How to Optimize Windows Vista for better performance

Windows Tips

There are a lot of ways to help speed up Windows and make your PC work better. In This article I write 9 tips to make windows vista a better performance base on my experience. Here are some tips to help you optimize Windows Vista for faster performance:

1. Add more memory
First off all before you read all steps to make better performance in Vista check your RAM. In my experience even already using many tips to speed up performance in vista, if still using minimum requirement all the tips cannot provide much help . Windows Vista can run on a PC with 512 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM), but it runs better with 1 gigabyte (GB). For optimal performance, boost that to 2 GB or more. if your working area as design graphic , programmer..etc which is using many program its recommended to add RAM more than 2 GB.

2. Limit how many programs load at startup
Many programs are designed to load automatically when Windows starts. Software manufacturers often set their programs to open in the background, where you can’t see them running, so they’ll open right away when you click their icons. That's helpful for programs you use a lot, but for programs you rarely or never use, this wastes precious memory and slows down the time it takes Windows to finish loading.

To limit program load at startup follow steps below;
1. Click on Start Menu.
2. Open up Control Panel.
3. On the top search box, type Startup.
4. Open up the Windows Defender Icon, which says “Stop a program from running at startup?.

You’ll see the list of programs which load in the startup. From that screen you can manage that which software you want to allow and the ones which you want to disable or remove. Once you disable or remove the program, it won’t load up in the startup.

3. Defragment your hard drive
Fragmentation makes your hard disk do extra work that can slow down your computer. Disk Defragmenter rearranges fragmented data so your hard disk can work more efficiently. Disk Defragmenter runs on a schedule, but you can also defragment your hard disk manually.

1. Open Disk Defragmenter by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Defragmenter. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Click Defragment Now.

Disk Defragmenter might take from several minutes to a few hours to finish, depending on the size and degree of fragmentation of your hard disk. You can still use your computer during the defragmentation process.

4. Clean up your hard disk
If you want to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your hard disk to free up disk space and help your computer run faster, use Disk Cleanup. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need

1. Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Cleanup.
2. In the Disk Cleanup Options dialog box, choose whether you want to clean up your own files only or all of the files on the computer. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. If the Disk Cleanup: Drive Selection dialog box appears, select the hard disk drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.
4. Click the Disk Cleanup tab, and then select the check boxes for the files you want to delete.
5. When you finish selecting the files you want to delete, click OK, and then click Delete files to confirm the operation. Disk Cleanup proceeds to remove all unnecessary files from your computer.

You can also use 3rd party software to clean up your hardisk ready my previous article : CCleaner : Free Software for Cleaning and Tweaking your Windows System and Free Tune up utilities 2007 Full Version

5. Run fewer programs at the same time
Sometimes changing your computing behavior can have a big impact on your PC's performance. If you’re the type of computer user who likes to keep eight programs and a dozen browser windows open at once—all while instant messaging your friends—don’t be surprised if your PC bogs down. Keeping a lot of e mail messages open can also use up memory.

6. Turn off visual effects
If Windows is running slowly, you can speed it up by disabling some of its visual effects. It comes down to appearance versus performance. Would you rather have Windows run faster or look prettier? If your PC is fast enough, you don’t have to make this tradeoff, but if your computer is just barely powerful enough for Windows Vista, it can be useful to scale back on the visual bells and whistles.
To turn off visual effect you can read my article about: Speed up menu display in Microsoft Windows XP and Vista

7. Check for viruses and spyware
The best way to deal with viruses is to prevent them in the first place. Always run antivirus software and keep it up to date
Spyware is a type of program that is installed, usually without your knowledge, to watch your activity on the Internet. You can check for spyware with Windows Defender or other anti-spyware programs. For more information, see How to tell if your computer is infected with spyware.
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8. Delete programs you never use
You can uninstall a program from your computer if you no longer use it or if you want to free up space on your hard disk. You can use Programs and Features to uninstall programs or to change the program's configuration by adding or removing certain options.

1. Open Programs and Features by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then clicking Programs and Features.
2. Select a program, and then click Uninstall. Some programs include the option to change or repair the program in addition to uninstalling it. but many simply offer the option to uninstall. To change a program, click Change or Repair. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Note: If the program that you want to uninstall is not listed, it might not have been written for this version of Windows. To uninstall the program, check the information that came with the program.

9. Disable services you don’t need
Windows has more than 100 services running quietly in the background with names such as Network Access Protection Agent and Shell Hardware Detection. These typically launch when your computer is started and they run until your computer is shut down. Some secure Microsoft services cannot be disabled, but most others can be. Many software companies also install their own services, some of which you can disable to conserve memory and processor power.

You should not turn off a service unless you understand what it does and are confident you don’t need it. You can read and download about changes to Microsoft Windows services for Microsoft Windows Vista from Microsoft website http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/vista/Vista_Services.mspx



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