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Thread: 10 things you Hate about Windows Vista and How to Fix them

  1. #1
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    Post 10 things you Hate about Windows Vista and How to Fix them

    A list of ten or so of the most aggravating things about Windows Vista, but also ways you can fix them.

    1. I Can’t Stand Those Nagging Permission Screens
    You can take either of two approaches to Vista’s nagging permission screens:

    Microsoft’s preferred approach:
    Before automatically clicking the Continue button, ask yourself this question: Did I initiate this action? If you deliberately asked your PC to do something, click Continue for the PC to carry out your command. But if the permission screen pops up unexpectedly, click Cancel, because something’s wrong.

    The easy way out:
    Turn off the permission screens. Unfortunately, that leaves your PC more susceptible to viruses, worms, spyware, and other evil things tossed at your PC during the course of the day.

    Neither option is perfect, but that’s the choice that Microsoft’s given you with Vista: Listen to your PC nag you or turn off the nags and instead trust your own antivirus and antispyware programs. I recommend Microsoft’s preferred approach — it’s much like wearing a seatbelt when driving: It’s not as comfortable, but it’s safer. Ultimately, though, the choice lies with your own balance between comfort and safety.

    Vista Keeps Asking Me for Permission!
    When it came to security, Windows XP was fairly easy to figure out. If you owned an Administrator account — and most people did — Windows XP mostly stayed out of your face. Owners of the less powerful Limited and Guest accounts, however, frequently faced screens telling them that their actions were restricted to Administrator accounts. But with Vista, even Administrator accounts get the nag screens, and often for the most innocuous actions. Vista’s more secure than Windows XP, so you’ll constantly brush up against Vista’s barbed wire fence. Standard account holders see a slightly different message that commands them to fetch an Administrator account holder to type in a password.

    Of course, with screens like this one popping up constantly, most people will simply ignore them and click Continue — even if that means they’ve just allowed a piece of spyware to latch onto their PC.

    When Vista sends you a permission screen, ask yourself this question:
    Is Vista asking permission for something I did? If your answer is yes, then click Continue to give Vista permission to carry out your command. But if Vista sends you a permission screen out of the blue, when you haven’t done anything, click Cancel. That keeps the nasties from invading your PC.

  2. #2
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    Fix Windows Vista for ripping music

    2. I Can’t Copy Ripped CDs and Purchased Music to My iPod

    You won’t find the word “iPod” mentioned in Vista’s menus, help screens, or even in the Help areas of Microsoft’s Web site. Microsoft’s competitor, Apple, makes the tremendously popular iPod, and Microsoft’s ignoring it in the hopes it will go away.
    What won’t go away, though, are the problems you’ll face if you ever try to
    copy Media Player’s songs into an iPod. You face two hurdles:

    a. Songs purchased from Media Player’s music store, URGE, only come in a copy-protected WMA (Windows Media Audio) format, and iPods can’t play them.
    b. Songs copied from CDs with Media Player won’t play on your iPod, either. They’re also stored in a WMA format.

    The second hurdle has a solution: Tell Media Player to convert your CD’s music to MP3 files, which any portable music player can play — even an iPod. Follow these steps to make the switch:
    1. Open Media Player by clicking the Start menu, choosing All Programs, and choosing Windows Media Player.
    2. Press Alt, choose Tools from the drop-down menu, and select Options.
    3. Click the Rip Music tab and choose MP3 instead of Windows Media Audio in the Format drop-down menu.
    4. Click OK to save your changes.


    By ripping your music to the MP3 format, you’ll ensure that your library of ripped music will be compatible with any music player you buy now or in the future.

  3. #3
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    Complicated Parental Controls & Disappearing Menus

    3. The Menus All Disappeared
    In Microsoft’s zeal for giving Vista a clean look, the programmers swept away the folder menus used for the past decade. To reveal a folder’s missing menus, press Alt. The menus appear, letting you choose the option you’re after.

    To keep the menus from disappearing again, click the Organize button (shown in the margin), choose Layout, and choose Menu Bar from the pop-up menu.


    4. Parental Controls Are Too Complicated
    Vista’s new Parental Controls let you control exactly what your kid can and can’t do on the PC. (I explain the detailed options in Chapter 10.) But if you just want Vista to hand you a synopsis of what your kid’s been up to on the PC, follow these quick steps:

    1. Click the Start button, click Control Panel, choose User Accounts and Family Safety, and choose Parental Controls.
    The Parental Controls window appears, listing each account holder’s name.
    2. Click the name of your child’s user account.
    The Parental Controls Settings window appears, showing a list of buttons.
    3. In the Parental Controls section, click On, Enforce Current Settings.
    4. In the Activity Reporting section, click On, Collect Information about Computer Usage.
    5. Click the OK button.


    Each week or so, check out your child’s activity report by following Steps 1 and 2 in the preceding steps, but, in Step 3, choose View Activity Reports. There, Vista shows you a quick, one-page synopsis of what your kid’s been up to on the Net.

    To zero in on suspicious areas, click your child’s Account Activity area in the task pane along the left. It’s all there: names of people sending and receiving your child’s e-mail and instant messages, the songs and videos played, the Web sites visited, names of any downloaded programs, log-on and log-off times, the number of hours spent at the keyboard, and similar information.

  4. #4
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    Glass Effects too bad for slow configuration machines

    5. The “Glass” Effects Slow Down My Laptop

    One of Vista’s much touted special effects, Aero Glass, may be too special to be practical. Aero Glass lets you see bits and pieces of your desktop in each window’s frame. The effects also let some programs, like Vista’s chess game, “float” in the air, letting you watch the game from all angles. But the calculations required for those visual gymnastics slow down PCs that don’t have high-powered graphics — and that includes many of the current crop of laptops. With Aero Glass, Windows XP’s once snappy Freecell may crawl across the screen of your laptop.

    Even worse, it may drain your batteries to a fraction of their battery life. If you don’t like the extra burden Aero Glass dumps on your PC, turn it off by following these steps:

    1. Right-click a blank part of your desktop and choose Personalize to summon the Control Panel.
    2. Choose Window Color and Appearance.
    If you spot the words Open Classic Appearance Properties For More Color Options, click them. Otherwise, move to Step 3.
    3. Choose Windows Vista Basic as the Color Scheme and click OK.


    If that’s still too slow, try choosing Windows Standard or even Windows Classic in Step 3.

    To turn Aero Glass back on for impressing your friends, follow the first two steps in the preceding list, but choose Windows Aero in Step 3.

    If Vista’s still not snappy enough, right-click Computer on the Start menu, choose Properties, and select Advanced System Settings from the task pane on the left. Click the Settings button in the Performance section, choose Adjust for Best Performance, and click OK.

  5. #5
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    How to Shutdown Windows Vista Computer

    6. I Can’t Figure Out How to Turn Off My PC

    Windows XP’s Start button offered a convenient Turn Off Computer button. Vista, by contrast, places two buttons in that convenient spot, and neither one turns off your PC. The one on the left puts your PC in a “low power state,” and the other quickly password protects your account when you walk away for a short period.

    To turn off your PC, click the arrow on the right of the two buttons and choose Shut Down. To transform the left button (shown in the margin) into a simple On/Off switch, follow these steps:

    1. Click the Start button, choose Control Panel, choose System and Maintenance, and choose Power Options.
    2. In the task pane along the left, click Choose What the Power Buttons Do.
    3. Select Shut Down from the Power Button’s pull-down menu, and click Save Changes.

  6. #6
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    Why logon screen appears everytime

    7. Windows Makes Me Log On All the Time

    Windows offers two ways to return to life from its swirling and churning screen saver. Windows can return you to the opening screen, where you must log back on to your user account. Alternatively, Windows Vista can simply return you to the program you were using when the screen saver kicked in.

    Some people prefer the security of the opening screen. If the screen saver kicks in when they’re spending too much time at the water cooler, they’re protected: Nobody can walk over and snoop through their e-mail. Other people don’t need that extra security, and they simply want to return to work quickly. Here’s how to accommodate either camp:

    1. Right-click a blank part of your desktop and choose Personalize.
    2. Click Screen Saver.
    Windows Vista shows the screen saver options, including whether or not Windows should wake up at the opening screen.
    3. Depending on your preference, remove or add the check mark from the On Resume, Display Logon Screen box.
    If the box is checked, Windows Vista is more secure. The screen saver wakes up at Vista’s opening screen, and users must log on to their user accounts before using the computer.
    If the box isn’t checked, Windows Vista is more easygoing, waking up from the screen saver in the same place where you stopped working.
    4. Click the OK button to save your changes.


    If you don’t ever want to see the opening screen, then use a single user account without a password. That defeats all the security offered by the user account system, but it’s more convenient if you live alone.

  7. #7
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    Taskbar disappeared

    8. The Taskbar Keeps Disappearing

    The taskbar is a handy Windows Vista feature that usually squats along the bottom of your screen. Sometimes, unfortunately, it up and wanders off into the woods. Here are a few ways to track it down and bring it home. If your taskbar suddenly clings to the side of your desktop — or even the roof — try dragging it down: Instead of dragging an edge, drag the taskbar from its middle; as your mouse pointer reaches your desktop’s bottom edge, the taskbar will suddenly snap back into place. Let go of the mouse, and you’ve recaptured it.
    Follow these tips to prevent your taskbar from wandering:

    To keep the taskbar locked into place so that it won’t float away, rightclick the taskbar and select Lock the Taskbar. Remember, though, that before you can make any changes to the taskbar, you must first unlock it.

    If your taskbar drops from sight whenever the mouse pointer doesn’t hover nearby, turn off the taskbar’s Auto Hide feature: Right-click a blank part of the taskbar and choose Properties from the pop-up menu. When the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears, click to remove the check mark from the Auto-Hide box on the Taskbar tab.
    (Or, to turn on the Auto Hide feature, add the check mark.)

    While you’re in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, make sure that a check mark appears in the Keep the Taskbar on Top of Other Windows check box. That way, the taskbar always rides visibly on the desktop, making it much easier to spot.

  8. #8
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    Lots of Open Windows makes me go nuts

    9. I Can’t Keep Track of Open Windows
    You don’t have to keep track of all those open windows. Windows Vista does it for you with a secret key combination: Hold the Alt key and press the Tab key, and the little bar appears, displaying the icons for all your open windows. Keep pressing Tab; when Windows highlights the icon of the window you’re after, release the keys. The window pops up.

    Or, if your PC has powerful enough graphics, click the Flip 3D button (shown in the margin) next to the Start button. Vista “floats” all the open windows onscreen. Click the window you want to bring to the forefront. Or, flip through them all by pressing Tab or your keyboard’s arrow keys.

    Or, use the taskbar, that long strip along the bottom of your screen. Covered in Chapter 2, the taskbar lists the name of every open window. Click the name of the window you want, and that window hops to the top of the pile.

  9. #9
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    How to align two Window Vista Screens

    10. I Can’t Line Up Two Windows on the Screen

    With all its cut-and-paste stuff, Windows Vista makes it easy for you to grab
    information from one program and slap it into another. With its drag-and-drop
    stuff, you can grab an address from a contact’s address card and drag it into a letter in your word processor.

    The hardest part of Windows Vista is lining up two windows on the screen, side by side, to make for easy dragging. That’s when you need to call in the taskbar. First, open the two windows and place them anywhere on the screen. Then turn all the other windows into icons by clicking their Minimize button

    Now, right-click a blank area of the taskbar and then choose either Show Windows Stacked or Show Windows Side By Side. The two windows line up on the screen perfectly. Try both to see which meets your current needs.

  10. #10
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    I cant do my work unless I am an Admin

    11. It Won’t Let Me Do Something Unless I’m an Administrator!

    Windows Vista gets really picky about who gets to do what on your computer. The computer’s owner gets the Administrator account. And the administrator usually gives everybody else a Standard account. What does that mean? Well, only the administrator can do these things on the computer:

    a. Install programs and hardware.
    b. Create or change accounts for other users.
    c. Install some hardware, like some digital cameras and MP3 players.
    d. Read everybody else’s files.


    People with Standard accounts, by nature, are limited to fairly basic activities.
    They can do these things:
    a. Run installed programs.
    b. Change their account’s picture and password.


    Guest accounts are meant for the babysitter or visitors who don’t permanently use the computer. If you have a broadband or other “always on” Internet account, guests can browse the Internet, run programs, or check their e-mail. If Windows says only an administrator may do something on your PC, you have two choices: Find an administrator to type his password, authorizing the action; or convince an administrator to upgrade your account to an Administrator account.

  11. #11
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    How to get my Windows Vista Version Number

    12. I Don’t Know What Version of Windows I Have

    Windows has been sold in more than a dozen flavors since its debut in November 1985. How can you tell what version is really installed on your computer?

    Open the Start menu, right-click Computer, and choose Properties. Look in the Windows Edition section at the top to see which version of Windows Vista you own: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate.

    In earlier versions of Windows, look beneath the word System to see the Windows version.

  12. #12
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    Print Screen button on keyboard is stuck

    12. My Print Screen Key Doesn’t Work

    Windows Vista takes over the Print Screen key (labeled PrtSc, PrtScr, or
    something even more supernatural on some keyboards). Instead of sending the stuff on the screen to the printer, the Print Screen key sends it to Windows Vista’s memory, where you can paste it into other windows.

    If you hold the Alt key while pressing the Print Screen key, Windows Vista sends a picture of the current window — not the entire screen — to the Clipboard for pasting.

    If you really want a printout of the screen, press the Print Screen button to
    send a picture of the screen to its memory. (It won’t look like anything has
    happened.) Then click Start, choose All Programs, select Accessories, open
    Paint, and choose Paste from the Edit menu. When your picture appears, choose Print from the File menu to send it to the printer.

  13. #13
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    Aug 2010
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    Exclamation how to speed up your pc all vista windows 7 and xp

    Special Report

    Speed Secrets
    Microsoft Doesn’t Want You To Know!



    Simple Ways to Increase the Performance of your
    Windows XP or Vista PC in 5 Minutes or Less




    CAN $39.95
    USD $39.95

    2
    Table of Contents
    Windows*XP............................................. 3*
    XP*Speed*Secret*1*–*Disable*Startup*Programs ................................ 3*
    XP*Speed*Secret*2*–*Remove*Spyware*and*Malware...................... 4*
    XP*Speed*Secret*3*–*Optimize*Display*Settings................................. 5*
    XP*Speed*Secret*4*–*Speed‐Up*File*Browsing.................................... 6*
    XP*Speed*Secret*5*–*Reduce*Page*File*Size ......................................... 7*
    XP*Speed*Secret*6*–*Clean*Your*System*Registry............................. 8*
    XP*Speed*Secret*7*–*Run*Disk*Clean‐Up............................................... 9*
    XP*Speed*Secret*8*–*Enable*Direct*Memory*Access*(DMA) .......10*
    XP*Speed*Secret*9*–*Disable*File*Indexing ........................................11*
    XP*Speed*Secret*10*–*Remove*Unused*Files*&*Programs...........12*
    Windows*Vista ....................................... 13*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*1*–*Turn‐Off*User*Account*Control ...............14*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*2*–*Disable*Graphic*Effects ...............................15*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*3*–*Remove*Spyware*and*Malware...............16*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*4*–*Shutdown*Search*Indexing .......................17*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*5*–*Disable*Automatic*Disk*Defragment .....18*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*6*–*Clean*Your*System*Registry......................19*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*7*–*Disable*Auto*Windows*Defender ...........20*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*8*–*Turn‐Off*Un‐Needed*Features .................21*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*9*–*Disable*Unused*Services ............................22*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*10*–*Shutdown*Remote*Compression..........23*
    Vista*Speed*Secret*11*–*Shut‐Off*Windows*Hibernation............24*
    Disclaimer .................................................................................................... ...25*




    3
    Windows XP


    XP Speed Secret #1: Disable Extra Startup
    Programs

    There are certain programs that Windows will start every time you
    boot up your system, and during the startup phase, they're all
    competing for a slice of your CPU speed. Extra or unwanted items
    in the startup list will definitely increase your startup time, perhaps
    by several minutes. Some common examples are things related to
    AOL, RealPlayer, Napster, instant messengers, and video managers.

    If you're not sure about an item, no big deal. You can turn it off,
    restart your PC, and see if everything seems to work. If not, you can
    always go back and re-enable an item in the Startup list. This tip
    alone should speed up your start-up by 250%. Here are is what
    you have to do:

    1. Go to Start button  Run
    2. Type "msconfig", without quotations
    3. Hit enter key or click the OK button
    4. A System Configuration Utility window will show up
    5. Click the Startup tab
    6. In the Startup tab you will see several boxes and some of them
    will selected (checked). All you have to do is to uncheck
    extra items that are of no use. If you run an antivirus
    program it is not recommended to uncheck it.
    7. After making you choices press the OK button, you will be
    prompted to restart computer to apply changes.
    8. After restarting your computer a dialogue will be displayed.
    You can check the option for not showing this dialogue every
    time your PC reboots.


    4
    XP Speed Secret #2: Remove Spyware, Adware,
    and Malware

    Have you scanned your system for spyware, adware and other
    unwanted pests? 1 of 6 computers has some sort of Spyware or
    Malware! They dramatically slow down your computer because they
    use resources to generate popup ads, send spam, and often
    interfere with the operation of good programs.

    If you haven’t scanned recently, we recommend a free scan from a
    good anti-spyware program. We prefer to use stand-alone, high
    quality anti-spyware programs like XoftSpy Pro, which give us the
    ability to scan and repair these problems in seconds.

    FINAL NOTE: Recent testing has shown that stand-alone programs
    do a much better job than the “all-in-one” packages (eg. Norton
    Internet Security) at detecting spyware, adware, and malware.





    5
    XP Speed Secret #3: Optimize Display Settings

    Windows XP can look sexy but displaying all the visual items can
    waste system resources. To optimize:

    1. Click the Start button
    2. Select Control Panel
    3. Double-click the System icon
    4. Click the Advanced tab
    5. In the Performance box click Settings
    6. Leave only the following ticked:
    a. Show shadows under menus
    b. Show shadows under mouse pointer
    c. Show translucent selection rectangle
    d. Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
    e. Use visual styles on windows and buttons
    7. Finally, click Apply and OK


    6
    XP Speed Secret #4: Speed-Up File Browsing

    You may have noticed that every time you open “My Computer” to
    browse folders that there is a slight delay. This is because Windows
    XP automatically searches for network files and printers every time
    you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing
    speed significantly:

    1. Double-click on My Computer
    2. Click the Tools menu
    3. Select Folder Options
    4. Click on the View tab.
    5. Uncheck the Automatically search for network folders and
    printers check box
    6. Click Apply
    7. Click OK
    8. Reboot your computer



    7
    XP Speed Secret #5: Reduce Page File Size

    Page file size is not constant by default. Due to this, the operating
    system has to resize the file each time more space is required. This
    is a performance overhead. All you have to do is to set the file size to
    a reasonable limit.

    Follow the steps:

    1. Right-click My Computer, Select Properties
    2. Click the Advanced tab
    3. Click the Settings button under the Performance section
    4. Click the Advanced tab
    5. Under the Virtual
    Memory section click
    the Change button
    6. "Virtual Memory"
    dialogue box will appear
    (also shown in the figure
    below)
    7. Highlight the C: drive
    containing page file
    8. Select the Custom Size
    radio button and give
    same values in Initial
    size and Maximum size
    fields:

    If you have less than 512MB
    of memory, leave the page
    file at its default size. If you
    have 512MB or more, change the ratio to 1:1 page file size to
    physical memory size.

    9. Click Set, then OK buttons to apply the changes

    8
    XP Speed Secret #6: Clean Your System Registry

    Of course, the fastest and easiest way to speed-up your computer is
    to allow a software program to do it for you! Although you will find
    that all of the adjustments in this book will speed up your system,
    the most effective and easiest way to give your computer blazing
    speed is to clean up your system’s Registry.

    Your computer is like your car: it needs periodic maintenance to
    keep it running at optimum performance. Installing and un-installing
    programs, surfing the Internet, emailing, and other everyday
    activities create a sort of “sludge” that builds up in your computer
    over time, much like an automobile engine. After a while, it doesn't
    startup like when it was new, it stalls unexpectedly, and performance
    is sluggish on the (information) highway.



    We strongly recommend running a free Registry scan to find out
    how many errors you computer is hiding from you. Your computer
    will likely have hundreds of Registry errors that are dramatically
    slowing down the potential speed and performance.
    9

    XP Speed Secret #7: Run Disk Clean-Up

    Both Windows and application programs tend to leave temporary
    files lying around on your hard drive, taking up space. A hard drive
    that is close to being “full” can cause Windows to slow down or
    interfere with efficient disk access and virtual memory operations.

    If you surf the web a lot, your temporary internet files folder can
    become quite large, causing Internet Explorer to slow down or
    malfunction. Cleaning up unneeded files, scanning for disk errors
    and defragmenting the hard drive can help to restore some zip to
    your system. Try to run once a month for peak performance.


    1. Double-click the
    My Computer
    icon.
    2. Right-click on
    the C: drive
    3. Select
    Properties
    4. Click the Disk
    Cleanup button
    (to the bottom-
    right of the
    Capacity pie
    graph)
    5. Select / check
    Temporary
    Internet Files
    and Recycle Bin
    6. Click OK




    10
    XP Speed Secret #8: Enable Direct Memory
    Access (DMA)

    1. Right-click on My Computer, select Properties
    2. Select the Hardware tab
    3. Click the Device Manager button
    4. Double-click IDE/ATAPI controllers
    5. Double-click on the Primary IDE Channel
    6. Click on the Advanced Settings tab (as shown in figure) The
    tab may or may not be available for each option. It is only
    available in Primary and Secondary Channels.
    7. Set the Transfer Mode to "DMA if Available" both for Device
    1 and 0
    8. Click OK
    9. Perform the same operation for other items in the list, if
    applicable.



    11
    XP Speed Secret #9: Disable File Indexing

    Indexing Services is a small little program that uses large amounts
    of memory and can often make a computer endlessly loud and
    noisy. This system process indexes and updates lists of all the files
    that are on your computer. It does this so that when you do a search
    for something on your computer, it will search faster by scanning the
    index lists. If you don’t search your computer often, this system
    service is completely unnecessary. To disable do the following:

    1. Click Start button
    2. Select the Control Panel
    3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs
    4. Click the Add/Remove Window Components icon on the left
    side of the window
    5. This may take a few seconds to load. Be patient.
    6. Look for the “Indexing Services” component in the list
    7. Uncheck the Indexing Services
    8. Click Next
    9. Click Finish




    12
    XP Speed Secret #10: Remove Un-Used Programs
    & Files

    You may have a bunch of software packages on your hard drive that
    are no longer needed, or they were gratuitously installed when you
    downloaded some other package. Toolbars, file-sharing
    programs, free email enhancers, online shopping "companions"
    and download managers are notorious for this practice. These
    uninvited guests can put a big drag on your startup time, cause web
    pages to load slowly, and generally bog down your computer.

    1. Click Start button
    2. Select Control Panel
    3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs icon
    4. See what programs are installed that you don’t typically use
    5. Select the Remove button for the ones you know you don't
    need

    If you’re unsure about some programs, do a web search to learn
    about the ones that you need to keep.



    13
    Windows Vista

    Windows Vista is a rather heavy operating system with many neat
    features, but unfortunately they all come at a price. As a brand new
    operating system, it requires a pretty fast system to run well, if
    not optimized.

    Before you run out and buy a new computer just so you can run your
    base operating system, check out these these simple ways to
    speed-up Windows Vista and lighten the load.








    14
    Vista Speed Secret #1: Turn-Off User Account
    Control (UAC)

    Now, there’s a lot of talk about the new User Account Control
    policy in Vista, and all I can say is that it annoys the heck out of 99%
    of users and slows down normal computer usage. To turn it off,
    the easiest way is to:

    1. Click the Start (Windows) button
    2. Select the Control Panel
    3. Type in ‘UAC‘ into the search bar
    4. It’ll bring up a search result of ‘Turn User Account Control
    (UAC) on or off’
    5. Just follow the prompts from there



    Much better, eh? You might say ‘but what’s that got to do with
    speed?’ It prompts you at least a couple times an hour and then
    takes several seconds to figure itself out. Without these annoying
    prompts, your productivity goes up, so therefore it’s a speed
    enhancer.

    15
    Vista Speed Secret #2: Disable Unnecessary
    Graphical Effects

    Vista is “sexy” because of its new aero glass transparency effects.
    Here is how to enable and disable this new eye candy.

    1. Click Start (Windows) button
    2. Select the Control Panel
    3. Double-click Click Appearance and Personalization
    4. Under Personalization, click Change the color scheme
    5. In the Appearance Settings dialog box, click Windows Vista
    Basic, and then click OK.

    Or, if you prefer a Windows 2000-style interface, click Windows
    Standard, and then click OK.



    16
    XP Speed Secret #3: Remove Spyware, Adware,
    and Malware

    Have you scanned your system for spyware, adware and other
    unwanted pests? 1 of 6 computers has some sort of Spyware or
    Malware! They dramatically slow down your computer because they
    use resources to generate popup ads, send spam, and often
    interfere with the operation of good programs.

    If you haven’t scanned recently, we recommend a free scan from a
    good anti-spyware program. We prefer to use stand-alone, high
    quality anti-spyware programs like XoftSpy Pro, which give us the
    ability to scan and repair these problems in seconds.

    FINAL NOTE: Recent testing has shown that stand-alone programs
    do a much better job than the “all-in-one” packages (eg. Norton
    Internet Security) at detecting spyware, adware, and malware.




    17
    Vista Speed Secret #4: Shutdown Search Indexing

    Windows Vista Search Indexing is constantly checking the files on
    your system to make their information available for quick searching.
    This is helpful, but can severely slow system performance as the
    average user doesn’t use the search function frequently.

    To shut down constant indexing:

    1. Click the Start button
    2. Select Computer
    3. Right-click on the C: Drive icon
    4. Select Properties
    5. Select the General Tab
    6. Uncheck Index this drive for faster searching
    7. On the next dialog box, select Apply Changes to Drive C:,
    subfolders and files
    8. Click OK




















    18
    Vista Speed Secret #5: Disable Automatic Disk
    Defragment

    Windows Vista uses an always-on defragment set up that isn’t that
    necessary and will cause your system to slow down. Remember to
    run a defragment manually once a month.
    To shut down this feature:

    1. Click the Start button
    2. Select Computer
    3. Right-click on C: Drive icon
    4. Select Properties
    5. Click the Tools tab
    6. Uncheck Run on a schedule
    7. Click OK



    19
    XP Speed Secret #6: Clean Your System Registry

    Of course, the fastest and easiest way to speed-up your computer is
    to allow a software program to do it for you! Although you will find
    that all of the adjustments in this book will speed up your system,
    the most effective and easiest way to give your computer blazing
    speed is to clean up your system’s Registry.

    Your computer is like your car: it needs periodic maintenance to
    keep it running at optimum performance. Installing and un-installing
    programs, surfing the Internet, emailing, and other everyday
    activities create a sort of “sludge” that builds up in your computer
    over time, much like an automobile engine. After a while, it doesn't
    startup like when it was new, it stalls unexpectedly, and performance
    is sluggish on the (information) highway.



    We strongly recommend running a free Registry scan to find out
    how many errors you computer is hiding from you. Your computer
    will likely have hundreds of Registry errors that are dramatically
    slowing down the potential speed and performance.
    20
    Vista Speed Secret #7: Disable Automatic
    Windows Defender Operation

    Windows Defender real-time protection against malware continues
    to run despite having Automatic operation disabled.

    In actuality, this built-in malware protector from Microsoft is very
    poor at protecting your computer from external threats. You are
    much better off using a 3rd
    -party software program like XoftSpy for
    total protection (see Vista Speed Secret #9 for more information).

    To disable:
    1. Click the Start button
    2. Type “services” into the Start Search box
    3. Find Windows Defender in the list of programs
    4. Double-click on Windows Defender
    5. Choose Tools from the top menu
    6. Select Options
    7. Uncheck Auto Start at the bottom of the window






    21
    Vista Speed Secret #8: Turn-Off Un-Needed
    Features

    There are many new features in Windows Vista that are installed by
    default that you may not need. These extra and un-needed features
    can slow down your computer and take up more storage space.
    Windows Features can be un-installed using the Windows Features
    utility. Follow these steps to uninstall applications such as the
    Windows Fax and Scan and many more.
    To Turn-Off Some Un-Needed Features:
    1. Click on the Start Button
    2. Select Control Panel
    3. Under Programs click Uninstall a program
    4. On the left side menu, click on Turn Windows features on or
    off
    5. Scroll through the list as shown below and uncheck from any
    feature you do not want installed.
    6. Click OK when you are finished making your changes. The
    features will now be uninstalled.


















    22
    Vista Speed Secret #9: Disable Unused Services

    Services are background processes which keep running waiting for
    a response, so if you don’t use the application it still runs and
    slows PC speed. The average user doesn’t need many running.

    1. Click the Start button
    2. Type msconfig in the Start Search box, hit enter
    3. Click the Services tab
    4. Uncheck the unneeded startup items (examples below)

    Desktop Window Manager Session Manager - Provides Desktop
    Window Manager startup and maintenance services. Uncheck to
    disable.

    Diagnostic Policy Service - Enables problem detection,
    troubleshooting and resolution for Windows components. Uncheck
    to disable.

    Diagnostic Service Host - Same as above
    Diagnostic System Host - Same as above

    Offline Files - The Offline Files service performs maintenance
    activities on the Offline Files cache. Uncheck to disable.

    Terminal Services - Allows users to connect interactively to a
    remote computer. Remote Desktop and Terminal Server depend on
    this service. If you don’t use either of these, then you can disable the
    service. Uncheck to disable.

    Windows Error Reporting Service - Allows errors to be reported
    when programs stop working or responding and allows existing
    solutions to be delivered. Uncheck to disable.

    After you are finished, click Apply then click OK to save changes.


    23
    Vista Speed Secret #10: Shutdown Remote
    Differential Compression

    Remote Differential Compression checks the changes of your files
    over a network to move them with as little bandwidth as possible
    instead of transferring an entire file that has previously been moved.
    Obiviously, the average home PC user has NO need for this service.
    With it constantly checking for file changes, this service will greatly
    slow system performance.

    To shut down this service:

    1. Click the Start button
    2. Select Control Panel
    3. Click Classic View on the left side of the window
    4. Double-click on Programs and Features
    5. Click Turn Windows Features On And Off on the left side of
    the window
    6. Uncheck Remote Differential Compression
    7. Click OK



    24
    Vista Speed Secret #11: Shut-Off Windows
    Hibernation

    Windows hibernation background services use a very large amount
    of system resources. If you are like most people you don’t use the
    Hibernate feature very much so you may want to disable it to give
    Vista a performance boost.
    To shut down Hibernation:
    1. Click the Start button
    2. Select Control Panel
    3. Click the Classic View on the left hand side
    4. Double-click on Power Options
    5. Select Change Plan Settings
    6. Choose Change Advanced Power Settings
    7. Click the Sleep “plus” icon
    8. Click the Hibernate After “plus” icon
    9. Adjust your selector down to zero minutes
    10. Click Apply
    11. Click OK
















    25
    Disclaimer

    The Windows speed tips presented in this document are provided as
    a courtesy to others. Products mentioned are within the scope of a
    user's need, in our opinion, and may not be appropriate for you for
    your home or commercial use.

    While we expect that the information we present here is accurate
    and should be helpful, we make no guarantees as to its accuracy,
    applicability, or adequacy to protect your system or that the
    information is up to date. We do not have experience with all the
    speed tips mentioned on these pages. Products and techniques
    mentioned here may not be appropriate or adequate for your
    individual needs. If you choose to rely on information presented in
    this document, you do so at your own risk.

    Do the above procedures at your own risk.
    WindowsAccelerator.com is not responsible for any damage the
    procedures may cause to your computer.
    Attached Files Attached Files

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