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Table of Contents
Windows XP
XP Speed Tip #1: Disable Startup Programs ..........................................................................2
XP Speed Tip #2: Increase Virtual Memory ............................................................................5
XP Speed Tip #3: Remove Spyware and Adware...................................................................8
XP Speed Tip #4: Optimize Visual Effects ..............................................................................9
XP Speed Tip #5: Speed Up File Browsing ..........................................................................12
XP Speed Tip #6: Clean Your Windows Registry .................................................................13
XP Speed Tip #7: Enable Direct Memory Access (DMA) ......................................................14
XP Speed Tip #8: Cleanup Your Hard Disk ..........................................................................17
XP Speed Tip #9: Defrag Your Hard Disk .............................................................................19
XP Speed Tip #10: Disable File Indexing..............................................................................21
Windows Vista
Vista Speed Tip #1: Disable Startup Programs .....................................................................22
Vista Speed Tip #2: Increase Virtual Memory .......................................................................25
Vista Speed Tip #3: Remove Viruses, Spyware and Adware ................................................29
Vista Speed Tip #4: Optimize Visual Effects .........................................................................31
Vista Speed Tip #5: Turn-Off Windows Search Indexing ......................................................33
Vista Speed Tip #6: Clean Your Windows Registry ..............................................................34
Vista Speed Tip #7: Disable Automatic Disk Defragment .....................................................35
Vista Speed Tip #8: Disable Automatic Windows Defender ..................................................36
Vista Speed Tip #9: Disable Windows Hibernation ...............................................................38
Vista Speed Tip #10: Disable Remote Differential Compression ..........................................39
Disclaimer ............................................................................................................................41
1
XP Speed Tip #1: Disable Startup Programs
Windows XP
Are you frustrated with the startup time of your PC? The Windows Startup process involves
all the automatic activities that are undertaken by the computer from the time you switch on
the system until the launch of the programs that you choose.
The Windows Startup programs is convenient for the user on one hand, but on the other it
can also be a way to slow down the startup process of your computer. You must understand
that loading programs means that a share of your system resources is taken up.
If you use a startup program on a regular basis, then you can get it started up each time you
boot your PC, but if you do not use the programs regularly, then there is no need for you to
load the programs at Windows startup every time.
The steps to disable Windows Startup Programs in Windows XP
Disabling unwanted programs on the startup would enhance your PC's performance. Here
are the steps to disable startup programs in Windows XP.
1. At first click on the Start Button.
2. Click on the Run option
3. Type in “msconfig” (without quotes), and hit Enter
2
4. When the System Configuration Utility window opens, click on the Startup tab
5. Uncheck all the programs that you do not want running upon Windows Startup
NOTE: You might find some programs about which you might not be sure. It is
important for you to decide which programs you need to disable from the startup list.
Since, if you disable programs from the startup window randomly, some of the
functionalities might be lost. In case you are not sure about the program to load or
unload, go for a quick search on the internet. Verify if the program is important for
Windows operating system to startup normally. It is highly recommended that you
uncheck one item at a time. If you are unsure whether to leave a program running, it
is best to leave it alone.
6. Press the OK button and restart your computer
7. After restarting a dialogue window will be displayed. You can check the option for not
showing this message every time you reboot your PC.
3
If you want to re-enable the programs in the Windows Startup Program list, just trigger
MSCONFIG and get the item re-enabled. Just put a check mark in the box beside the Startup
item and it will be re-enabled.
4
XP Speed Tip #2: Increase Virtual Memory
Windows XP
Increasing the Virtual memory can help to speed up your computer. The term “Virtual
Memory” in implies the additional virtual Random Access Memory or RAM that is available.
The virtual memory is accessible by programs when sufficient physical RAM is not available,
or when a program has been designed for using virtual memory in order to increase the
efficiency level.
A low virtual memory will result in errors, and when you trying to start an application, the
display message in this case will be “virtual memory is too low”. The Windows Virtual
Memory helps the computer to shift the data to an empty space on the hard drive when you
have no physical RAM available. The computer is able to get the data back to RAM when
needed.
Having enough available space in your computer ensures that your RAM and virtual memory
will be functioning appropriately. By increasing virtual memory, you will be able to have
enough free spaces to store data. By automatically freeing the resources in the Registry, you
can increase virtual memory performance.
The steps to increase Virtual Memory in Windows XP
1. Right-click the 'My Computer' icon on your desktop and select Properties
(alternatively, click the Start Button and right-click on My Computer and select
Properties).
2. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, hit the Settings button
5
3. Under Virtual Memory, on the Advanced tab, you need to click the button named
Change.
4. Select the drive that has the paging file that you want to change under ‘Drive [Volume
6
Label]’
5. Under ‘Paging file size for the chosen drive’, you need to select the radio button
Custom. Here enter the memory size that you want to keep reserved for Virtual
Memory by entering the initial and the maximum size
NOTE: Make sure you choose the same amount of memory size for the initial size
and the maximum size. This will help you to prevent your CPU from constant variation
of the paging file. It would be best to keep the memory value 1.5 times more than the
physical RAM (do not set this higher than 4GB on 32 bit Windows). For instance, if
you have 1024MB of RAM, you will want your Virtual Memory set to 1536MB. This
should help you to increase virtual memory and enhance the performance of your
computer.
6. Then click Set and on OK.
7. If the changes you just made will require a restart, click Yes
7
XP Speed Tip #3: Remove Spyware and Adware
Windows XP
Facts about Spyware and Adware:
•
Spyware and Adware are mostly installed with freeware or bundled software.
•
Spyware and Adware install undesired toolbars and programs on your computer.
They run in invisible mode when your computer starts and use important system
resources slowing down your PC and internet speed.
•
Adware frequently generate popup windows showing advertisements, which not only
disturbs your internet activity but also affects your web surfing.
•
Spyware may steal your internet usage information, especially your personal
information, which may contain your credit card numbers, passwords or the web sites
you are visiting. Thus Spyware and Adware are great threat to your privacy.
How to remove Spyware and Adware from your computer
To remove Spyware and Adware from your computer we recommend a free scan from a
good anti-spyware program. We prefer to use stand-alone, high quality anti-spyware
programs like XoftSpySE, which gives you the ability to scan and fix these problems in
seconds.
XoftSpySE detects and perfectly removes over 225,000 harmful, dangerous and likely
unwanted applications. Detections include Adware, Spyware, Pop-Up generators, Trojans,
Worms, Hijackers, Toolbars, Keyloggers and many of the most prevalent and annoying
viruses. XoftspySE is updated twice each week with all the latest threats.
Click here to download and run a FREE Spyware and Adware Scan.
8
XP Speed Tip #4: Optimize Visual Effects
Windows XP
Windows XP has a lot of cool looking visual elements, however, these elements take up
more physical memory (RAM) and cause your computer to be less responsive. By optimizing
your graphics settings, you can improve the performance of your computer.
The steps to optimize Visual Effects in Windows XP
1. Right-click the 'My Computer' icon on your desktop and select Properties
(alternatively, click the Start Button and right-click on My Computer and select
Properties).
9
2. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings
3. On the Visual Effects tab, check the radio button Adjust for best performance.
This will turn off all of the visual effects.
10
4. You can also select which option you would like to turn on or off. To do this select the
radio button Custom, then check the boxes next to the options you would like to turn
on. We recommend to leave only the following checked:
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
NOTE: the more visual effects that you turn on, the slower your computer will
respond.
5. After you have made your changes, click the Apply button and then OK. There
should be a noticeable difference in speed, especially in older machines.
If you don’t like the looks, you can always revert back the settings by following the same
procedure and selecting “Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer”.
11
XP Speed Tip #5: Speed Up File Browsing
Windows XP
When you open a folder or run Windows Explorer, Windows will automatically search your
network for folders and printers you might want to access. That takes time, and is especially
annoying if you don’t need to access one at the time.
The steps to speed up File Browsing in Windows XP:
1. Open My Computer
2. Click the Tools menu and select Folder Options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Uncheck “Automatically search for network folders and printers”.
5. Click Apply and on OK
6. Reboot your computer
12
XP Speed Tip #6: Clean Your Windows Registry
Windows XP
The Windows Registry is the engine of your Windows operating system. Without it, Windows
would not be able to run.
Whenever you change settings, system policies, file associations, or installed software, the
changes are stored in the Windows Registry. It holds information and settings for all users
and preferences, software and hardware of your PC. The Windows operating system
constantly checks this information throughout its operation.
When you install and uninstall software the Windows Registry gets overloaded with "junk"
information. When the Windows Registry becomes very large, your PC's performance can
decrease and cause it to become unstable. Some PC users will spend a lot of time editing
and cleaning the Windows Registry manually. However, this can be a daunting and risky
task.
Tune Your PC recommends RegCure, because it automatically cleans, repairs and optimizes
the Windows Registry in under 2 minutes. RegCure is an user-friendly tool, so you don't have
to be a PC geek in order to use the program.
So, if you want to increase the speed of your PC, we recommend to run a free Registry scan.
RegCure is 100% Clean and contains no Spyware, Adware or Viruses.
Click here to download and run a FREE Registry Scan.
13
XP Speed Tip #7: Enable Direct Memory Access (DMA)
Windows XP
Microsoft Windows includes a Bus Mastering feature known as Direct Memory Access or
DMA. When this DMA feature is enabled, it basically allows your Hard Drive and CD Rom
Drive to transfer their information directly to and from memory without passing through the
Microprocessor. Hence the word, Direct Memory Access. In short, when your disk drives use
Direct Memory Access to access their information, this reduces the load placed upon your
Central Processor Unit (CPU) and therefore your system works faster.
The steps to enable DMA in Windows XP
1. Right-click the 'My Computer' icon on your desktop and select Properties
(alternatively, click the Start Button and right-click on My Computer and select
Properties).
14
2. Choose the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.
3. Look for 'IDE ATA/ATAPI' controllers and expand it by clicking on the (+) sign next to it.
Select either the Primary or Secondary IDE channel, which controls your drives, right
click on it and select Properties.
15
4. Go to the Advanced Settings tab. The tab may or may not be available for each
option. It is only available in Primary and Secondary Channels. (Note: You will not see
the Advanced Settings tab if your hardware does not support it).
Set the Transfer Mode to ‘DMA if Available’ both for Device 0 and 1.
5. Click OK
6. Perform the same operation for other items in the 'IDE ATA/ATAPI' controllers list, if
applicable.
7. Windows will ask you if you want to reboot, for these settings to take effect. You should
allow it.
8. After booting up, your disk drives should work much faster and consume much less
CPU power.
16
XP Speed Tip #8: Cleanup Your Hard Disk
Windows XP
The Disk Cleanup tool in Windows XP helps you free up space on your hard disk by
searching your disk for files that you can safely delete. You can choose to delete some or all
of the files. A hard disk that is close to being “full” can cause Windows to slow down or
interfere with efficient disk access and virtual memory operations.
Use Disk Cleanup to perform any of the following tasks to free up space on your hard disk:
•
Remove temporary Internet files.
o
This refers to Internet Explorer's cache of Web pages that are stored on the
hard drive for quicker viewing. None of your personal web settings are
affected by selecting this category, nor does it delete any cookie files.
•
Remove downloaded program files.
o
The item "Downloaded Program Files" has a name that confuses many PC
users. It does not refer to downloaded software programs but is a folder that
contains ActiveX and Java applets that are sometimes downloaded for
temporary use by Internet sites.
•
Empty the Recycle Bin
o
The main thing to be aware of in this category is that it only refers to the
Recycle Bin for the selected hard drive or partition. This is important since XP
uses an individual Recycle Bin for each drive and partition, not just one as is
the case in some Windows versions.
•
Remove Windows temporary files.
•
Remove optional Windows components that you are not using.
•
Remove installed programs that you no longer use.
You can start Disk Cleanup, by doing any of the following:
•
Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type cleanmgr, and then click OK.
-or•
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and
then click Disk Cleanup.
-or17
•
In Windows Explorer or My Computer, right-click the disk in which you want to free up
space, click Properties, click the General tab, and then click Disk Cleanup.
18
XP Speed Tip #9: Defrag Your Hard Disk
Windows XP
Fragmentation and Defragmentation
Fragmentation occurs when files are deleted, downloaded and modified. With daily use, the
hard drive performance starts to decrease, because parts of a file do not remain close to one
another – the fragments of the computer file get fragmented. The computer has to find all the
individual sections of a file for opening it, closing it and modifying it. The more time it takes to
find a file, the more effect it has on the performance of your PC.
In order to enhance the performance of your hard disk you need to defrag your hard drive.
Disk defragment is the process through which the pieces of each file in the hard disk are
rearranged to be stored in proximity. However, in order to defrag your system you need have
enough free disk space. Well, now that you know what is fragmentation and defragmentation,
let us proceed with the process of defragmentation.
How to get started with disk defragment
If you are using Windows XP, you will have to manually run the defrag tool for your system. If
you defrag your computer after many days, then it will take about an hour or even more to
defrag your hard disk drive(s).
The steps for disk defragmentation are simple. Make space on the hard disk drive, before
you start disk defragment. Making sufficient space requires you to empty the recycle bin,
remove temporary files like internet files, store large media files on a back-up storage device
and delete any unused applications. Alternatively, you can run the Disk Clean Up feature in
Windows XP, see ‘Tip #8 Clean Up Your Hard Disk’.
The disk defragment can be in process in the background as you can carry on with other
computer work. It is advisable that you have some free time to let the defragging run.
The steps to defrag your hard disk drive(s):
•
Open Windows Explorer or My Computer and then right-click the drive that you want
to defrag, such as Local Disk (C:). Next, you have to click Properties and select the
Tools tab. Click on the Defragment Now button.
•
Click on the Analyze button to find out if your disk needs to be defragmented. If the
Defragmenter recommends defragmentation, you need to press the Defragment
19
button. When the disk defragment is in process, you can pause or stop the
defragmentation.
After disk defragment your PC will be gaining in performance. You can go for defrag
occasionally to ensure that your computer offers optimal performance.
Notes:
•
Defragment your computer overnight. If you have never defragmented your computer before, and you
have a large hard drive, the process can take several hours.
•
You can also access the Disk Defragmenter via the Start menu by going to START -> Programs ->
Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter.
•
The more often that you run the defragmenter, the quicker the process will be. Generally, once per
month is good.
•
Remember that defragmenting takes the saved portions of all of your files and organizes them to help
your computer run more efficiently. Keep in mind that some files (such as critical system files and boot
procedure files) cannot be moved.
•
If the Defragmenter keeps restarting, and you have not already run your computer in Safe Mode, do so.
20
XP Speed Tip #10: Disable File Indexing
Windows XP
The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive
and creates a "searchable keyword index". As you can imagine, file indexing can be quite
taxing on your system. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these
kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. If you don't use the XP
search feature often to look for documents, you can disable this feature. The difference you'll
notice is a slight increase in the time it takes for your computer to find a file, but an overall
increase in general speed for everything else.
The steps to disable File Indexing in Windows XP
1. Double-click on the My Computer icon, located on the desktop.
2. Next, right-click on the C: Drive and select Properties.
3. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching".
4. Next, a window will appear and you'll want to choose Apply to all folders and
subfolders if you want the full benefit. You could turn this on for selective folders that
you search frequently. For the most part you want this off for all of your folders.
5. Click OK.
6. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore
All button. Don’t worry.
21
Vista Speed Tip #1: Disable Startup Programs
Windows Vista
Are you frustrated with the startup time of your PC? The Windows Startup process involves
all the automatic activities that are undertaken by the computer from the time you switch on
the system until the launch of the programs that you choose.
The Windows Startup programs is convenient for the user on one hand, but on the other it
can also be a way to slow down the startup process of your computer. You must understand
that loading programs means that a share of your system resources is taken up.
If you use a startup program on a regular basis, then you can get it started up each time you
boot your PC, but if you do not use the programs regularly, then there is no need for you to
load the programs at Windows startup every time.
Steps to disable Windows Startup Programs in Windows Vista
Disabling unwanted programs on the startup would enhance your PC's performance. Here
are the steps to disable startup programs in Windows Vista.
1. At first click on the Start Button.
2. In the Search field, type in “msconfig” (without quotes), and hit Enter
22
3. When the System Configuration Utility window opens, click on the Startup tab
4. Uncheck all the programs that you don’t want when you start Windows
Note: You might find some programs about which you might not be sure. It is
important for you to decide which programs you need to disable from the startup list.
Since, if you disable programs from the startup window randomly, some of the
functionalities might be lost. In case you are not sure about the program to load or
unload, go for a quick search on the internet. Verify if the program is important for
Windows operating system to startup normally. It is highly recommended that you
uncheck one item at a time. If you are unsure whether to leave a program running, it
is best to leave it alone.
5. Press the OK button and restart your computer
6. After restarting a dialogue window will be displayed.
23
7. In order to remove this warning, click on the icon and then, from the pop-up menu,
select Run blocked program and then click on System Configuration Utility. You will
see a pop-up window, where you are warned once again that you have changed the
way Windows starts. Select the option that says Don't show this message or start
System Configuration when Windows starts and then click on OK.
If you want to re-enable the programs in the Windows Startup Program list, just trigger
MSCONFIG and get the item re-enabled. Just put a check mark in the box beside the Startup
item and it will be re-enabled.
24
Vista Speed Tip #2: Increase Virtual Memory
Windows Vista
Increasing the Virtual Memory or Page File Size can help to speed up your computer. The
term “Virtual Memory” implies the additional virtual Random Access Memory or RAM that is
available. The virtual memory is accessible by programs when sufficient physical RAM is not
available, or when a program has been designed for using virtual memory in order to
increase the efficiency level.
A low virtual memory will result in errors, and when you trying to start an application, the
display message in this case will be “virtual memory is too low”. The Windows Virtual
Memory helps the computer to shift the data to an empty space (in a file called “pagefile.sys”)
on the hard drive when you have no physical RAM available. The computer is able to get the
data back to RAM when needed.
Having enough available space in your computer ensures that your RAM and virtual memory
will be functioning appropriately. By increasing virtual memory, you will be able to have
enough free spaces to store data. By automatically freeing the resources in the Registry, you
can increase virtual memory performance.
The steps to increase Virtual Memory in Windows Vista
1. Click on Start Button and right-click on My Computer
2. Choose Properties
Before you proceed to the next step, determine under the section System (right panel)
the amount of Physical Memory (RAM) in your system.
3. In the left pane, click on Advanced System Settings
25
4. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings
5. On the Advanced tab, under Virtual Memory, you need to click the button named
Change
6. By default, “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” setting is selected so
that Windows Vista system can manage the paging file without user’s interruption. If
you want change the paging file size, move the pagefile.sys to another drive, or
disable virtual memory paging, uncheck the check box of Automatically manage
paging file size for all drives.
26
7. Select and highlight the drive that has the paging file that you want to change under
Drive (Volume Label)
8. Click the Custom size radio button and fill in the memory size that you want to keep
reserved for Virtual Memory by entering the initial and the maximum size (see note
below).
NOTE: Make sure you choose the same amount of memory size for the initial size and
the maximum size. This will help you to prevent your CPU from constant variation of the
paging file. It would be best to keep the memory value 1.5 times more than the physical
RAM (do not set this higher than 4GB on 32 bit Windows). For instance, if you have
1024MB of RAM, you will want your Virtual Memory set to 1536MB. This should help you
to increase virtual memory and enhance the performance of your computer.
9. Then click Set and on OK.
10. The changes you just made will probably require a restart, click OK
27
11. When the prompt appears, click Restart Now.
28
Vista Speed Tip #3: Remove Viruses, Spyware and Adware
Windows Vista
Facts about Viruses, Spyware and Adware:
•
Viruses, Spyware and Adware are mostly installed with freeware or bundled software.
•
Viruses can carry out such malicious damage as erasing your files and have the
ability to spread to your network and contact list. Viruses can take up valuable
memory space and starve your other applications of power
•
Spyware and Adware install undesired toolbars and programs on your computer.
They run in invisible mode when your computer starts and use important system
resources slowing down your PC and internet speed.
•
Adware frequently generate popup windows showing advertisements, which not only
disturbs your internet activity but also affects your web surfing.
•
Spyware may steal your internet usage information, especially your personal
information, which may contain your credit card numbers, passwords or the web sites
you are visiting. Thus Spyware is a great threat to your privacy.
How to remove viruses, spyware and Adware in Windows Vista
To remove Viruses, Spyware and Adware from your computer we recommend a free scan
from a good anti-virus and anti-spyware program. We prefer to use a stand-alone, high
quality anti-virus and spyware program like Anti-Virus PLUS, which gives you the ability to
scan and fix these problems in seconds.
29
Anti-Virus PLUS' advanced scanning and cleaning engine tirelessly locates and completely
removes even the most deeply rooted viruses, spyware, adware, ID-theft, key loggers, Trojan
horses, drive-by downloads and even root kits, which attempt to cover the tracks of
potentially damaging malware. Anti-Virus PLUS is a fast-acting, easy-to-use, customizable
application that is supported by regular updates.
Anti-Virus PLUS takes up very little space on your hard drive, never slowing your computer
down or interrupting important applications and games. And because it doesn’t take up a lot
of valuable memory space, it won’t hinder the normal operation of your important applications
and games.
30
Vista Speed Tip #4: Optimize Visual Effects
Windows Vista
Windows Vista has a lot of cool looking visual elements, however, these elements take up
more physical memory (RAM) and cause your computer to be less responsive. By optimizing
your graphics settings, you can improve the performance of your computer.
The steps to optimize visual effects in Windows Vista
1. Click on Start Button and right-click on My Computer
2. Choose Properties
3. In the left pane, click on Advanced System Settings
4. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings
5. On the Visual Effects tab, check the radio button Adjust for best performance. This
will turn off all of the visual effects.
31
6. You can also select which option you would like to turn on or off. To do this select the
radio button Custom, then check the boxes next to the options you would like to turn
on. We recommend to leave only the following checked:
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
NOTE: the more visual effects that you turn on, the slower your computer will
respond.
7. After you have made your changes, click the Apply button and then OK. There
should be a noticeable difference in speed, especially in older machines.
If you don’t like the looks, you can always revert back the settings by following the same
procedure and selecting “Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer”.
32
Vista Speed Tip #5: Turn-Off Windows Search Indexing
Windows Vista
Windows Vista comes with a new indexing service which improves desktop search. It not
only makes search faster, but also adds some nice features. There are, however, cases
where you might want to disable Vista’s search indexing.
Good desktop search tools index your hard disk only whenever the PC is idle. This seems to
be different with Vista. It often is active even though your computer is quite busy with other
tasks. This can decrease the overall performance tremendously.
Another reason why you might want to disable Vista search indexing is, if you are using
another desktop search solution. Or perhaps you only rarely search for files on your PC. If it
is not the reduced performance, then it could be the constant activity of your hard disk,
whenever indexing starts, that might get on your nerves. If you don’t mind the slower
searching speed when performing searches, the indexing has no meaningful use to you.
The steps to turn-off search indexing service in Windows Vista
1. Open up Services by typing services.msc into the start menu search box. Find
"Windows Search" in the list of services and double-click on it to open it.
2. Change the Startup type of the service to Disabled, and then click the Stop button to
stop the service.
33
Vista Speed Tip #6: Clean Your Windows Registry
Windows Vista
The Windows Registry is the engine of your Windows operating system. Without it, Windows
would not be able to run.
Whenever you change settings, system policies, file associations, or installed software, the
changes are stored in the Windows Registry. It holds information and settings for all users
and preferences, software and hardware of your PC. The Windows operating system
constantly checks this information throughout its operation.
When you install and uninstall software the Windows Registry gets overloaded with "junk"
information. When the Windows Registry becomes very large, your PC's performance can
decrease and cause it to become unstable. Some PC users will spend a lot of time editing
and cleaning the Windows Registry manually. However, this can be a daunting and risky
task.
Tune Your PC recommends RegCure, because it automatically cleans, repairs and optimizes
the Windows Registry in under 2 minutes. RegCure is an user-friendly tool, so you don't have
to be a PC geek in order to use the program.
So, if you want to increase the speed of your PC, we recommend to run a free Registry scan.
RegCure is 100% Clean and contains no Spyware, Adware or Viruses.
Click here to download and run a FREE Registry Scan.
34
Vista Speed Tip #7: Disable Automatic Disk Defragment
Windows Vista
By default Windows Vista will automatically defrag your hard drive. Vista itself schedules the
best time for this to do, while this could decrease real-time performance it might be better if
you choose when to defrag yourself.
The steps to disable automatic defragmentation
1. Click Start and open up the Disk Defragmenter window by typing “dfrgui” (without
quotes) into the search box.
2. Then uncheck Run on a schedule and click OK.
NOTE: Disk Defragmenter serves an important purpose: to keep your hard drive running at
peak efficiency. So if you do decide to disable automatic disk defragment, make sure to run
the tool manually from time to time, or replace it with a third-party defragger.
35
Vista Speed Tip #8: Disable Automatic Windows Defender
Windows Vista
Windows Defender, is a software that prevents, removes and quarantines spyware in
Windows. It is included in Windows Vista by default. However, if you have a better anti-virus
or anti-spyware program, such as Anti-Virus PLUS (see Vista Speed Tip #3 for more
information), you probably won’t need Windows Defender help to protect your system. There
is no point in having two similar applications running at the same time, both of them
consuming system resources. This is why disabling Windows Defender can be a good idea.
The steps to disable Windows Defender in Windows Vista
1. Click the Start button and type “windows defender” (without quotes) in the start
search box.
2. Choose Tools from the top menu
3. Select Options
4. Scroll down the “Options” page, and uncheck the check boxes of the following two
settings:
1. Under the section Real-time protection options, uncheck “Use real-time
protection (recommended)”
2. Under the section Administrator options, uncheck “Use Windows
Defender”
Note: both options MUST be unchecked for the Windows Defender service in
Windows Vista to be completely stopped. Else, only real-time protection is
disabled.
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5. Click on the Save button.
6. A “Windows Defender is turned off” dialog message will appear, confirming that
Windows Defender no longer runs. Once the Windows Defender is disabled, it’s sort
of been uninstalled too, as any attempt to run the program will bring up “Windows
Defender is turned off dialog window and unable to proceed to Windows Defender
main window anymore.
7. Besides, Windows Security Center will display a red alert icon in notification area
(system tray) which warns users about stop functioning of spyware and other
malware protection software.
8. Install your favorite anti-spyware software to remove this alert.
To re-enable Windows Defender in Vista, run Windows Defender from Start Menu and turn it
on again when prompted.
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Vista Speed Tip #9: Disable Windows Hibernation
Windows Vista
Hibernation is enabled by default in Windows Vista, and is one of the seven options (i.e.
Hibernate) that appears on the Vista shutdown menu. Hibernate your Vista system will
enable you to quickly restore to existing system state and intact workspace instead of start
afresh, run programs and open your documents one by one again.
But in order to enable your system to Hibernate, Windows reserves a hidden file
(c:\hiberfil.sys) which is roughly equal in size to the amount of RAM your system has. Hence
if you have 2GB of RAM in your system, then you'll have a corresponding hiberfil.sys file
which is roughly 2GB in size. This is perfectly fine and harmless if you plan on using the
Hibernation feature and you have plenty of hard disk space to spare.
If you do not use the hibernate feature in Vista, and want to delete hiberfil.sys and then
recover the space occupied by the big hibernation storage file, the hibernation function can
be disabled.
The steps to disable Windows Hibernation in Windows Vista
1. Click the Start button and type “cmd” (without quotes) in the Start Search Box.
2. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt or Cmd, and then click Run
as Administrator on the pop up contextual menu.
3. At the command prompt, type the following command, "powercfg /hibernate off”
(without quotes), and then press ENTER.
4. Type exit, and then press ENTER.
To re-enable Windows Hibernation, you can do so by following steps 1-4 again, but this time
in step 3 you type the following command, "powercfg /hibernate on” (without quotes), and
then press ENTER.
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Vista Speed Tip #10: Disable Remote Differential
Compression
Windows Vista
Remote Differential Compression (RDC) measures the changes in files over a network to
transfer them with minimal bandwidth rather than transferring an entire file that has
previously been moved. By constantly checking for file changes, this service can hinder
system performance.
RDC was made in order to constantly monitor files over a network and use a type of
compression to minimize the amount of data sent so that large files moves wouldn't be so
costly in terms of bandwidth. This does, in fact, make sense in a networked environment.
However, this will cause problems with home users with a single computer for very little intracomputer transfers.
The best bet for home users is to disable this feature. More bandwidth may be used during
these infrequent times but overall, system performance won't be degraded by nearly as
much.
The steps to disable Remote Differential Compression in Windows Vista
1. Click the Start button and select Control Panel.
2. Click Classic View on the left side of the window
3. Double-click on Programs and Features
4. Click Turn Windows Features On And Off on the left side of the window
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5. Uncheck Remote Differential Compression
6. Click OK.
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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 procedures in this document at your own risk.
Tune-Your-PC.com is not responsible for any damage the procedures may cause to
your computer.
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