Startup Speed Boost

Improve Windows Vista Startup Speed

If your Windows Vista startup speed has slowed to a crawl, there are a few quick steps you can take to improve it.

Improve your Windows Vista Startup Speed

• First and foremost, control the items that launch at Startup.

Each time you load your computer, certain programs are programmed to automatically start. This is very helpful for things like anti-virus programs, which begin immediately to keep your PC safe.

However, many of the programs that launch automatically at startup are really not necessary, and can be disabled. If you disable a program from automatically launching at startup, it won’t delete it, but it will simply stop it from opening up on its own. Many programs run in the background, with a little taskbar icon – software like media players, Adobe Acrobat, photo editing software, and many other will launch at startup, taking up vital system resources from the get-go.

By removing the items you don’t need, you’ll save your system memory for more important tasks, and improve Vista’s startup time. For downloads to help you remove startup items to Improve your Computer’s Startup Speed, please visit our Downloads section.

• Change the way Windows Vista Indexes files.

The Windows Indexing service keeps a tally of all your files, for quick recall and access with the Windows Search tool. In order to do so, it scans your system, to find new and changed files. You can change the way Vista indexes files by clicking Start> Control Panel (Control Panel Home)> System and Maintenance> Indexing Options. Then click the Modify button. From there you can change your indexing settings, omit rarely used areas, or even remove all areas. Note that this will have an impact on your Windows search times.

• Consider upgrading your RAM.

Windows Vista is known for being significantly more resource-heavy than Windows XP. To run Vista properly, a minimum of two gigs of RAM is recommended.

• Run Defrag and disk cleanup.

These tools can be accessed by clicking Start> All Programs> Accessories> System Tools. The Defragment tool and Disk Cleanup tool should be run regularly to keep your PC at its best.

• Tweak Vista’s Visual Effects.

Windows Vista is a pretty flashy operating system, but all those good looks come with a cost. Disabling some of the flashier features of Vista will result in an overall performance boost.  To do so, click Start> Right-click Computer>Properties>Advanced System Settings>(Click Continue if a Windows Security message appears)>Settings>click the Visual effects tab. From here, you can select individual visual effects to tone down, or simply select the Adjust for Best Performance button.

If you’re running Windows XP, check out our recent post on how to Fix a Slow Startup on Windows XP.