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

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.

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 (or even Windows 7). 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.

Related Posts:

• Fine-Tune Windows Settings to Maximize PC Speed
• Why Is My Computer Slow?
• Make Your Computer Run Faster
• Why Remove Startup Items?
• Make your Computer Uglier (and Faster)