Windows Vista Slow Perforamance

What can cause a Windows Vista system to be slow and sluggish?

 

Aha, performance problems, a pet subject of mine!

Here is my growing list of things that could be responsible for slowing the start up, normal running and shutting down of your computer. Not all of them will apply to you but look through the list and try those that seem appropriate:

1. Make sure your computer is free from malware, i.e. run your ‘anti’ programs.
2. Insufficient memory (RAM) can slow the system down. A minimum of 2GB is recommended, more if your system can cope with it. Also, SuperFetch preloads into memory the programs and data it expects you to use based on past usage. This does result in quite a lot of disk activity after startup as files are read from disk into memory but it can make a difference to the launch times of frequently used programs where a large amount of RAM is installed. Disable it on systems with less than 2GB of RAM via the Windows Orb (Start) > All Programs > Administrative Tools > Services, scroll down to Superfetch, double-click it and change the Startup type to Disabled and click Stop to immediately turn it off.
3. Indexing takes a day or so to settle down on a new Vista computer. However, if you don’t do much internal searching, turn it off completely, look here http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/...ws-vista-search-indexer-and-indexing-service/
4. Turn off Scheduled defragmentation via Windows Orb (Start) > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmentation. However, every so often you need to check if any disks have become excessively fragmented, which can affect disk performance.
5. If you’re using Windows Defender, stop it from auto-scanning and check if your antivirus program is scanning at boot time.
6. You’ll get a slightly faster start up if you optimise the boot files and applications by running a special defragmentation from an elevated CMD prompt, i.e. click the Windows Orb (Start) > All Programs > Accessories and right-click Command Prompt, then ‘Run as Administrator’. Type defrag C:\ -b (note the two spaces) and press Enter.
7. When you have a slow boot, check that no external drives have media in them. If they have, experiment by booting with it inserted and without. If you have a built-in card reader remove the little plastic cover that protects the slot, which can occasionally cause a slow down.
8. To check if a particular program is slowing the machine when you switch on or shut down, e.g. an antivirus program, go to Control Panel > Classic View > Performance Information and Tools > Advanced Tools (in the left pane). On this screen the problem is sometimes shown. If not, click View Performance Details in Event Log (Event Viewer). Events in the 100 series are boot events and those in the 200 series are shut down events. These can be followed up by double-clicking them, then clicking Event Log Online at the bottom. Lots of information on Event Viewer, here http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/vista_event_viewer.htm
9. You can use Process Explorer to see what services are running. To see the svchost processes, let the mouse pointer hover over each svchost.exe in the left pane. Download it from here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx
10. I don’t agree with all of these speed improvement tips but you may find something that looks familiar, read through the list here http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/81176-speed-up-performance-vista.html and/or here http://bibwoe.com/1/InfoPages/VistaTweaks/tabid/84/Default.aspx#Advanced System Settings
11. Reduce the number of programs that start up when you switch on the computer.

 

Sluggish/slow Windows Vista

Thanks alot for all the info. I have a feeling that memory, 1GB, is a big part of the problem. I intend to correct that soon. The defrag boot files trick sounds pretty cool too. I will probably print the whole thing out and go down the list. Thanks again.

 

Yes, ideally, you want at least 2GB of RAM for 32-bit systems, and 3-4GB for 64-bit installations.

RAM is cheap, so you can just pick one up on ebay, or your local craigslist. Make sure you get the right stick. And don't fall for tricks, such as the suspiciously super cheap 2GB. They are often two 1GB sticks, of which you will only be able to make use of one of them. In laptops anyway.

Cherrios!