Windows Vista by default installs services and configures several applications which may not suite your needs. If you are a home user rather than in a business environment there are many things you can change to give your computer that little extra oomph for applications and process you use.

I have put together a few items which when set correctly can help you control how resources are used on your system. Some of these items listed will simply uninstall certain features or change a program configuration. Others listed can be used to actually designate what resources are dedicate to individual programs. If used properly this can make specific programs operate faster and more efficiently.

You may or may not wish to implement some or all of these changes as it will be a matter of preference. Please remember you should document any changes made to your system. This well help you reverse any changes made if for any reason you experience adverse effects.

 

Uninstalling remote differential compression

The remote differential compression feature is designed to streamline file transfers to and from remote directories by keeping track of file changes and only transferring the changed information.

To disable this feature:

Go to "start/control panel/programs/uninstall a program".

On the sidebar select “turn windows features on and off”.

Uncheck “remote differential compression” and select "ok."

 

Designating which CPU (if using multiple processors) runs a specific process

Windows Vista allows you the ability to assign an application to run only on a specific CPU. This is called processor affinity. This is a good way of balancing the load on a multi-core CPU.

Assigning processor affinity to an application:

Launch the desired application.

Press CTRL+ALT+DEL and choose the “task manager”.

In the “applications” tab locate the desired program and right click it. Choose "go to process".

This will bring you to the "processes" tab with the process used by the application application highlighted. Right click the process and select "set affinity".

The processor affinity window will open. Using the check box select which processor(s) you want to run that application.

Note: All settings will reset to default when a restart of the computer is performed.

 

Assigning priority to an application

All recent Microsoft operating systems have contained the concept of priority, meaning in this case, which process gets the most attention from the CPU. In Vista, you can customize these priority settings so that your hardware is concentrating most on what you want it to.

Vista has a range of available settings ranging from "low" to "real time".

Note: Any full screen application automatically is assigned high priority by Windows Vista.The best way to optimize such applications is to tweak the commonly used windowed applications.

Assigning a custom priority to an application:

Launch the desired application.

Press CTRL+ALT+DEL and choose the "task manager".

In the "applications" tab locate the desired program and right click it. Choose "go to process".

This will open the "processes" tab with the process highlighted.

Right click the process and choose "set priority". The priority list will openand you may designate your desired level.

Note: that choosing "realtime" is not wise as this will designate all processing being alloted to this one specific process. All settings will be reset to default when you restart the computer.

Configuring Windows Defender

Windows Defender by default runs a scan daily. Even though this scan runs in the background it can impact system performance. You may wish to disable the automatic scanning and perform only occasional manual system scans.

Disable Windows Defender automated scans:

Open the "start" menu and in the search field type "defender."

select the "tools" icon at the top of the window and then "options".

Uncheck "automatically scan my computer" and select "save".

This will be the first in a line of articles dedicated to improving performance on Windows Vista. If you have a suggestion of your own that you have implemented and you feel may be beneficial to others please comment on this article. We would be happy to include any viable tips in our next article.

 

Another way to improve performance of any Windows operating system. The PC Registry Cleaner program will not only address errors in the Windows registry effectively, but as well is one of the few programs designed to run with Windows Vista. The PC Registry cleaner will not only clean your egsitry of invalid, incomplete or missing data, but as well has a set list of tweaks when implemented by the program can improve performance.

 

Lets not forget the fact that with a license you also receive free support. Not only do you get support for the program, but support for any on going issue. Try it and see the results yourself. You can download the program using the following link.

 

http://www.pcregistrycleaner.com/download/PCRegistryCleaner_setup.exe

 

 

The settings of your Windows system determine how Windows assigns resources and how it manages the devices. It is useful to familiarize yourself with the System Tool of your Control Panel. Here, you can set different performance options controlling how programs use the memory of your computer and you can tell your computer where to locate some types of information. Controlling the memory allows you to set the size of paging files and environment variables.

 

Windows can assign tasks between processors and manage multiple applications on a single processor. You can also set your system to assign more of that processor time to an individual running program. To manually change the performance of a running program or multiple programs simply go to your Start Menu and select Run. Then type in sysdm.cpl in the Open box. Make sure the Advanced Tab is selected and then click Settings under Performance. Then click the new Advanced Tab and you will see 2 methods to choose from, Programs and Background Services.

 

The Programs option will assign more of the processor time to the running foreground application or program rather than the background programs. This causes the application running in the foreground to run more quickly, smoothly and efficiently. On the downside, it slows down the other applications you have running.

 

The Background Services option will return the processor time back to normal, allocating the time equally between all running programs.

 

These are very beneficial tools to grasp if you have one particular program that always seems to run slow because you can select the Programs option for that program while it’s running and it will speed up. Many people use the Programs option when working on a deadline due to the fact that it makes one program work much more quickly and makes it more likely to stay on your pace of workmanship. Once you are finished the foreground program you can go back to the Start -> Run drill to select the Background Services option and return the processor time back to normal anytime.

Many people have already jumped on the band-wagon and upgraded to Windows Vista. These people are the type of people who are either looking for something simple or something new in the world of technology. Upgraded your existing computer to Windows Vista is a much more popular way than just purchasing a new computer with Windows Vista already built in. This can, unfortunately, cause more issues. One issue that is easy to fix is that of restoring your personal files. These are the files you had BEFORE you upgraded to Windows Vista. You may have already noticed that once you upgrade, your system appears to be brand new. No saved folders, no old icons and no downloads.

Windows stores all your previous personal files into a folder called Windows.old. This is the folder you need to access if you want all your previous personal files back. To get to this folder go to your Windows start button and type drive:\windows.old. After searching click the windows.old folder that is in the Programs List. There should be 3 listings if you are upgrading from Windows XP. These folsders are the Documents & Settings folder, Windows folder and Program Files folder. Most likely, all of your personal files were stored in teh Documents & Settings folder. Windows XP does not usually store them into the Windows or Program Files folder for when you upgrade to Windows Vista. The Documents & Settings folder creates a seperate folder for each user of the computer. To demonstrate, if there were 2 users the folders would be as follows: drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\Administrator and  drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName. You would need to open each folder to retrieve the data fully from your old system.

There are usually about 6 folders within each user's Documents & Settings folder. The Start Menu, Cookies and User Data folders basically do not contain vital information. The folders you want to look out for are the My Documents, Favorites and Desktop. These are the 3 that contain the most valuable, keepsake information on your computer.

If you stored data, folders, important shortcuts on your computer you can restore them onto your Windows Vista system by right-clicking the Desktop folder, full labeled drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName\Desktop,  and select Cut. Close all the opened windows and right-click a blank area on your desktop to select Paste. The folder will then appear as a regular icon on your desktop that you can open, extract and do other things with.

The steps are slightly different with the My Documents folder. You search for it, select it, right-click and choose Cut the same way as you do with the Desktop folder. Then, instead of going to your desktop, go to your Start Button and select Documents. Right click on Documents and select Paste.

You may wish to log on as each user to restore files from the individual user folders. Also, make sure you do not delete the Windows.old folder if there is still important data remaining in it.

 

 

Another easy way to improve performance of the Windows operating system is to insure your registry structure is intact. The fastest and easiest way to scan the registry for invalid, incomplete or missing data would be to use the PC Registry Cleaner. Not only will it remove these types of errors from the registry, but it also has embedded registry optimization entries which will improve the overall performance of a PC.

Lets not forget the fact that every purchase comes with free support for any ongoing issue. Try it yourself and see the results. Download the program using the following link.

 

These 3 simple keys on your keyboard can be combined to do some pretty important things. When you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete you will notice that the Task Manager appears. Please keep in mind that this is only available on PC compatible computers. Using the Task Manager you can access open applications and close them, view all the current running processes, note the performance and networking of your computer, and see active users. The Task Manager also allows you to shut down or restart your computer without going through the Start Menu.

 

You can shut down your computer through the Task Manager by selecting the Shut Down Menu and clicking Turn Off or you can press Ctrl+Alt+Delete after the Task Manager is already open to restart the computer. This is good thing to know if you experience a completely frozen computer, where your mouse won’t even move. You can simply press Ctrl+Alt+Delete twice to restart your entire system. You can also access the restart option and other such commands from the Shut Down Menu in the Task Manager.

 

If you have one window or program that freezes the best thing to do if you are unable to close out of it is to use the Task Manager. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and then under the Applications Tab select the frozen program and click End Task. The Task Manager usually knows which program is frozen and will say Not Responding in the Status column to the right of the frozen program(s).

 

Another neat thing you can do through the Task Manager is start a whole new application. To do this, go to the File Menu in Task Manager and select New Task. A window will pop up for you to type the program in that you would like to start up. You can also use the Browse Button in that small window to locate the program you wish to open. This is especially helpful if your Start Menu is not cooperating.

 

The Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys can get you out of many sticky situations. This 3-key combination, created by David Bradley of IBM PC, is widely known among computer experts and novices alike. Now that you know the common things about the Task Manager you can start using Ctrl+Alt+Delete to control your applications and such.

 

 

If you have upgraded your Windows XP computer to run with Windows Vista, as many Americans have, than you may notice that it is a bit slower. Or maybe you’ve noticed that it stalls at points. For example, you will be typing away and then you look up at the screen only to see that nothing appears right away. Another sign of a stalling computer is when the mouse freezes. You can wiggle it as much as you want but it doesn’t budge on the screen.

 

Generally, this is not an issue with Windows Vista itself. Although you may have heard otherwise, Windows Vista is a great system to have. Then again, so is Windows XP. It is a good idea to perform the installation of Windows Vista twice. This may sound weird but here’s the logic: the first installation is to get everything on there, the second is for a fresh and thorough install. You could also just run upgrades for a fresh install. Upgrades work wonders on Windows Vista when it comes to speed and reliability.

 

If you want to check for upgrades you can go to update.microsoft.com. Use the utility to scan for updates all throughout your Windows Vista system, including hardware and drivers. Restart after doing the updates and see how it helps

 

Please remember that if you purchased the computer with Windows XP on it than your computer will run better and faster with Windows XP than it will with Windows Vista simply because the computer was made for Windows XP.

 

Another thing that I have mentioned time and time again is to run an msconfig. Just go to the Start Menu and select Run. Type msconfig and press Enter. Go to the Startup Tab and get rid of anything you don’t need. You might be surprised at how much this can improve the speed during start up.

 

There are some pretty scary things that can happen to your computer. Most of these things that happen look scarier than they really are. One of these instances is when your computer screen turns completely blank and black in color. This commonly happens upon start-up right after the Windows logo appears. This is most likely NOT due to the computer monitor itself. You can check for that, though, by swapping the monitor and attempting to start up the Windows XP computer. If the same thing happens, than you have just proved that theory wrong.

 

If anything such as hardware or software has been recently installed, like right before this issue started happening, than you should uninstall that program through Safe Mode and then attempt to start the computer again. This issue can happen even if nothing has been recently installed. Also, a System Restore or booting up using the Last Known Good Configuration may not resolve the issue either.

 

 

Now on to the most likely causes of this issue. Try to boot up in Safe Mode by pressing F9 during start-up when you see the Windows logo screen. If you are successful in booting up in Safe Mode than it is probably because there is a problem related to the video drivers of your system. You can resolve the problem by changing to default of VGA or sVGA in your drivers using the Safe Mode start-up. Restart  your computer after doing so, not in Safe Mode, and see if your computer boots up properly. Another possible solution for the video drivers is to revert to a previous version. If you have used Windows Update to change drivers than that may have sparked the booting issue.

 

It is good to know that there are differences between Normal Mode and Safe Mode when using the Device Manager to view and/or edit video drivers.

 

Lastly, if you continue to experience the issue, you may have errors, Malware, spyware or viruses on your computer. These can be repaired and removed with many different options of softwares available on the web, including the one on this website.

 

Errors such as the ones described usually translate to issues developed in the Windows registry. Addressing registry errors such as these is not a simple operation. If you have ever had to dwell into the registry for anything, then you know what I am saying. Not to mention that altering information incorrectly in the registry can render your Windows operating system ioperable. The most efficient way to address any registry error would be to employ a program to do it for you.

 

The PC Registry Cleaner program will not only address errors in the Windows registry effectively, but as well is one of the few programs designed to run with Windows Vista.

 

Lets not forget the fact that every purchase comes with free support. Try it and see the results yourself. You can download the program using the following link.

 

http://www.pcregistrycleaner.com/download/PCRegistryCleaner_setup.exe

 

 

 

 

If you have had a Windows XP system for quite some time, you probably have encountered the following error:

 

Your System Is Low On Virtual Memory

 

Sometimes your system can fix this issue on its own. If this is your case, you will see the following message:

 

Your system is low on virtual memory. Windows is increasing the size of your virtual memory paging file. During this process, memory requests for some applications may be denied.

 

The message above will usually appear right after your Windows XP system starts up. When you select OK on the above message, you might receive the 0xc0000017 error message. This states that an application was unable to start correctly. There are a couple other minor errors that can appear as a result of Windows attempting to increase the size of the virtual memory on your system.

 

If you have an Aventail Connect on your computer than that is one cause of the error with Low Virtual Memory. An easy fix? Remove Aventail Connect. To do this, start your computer in Safe Mode by pressing F8 during start-up and then select Safe Mode. You can get more support with Aventail Connect at

http://support.aventail.com. Instead of just removing the program you can add it to your SVCHOST.EXE file. This is more complicated, but might work better for you. If you are unsure on how to do this, contact Aventail Connect or Microsoft.

 

If you do not have Aventail Connect then your issue might be slightly more serious or complicated. You may need to add more RAM or enlarge the size of your paging file. If left untreated, the virtual memory may get so low that you are unable to download anything new, including programs, pictures, files and more. By default, Windows manages your virtual memory but you can manually change its size.

 

For more information about your Windows XP system requirements you can visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/sysreqs.mspx

 

 

 

 

To know if your taskbar has disappeared, you must first know what a taskbar is. The taskbar is the horizontal bar across the bottom of your screen. The taskbar is where your open programs are displayed, along with your Start Menu and a few other items. Microsoft refers to the taskbar as your screen’s command center. If your taskbar disappears it may be impossible to open or find programs. Well, don’t worry, the taskbar isn’t gone forever, it is merely hiding. You may have, without knowing, made your taskbar so thin that you cannot see it. If this is the case, then you EASILY can click and drag the thin bar upwards to expand it.

 

If, on the other hand, you really don’t have a taskbar there than there are a few things you can do to bring it back. Your taskbar may be stuck behind a program window. Most program windows will go behind the taskbar but there are a few that will cover it. To check for this, minimize ALL program windows. If you have found your taskbar, congratulations! Now, you need to set your taskbar to always be on top. First, right-click the taskbar and select Properties. In the Taskbar and Start Menu dialog box check the following selections: Lock the Taskbar and Keep the Taskbar on Top of Other Windows. Then click OK and it should be ready to go.

 

Another easy fix, if you still don’t see your task bar, is to see if it has been moved. You can accidentally move the taskbar if it isn’t locked. Minimize all the program windows that you have open and look to the other sides of the screen. The taskbar can be docked along any side. If you have located the taskbar on the side you can simply click-and-drag it back to its original location and lock it as instructed above.

 

I hope this has helped you get your taskbar back!

 Have you cleaned your registry in a while. This is necessary. Your registry holds all information regarding updates, install, un-install etc. When you clean your registry it allows for more resources to be available for speed. 

Sometimes we can even overload our PC with so much software and that can even cause your PC to slow down at start up. Running a good Virus protection program is always a good idea. In addition to that a registry fix is always a good idea to use along with your anti-virus.  Try  www.pcregistrycleaner.com there is a free scan to see if you have any errors which errors are very common. You might consider adding this to your maintenance tools but don't over load. I have seen great results!  If you have any questions or need additional assistance on your utilizing this program the support is there to help you along the way. I found it to be a very simple install myself. Good Luck!