would think this was a mac forum (not to be bias or anything). This dosent mean the operating system is slow by any means I have a friend that his pc boots up in under 5 sec. (he has sp1). and my god its instant. All he did was remove some of the startup applications(xfire, msn ect) and now it starts up like nobodys buisness. Also you have to restart the computer (when there are updates) thats the main time i have it off. Till then it goes to sleep mode. Also why do you bother reading or posting on a site for windows when you hate it with a pashon and love osx? I personally come here to see whats new with windows technology do you guys come here just to complain?
RunTimeError
on Feb 1, 2008
Xtreem0: 5 second boot up? Vista? Bullcrap. No OS boots up in 5 seconds.
clindhartsen
on Feb 1, 2008
Xtreem0, that does sound like a touch of a stretch unless you're talking about returning from sleep, which I could vouch for probably 15 seconds or less depending on how long it takes for my monitor to warm up. Still, simple facts that most don't know, so maybe it'll help everyone out.
daveinla
on Feb 1, 2008
"I have a friend that his pc boots up in under 5 sec. (he has sp1). and my god its instant." Well just the facts that you say this kind of stupidity proves that you need to read a little bit more on OSs before making relevant comments...
drylight
on Feb 1, 2008
Vista boots up in 5 seconds? That's a lie or you're misinformed.
drylight
on Feb 1, 2008
I have to do all that crap? When do I get anything done? Windows, it just doesn't work. (tm)
clindhartsen
on Feb 1, 2008
drylight: If Apple was the majority leader and was selling an OS on any number of different types of units with any number of pro-customer or pro-money companies, would they really be in any different of a boat? I doubt it, they'd probably be dealing with the same crapware everyone else does. The thing that scares me though, honestly, is if alot of the newer crapware on the PCs now makes the overall experience worse than the same garbage did on XP, how can we salvage the Vista name? It isn't that bad of an OS, a few windows needing a lick of Windex, but stuff like this just is why PCs have a bad name. While Microsoft may hold a touch of fault in now trying to impose on these companies to lower the amount of garbage on PCs sold in stores, the PC companies have the same responsibility to help the customers by not putting all this crapware on their PCs.
xtreem0
on Feb 1, 2008
i know quite about about os's... also he is the only person i know with a computer that starts up so fast. For me it takes me 15sec. and same with other friends. He actually has lower specs then mine but his startuptime (fresh startup) is incredibly fast. I don't think most computers will ever startup this fast though. (i should probably post a video on youtube to prove it XD) though it wont help they will probably thing i sped it up or something gay like that.
Kirk M
on Feb 2, 2008
Same common sense advise we used for 'XP and '98 etc. Even Macs and Linux boxes need some attention now and then. Bottom line is that if you own a home computer you have do some basic rummaging around the back end of things to keep it running well. Some types nedd more, some types need a bit less. You want all the special features, you have to have the horsepower and memory to take care of it and adding memory has been a standard upgrade for any PC for the last ten years or so, unless you buy your box fully packed of course. I finally coerced my backwards self to add another 512MB of ram to my faithful old XP Pro machine and I finally turned on the Royal theme (pitiful ain't it?). I've been following the above advice ever since I had PC's and this particular 5 year old machine of mine hasn't crashed once in all that time.

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