How to speed up Windows Vista computers

Windows Vista is the newest Microsoft operating system product. It is feature-rich which can sometimes put a heavy load on computer systems, particularly those systems that were built before the release of Vista. This operating system can be very fast and efficient provided there are adequate hardware resources available and extraneous programs are kept to a minimum. The fact that it is a new operating system means that there are some special considerations, as well.

Because Vista is a rather recent release, many older hardware components will be equipped with driver software that may not be as efficient as possible operating under the OS. The first thing to try if performance seems slow is to upgrade all the hardware drivers on the machine. If these drivers were released before Vista, there is probably little to be done with this method but most drivers have since been updated. Most computer manufacturers have hardware drivers for their systems available on their web sites.

Some applications may not be compatible with Vista, as well. Uninstalling old applications can sometimes increase performance. One may consider waiting for an update to their favorite programs before reinstalling them on a computer loaded with Vista.

Vista is packed with features. Some of these include integration with Tablet PC technology and other additions. These can be accessed from the Control Panel’s Add and Remove Programs interface. Scanning down the list of features can sometimes reveal that resources are being consumed unnecessarily. Learn to what each entry refers and then disable unneeded features to improve performance.

The hardware requirements for Windows Vista are significantly above those required for XP. If an XP-loaded computer was upgraded to the Vista OS, there is a significant chance that a hardware update will be required to afford acceptable levels of performance. Upgrading the RAM and the processor are generally the first measures to increase performance. Windows Vista runs best with at least 2 GB of RAM, though that number exceeds the minimum stated requirement. One may also consider installing more modern hardware components such as video and audio cards. Older models may not be able to handle the demands of the OS as well as newer ones.

Remove unneeded startup programs. These include a variety of applications that start along with the computer. They all consume resources. Instant messengers and other “bells and whistles’ type programs are best started on an as-needed basis and not allowed to start themselves when the system boots. They can significantly delay load times for the OS and take away hardware resources from programs with which the user is actively working.

Regular virus scans and installing updates as they’re released is necessary to performance. Many of the updates released by Microsoft address performance issues and not installing them can keep a system performing at unimproved levels. Vista will automatically check for updates and notify the user. For security purposes as well as performance issues, it’s best to allow the computer to install and reboot as needed.