How to Speed Up Windows Vista Start Up
As computers age, they run slower and have difficulty handling processor-intensive tasks. As more programs are installed and the computer gets older, it will take longer for the start-up and log-in processes to complete. This can also be affected by changes in user settings, programs with background processes and other applications running by themselves. In Windows Vista you can change many of these settings as well as disable certain graphics settings to improve your computer's performance.
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Instructions
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Check your computer for updates. Click "Start" then click "All Programs" then click "Windows Updates" and install any updates the prompt may recommend. Certain updates may fix problems and errors or otherwise improve performance on your system.
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Remove any programs you don't need that may be taking up space. Click on "Start" and then access the "Control Panel," then open "Programs and Features." From here you can remove any programs that you don't need. These programs might not be directly taking up your RAM, but some of them may have processes running in the background that will take up your computer's processing power. If you are not sure what a program does, leave it alone to prevent any possible damage to your computer's operating system. Remove only programs you have installed or are knowledgeable about.
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Look in your Startup folder to see what programs are set to automatically run when you log in to your account. Click on "Start" and then "All Programs" to find the Startup folder. It has a list of programs that will start when you log in. If you know you don't want a program, uninstall it. You can also open the program and see if there is an option to disable the program from starting up automatically.
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Perform maintenance on your computer. Click on "Start," "All Programs," "Accessories" and then "System Tools." Run "Disk Cleanup" and then "Disk Defragmenter." The latter may take a long time to run, especially if you have never run it before.
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Disable the Aero theme and use another theme in its place. The Aero theme, Vista's default, uses a lot of processor power, so using another, like the Classic theme, can open more resources for your computer. Right click on the "Desktop" and select "Personalize." Click on "Window Color and Appearance," and then click the "Open classic appearance properties for more color options" link. From there you can select a number of themes that will use less processor power.
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Restart your computer. Your computer running Windows Vista should now start up faster with fewer programs running and more space available.
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Tips & Warnings
It's helpful to run Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup regularly to keep your computer running well. Consider running both programs once a week.
Check your antivirus programs for custom settings. Disabling some automatic start-up processes, such as a hard drive scan, can help speed up your computer.
