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Skriven 2007-04-05 02:56:46 av mark lewis (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: vista speedup tweaks
============================

===== quote http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2110595,00.asp =====

April 3, 2007
Speed Up Windows Vista
By Joel Durham Jr.

Performance is probably the most coveted intangible when it comes to PCs, and
tweaking, to the performance hungry, is considered more of a necessity than an
option. Gearheads go to great lengths to get quicker system response times,
faster-running games, and shorter PC bootup and shutdown times.

One way is to overclock the heck out of the poor components (and then, for 
bragging rights, to log on to a message board and claim a stable CPU frequency
of about 300MHz faster than what's actually possible). Another way is to tweak
out the operating system itself.

Unlike previous Microsoft operating systems, Windows Vista is pretty
streamlined right out of the box. It makes terrific use of a system's
resources, but it's built as much for pretty looks and increased stability and
security as it is for horsepower. It's time now for a course of action that
will take the ball and chain off this baby and let it fly.

The ink on Windows Vista's EULA is barely dry, so it's very likely that more
speed tips, registry hacks, and deep settings will be revealed in the weeks,
months, and years to come. For now, here's our set of tweaks that can help you
turn up the throttle on your new operating system. 


Keep Those Drivers Fresh
========================
ExtremeTech and lots of other Web sites have published quite a few bytes of
copy about how drivers for Vista are premature at best. Graphics drivers,
especially, are hurting in terms of efficiency
(http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2096940,00.asp) and stability
(http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2109559,00.asp). It's likely that
the biggest boost you're likely to see will come in gradual increments as AMD,
Nvidia, and other companies work out the wrinkles that prevent their hardware
from performing at peak under the new OS.

The first step in optimizing Vista, then, is to keep your drivers up to date.
Check for new drivers for all of your hardware often - daily, even. Not only
can new drivers enhance performance, they should also gradually enable more
features. We're still waiting for better video quality from AMD's ATI cards,
for instance, and for a full feature set for Creative Labs' SoundBlaster X-Fi
cards.


Lose What You Don't Need
========================
If you installed Vista yourself and have experience installing previous Windows
OSes, you surely noticed that Vista hardly asks any questions about your
computer - and what you plan to do with it - than did prior OSes. Windows Vista
makes all kinds of assumptions about your computing habits and the features you
may or may not need, and it inevitably installs some overhead that you simply
don't need. You can get rid of it. Windows XP had the Add/Remove Windows
Features button in the Control Panel Add/Remove Programs applet, and Vista has
something like it. 

  1. Open Control Panel and click Uninstall a Program to 
     launch Vista's Uninstall or Change a Program Window. In 
     the Tasks pane on the left, click Turn Windows Features 
     On or Off.

  2. Check the list of features. Each feature is preceded by 
     a checkbox which, if filled, indicates the feature is 
     installed. If you hover the mouse over a feature, a help 
     tooltip appears to tell you what it is.

  3. Uncheck any feature you don't need. Some of the features 
     are headings with a sub-list below them; just click the 
     little + sign to expand.

For my gaming system, I've purged everything except: 

  Some of the games
  XPS Viewer (under .NET Framework 3.0)
  Remote Differential Compression (a network optimizer)
  Windows Ultimate Extras

Note that when you uncheck features, you're not removing these features from
your system; you're simply turning them off so they don't sit in the background
eating up resources. You can turn any of them back on by invoking this window
and filling the checkboxes.

Next, it's time to flush any services that you don't want or need.

Click the Start button and type in services.msc and hit Enter. (The cursor
jumps to the Search bar in the Start Menu when you click the Start button; you
can usually just punch in whatever program or module you want to run right
there).

The Services applet appears. Each service is basically a little nest of
software support code for something the computer can monitor or do.

Well-written services include a description of what they do (note that lots of
third-party services don't include a description, to which we say: shame). The
Status column in the Services window shows whether or not the service has been
started. Startup Type means how the service starts: 

  -Automatic means the service starts when Windows starts.
  -Manual means the service starts when Windows detects that 
   something needs it.
  -Disabled means the service doesn't start at all.

Most services are either set to Automatic or Manual. There's no need to change
any manual services; they only start when it's necessary for them to do
something. There are probably some automatic services you really don't need,
though. You can find a full list of services
(http://www.tweakhound.com/vista/tweakguide/page_7.htm) at TweakHound, an
excellent source of all kinds of tweaks.

To change how a service starts, right-click it and click Properties. If you
don't want a service to load, first stop the service by clicking Stop. Then,
pull down the Startup Type list and set the service to Manual or Disabled.

If you're not sure about a service, it's safer to set it to Manual; that way,
if something calls it, it should start up. If you know you don't need a
service, set it to Disabled.

The services you need depend on what you do with your PC. For instance, if
you're not using ReadyBoost, you can disable that service; you can disable
Windows Error Reporting if you don't want to report errors; you can disable
Tablet PC Input Service if you don't want to use Tablet PC features; and so on.

You can almost certainly disable some services that start automatically by
default:

  Computer Browser
  Distributed Link Tracking Client
  IKE and AuthIP IP Keying Modules
  Offline Files
  Remote Registry
  Tablet PC Input Service (unless you're using a tablet PC)
  Windows Error Reporting

Some services that you absolutely should not disable include: 

  Multimedia Class
  Scheduler
  Plug and Play
  Superfetch
  Task Scheduler
  Windows Audio
  Windows Driver Foundation

Feel free to experiment with services; just keep track of which services you
tweak and, if something doesn't work, re-enable the last service you turned
off. Streamline the system by shutting down as many services as you can, based
on your own unique needs.

As an example, here are the services I've disabled on my networked gaming
machine:

  DFS Replication
  Computer Browser
  Distributed Link Tracking Client
  IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
  IP Helper
  IPsec Policy Agent
  KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator 
  Offline Files
  Remote Registry
  Secondary Logon
  Security Center (Use caution if you disable security services!)
  SSDP Discovery
  Tablet PC Input Service
  Terminal Services
  Windows Defender (Ditto the above warning!)
  Windows Error Reporting Service


Hose Out the Background
=======================
For the most streamlined operation, it's essential that your computer has as
few programs running in the background as possible. You can tell a bit about
how much junk is running behind the scenes by looking at the system tray (the
area next to the clock on the taskbar). The more icons you see there, the more
stuff is running that you may not actually need.

I recommend a two-step process for getting rid of any background applets that
you don't need. Check out the tray icons and use the interfaces from those
programs to disable them natively. Then, run good old MSCONFIG to clean out
anything else.

First, look at the tray. Some of the stuff there belongs there; you might see a
little speaker icon, a battery power icon, an icon for the Sidebar, network
status icons, and a few other odds and ends that Windows puts in the tray. Look
for third-party icons; in the picture shown here, QuickTime and Steam occupy
parts of the tray.

Right-click on any icons you find that aren't simple Windows status icons. Look
for a settings, properties, or a similar option. Then, in the resulting window,
look for a way to prevent the program from loading when Windows starts. For
example, to prevent Steam from automatically loading, you would: 

  1. Right-click the Steam tray icon.
  2. Click Settings.
  3. Click Interface (see the screenshot below).
  4. Uncheck Run Steam When Windows Starts.
  5. Click OK.

Quicktime, however, presents a challenge. You can tell it not to display the
tray icon, but it will still run in the background. For that, and other
programs that don't always display tray icons, use the second method. 

Click the Start button, type msconfig, and hit Enter.

You'll see the System Configuration window, which operates essentially the same
as it does in Windows XP. Click the Startup tab.

Look at the list of startup items. Each is preceded by a checkbox. You can
prevent any of these programs from starting simply by unchecking it.

You'll note that QuickTime, which wouldn't let me disable it through its
interface, is there. Simply uncheck it to prevent it from running in the
background - and sucking up resources.

Steam, QuickTime, and many other such programs will start automatically when
they're needed. For example, if you launch an MOV file, QuickTime will start
whether or not its little applet is running in the background. Steam will
launch if you start a Steam game, even if it's not running behind the scenes.

Now, some items are necessary. You might see things like a mouse or gamepad
applet that's the hardware needs to offer its programmability. You might see
Windows Defender, which, if your computer has constant Internet access and
lacks another anti-spyware program, could help protect it.

Here's a good rule of thumb: If an application in MSCONFIG references hardware,
you should keep it. If it references software, get rid of it (unless it's a
vital security program). Hardware applets often supply needed front ends;
software applets usually help a software program open faster. Software opens
just fine without helper applets, so there's no need for them to suck up
processor cycles all the time.

When you've cleaned out the list, unchecking anything you don't need, restart
the computer.


Use ReadyBoost
==============
ReadyBoost is a Vista feature that uses a compatible USB flash device to
enhance performance. Note that the oft-misunderstood feature isn't a
replacement for a memory upgrade, and it doesn't affect game performance - you
won't see higher frame rates by adding a keychain drive to your system.

ReadyBoost caches disk reads on the fly and can often speed up data access.
Reads from a USB key or other ReadyBoost device are much faster than random
reads from a platter on the hard drive. ReadyBoost data is encrypted, so if
someone swipes the flash device he or she can't tell what you've been up to.
It's secure, and it really does speed up access in certain instances.

To enable ReadyBoost, just plug in a flash device (Microsoft recommends one
about the same size as your system's main memory. For instance, if you have 1GB
of RAM, grab a 1GB ReadyBoost device). The system will automatically detect the
drive and offer to use it either as an external drive or as a ReadyBoost drive.
Simply choose the latter, and a window like the one in this screenshot will
appear.

You can change the amount of memory on the device is used for speed. Windows
will recommend the amount it can use with the most efficiency. Click OK and
you're done.

Adding a ReadyBoost drive isn't like doubling your system's memory, but the
performance benefits are well worth the price of a USB flash device. 


Speed Up the Interface
======================
Windows Vista features what some of us think is the prettiest GUI in the OS
industry. Its stylish transparencies and nifty animations - driven by Direct3D
and your graphics card - give it a polished look that's a pleasure to use.

Unfortunately, that shiny, new interface, called Aero, is also a resource hog.
If you're running Vista on a PC that's near or just above the system
requirements
(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirem
ents.mspx), you might want to shut off some or all of those features.

Here are some actions you might want to take to tweak interface niceties:

  Lose the transparency. Right-click the desktop, click 
  Personalize, and click Windows Color and Appearance. 
  Uncheck Enable Transparency. Click OK. 

  Get rid of the Sidebar. It's cool, but some of those 
  gadgets chow down on memory. Right-click the Sidebar, click 
  Properties, and uncheck Start Sidebar When Windows Starts. 
  Click OK. Then, right-click the Sidebar and click Close 
  Sidebar. If you ever want it back, you can simply click the 
  Start button and key in "sidebar" and hit Enter. 

  Get rid of some of the visual effects. Open Control Panel, 
  click Performance and System Tools, and click Adjust Visual 
  Effects. In the resulting window, you can uncheck line 
  items for animations, fades, and other effects; or simply 
  click Adjust For Best Performance.

  Go with a non-Aero theme. To get rid of Aero entirely, use 
  the Windows Classic, Windows Vista Basic, or Windows 
  Standard theme. Right-click the desktop, click Personalize, 
  and click Windows Color and Appearance. Click Open Classic 
  Appearance Properties... and choose a theme in the Color 
  Scheme list box. Click OK.

When you perform such tweaks, Windows Vista won't look as pretty. It will,
however, respond much faster. A high-end system might not benefit a whole lot
from these adjustments, but they'll improve low-end computers in spades. 


Miscellaneous Hacks
===================
Next up are a few hacks I've come across in my travels. The first is for
systems that have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with a reliable battery
attached.

If your system is equipped with a serial-ATA (SATA) hard drive, go to Device
Manager (the quickest way to do that is to click Start and punch in "Device
Manager" and hit Enter). Expand the Disk Drives entry. Right-click on your SATA
hard drive and click Properties. Click the Policies tab, and click Enable
Advanced Performance. This option enables extremely aggressive write caching,
which can speed up drive access but also cause you to lose data if the power
goes out suddenly.

A couple of tweaks require you to hack the registry. To do this, click the
Start button, type regedit and hit Enter.

[Note: You should make a backup of the registry before you alter it. Click
File, click Export, and in the resulting window, make sure All is selected at
the bottom. Give the file a name and click Save. This will create a full backup
of your Windows registry; if you accidentally hose something, you can go into
Windows Safe Mode and restore it. Alternately, you can create a Restore Point
before you alter the registry; go to Control Panel, then System and
Maintenance, and then System. Click System Protection in the Tasks list. Click
the Create... button, and follow the prompts.]

I recommend two registry hacks for minor performance gains. First, turn off the
low disk space checks:

  1. Using the left side of the Registry Editor, navigate to 
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
  2. Right-click in the right pane and select New Key.
  3. Name the new key Explorer.
  4. In the Explorer key, right-click in the right pane and click New DWORD
(32-bit) Value.
  5. Name the DWORD NoLowDiskSpaceChecks.
  6. Right-click the new DWORD and click Modify.
  7. Set the Value Data to 1.
  8. Click OK.

This will prevent Windows Vista from checking the space on your hard drive and
popping up the notorious "Hey, you're running out of space!" warning balloon.

Next, you can probably safely disable the NTFS habit of creating 8.3 versions
of filenames for backward compatibility. DOS is dead, right?

Open the Registry Editor and:

  1. Navigate to 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
  2. Find the DWORD called NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation.
  3. Right-click it and click Modify.
  4. Change the value to 1.
  5. Click OK.

You should reboot after you alter the registry. These tweaks mildly speed up
hard drive access by removing needless overhead.


Defrag Once in a While
======================
If you've somehow gotten the impression that Windows Vista doesn't need to be
defragged, think again. Vista comes with a defrag program (Microsoft's worst
yet, in terms of usability) and it even comes preconfigured to defrag the hard
drive once each week.

Unless you keep your computer on 24 hours a day, launch Disk Defragmenter
(click Start and type in "defrag" and hit Enter) and disable its scheduler. You
can do this on your own, with a better defrag application which, unlike
Microsoft's, still shows you a map of the drive as it defrags.

Download Disk-Defrag from AusLogics (http://www.auslogics.com/disk-defrag/) and
install it. Then run it. It's speedy and free.

Unless you install and uninstall programs, move and delete data, and otherwise
assault the hard drive regularly, you don't need to defrag more than once a
month. Pick a night after you're done with your PC, start the Disk-Defrag
application, start a defragmentation, and go to bed.


Use It
======
The last way to speed up Windows Vista that we'll cover is simple.

Use it.

Vista's Superfetch feature, its prefetching powerhouse, is incredibly powerful
on its own - don't mess with it.

Read about our Ten Must-Have Gadgets for Windows Vista Sidebar
(http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2105925,00.asp).

Vista monitors your computing habits and caches the stuff you use the most. It
also moves things on the hard drive that it thinks you'll want to the fastest
area of the platter. It does all kinds of background work to speed up, tune
itself up, and make itself as responsive as it can be. Use Vista regularly and,
in about a week, it should be fully optimized based on what you do. Windows XP
started the trend with its own self-optimization, but Vista truly gets it
right. Vista's own optimization isn't perfect, but the steps in this article
will boost it so that it's even more responsive and well-tuned.
===== end quote =====


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