Vista Tips & Tricks

[POG]

Do you get pissed off with the way Vista asks your permission to do everything ?? Even picking your nose

Here's the cure


Start

> Control Panel (switch to Classic View, it's easier)

> User Accounts

> Turn User Account Control on or off

(At this point you'll need to give it permission to continue )

> Un-tick the box next to "Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer"

> Click "OK"

> Click "Restart Now" (Save your work first obviously)

Voila

 

[POG]

To free up some much needed RAM.


Press Windows key + Pause/break key at the same time

> Click "Advanced system settings" (on LHS)

> Advanced Tab

> Performance, Click "Settings" button

> Visual Effects Tab

> Select "Adjust for best performance"

See below first

> Click "Apply"

> Click "OK"

> Restart


The above will give you the best performance but none of the pretty. If you want some of the pretty of Vista (and have plenty of RAM), you can try the settings below which I use.

Select the "Custom" option and tick only the following boxes:

Animate controls and elements inside Windows
Fade or slide menus into view
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show preview and filters in folder
Show shadows under menus
Show shadows under mouse pointer
Show thumbnails instead of icons
Smooth edges of screen fonts
Use visual styles on windows and buttons

> Click "Apply"

> Click "OK"

 

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Remote Access


This is a terrible security risk to have enabled (unless you actually need to use it).

> Press the Windows key and Pause/Break key at the same time

> Click "Remote Settings"

> Remote Tab, Un-tick "Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer".

> Click "Apply"

> Click "OK"

Robert's your uncle...

 

[POG]

Another way to free up loads of RAM is, of course, to disable the Sidebar

Looks nice but is a massive resource hog.

It's easy:

> Right Click on an empty section of the Sidebar

> Click Properties

> Un-tick "Start Sidebar when Windows Starts"

> Click "Apply"

> Click "OK"

Then

> Right click on an empty section of the Sidebar

> Click "Exit Sidebar"

Then

> Right click on the icon in the tool tray (bottom right)

> Click "Exit Sidebar" making sure the "Start Sidebar..." box is un-ticked

There you go

 

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Windows Defender

This is another massive resource hog. If you use a after market firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware etc, you do not need this slowing up your computer.


Here's how:

> Click "Start"

> Click "All Programs"

> Click "Windows Defender"

> Chick "Tools" (at the top)

> Click "Options" and un-tick everything especially "Use Windows Defender" that's tucked away at the bottom.

> Click "Save"

> Click "Close" on the alert box that pops up

 

[POG]

Free Up Some more Resources


> Press the Windows key and R at the same time

> In the run dialog box type "msconfig" (without quote marks) and click "OK"

> Chose the "Services" tab and un-tick the following

Ready Boost (unless you're going to use it)
Windows Firewall (only if you have an after market firewall installed)
Remote Registry
Secondary Logon
SSDP Discovery
Windows Error Reporting Service
Windows Defender
Parental Controls
Security Centre

> Click "Apply"

> Click "OK"

> You'll need to restart now