NBR Vista Tips and Tweaks Guide

[kaseykrehbiel]

I didn't see this anywhere else on this thread, but allowing your pagefile to have between x and y values tends to frag the everloving crap out of your hard drive.

For example, if your pagefile min is 512Mb and the max is 1024Mb, and right after you start up your computer you save a document to the hard drive (and it happens to save it right after the pagefile) and then go play with AutoCAD or a game (something that uses a lot of RAM,) your pagefile will increase, but it'll be fragmented because of the document. This continues to happen (quite frequently might I add, because of how much Windows writes to the HDD) and the next thing you know your pagefile is split into over 1000 pieces.

If you're gonna have a pagefile, set the min and max values to the same thing, so that the computer starts up with that space allocated already. That way it can't get smaller and larger while you're reading/writing files to the hard drive and then it won't frag your files (and the pagefile itself - potentially a HUGE performance problem!)

I learned this trick in my early days of XP. Defragging the hard drive became necessary once every 6 months instead of once a week. It's really that big of a deal.

[Stones]

I just got my new tx2500z today an im lookin for some easy starter tips to optimize vista (home premium). I came across this thread an I was wondering if any one could let me know if all those tips/tweaks were still accurate since it was originally written back in 07, but i did see that it was updated on 03-01-2008. I just wana make sure its all still good an that i didn't miss any thing big in all of the 150some pages of comments thanks (also if any one knows some other great vista optimizing guides that would be great)

[Meetloaf13]

yes, these are current...the Mighty Les would not have it any other way

...you probably won't need to worry about finding another optimization guide; Les, with the help of many others has gone to great lengths to make sure this guide is both comprehensive, and reasonable.

There are many tweaks out the that many claim "tweak Vista" that are not included here, but most offer no proof for such performance increase, and often cause problems down the road.

With that, get tweaking!

[Stones]

thanks meetloaf13 for the help

[Meetloaf13]

No problemo...I see you are new to the forums. Don't forget to Rep Les for this sweet thread...you do that by clicking on the little scales underneath his name.

It is common practice to spread the love when someone helps out.

Welcome!

[crash]

No problemo...I see you are new to the forums. Don't forget to Rep Les for this sweet thread...you do that by clicking on the little scales underneath his name.

It is common practice to spread the love when someone helps out.

Welcome!

But wait until you have at least 1 rep power

[aloud]

this is a great thread, thanks a lot for your advice/tweaks. will surely save batt life

[potentv]

bloody amazing stuff, thank you mate

[Meetloaf13]

Hey Les,

Re: the registry shutdown kill time tweak.

I've set mine to 7s long ago. Do you know if things like automatic update or driver installation temporarily overrides this so that tasks/updates can be completed at shutdown? Or would it be wise to increase the kill-time manually to make sure we aren't killing important updates/installations before they are complete?

Just wondering if you knew (or anyone else for that matter).

Thanks!

[coolguy]

I didn't see this anywhere else on this thread, but allowing your pagefile to have between x and y values tends to frag the everloving crap out of your hard drive.

Page file fragmentation seldom affects performance.