Top tips for speeding up Windows Vista

Windows Vista is a proper next gen operating system, with tons of new features and whizzy graphics, but they come at a cost. On anything but a top-notch computer, things can seem a little sluggish.Don’t fret though, just follow these simple tips and we’ll show you how to speed up Vista on your existing PC.

Step 1: Use ReadyBoost
Vista comes with everything you need to speed it up built in already. One of the simplest ways to speed it up is by using ReadyBoost. If you’ve got a spare USB memory stick lying around, just shove it into your PC and choose the option to “speed up my system” from the pop-up window that’ll appear.

This will make your PC use the USB stick as extra memory. It’s not as effective as installing new memory inside the computer itself, but it’s much quicker, easier, and will make a difference to your machine’s day to day performance.

If you need to use the USB stick for something else, just eject it as normal.

Step 2: Switch on SuperFetch
The second speeding-up tool built into Vista is SuperFetch. You’ll find options to take charge of it in the Control Panel, but left to its own devices it’ll do a pretty good job once you’ve enabled it.

Running in the background, it analyses which applications and files you use often, then loads them into its memory rather than leaving them on the hard drive, so they’re faster to fire up.

SuperFetch also keeps an eye on your system’s routine functions, like backups and virus checking applications, and assigns them lower priorities, so they don’t interfere so much with your day to day usage.

Step 3: Upgrade!
Of course, neither of the solutions above are a substitute for a proper upgrade. Luckily, the best upgrade you can perform to speed up Vista is also the simplest: adding more memory.

Inserting chips inside your PC can be daunting, but needn’t be. It’s a simple process, and extra memory is incredibly cheap. Double what your machine currently has and you’ll see a performance jump so high you’ll swear its a different PC altogether.

Must-have accessories
USB stick – If you want to speed up Vista simply, just shove in a memory stick and let it use ReadyBoost to take charge of it. The bigger the memory stick, the better your performance boost will be.

Get chatting about your computer tips over at the PriceRunner forum.

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