Disc CleanUp in Windows Vista

Windows Vista includes a very useful "Disk Cleanup Tool" which does exactly as the name suggests, and allows you to remove a wide variety of temporary and cached files that you no longer need. Most applications will automatically remove the temporary files once you have closed the software down, but in some cases (such as crashes or bad programming), trails can be left behind. Removing these files will create extra diskspace and keep your system in good condition.

To begin, load the Run box by pressing WINDOWS KEY + R, then type "cleanmgr" and click OK:






Now, select the drive you wish to clean up. Normally the "C:" is your primary drive where temporary files will be located. Click OK once you have done this:






It may take a few moments while the cleanup software scans your drive for files that are safe to remove:




You can then select all of the temporary file types you wish to remove. It is not normally worth removing Image Thumbnail files as these will just be recreated next time you view a photo directory. Once you have selected the file types you want to remove, click OK:




You will be prompted to confirm you are sure about the deletion. If you are sure, click Delete Files:





The Disk Cleanup Tool will then remove the selected files and close, successfully reclaiming some diskspace:

Turn-Off Un-Needed Features

There are many new features in Windows Vista that are installed by default that you may not need. These extra and un-needed features can slow down your computer and take up more storage space. Windows Features can be un-installed using the Windows Features utility. Follow these steps to uninstall applications such as the Windows Fax and Scan and many more.

To Turn-Off Some Un-Needed Features:

1. Click on the Start Button
2. Select Control Panel
3. Under Programs click Uninstall a program
4. On the left side menu, click on Turn Windows features on or off
5. Scroll through the list as shown below and uncheck from any feature you do not want installed.
6. Click OK when you are finished making your changes. The features will now be uninstalled.

Disable Automatic Windows Defender Operation

Windows Defender real-time protection against malware continues to run despite having Automatic operation disabled.

In actuality, this built-in malware protector from Microsoft is very poor at protecting your computer from external threats. You are much better off using a 3rd-party software program like XoftSpy for total protection.

To disable:

1. Click the Start button
2. Type “services” into the Start Search box
3. Find Windows Defender in the list of programs
4. Double-click on Windows Defender
5. Choose Tools from the top menu
6. Select Options
7. Uncheck Auto Start at the bottom of the window

Disable Automatic Disk Defragment

Windows Vista uses an always-on defragment set up that isn’t that necessary and will cause your system to slow down. Remember to run a defragment manually once a month.

To shut down this feature:

1. Click the Start button
2. Select Computer
3. Right-click on C: Drive icon
4. Select Properties
5. Click the Tools tab
6. Uncheck Run on a schedule
7. Click OK

Shutdown Search Indexing

Windows Vista Search Indexing is constantly checking the files on your system to make their information available for quick searching. This is helpful, but can severely slow system performance as the average user doesn’t use the search function frequently.

To shut down constant indexing:

1. Click the Start button
2. Select Computer
3. Right-click on the C: Drive icon
4. Select Properties
5. Select the General Tab
6. Uncheck Index this drive for faster searching
7. On the next dialog box, select Apply Changes to Drive C:, subfolders and files
8. Click OK

Disable Unnecessary Graphical Effects

Vista is “sexy” because of its new aero glass transparency effects. Here is how to enable and disable this new eye candy.
1. Click Start (Windows) button
2. Select the Control Panel
3. Double-click Click Appearance and Personalization
4. Under Personalization, click Change the color scheme
5. In the Appearance Settings dialog box, click Windows Vista Basic, and then click OK.


Or, if you prefer a Windows 2000-style interface, click Windows
Standard, and then click OK.

Turn-off User Account Control (UAC)

Now, there’s a lot of talk about the new User Account Control policy in Vista, and all I can say is that it annoys the heck out of 99% of users and slows down normal computer usage. To turn it off, the easiest way is to:

1. Click the Start (Windows) button
2. Select the Control Panel
3. Type in ‘UAC‘ into the search bar
4. It’ll bring up a search result of ‘Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off’
5. Just follow the prompts from there



Much better, eh? You might say ‘but what’s that got to do with speed?’ It prompts you at least a couple times an hour and then takes several seconds to figure itself out. Without these annoying prompts, your productivity goes up, so therefore it’s a speed enhancer.