How do I make Vista run faster?

XxSaberxX

I'm running Vista Business Edition on a lappy with 2GB of RAM, but the numerous processes it runs (60+!!!) really takes a lot of the RAM in my opinion. I've allocated disk space for page files, reduced the number of startup applications to the minimum via msconfig already. Any other ideas/advice on how to get it to run faster?

MAGIC

Use the classic UI and get more ram.

QCH

^ yeah...

I have used this guys (TweakGuide) WinXP tweak guide with some success... Haven't tried with Vista.

Callred

After it's tweaked to the max and you know you can't squeeze any more from it, get more ram. No matter the OS, ram is life.

mirage

XxSaberxX wrote:

I'm running Vista Business Edition on a lappy with 2GB of RAM, but the numerous processes it runs (60+!!!) really takes a lot of the RAM in my opinion. I've allocated disk space for page files, reduced the number of startup applications to the minimum via msconfig already. Any other ideas/advice on how to get it to run faster?

Here are some of the thing I do to optimize my Vista systems.

- I use AVG Free over McAfee or Norton virus scanners. I also recommend disabling internet scan feature of AVG during installation. After installing AVG, I disabled and shutdown Windows Defender, uninstalled all other virus programs. Uninstalling Norton programs can damage your system, see the following link
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039
- Disabled and shutdown the following services: Superfetch, Readyboost
- Disabled background defragmentation of the harddisks in disk properties. You can download Auslogics disk defragmenter to do defragmentation manually once in every 1-2 months.
- Get CCleaner and cleanup your registry and temporary files. You can also disable your startup programs with this little utility. Try disabling the startup utilities that you do not know one at a time to see if they cause any trouble. You can disable anything related to Adobe, Apple, Java.
- Check the notification icons at the lower right corner and shutdown/uninstall the utilities you do not need. Some of them can be disabled in CCleaner. Sound/graphic card notification icons are usually safe to delete from startups. If any of the media players you have installed put a notification icon get rid of them as well.
- Try not to install too many multimedia players. VLC media player is a very good tool to play exotic formats. You can uninstall all other media players (except Windows media player) if you do not need them for a specific reason.
- If you have installed programs like Quicktime and Java JRE, disable their update tasks and also disable loading their background programs during startup.
- Check your installed programs and uninstall unnecessary programs like Apple update, Google update, etc. If you have an Ipod you can leave the Apple programs alone.
- If you are using Adobe Acrobat reader, uninstall and use Foxit reader instead. (http://majorgeeks.com/Foxit_Reader_d4763.html).

Just a couple of things I could remember quickly. Good luck.

ComputerDoctor

I absolutely agree with mirage on using AVG (I prefer Avast but no matter), but also check out the program SUPERAntivirus, it will save you some additional hassels down the road.
Also, If you can't upgrade your memory right now, go get yourself a USB flash drive (preferable 4GB or larger) and plug it in. You'll get an option to use it for memory (readyboost), this won't make your computer "faster", but it will free up the ram you have and be used as an advanced version of prefetcher (called super fetch).
Other than that, I would definately look in your startup options in msconfig and see if there is anything that doesn't have to be loaded at boot up.
Good luck, and if none of those work for you, then you might want to look at the beta version of Windows 7.