January 30th, 2008
Microsoft wants to help you speed up Vista
Microsoft has published an article aimed at helping Vista users speed up their system - but the article takes a somewhat hit-and-miss approach to speeding up a PC. Oh, and the best performance tip of all has been left out!
Since several of you sent me a link to Optimize Windows Vista for better performance I just had to take a look at what gems of information Microsoft were handing out. The article begins with statement which I agree with 100%:
That state-of-the-art PC you bought last year might not feel like such a screamer after you install a dozen programs, load it with antispyware and antivirus tools, and download untold amounts of junk from the Internet. The slowdown might happen so gradually you hardly notice it, until one day you’re trying to open a program or file and wonder, “What happened to my poor PC?”
That’s pretty much how it happens - you buy a new PC, load antispyware and antivirus tools onto it and then it’s slow. If you’re lucky the slowdown is gradual and you get time to enjoy some of the power you paid for, but for some people that feeling of owning a fast PC is very short-lived.
The next point that the article makes is to remind the reader to delete programs they never use. Good advice but this doesn’t necessarily speed a PC up, especially if the app that’s been uninstalled doesn’t fire up automatically unless the system is running very low of disk space and space for temp files is getting low. Another problem with this statement is that quite often it’s the apps that you use regularly which slow the system down (security apps, email, browser and so on) and it’s not so easy to uninstall these unless you have an alternative.
Tip: After encountering numerous debacles with security software I strongly urge anyone looking for an antivirus of antispyware solution to download and install a trial version before committing to paying for the full version because if you have performance hassles the cash you’ve paid will be wasted.
The next bit of advice is to limit the number of programs loading at startup. Again this is excellent advice but might not have any effect on system performance unless the PC is particularly low on RAM, in which case it’s more RAM that’s required.
Next –>
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
Want to get in touch? Got a tip? Feel free to drop me a note! I ALWAYS respect anonymity. I'm also on Twitter (@the_pc_doc)
Right to Reply: Should any industry representatives wish to comment on any posts on Hardware 2.0, I will be happy to publish their reply verbatim on this blog.
Subscribe to Hardware 2.0 via Email alerts or RSS.
| 01/30/08
